Keisha Blair
Welcome to the holistic wealth podcast. I’m your host, Kesha Blair, wife, mother of three, all of Holistic Wealth and founder of the Institute on Holistic Wealth. The show will showcase various experts in the key pillars of holistic wealth. Each week, we deliver the best information on how to become holistically, wealthy and live your best life.
Today we have a solo episode. So I’m so excited. There’s a huge topic that’s been in the media this week. This week we celebrated black women’s equal Pay Day. And so I just want to talk about some issues related to that, especially because there is a new statistic out from Future Forum that says only 3% of black professionals surveyed want to go back to the office full time.
Now that statistic is just mind blowing, because what that means is that 97% of black professionals surveyed from Future Forum don’t want to go back to the office full time. It’s unbelievable. And I also want to share some stats from Lean in.org that was shared on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. And these statistics are equally startling.
According to Lean In.org, Black women had to work seven extra months into 2021 to get paid what white men were paid in 2020 alone. In addition, more than four in five Black women are the major breadwinners for their families, which means their partners and children are dependent on their income. So black women can’t afford to pass up an opportunity even if it isn’t fair. In other words, they have to just stick with what they can get because they are the breadwinners for their families, the breadwinners for their households, and they have partners and children that are dependent on their income. As a result, black women feel the effects of being low-balled throughout their careers over the course of the average Black woman’s career, the lost income adds up to almost a Million dollars. So over the course of their careers, and I’ll just repeat that over the course of the average Black woman’s career, the lost income adds up to a million dollars. And for many of us who are Black women, we’re not surprised. And I know if you’re listening in and you’re in this category, you’re not surprised. You’re thinking, yes, this is exactly it.
This is exactly what we’ve been saying for years. It’s come to a head now with COVID-19 where the Black community has been hit, especially hard. We’ve all had relatives die. We’ve had relatives pass away. And it’s unbelievable. The sacrifices that the Black community has made, especially in line with recent racial riots after the George Floyd killings and Breonna Taylor and other killings, it’s just been unbelievable.
So I know that for many of us, we’re not surprised about that 3% statistic and that’s statistic that indicates that only 3% want to return to the office. We’re not surprised. And it’s part of a revolution happening, a greater revolution called “The Great Awakening” or “The Great Resignation Wave”. It’s part of that. It’s a global phenomenon.
As economies are reopening that saw a record number of people quitting their jobs. And in April, 2021, I’ll tell you that Exodus amounted to 4 million US workers or 2.7% of the US workforce. And so this statistic about Black professionals, the 3% statistic is just part and parcel of that. But of course, For Black professionals, this is magnified, right?
Whether you’re male or female, this is magnified. And so many Black people suffer from microaggressions and discrimination at work. Most Black professionals don’t feel like they belong in their workplaces. Many feel like they have to code, switch, you know, which is, change the way they talk, the things they talk about, the way they behave just to fit in.
And so these are some of the reasons apart from the pay discrimination that I just alluded to, why Black professionals are having a hard time. And so what has happened is that remote work has given Black professionals that environment, a safe environment, where they can be themselves, perform their duties the way they want to and not have to suffer from. microaggressions and discrimination, of course, being micromanaged as so many black women and black men in the workforce are micromanaged simply because of a lack of trust that discrimination that I talked about is just one of the myriad of issues in the workplace that needs to be addressed by employers before shepherding back everyone en masse to the office.
And so it’s amazing that on this podcast, I’ve had the opportunity to interview some amazing women, just amazing women and amazing entrepreneurs. Who’ve talked about these issues quite openly. I mean, Celena Ceasar Chevannes’s podcast episode where she basically said “we’re given a seat at the table, but we’re not on the menu”. That quote from her on the Holistic Wealth podcast was so telling, because even when you’re invited to the board room or you’re invited to a meeting, your suggestions, your recommendations, your word isn’t taken seriously. And so she uses the quote that even when we’re given a seat at the table, we’re not on the menu to describe that phenomenon.
And of course, you know, as I said, working from home, remote work has helped black people, black women navigate those issues, created a safe space to process their feelings. And so it’s worked out well in terms of dealing with that discrimination at work that we spoke about. And so I also had another guest on the Holistic Wealth podcast, Leslie Forde. Leslie is the Founder of Allies@Work and the blog Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs, and in her episode on the podcast, Leslie indicated that she conducted a Pandemic Survey of 2000 parents and that survey revealed that the return to work is an emotionally charged hot issue that many people, many women are trying to navigate. And so we’re here on this podcast.
We have been discussing so many facets of Holistic Wealth. One of the things that I’ve been talking a lot about too, is aligning your goals with your values. And I think, you know, COVID-19 has allowed so many people to rethink what’s important for them. It’s definitely not stress and burnout and discrimination.
It’s definitely having a lifestyle that empowers you a lifestyle that is yours. That’s authentically you a lifestyle where you can live and feel like you’re thriving and growing. And so in my book, holistic wealth, I talked about “The Triple Helix for Women”, balancing work, family parenting. And that has also been a simmering hot cauldron issue that has been waiting below the surface to explode. And it’s unbelievable how COVID-19 has brought to the, fore some of these issues. And it’s so unbelievable because in my book I also speak about the emaciation perfect. And that’s the years of wear and tear on our backs, you know, as black people, because of this discrimination that we face and studies actually show that biologically Black women are on average seven years older than white women, because of the effects of racism and discrimination as well as unequal health care. And for many of you who are aware of the work that we’ve been doing at the Institute on Holistic Wealth, we launched the Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant Program due to demand from readers of my book, Holistic Wealth. And it’s been going amazing. We’ve incorporated a module on Anti-racism in the Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant Program to help empower women because of this phenomenon, because women generally have been getting financial advice, career advice that really hasn’t really aligned well with their values and don’t speak to the needs.
Especially of minority women, especially of Black women in the workplace. The fact that black women, as I stated before, over the course of the average Black woman’s career, that lost income adds up to a million dollars because of discrimination. And we’re trying at the Institute on Holistic Wealth to educate, to get into to communities, to help women build their Holistic Wealth portfolios, help them to navigate transitions in their lives, life transitions, whether it’s divorce, widowhood, to help them to build up those Holistic Wealth portfolios, so they become more financially resilient so that they’re saving and investing well. So that they’re planning for setbacks like this, even in the workplace, so that they’re planning for that.
And so they can have Holistic Wealth Portfolios that empower them and allow them to thrive. And so recently on Twitter, the issue became a hot topic. As Black women came out to discuss their fears around heading back to the office. And it’s unbelievable the discussion that ensued there were Black women basically came out saying we’re not protected. We don’t feel our voice is being heard. And so there’s no doubt that we’re at an inflection point now where, you know, during those protests that I mentioned earlier, the promises of anti-racism initiatives in the workplace have largely not panned out. One study pointed out that corporations pledged $50 billion to racial equity and have only spent $250 million so far, which is unbelievable because it means that $50 billion that was committed only $250 million of that has been spent.
And I think this is the issue. This is the whole issue that Black people, Black professionals have been pointing to over time is that these promises have been made and have not been fulfilled. At the Institute on Holistic Wealth, we’ve created a platform to help people to really outline their goals, their personal mission, build up their Holistic Wealth portfolios, especially for minority women. And most of my story, right when I was widowed at 31, just eight weeks after I gave birth. And I talk about that a lot in my interviews on this podcast. And so my mission is to help educate and to help empower as much as I can.
And so I just want to offer a few solutions. As we try to navigate this time where employers are calling back people to work, but you’re just not ready or you’re thinking I need to do something different. I need to chart a new pathway forward. I can’t go on like, I have to make this change right now.
And time is of the essence. So the first micro-step I remember being on another podcast and the host asking me what are some of the small micro steps you can take to start making a change of reprioritizing refocusing. And so one of the things to start with is your personal mission, your personal mission statement.
So what’s my personal mission. What’s the legacy I want to leave when I leave this earth. What do I want people to remember me for? And so, so much of our identities are wrapped up in our work or in our careers, but there’s so much more to all of us. We’re not just the sum total of our work title or job title.
And we’re not just the sum total of our wealth, our net worth. We’re so much more, we have so much more to give. So I wanted to implore you to look. At your personal mission, align that personal mission for yourself. Take a look at chapter three of holistic wealth, where I talk about a personal mission and in the holistic wealth, personal workbook, there are also case studies there of people who’ve outlined their personal mission statements, and we have keywords and a process to walk you through that process.
So you can get that done in a Jiffy it’s available, the book is available everywhere on Amazon online. And so that’s the holistic wealth, 32 life lessons, as well as the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook. And so if you’re thinking about starting a business or becoming a freelancer, it’s also a good time to do that because of the situation we’re in with.
COVID-19 under so many people doing that. And so outlining our personal mission for yourself. To start your business is also a good thing to do. So it’s amazing that the inaugural episode of the Holistic Wealth podcast was done with Rachel Rodgers. Rachel is the CEO of Hello Seven, and author of a new book out, We Should All Be Millionaires.
And so it’s amazing, you know, that statistic I gave earlier in the podcast about Black women and how over the course of their careers, they’ve lost out to the tune of a million dollars. Well, it’s the same in terms of trying to launch and scale a business. It’s hard to get loans. There’s no credit, no funding.
Money Mindset & Your Personal Financial Identity
And this is part of the reason why there aren’t more women millionaires there aren’t more Black millionaires. And so I would encourage you to listen to that podcast episode as well. It’s the very first Holistic Wealth podcast episode with Rachel Rodgers and she talks about her story and how she came from unemployment to then earning her first million. And then even during this pandemic doubling her income from $2 to $5 million. So that’s another great resource here because it allows you to think of some strategies in terms of launching and scaling your business and how you can do that. And so some of the other steps that I want to outline are with regards to your money mindset and getting your personal financial identity in order.
So I spoke about the Personal Financial Identity quiz. On previous episodes of this podcast, I think everyone that I’ve interviewed has talked about their personal financial identity and has taken the quiz. So I would encourage you to go to Institute on holistic wealth.com, take the quiz, see what your personal financial identity is and weave it into your personal mission statement.
You know, whether you’re a Risk-taker, a Minimalist or a Maximalist, or you’re an Anxious Spender, that’s something that you need to be aware of, and you need to know how to harness the strengths of your personal financial identity and whether you’re in the midst of a career transition, or you’re thinking of launching your business.
It is also key. And, you know, as I said, so many women have talked about theirs and how they maximize theirs and how they harness the strengths of their personal financial identity. And. To attain financial freedom, financial independence, not having to worry about just one salary to leverage that for having different streams of income.
And the great thing about that is it can all be tied to your values and it can be tied to the type of life you want to live, where you want to live, how you want to live, how you want to work, how many hours you want to work per week. If you’re a mom and you have kids and you’re juggling with them. And how can I leverage this new knowledge to create that lifestyle that I want to create?
And so learning about your personal financial identity is a critical step that also lends itself well to really searching through your money mindset and really crafting that new money script for yourself. And so if you know, like many women out there, you grew up with a notion that “women aren’t good with money” or “women aren’t good with business” or “women aren’t good with certain things or with numbers”. Then this is a good time to really shed those limiting beliefs, you know, and holistic. Well, they talk a lot about negative self-talk it’s one of the major chapters in the book and it. The book (Holistic Wealth) also mentions toxic relationships and getting rid of the naysayers. That’s chapter two. And so that’s also good for this exercise as well because right now we need to clear our heads. We need to have a money mindset that empowers us that helps us do move forward with those goals and limiting beliefs will not help at this time. They’ll only make the situation worse. So it’s crafting a money script.
The Holistic Wealth Mindset
You know, I talk about the law of abundance and the scarcity mindset. And that scarcity mindset can really hold us back when we’re trying to move forward and build back better. And so it’s really ensuring that we’re not embracing a scarcity mindset, but a holistic wealth mindset that empowers us to move forward, motivates us, you know, in line with our real goals and our values and our talents and our skills.
You know, because part of this as well, and Rachel spoke about this in her episode is taking a skills inventory. So take a skills inventory of the skills that you love, your passions, where you think you will Excel and, you know, in Holistic Wealth, I also talk about crafting that Networking Plan. It’s a great time to craft that networking plan in the book.
Craft Your Networking Strategy
I outline how you can do that and it needs to have tangible goals. And deadlines. So like for the month of September, let’s say for next month coming up, how many people do I want to connect with on LinkedIn? How many people are in that field that I want to be in? Can I interact with them, ask them questions, ask how it’s been going and what advice they’d have.
And so this is a good time to also do that, to craft that networking strategy. There’s so much that we can do to get the ball rolling. And of course, connect with me. I’m happy to connect with audience members on what’s needed on the core topics that you’d like going forward. But those are some quick and easy solutions that you can put into practice right now, after you stop listening to this podcast, you can start putting pen to paper on those key items.
And if you need to listen to this again and again and again, do it and dissect all the steps that were given and really get that into motion. Get the book (Holistic Wealth). Get the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook. That’s the Holistic Wealth, 32 life lessons book and the Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook. Start hammering away on your personal mission, go on the Institute on Holistic Wealth website, take that personal financial identity quiz craft it into your mission statement, your networking plan, your skills in ventures.
So I’m dropping these words. So you remember again, not to forget and do that, and it’s amazing the steps you can take to start getting your life on the right track. And it’s amazing just seeing it gives me goosebumps because I know this will make all the difference in your life. And I know these are the steps that you need to take right now.
There’s always hope so let’s do this. Let’s connect, keep connecting. And of course, on the Institute on a holistic health website, as I said before, there are so many resources there. You can become a member. Or become a Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant to start helping others. And I will be there. I have meetings with my certified holistic wealth consultants sometimes once every two weeks and we hammer through things and they’re designing workshops and they’re doing these great things to help other people to achieve holistic wealth.
So please email me with your questions @infoatkeshablair.com, or through my website at www.keishablair.com. If you are ready and able to participate in the Certified Holistic WealthTM Consultant Program. Participate in that to help try to build women, to help them build their holistic wealth portfolios or just become a member, just become a member of the Institute to try to empower yourself.
We have lots of tools and resources that you can have access to, to help you with career transitions for entrepreneurs. If you’re just trying to sort out your life plans, it’s an amazing tool and foundation for that. So I just want to end here. But I just want to remind everyone that we have so many episodes available that are so good with helping with financial resilience, your money mindset really aligning your goals with your aspirations, whether they’re career aspirations or whether you’re an entrepreneur, a freelancer, a solar panel.
And you’re looking at scaling and growing your business, or you’re looking at just starting out. We have some tremendous resources, even with past podcast episodes here with amazing entrepreneurs that have come on and. Laid out in detail, how they’ve scaled their business. They’ve laid out in detail, how they’ve left the workforce to chart another path that aligns with their values and their goals and allows them to live a holistically wealthy lifestyle.
So I’m imploring you as a start, get a copy of the book, holistic wealth. We also have a workbook. That’s amazing for really just, you know, hammering through your life goals, hammering through your personal mission, getting you through that career change if you want that right now. So those two books are available.
Plus the Institute on holistic wealth website. Email me if you want to. I’m available at info@keishablair.com and I love, you know, hearing from listeners. I love hearing from audience members and if you are a woman in this situation, I want to tell you to keep holding. There’s always hope. Keep your hope and motivation alive and keep strong, keep going, because there’s always hope at the end of the horizon, it always gets better.
There’s always a new day. And I think my story is a testament to that. So don’t give up, keep trying the best is ahead. So feel free to email me again: info@keshablair.com. I’m on social media, on Twitter, on Instagram, at KeishaOBlair. And my Facebook is KeshaBlairAuthor. I love to hear from you. I want to hear your views on the situation, what you’re doing to transition back to work, or you’re transitioning back to a career or to start your own business, or you’re scaling your business.
If you’re an entrepreneur, I want to hear your views. And of course, we’d also love to get your feedback on what topics and issues, hot topics and issues that you’d like to hear on this podcast. We love. Yeah. Love hearing from women, from men all over the world. In this podcast, we’ve grown so much, you know, we have listeners from over 15 different countries all over the world.
And if you haven’t taken a personal financial identity quiz, Please do so it’s on the Institute on holistic wealth website, take the quiz. And there’s a course there. If you want to delve deeper into your personal financial identity. So I’m going to end here on this note. I loved hearing your views on previous episodes and you sharing with amazing women who need this information.
So keep doing so love you guys stay well. Thank you for joining us this week on holistic wealth with Kesha Blair. Make sure to visit our website, Kesha blair.com, where you can subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify, or via RSS. So you will never miss a show. While you’re active. If you found value in this show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes.
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are you waiting for? Go to Institute on Holistic Wealth/memberships to choose your membership plan and join as a member. You get so many perks, free worksheets, advice coaching, and a member’s workshop to design an intentionally designed life. Do you need to figure out your life purpose? Take the Build Your Life Purpose Portfolio online self-paced course. Are you struggling with all your money decisions? Take the free financial identities quiz and then take the personal financial identities course. Did you recently suffer a breakup job loss or experience the death of a loved one? Take the Holistic Healing online course. Do you need an overall plan to achieve holistic wealth? We will help you figure out your Holistic Wealth Blueprint and of course, if you want to start making money by helping others achieve Holistic Wealth, become a Certified Holistic Wealth Consultant. Regardless of what career you’ve got, the Institute will show you how to increase your income and walk in your purpose. The sooner you join the sooner you start to achieve a more holistically wealthy lifestyle and you’re going to want to stay for a very long time so go to Institute on Holistic Wealth/memberships to join. If you haven’t read the book yet pick up a copy of the award-winning best-selling book Holistic Wealth: 32 life lessons to help you find purpose prosperity and happiness