Webinar Replay - The Big Three for Women in Business: Balance, Confidence, and Self-Care
[Rachael Sampson] Well, hello, everyone! I am Rachel Sam, director of our key at work and key for programs here at Keybank, and I wanted to welcome you to our program today. I'm so excited to bring this amazing panel to you today to discuss the big 3 for women in business: balance, confidence, and self-care. Some may argue that all 3 are not possible, but I believe, with boundaries and the right support system that each of us can learn to better prioritize our wellness and goals to become stronger and more competent in all that we choose to do. And I want you to remember that it is a choice. Life is all about choices. It's the choices that we make, and those that we don't, that can wreak havoc and limitation in our days, in our lives and our careers, including rely over relying on ourselves and trying to go it on alone, rather than seeking the help in the support systems that we need staying in a job or relationship, career or business, that doesn't fulfill us or allow us to be our best selves not putting ourselves first, speaking up or working to change the situation that might be dragging us down.
I, personally can attest to my own wake up, call last year, and be very vulnerable and say. I found myself exhausted and literally sick. My first day of a long awaited cruise vacation, and after spending endless hours preparing for the vacation, getting my kids ready, my home ready for my parents to come. You know. I push myself to the break and taking care of everything and everyone, and not prioritizing myself. delegating being okay, that it's not done my way or asking for help. And I knew when I literally felt like my body was going to shut down. that I had to make some changes and regardless of where you are on your career, journey, your business stage, or what your relationships demands, are at home. Our panelists have found foundational practices and principles that can help you identify actions that you can start implementing today to help you lead a successful and gratifying career in life as always.
Please be sure to use your chat box throughout our program today to enter any questions you have. We'll take as many as we can throughout the program, and at the end to make sure that you get the information that you need to succeed.
And now, without further ado. I'd like to introduce our talented panel of women leaders for today's conversation. Who I've had the great opportunity to connect with, you know, for myself, even personally and and professionally, and have gotten to know just how incredible these women are. So i'm excited that you all get a chance to see these women as I see them.
So first we have Constance Bill Johnson.
Connie is the owner and managing director of visiting Angels Living Assistance Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Visiting angels is an in home service provider, assisting the elderly and older adults to live as independently as possible by remaining safely in their own familiar home environment as a seasoned entrepreneur. Connie, celebrating her 20 first year in business, and has successfully served hundreds of seniors throughout the greater Cleveland area and surrounded communities.
Connie is also the chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Foundation. The oldest community foundation in the country. in 2020. Connie was honored as the Ywca. Greater Cleveland, woman of achievement, award winner, and in 2,017 was selected as a cranes woman of note.
Connie is a committed philanthropist with the servants heart, and is committed to giving of her time. talent, treasure, and, most importantly, her testimony in the service of others.
Next, we have Mia Nazaro. Mia hails from the State of Washington, and is a managing attorney and supports solopreneurs to multi-million dollar enterprises by intertwining a business that strategy approach that leverages her general council background with her unique experience as an entrepreneur and an executive and finance and development. Her clients have discovered new revenue streams and traditional consulting agreements, identified ways to receive payments, and have turned non-compete language on its head to become a revenue generation. Tool. In addition, she brings insight into major transactions by working with them to understand the customer experience, operation cycles, and finance processes, so that the legal agreement better reflects the realities of the upcoming transaction or a smoother process that integrates multiple business functions. Mia founded Nazaro in 2,022 to serve entrepreneurs growth, businesses and those in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors.
And last, but not least, Amelia C. Thornton. Amelia is President and CEO of First Invest in an accounting and tax service firm located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and Zippy Taxes, Inc. An accounting firm located in Rocky River, Ohio. She's the author of 8 books listed on Amazon that's also sold in other countries as a plethora of degrees and certifications to make to list. In this bio, Amelia has collaborated on construction and services, projects from 2 million dollars to 51 million dollars which include but are not limited to university hospitals, Enterprise Community partners, and Burton and Belle Car Development Corporation. She's a mother, author. businesswoman, teacher, inventor, creator, and a friend to all those who know her, and those who want to be acquainted with her. She believes in long term relationships and helping people believe their dreams and visions that are meant to last. Recently she launched to the public her coaching services for personal and business finances that has only been offered previously to her clients. With that. Thank you, ladies, for joining us today. I am so grateful that you all said Yes, when you got the call. And i'm so excited to share your career insights and advice with our key for women community.
So today, really want to have a conversation I really want to start off with, and just have this round Table just fyi to the audience. You should have been on our pre call planning discussions. I think it was like 4 girlfriends sitting around the table, having a conversation being connected, and we just want to just keep it very conversational, whatever you have to offer. Let's just have that talk at the table. So, for we jump in. I just really want to know your vials were impeccable.
I would love to hear from each one of you. Tell me about what's not listed in the file. And what do you want to share with our audience about yourself.
So I'm going to start with you, mia. You want to tell us a little bit more about you.
[Miya Nazzaro] Sure. So, personally I I have 4 children, the youngest 2 are twins and I get how hard it is to balance everything. I'm also a nearly single mom.
So you know just all those transitions that have to happen and trying to balance everybody's needs. My children have learning difficulties, and I hate the word disabilities, and they have learning differences and some developmental issues for speaking for one of them. So I also understand trying to balance, having a business, trying to create a career and trying to balance the needs of your family, and it's it's really hard. And yet I love being able to help others, and I love being able to grow something that has a vision, and it that just it's a passion of mine. I like being a professional enabler.
[Rachael Sampson] I love that professional enabler. Okay, I I got it from me.
[Rachael Sampson] Okay, Connie.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] Okay, and I don't know if this would be on my bio. But I will share just a little bit. I am a music, Junkie. As I was sharing with you all prior to getting on this call, I just returned from a phenomenal cruise, a jazz crew, the Dave ties jazz crew. So I am still on a high. From that phenomenal music. I think the other thing I share, and and this is usually tell me something you don't know about Connie, and you know you're given 5 choices, and they have to guess which one is me. and the one I usually list is when I was 1413, 14 years old I was the President. I'll have, you know, of the Jackson 5 Fan Club here in Cleveland, Ohio. And so I will remember that I still have the Polaroid pictures of me and Michael and me and Jermaine going to a concert when I was 14. So it's not on my bio, but it's an important part of my past is being the president of the Jack, my first leadership.
[Rachel Sampson] You heard it here. Okay, posting to Linkedin will be her re-enactment of the Thriller Video: coming soon to all of us. Very film next time I see you in person.
And next up we've got Amelia.
[Amelia Thornton] Oh, my gosh, Connie, I love your story. Oh, my gosh! The leadership Jackson. 5. Oh, okay. So listen my story. Think not on my bio. Right is the fact that I've been playing drums since I was 5 years old. So I’m very good at playing drums. The other thing that you want to know about me is that I have been a pastor. I was an ordained minister. I've been a evangelist. Let me tell you church leadership, it's something else. If you want to be a leader, a true leader that'll really test and see if you are the leader that you say you are.
[Rachael Sampson] Oh, that's hilarious! And and as a P. K. Myself, I could definitely attest to that one. So no, that is, that is fantastic, and I love it, because to me it really shows that you are a person, you know. As we were preparing to get on this call, Connie was sharing about being in Portugal, and all of that and me. I would love to like, put you on the spot for a moment and tell us about how life and sometimes crap happens, and how we can advocate for women in those situations.
[Miya Nazzaro] So I think life can be really hard sometimes. Life is really hard for me right now. I have a lot of things going on, and yet you have to find joy. and the every day. whether it's in your children, your loved ones yourself and your place in all of this. And I think if you have that grounding which is absolutely necessary, whether you're an entrepreneur, you have a job. You're a homemaker. Whatever your majority of your time is, you have to be grounded in your own self and find happiness inside, and then you can have the world. You know the the saying, the world is your oyster, and I think, not. Being afraid of sharing, I have been continuously amazed at the people that come out of the woodwork to support me personally my business, and to become part of my network, because, by being open about my own like journey, my passions, my anxieties. They realize that they're not alone, and I realize I'm not alone. And we connect, and that connection is with gorgeous. The relationships that will have allowed me to be successful. I had owned a strategic consulting firm previously, and I shut it down 2019, before the virus, and decided to do the law firm afterwards, when I needed to go back to work and starting over against hard. But it's doable when you have that community and you're able to be open, because that people are able to be open with you and those who are not, and Don't want that they're not necessarily people that you want in your circle, anyway.
[Rachael Sampson] Oh, I love that I love, and you know, just talking about support networks, and they're just so critical to just our overall. Well being, and we talk about that balance and helping to create whatever that semblance looks and feels right for you, you know, kind of. And Amelia, tell us about who your support networks are, Who are the truth? Tellers the cheerleaders, the folks in your community. What what does that look like for you. And what do you look for when you're looking for that support network? Did it happen organically? Did you see people out? Can you tell us a little bit more
[Connie Hill-Johnson] start, you know. I was asked a similar question about back. We're talking about mentoring and sponsoring, and the question came to me. Or the Did you have a solid group of women around you when you started 20 plus years ago? And I had to honestly answer note I didn't. I had some family and a couple of girlfriends. but in terms of a real network who are with me from day one. No. Now it developed over the years. As I, you know, worked hard in my business and got out in the community and did a lot of the networking. It. A group formed to support me. And I am one quick to know what I don't know. And I figured out very quickly that I was not superwoman. and I couldn't do everything in my business, which I thought I could do when I first started it, and I quickly found out I couldn't do it. So I learned to ask very quickly. but probably my biggest, your leader, has honestly been my husband. I I'm gonna say that very honestly. He has just on the days when I have thought what the heck am I doing? He has just kind of picked me up and said, You got this. You know more than you think, you know. Let's keep pushing, so he's probably been the biggest. But outside of him, it's been some other females. I kind of have 2 circles, My personal girlfriends, who maybe don't really understand all that i'm doing, but who are gonna always tell me you can do this. You can do this, and then I have my business colleague who I go to when I'm. Struggling and need some real specific help. who will point me in the right direction of resources and other individuals professionals to support that makes sense.
[Rachael Sampson] I love that. That's great. And Amelia
[Amelia Thornton] That definitely makes sense, Connie. I totally agree with everything that you say into it. And to add to that for me, I have a number of professional networks right in which help me thrive and help my business thrive. And I'm a part of a construction network. CEO. I'm a part of novel right? I love Nabo National Association of Women business owner. It helps me be able to do more to meet more people and to just 150, you know. I I call it leverage, but it's not leverage in the sense where you're trying to meet people or get business. it's more of leverage. Understanding yourself and understanding your business assets in which you have to give to the community and what you have to give to your network. Now I also have mentors. Now my mentors vary. So I have a really great mentor. That's a professional mentor. He gives me good insight and expertise, but I also have a novice mentor. You say. No, this one does that mean someone who's kind of green. Someone who really doesn't know everything that I do, and who's not an expert, but who can point out things for me that I need to see clearly. So yeah, they're not an expert. Sometimes everybody runs to the experts, and that's good.
But sometimes you need a novice. You need someone who can see your new customer, someone who can see your new business associate, someone who can see beyond all this intelligence that we have right all the smart stuff, right.
[Rachael Sampson] No, that is fantastic. And I I want to stay there for a moment, right? Because I think something that you say, Connie and Amelia really touched me, because, as I think about it, and if I think about planning for key for women all the time, and if anybody notice my linkedin post that hashtag was open to all. And I think it's important to note that our key for women program is very much geared towards women in business, but we're open to everyone. No matter if or how you identify, and especially to our male allies. Because I think you you all underscore. That point is that when I think, about connections and conversations that Mia and I have had about Mentors male allies, you know, who stood up and help it's interesting that foundationally all 3 of you have said that it's men who have been critical partners to your support system, and I just really want to say thank you to all of them. I recently almost got choked up myself. One of my one of my coworkers here, who advocate it for me when I, when I think about when I was a banker coming up. I would be in a meeting, and he'd say, hey, just so, you know, or for those in the room that may not, you know, and he would help without putting me out there that maybe, maybe she knew. Maybe she didn't, but he would quietly even support, even in his own way, and I just want to plot those men out there.
Those who participate in our key for women program because we've got a ton of them out there that are certified advisors, you know, and just all of those, and being able to celebrate it, that key for women is not anti-male. It's just pro women and pro everyone.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] I couldn’t have said that better, Rachel. And one of the things I did mention before is, I was probably on the very first key for Women Advisory Committee over 20 years ago, and you talking about being a brand new entrepreneur, who did not know much of anything, and sitting at one of the boardroom tables at Key Bank, surrounded by women from across the country. And that's when you all came together on a regular basis, and that was so encouraging for me at the beginning to be able to see other women at different stages of their businesses and their levels of success. And so, for someone really knew in the first 2 to 3 years, that was such a such an encouragement and a boost of confidence for me to see and be around.
[Rachael Sampson] I'm here 21 years later. I love it. You gave me chills absolutely when I when I and that's what our keeper. Women program is all about the connectivity. I think about how I've met all of you in our various markets across our footprint. The impact that we make the community. All of those things are really meeting you where you are. And hopefully we are being that help and getting us. When I think about where we started and launched from 0. And hopefully everyone on this call joins key for women, so we can hit that 10,000. Mark and I can have my balloons on Linkedin to say we made it so. I just appreciate the continue support, and just all that you do, because when I think about the work of the 3 of you, whether it's community with you, Connie Amelia, from an accounting perspective mia you as an attorney, you know, in addition to just what you do as your businesses within itself, and how you volunteer are critical supports to business. So can you kind of talk about like what that looks like for you in terms of helping entrepreneurs or those in a career, or those that are looking to jump into entrepreneurship and Amelia, I'm going to start with you.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] Awesome.
[Amelia Thornton] So I I love your question, helping people who are looking to start. you know, a business or looking to be a entrepreneur. Oh, my gosh! Being an entrepreneur. I love it. I love being a business owner, so I try to talk everyone, not everyone but people into being a business owner. I'll say this. I'll make it short. I believe, where we are today, that every family needs to have a business. and i'll tell you why. because every family needs to have ownership. Ownership is very important. Someone can say to me, oh, I own my home, that's great. You own your home, but that's not true ownership.
When you have a business you have responsibility. When you have a business you have accountability. When you have a business you're thinking about legacy. You're thinking about networks. You're thinking about the long term of building that business. So it's all intertwined together. Your family, your money, your business. That's all intertwined. So when I look at an entrepreneur, when I look at a face when I look at a person, i'm saying you should start a business because it's something that you will own, and have complete ownership over for the duration of your life. Your family's lives your great-grandchildren's lives, and everyone else in between
[Rachael Sampson] I love that
[Connie Hill-Johnson] I I'll jump in on the community side, and Rachel knows. Well I I really feel like I've had 2 jobs the past couple of years, as she said in my bio I was. I've served on the board of the Cleveland Foundation for 5 years now, and April of last year, I was elected to be, and I'm probably gonna say this: the first African American woman to serve as the chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Cleveland foundation, which is a 109 years old. So it took them a while, but they got there. But this has really been my my second job. And, but it's it's sort of the culmination, if you will, of my community, involvement from year one as an entrepreneur, I I made a very intentional plan to involve myself in the community.
I'm. From Cleveland. I love Cleveland. I've lived other places, but I also knew it would be an asset to growing my business. And that, in addition to trying to grow the brand of visiting angels, I wanted to grow the brand of Connie Hill, Johnson. And so I started by joining some nonprofit boards. I'll make sure they were aligned with my business and my own personal passions and interest. And so again, years later, I am still very much involved in giving back serving and what it is done is it's leveraged the business in terms of people wanting to know Well, what do you do. And in my particular business everyone has a a mom, a dad and grandparent and an uncle. So home care can be very personal, but I can't stress enough to any entrepreneur to make the time. You can't afford not to make the time to serve somewhere in your community. It we're we're busy. I get it growing. Our businesses, and I had a 24, 7 business. I have a 24, 7 business. but I still knew that I had to carve out that time to serve in the community to build my brand and the businesses brand.
[Rachael Sampson] And mia.
[Miya Nazzaro] So so I your questions a little bit differently. I I do not have a lot of time. I have the time when my children are at school, basically right, and that's probably like a lot of you, and so I have to really use my time wisely. But I make sure to proactively serve the women-led business community. Women owned business community minority on business community and have Japanese. And I want to make sure that those who typically are under- represented with attorneys in their businesses have access to quality legal services, and I am generous and sharing the strategy behind the legal services that we provide. You know. Why are we doing something, not just telling somebody what to do, but really taking on the role of an old school legal counselor and getting to know our clients getting to understand their vision, their passion, their purpose individually, and through the business that we can better support them, and by doing that, creating a really tight community. And my clients are actually asking to be introduced to each other, which, if if you understand the legal role. And there's a lot of consent that gets involved in me being able to even tell somebody who my clients are. And yet we have developed such good relationships that it is not just about the legal services. It's about actually providing that full support and foundation for our clients. And I want them to succeed. I am in the community networking in that group in those groups because it's important to me. It's something that I feel passionate about, especially for women that are getting ready to start their own businesses that need to have additional knowledge in order to be successful. And making sure that they're equipped to make informed and educated choices. And I like having that role. I do bake it more into my business, just because now I am so much more limited in my time, and I have to choose, like many of you do you know there's only so much time. I try and be active with the things that my children are in, and but it is limited, and any time for me, and I think that that's important to realize as well. So I am involved in networking activities that are meaningful to me. But professionally and socially, 2 birds, one stone, and I make friends. I nurture those relationships, and I try and always be available to be of service to others, and I think that that's key. You know that certain leadership model.
[Rachael Sampson] Oh, I love that. And and there's a couple of things that I just want to underscore that all of you talked about was that networking servant leadership and personal branding which rang loud and clear through just that opportunity to to be around others. And when we think about a lot of times it can be whether we identify as women or not. In many rooms that individuals walk in, you might be the first of kind to your point. You may be one of the only or limited few.
How do you get the confidence to show up how you want to show up, given your thought processes, or what you do might be a little bit different, or you might not have the expertise of maybe some of the other folks that are in the room, or you know what it's. Diversity of thought. How do you go about building that confidence? And how did you gain it? You know I just love to hear from all of you.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] You know my my feeling is always been, you know. If you find yourself at the table, make a difference, otherwise give up your seat. and so I'm not saying it's easy. You know I am not. You know. One thing I have learned is, stay in your lane. Talk about what you know. So when I open my mouth, it's typically about some some subject matter that I consider myself well versed it. I am not gonna stick my head and start commenting on things that I have no clue about. And there, that's why i'm very selective about where I serve. Because then I can add more value. I can add more value, but it it is hard. It is hard, and I can go back to again using the Cleveland Foundation. When I was first approached to be the board chair, I said, Absolutely not. I just immediately shut it down. I said no. And again, interestingly enough, as we talk about men, my husband thought, what do you mean? You told him No. Pick up the phone and tell them yeah, and i'm like No. But it took me a while to talk to myself and to get some sound counsel about you can do this. Why shouldn't it be you? But that that voice, initially in my head was like all, had no nose. Continue to serve on the board. But you cannot be in that key leadership position. And now that I've been in it about a year now, I said the other day, I think I have my swag on now. I've I've figured this thing out, and and i'm leading at a pivotal time. We just announced a brand new CEO, and and yours truly had to leave that selection process, and had I had I listened to that inner voice over a year ago, and just said, No, I'm not going to do this, I would not have been stretched and learned as much as I did. But it it's it's pressing through to get that confidence, because I think it's women. There's always that little voice back there, saying, No, not this time. Sit this one out. Maybe you can't. They're going to find out that you really don't know what they think, you know. But we've got to keep pressing. Gotta keep pressing. I love that, and congratulations on your new CEO and new home location absolutely, and she's a female, and we chose a female to be the CEO of the Cleveland Foundation, the first elected. So you're going to have 2 women leading this organization here in Cleveland, and I am over the top, excited about it. Awesome? Well, we look forward to the continued impact of the foundation.
Mia, Amelia, what would you add on confidence?
[Miya Nazzaro] I would say, to just start it. New things are scary, new things are hard. Lately I've been telling myself that the man can do it, and I can do it too like Why am I going to sit back and allow somebody else to take my seat, and i'm gonna tell you that starts with my name. having my name on the business because I was spending so much time trying to think of what I was gonna call my company, and then they hit me as I was thinking all the other law firms that are run by men they just called by their names. They don't spend time on this. They're running their business like Why am I? And so I was like I need to be confident of me. And that was hard that, like just the name. And i'm so glad I did, because I don't even think about it anymore. And I also have learned recently, which I will say it's slightly embarrassing that over the last 20 years I hadn't built a career, even though I had owned a successful business and growing a business, and knew a lot of people. I didn't understand how to build a career. Because I never thought about it that way. You know. You're so busy filling all your life that you forget to do the things i'm going to be honest. Many men are doing because they have different roles that they are typically fulfilling in their lives, and they have a different support structure. So I am now making it a conscientious decision to support, not just myself, but other people who are in my company to have speaking and roles to be recognized for the work that they're publishing. So you get a by line if you write something, even if you're a young professional, and encouraging our young professionals to get out there to start developing that confidence, because I think it is so important to do so, and helping them to understand what the differences and nurturing your job versus your career. And I think that as this younger generation is growing up, if they have the opportunity to do that when you know women reach our age which shall not be disclosed. Then, you know, they might be in a very different position, because they had started that throughout, and had have that that through line since i'm really excited about that. I'm excited to building that with my friends and colleagues, as we all are recognizing the need for that, and it gives you confidence when you start to speak when you start to be a little discomfort, you know. Sit in that discomfort and realize it's not as bad as you thought it would be, but also finding people to support you. I think it's just absolutely key and understanding that you are always going to have self-doubt, and that there is a difference between self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Everybody has self-doubt. even men. We just internalize it maybe in different ways and self. That is okay. It. It makes us aware. But understanding what is self-doubt? And then moving forward and saying, I can do it. You know reading little engine that could maybe 5 times in a row. We've held sorry I have a dog, but those are the things that I think are really important, and I think we don't talk about enough as women, the building of a career of recognition from others.
[Rachael Sampson] Yes, yes, so i'm gonna kind of flip the script a little bit here, but it's been on this simply because I had to gain my confidence because I had to choose between my marriage and my business. And you know a lot of people don't know about that. I don't really talk much about it.
[Amelia Thornton] I had started my accounting firm, and you know my husband then said, Well, hey? You know I want to do things this way, and you have a choice of either. Continue to be married or from your business. And I'll be honest with you. I had to really think hard, and I had to count the cost on what I was going to do right, because here we are in the marriage, so I counted the cost. I bet it on myself. I had the confidence and myself, and I said, okay. You want to get a divorce over the fact that I start a business. Go right ahead, you know. But i'm going to continue in my business, and if I had not did that I would not be having this conversation with you today. I would not have 2 accounting firms right. All of these things would not have happened if I didn't step out, speak up, and be confident in who I believe I am. I said to myself, i'm not going to have anyone dictate to me. My future. not going to dictate to me my future. My future is for me to dictate, not for anyone else. And so, when I think about confidence, I think about that. I think about the willingness to look at specific, quantifiable risk. So I had to quantify my risks. Right? Let's go. Okay, what are you doing here?
[Rachael Sampson] Do the numbers? Okay? So I did my numbers, and it was like, okay, I had to start from scratch. I was okay with starting from scratch. Because again i'm speaking out, i'm stepping up, i'm confident.
[Amelia Thornton] and the second thing about confidence is again, we're counting the cost. But also we're saying to ourself. It's going to be mentally, and it's going to be monetarily. And so confidence is a cost. But listen, If you believe in yourself, don’t let anyone else take that from you. I don't care who they are because you need to know that you're here on this art for purpose.
[Miya Nazzaro] and you're here to complete something that's in your heart, and you need to do it with everything in you, and that's what I have to say about confidence. I love it. I wanted to. I wanted to pig you back on that which is to say, my situation is not the same, but there are some similar components, and I would say confidence is also understanding. When another person's fears and insecurities are being projected onto you and to be able to step back and say, that is not me. I can do this. What you are worried about for me is not a worry. I I know what i'm doing, I will figure it out, and if you do not want to stand next to me and support me. then you need to figure out who's going to really be there, whatever their relationship is to you, because whether that's just within your business life, and it probably isn't probably a bigger component than just feedback on your business and your business judgment. You want people in your life who support you, who believe in you, who build you up. And, if the people in your life are not doing that, you know you can have constructive criticism. You can have people help you with ideas, but if you have people who are telling you? You cannot. You are not capable. Why do you think you should be doing that? Then, where else are they telling you that? And are you integrating that into yourself without realizing it and holding yourself back? And I think once I was able to also recognize, Why am I even entertaining these thoughts. I don't need that in my life I I deserve to have more support in my life, and surround myself by people who are positive, and will hold me up. And I think that that is really important. And once you feel that that confidence comes with it
[Connie Hill-Johnson] Hmm. I love you. Can I just say just a minute what me? I said, because I I have always thought the same thing that you know, and i'm always sharing this even with young kids. Who are you around? Who is in your circle? Who is supporting you? You know. I heard my pastors say, too, if you're the smartest person in the room. You're in the wrong room. Because you should always be looking to learn something else. And so I've tried to be real intentional about pouring into other women. And particularly other women, who say they want to be entrepreneurs. But even if it's not that, maybe they're just trying climbing the corporate ladder, and if you find that you have is me a say you have a lot of, and you all have heard this because we said this with the kids. You have a lot of haters around. And people who are not encouraging you and building you up and saying, I believe you can do this. And they're saying, Well, girl, you know you need to go get a real job girl. How long you gonna try this business owner thing? Go, get a job you do have 2 degrees. And if they're not constantly saying, no, i'm behind you. I think what we, as women to have to learn is, and it took me a long time to learn this. There are relationships that last for a season.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] and I used to believe if you were my girlfriend at 18. You're supposed to be my girlfriend for the next 45 years. and so I believe that brings people into your lives during certain periods of time depending on where he has you. And so I couldn't have said it better, mia, if if they're not supporting you and building you up. Then you do have to ask yourself. Wow. Look around. Why do I keep coming back to the well? If I know that you're going to pull me down versus build me up. and that's across all, whether it's your personal life or your professional life, but particularly in your professional life, and as an entrepreneur there are. There are not bad days that we don't need someone pulling us down more. We need those people who are going to lift us up on those bad days. because as an entrepreneur, sometimes they're more bad than good, particularly at the beginning. And so that that's what we have to look for in other women is the spirit of encouragement. and helping you to believe in yourself because you will have those moments of self-doubt
[Miya Nazzaro] I love that, and and I wouldn't say that that goes to Yes, we we had talked about in our meetings, which is boundaries. A boundary is, I can't control what anybody else does. But, I can control what I do, the choices I make.
So if I do not like these types of relationships because they're not nurturing. then I get a choice and how to move forward in those relationships, and that's a boundary. And I think that was something we had talked about before. Like, how do we create boundaries, and understand that even that it sounds so simple? And yet it is so difficult. But those boundaries keep us able to function better and and be more content with life. And I and anyone say happy because we have such a weird version of happy in the English language. But there is a sense of happiness itself, and you can only have that if you have good, healthy boundaries of what you're going to accept as behavior that's in your life, whether personally or professionally. And then behavior that you're not, and what is going to be a response when it's not, or situations that are not. How are you going to respond to that? And I not a 100 by any stretch the imagination. But it's you know something I continuously work on, because I think it is important to be able to grow my business, feel, to grow myself, and to be present in the integration of my work life, to be able to pull it all together. I have to have those boundaries. You can call me at 9 Pm. But i'm not going to answer that phone unless I really know you, because that's my time with, you know my kids are going to bed, and I they are. They are my priority. So unless I know that it is an emergency which it rarely is. I'll call you later. You know. What is that boundary, but not allowing other people to to dictate the terms of your life.
[Rachael Sampson] And I I love that. And we're we're gonna quickly move over because I want to get to our Q. A. As we talk about that, and of course we've got our Q. A portion is hopping with questions, so I want to get to as many of them as we can. But I want to quickly turn to as we talk about again, just that.
You know we're talking a lot about key for women to support and long-term program. If you are not a part of key for women, I encourage all of you to join there will be a link in the chat to key.com forward, Slash join K. 4. W. As you know we do hold our what National webinars by monthly. So please be on the lookout for our July Webinar is, as we confirm, and send those invitations out
One of the things that I want to talk to about quickly and and double back on something you mentioned. Mia was all about boundaries and about sales, and one of the topics we talked about with the big 3 and women. Is self care? Can you kind of just tell me you have so much going on? What does your version of self care look like, and how do you prioritize it, or where does it fall in your priority list?
[Miya Nazzaro] So I look at. So I saw this great art. I'm not. I'm not gonna Why, it was on cnn, and it was, what is the difference between respite and self-care and respite as well as that is rejuvenation self-care as boundaries?
And that's why I was talking about boundaries before. What are your boundaries? And that helps me because I've already prioritized. What is it? Part of my life? And I I worked 3 several different models. Can't remember all their names, but really working through what that wheel looks like. What type of proportion do I want in my life of these different types of relationships or interest that I have of mine? And how am I going to get there? And by having that on paper. It allowed me to think that through, and i'll be honest. My 4 kids are my priority being rising for them. I'm not going to get this time back. It is today. And so I'm going to prioritize that. But recognize that in order to be present I have to have a viable business. I have to have a decent income, and I have to be self-fulfilled right. I need to be a present mother in so many other ways, and so it plays into that. But my driver is my children, and then everything else that comes underneath that is supporting that.
And I then make the choices of what my boundaries are going to be, and they change, and I talk to my friends, and I see what works for them. I talk to other women from other walks of life, who I meet, who are in similar positions, or have so much types of family structures. And I ask them what works for you. How do you manage all of this? And I learn, I think, that goes back to economist, saying, You know, being a constant learner, not just professionally, but personally, so you can be better. Professional is really important. And, I try and enjoy what I do. It makes it so much easier if I have to then step away from my other priorities and do work to enjoy the work that i'm doing.
[Amelia Thornton] Yeah, so i'll chime in so balance and self-care goes together right. You can't have balance without self-care. You can't have self-care without balance, and the way I look at this is to there's 2 sides of the coins here for me. When I look at balance balances a personal perception of what I believe balances. Everyone has their own perception of what that is. For me. It's life and money right because the 2 intersect. We cannot live life without life, and we can't live life without money. We we have to understand these things. The other thing is self-care, self-care intertwines with balance.
Listen: If i'm not in order my business isn't in order, if i'm not in order with what I say, what I say. I'm going to do with people, how I treat people, how I continue to do business honestly. Nothing will be in order. You can't have things at the different sides of the spectrum and and say, Well, i'm only going to treat people this way. But then i'm going to do my business like this. No, your business, and you are constant. So, to be in order. Everything has to be in order. So you got to know when to give yourself time to heal. You have to know when to give yourself time to continue understanding what an honest business is. That's a question. And the third thing is, you got to continue to give yourself time to say I need to step away, and I need to be alone, because for me, Amelia, I get most of my time alone, which makes me a better person.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] Self-care. Okay. And i'll keep it real simple, you know. Self care for me is number one getting my rest. I I I don't play when it's sleep time. How people get by on 4 and 5 h of sleep. I don't know. So that's never one. The other is I'm. I'm particular about what i'm going to call even girl time going to get my hair done. I look forward to laying back in that bowl and having someone wash my hair. So it might be minor. But my my stylus knows if i'm not there. Within 10 min. Call my husband, and then call the police because I don't. I don't not show up for my hair, my hair appointment, and then the other is getting my nails done. So I think of those as self care, because that that's Connie's time when i'm just kind of breathing, and I'm going in, and someone else is caring for my hair and caring for my nails, and i'm having a little girl kit chat. So I I think of it that way. And then, in addition to sleep, I I love my bed, and I'm probably in at about 100'clock at night. It's important for my rest. So
[Rachael Sampson] That's awesome. Well, and I think the one of the key things that we we talk about, and it's interesting is, we know, key for women is absolutely external. But we have an amazing key. Women's network here at Keybank Run by, and an army of wonderful women across our flip plants with hailing over 6,000, and we just had a really nice event earlier today, and we talked about that some about that self-care importance, knowing self, you know, and and taking the time to do that. So it's interesting, you know, as we have these conversations, just how important it is, and how some of these themes have threaded through our whole conversation. So with that I've got a quick firear for you. So we're gonna see it through a couple of questions, and and I can give them to you one by one.
So tell me. Connie, when you started your business you started it later in life. How did you become that doubt, at a certain age to start over whether it's business career. And then in the flip side, I do think that can apply to our younger generation as well, so tell me about it real quick
[Connie Hill-Johnson] I was downsized. I was over 40 ladies. and I was single. and drawing an unemployment check and ran across an article that talked about buying franchises, visiting angels as a franchise, and I just jumped into it. I had the money. I was afraid 100% afraid did not grow up in a business family, an entrepreneurial family. But I thought, why not? And my background is in health care. So I thought I would. My learning curves should be a little shorter. And didn't look back, and that's what I have walked away from a job to do this. I'm not certain. I don't think i'm that big of a mistaker. But I was. I was unemployed, and I thought if you're gonna do it, do it now, and that's that's what happened in 2,002.
[Rachael Sampson] Wow! That's amazing. Mia: how do you connect with other business owners for business advice?
[Miya Nazzaro] I use the Internet.I leverage online communities. I leverage in person communities that also have online communities. Because again, time is an issue. I also am part of several professional networking organizations, and and they're not just networking, and they're They're professional development, too, and really tapping into them. And then I also create my own. I'm creating a consortium of law firms where we have. you know, a sounding board for each other and a working group, and then several of us have to have chosen to work together as a consortium to support each other's businesses proactively, and know that you can count on the other person and their firm to hold you up again, so that you are more powerful in the business place. But if you don't see it, create it, I love that.
[Rachael Sampson] Amelia. We got some questions. We want to get started in business. I know you've helped me, too. I'm going to put that. How do you get started? How do you go, you know. Take that leap of faith and start that business, whether you're still in your career, or you know you. You want to jump out there and and start your entrepreneur. Your journey
[Amelia Thornton] The very first thing you should do is, consider what you want to do right. If it's, I like to say if it's something that you can do, and you do it Well, it's probably a business for you in our honesty. I know people who love to bake cookies, pies, and all that, and they turn that into a business very lucrative, mind you. But so the first thing to start is, first consider what you want to do. The second thing is to make your go your timeframe. You know. How long have you considered doing that? Even if you're working a job. You can still start a business. Remember that, and thoroughly think about a name. And then for think about your target market. And I could get all into the other infrastructure stuff. Yeah, I think that's enough for now.
[Rachael Sampson] Connie, tell us, how do we get involved? Where do we get involved? Where do we start if we want to be in the community.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] Oh, my gosh! Now you know that's my high point and sort of what I think both Mia and Amelia said, where's your interest? So what are? If you are about kids? Then find a nonprofit or an organization about kids. If you're a cancer survivor and you are a big believer in. And and what is it? Go red for women with that's that's heart disease. But you get my point. So think about where your passion is. What do you really? Where? Who are you going to write a check to at the end of the year versus United way, and start there and start there. There are so many nonprofits that are looking for people who want to serve, and particularly people like us who are business women, because a lot of these nonprofits can't afford to pay. So, for example, if me it was going to serve some place, they would be dying to have an attorney on their nonprofit board, because they may not have the money to pay a law firm. So think about your area of expertise, and how you can give back by giving them your time and your talent, your intellectual knowledge for benefit in the community. And that's what I did. because that is, that is extra time. and that you might as well serve some place that you are passionate about, and you believe in their mission.
[Rachael Sampson] Love it. Last question.
Mia. You are extremely busy. Got a practice on your hand single mom. How? What tools do you use? How in the world do you stay organized?
[Miya Nazzaro] I use my calendar and I have multiple, and so I you know I'm always looking for the best. Ask that's gonna let me aggregate my calendars, but I put everything in there, so that I don't forget. So I you know my mind doesn't wander, so, you know, hitting and blocking the time to work, but also putting in the things that I need to do with my children and their appointments, my appointments, the times I am with friends, and what's important to me. I'm putting a hold on my calendar, too, and I think that's really important. You know. I put hold space. That's just me time sometimes, and it might be during the business day, because my kids are in here. And well, then, you know those of you with young kids, you know, sometimes quiet. It's worth a lot, but I I put that in my calendar, and
And I and I allow myself to be flexible. If I don't get to something, I will move it, but I can't be harsh on myself. and I was gonna mention there's a book living a beautiful life by. I think it's Alexander Stradd and my aunt gave it to me when I was finishing law school, and it's beautiful, and it's about how to make your everyday beautiful, so you don't need a vacation, and I really do try to incorporate some of her ideas and suggestions. It's a it's a much older book, but making the day beautiful, so that you feel relaxed is really important, and it's not every day. But that's how I do it. And for those of you, with younger children that you are worried. You're not getting that one on one time because you're so busy. I had a friend and colleague who suggested doing coffee time in the morning. If they take the bus, so send all the other kids on the bus and keep one child home for 10 min, and you do copy time or t time, just with the 2 of you to connect, and then drop your child off at school, so they're not late, but you can use that best time. If you don't have the funds for a babysitter, if you don't have a lot of extra time, you know. Can you carve out just that 10 min of what I want, because it's quality, not quantity. And I think that that's also really important.
[Rachael Sampson] It's powerful. Well, thanks everyone for joining our program today it has been a power pack discussion. Thank you, Amelia mia Connie, for lending your voices and your insights. Please, please please save the date for July nineteenth for our next Webinar, also to join Key for women. Use the QR. Codes That's listed on the screen. And with that we're gonna let all of you in and our program today with your last 20 s parting comments, as I say, thank you to everyone for joining, and i'm gonna go mia Connie Amelia last words.
[Miya Nazzaro] I wish you the very best in whatever your next steps are, and even if you feel intimidated or overwhelmed, you can do it. You really can. We can do really hard things.
[Connie Hill-Johnson] You can do it. I You could not get me to believe that I would be sitting here 21 years later, as an entrepreneur. And so again surround yourself with people who believe in you, and who are going to pour into you and speak life into you. There is a Scripture that says death and life are in the power of the tongue, and so surround yourself with those people who are going to speak life into you, and life into your business
Amelia Thornton] and my advice. My advice is number One. Stop giving your power away. Your power lies within you and not within anyone else, and number 2 earn, keep and multiply. That is the formula to wealth.
[Rachael Sampson] our key Multiply Well, there you have it, folks hope you have a fantastic rest of your day, and thanks so much for joining, and, thanks to all, our panelists, have a great day.
Let’s face it, being a woman business owner or professional is demanding. Sometimes it can feel like climbing Mount Everest on a daily basis and never getting to the top. Couple that with managing your personal life and it can be exhausting. You don’t have to go it alone.
Watch this webinar replay for a conversation with our experts. Constance Hill-Johnson, Miya Nazzaro,and Omelia C. Thornton are here to share their career journeys and approach to help you achieve balance, improve your confidence, and create time for self-care.
In This Webinar You Will Learn:
How to speak up and be heard with confidence in every interaction.
How to establish a solid support network and advisors for your business and personal growth.
When and how to say no when it doesn’t serve you or your business.
Let’s Work Together to Achieve Your Goals.
For more Key4Women resources to help you reach your goals, visit key.com/women, or email us to learn more.