From the beautiful island of Taiwan, this incredibly courageous woman took a chance and moved to the United States in pursuit of a higher education and a big vision. I had the privilege of sitting down to speak with Chia – Li Chien. She took me down her path, shared her journey and gave me some pearls of wisdom along the way.
I loved her story. She shared a vivid experience of what it was like to start a business without a vision in front of her, while here in the States where language was a barrier. She overcame that obstacle with grace and made the shift into a business that was more in alignment with her passion.
I admired her journey because most people are in careers or businesses that are unfulfilling and dissatisfying, yet they stay in them. Chia-Li explained how she transitioned and gave key areas to take notice of in making a big shift like that. You’ll discover what a big transition into something new truly entails.
My fascination with Chia-Li was her ability to bring strategic plans and actions to building a successful business from a “passion and vision” place. The depth of knowledge she brings astounds me. Surely after listening to her knowledge and expertise, you’ll begin to think very differently in how you operate your business. Chia-Li practically teaches you how to put yourself first in building wealth and creating a plan that will continue to build that wealth for years to come.
Sit back as Chia-Li shares her 5 Deadly Mortal Sins, favorite quotes , best advice for women in business, other critical steps in creating wealth and prosperity.
You do not want to miss this interview. Bring pad, paper and your candid ear. You’ll want to rewind this one to be sure you catch every word.
Since women are now holding jobs in the marketplace as CEOs’ and presidents, it is necessary to equip women with the tools of dealing with their money with confidence and pride. Men have been always done that. Of course there is no gender in the money itself, but who is holding it makes a big difference. Men and women are different in their lives, their money and just about everything else in life.
Women are multi-taskers at their core, who are still getting underpaid for the work both in the corporate setting and at home. One big reason for this is because a woman finds it hard to say NO when someone either asks her to do something, or asks her for money. A boss will take advantage of this fact and have her working 60 hours a week on a 40 hour a week salary. And she won’t ask for a raise for added work she is doing. Both of these compromises come from the fact that men have not offered her full authority and women have not asked for it. This is even true in the home where the wife/mother works 24/7 yet is getting a small allowance from the husband. She is an equal partner, the house finances and what they are designated for, and the amount for spending, should all be shared knowledge between the two partners.
Women owe it to themselves and their families to take control of their money and to quit undervaluing their worth. It is time for women to understand who they are and their value, and to know that they are equal workers in life. There are some certain characteristics that are prevalent in people who have money. If you are a woman reading this and are serious about getting control over your funds and in your money in general, then take a few minutes to evaluate your lifestyle and see where you stand.
They most important key in establishing yourself is living in a sense of balance and harmony. Harmony is a musical word and it means that all the parts are working together to form the melody. This is the way your life should be - balanced in all areas so that your everyday life is harmonious and without stress or strain. To achieve this you will need to look into all the roles you play - wife, mother, employee, friend, family member, etc. Check and see that the areas are in balance and with each other. Most will find that one or two areas are demanding more of your attention and energy. This kind of overload needs to be adjusted and put back on the level with the rest.
If you are deficient in one area, see what is available for you to correct that - a class, more time alone, maybe something as simple as having a cleaning lady come in once a week to reduce that stress. Adjust your life because when your life is in balance you will make the good decisions that you need to in order to keep your world working well. You’ll find it’s not difficult to stay in that good place, making good decisions, if you are satisfied and settled in all areas of your life.
Another important key is to walk with courage, or at least fake it till you make it. There is no reason to live in fear. You have the world at your finger tips nowadays, and if you investigate anything that you don’t know about, that will keep your fear level down. The old adage is, "What’s the worst that could happen if I ask? They’ll say No." So get rid of that fear of not asking for what you really want and need for your life. Many of you women are single and raising a family, so your confidence level is what will carry you AND your children, so don’t hold back!
The last characteristic to check is your generosity level. This is so important because it keeps the flow of giving and receiving going in YOUR life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a stay-at-home Mom or a corporate executive, give what you have. If you make the paycheck, give out of that. If you know that your next door neighbor really likes chocolate chip cookies and you know how to make them - Do it! If you can drive the kids to soccer practice while you let the other moms have an hour to themselves - Do it! Whatever well you can give out of to keep the flow going - Do it! A great idea is to have a Garage Sale. You can either give the proceeds or some of the items to someone who needs them, and you’ll get a clean house. The kids can get involved in the action and you can have refreshments out for your neighbors and make it a fun time for everyone! Lots of people get in the flow of this one.
Incorporating generosity into your daily routine is fun and it keeps you thinking creatively, not to mention lets you feel good inside while you are doing something for someone else.
These are the most important keys in finding your confidence and gaining your equilibrium to allow harmony into your life. Once harmony is back, it will only be a matter of consulting or fact-finding when you need to make the right decisions for yourself. Remember that if you are making the right decisions for yourself, they will be the right decisions for all those around you.
The most important thing to remember is, IT IS OK TO SAY NO! Just because you have the money doesn’t mean that you have to give it away, or cosign, even if they are family. Yes that’s right, even if they are family! ‘No’ is a sentence all by itself and sometimes it is exactly what that person needs to hear. Don’t be afraid, taking care of yourself is the best idea you’ve ever had.
It was a fast paced day when Adriene Hobdy and I sat down to chat. It had been a day of going down memory lane of past P3 Pearls who had graced our cover; acknowledging 2008 as a year of incredible women and 2009 following suit. In fact I was so caught up in the celebration, I even started out my interview with Adriene with “welcome to the October 2008 issue”….Forgive me but we’re still celebrating with a bang!!!
Adriene is a powerful woman on a mission to educate and inspire young African American Women to be financially savvy. I can see why she would be the ambassador for giving women tools for being a financially savvy sista.
Adriene shared her vision for women and candidly talked about the challenges of today’s woman during the recent economic changes. The spiral of one’s actions or lack thereof can put anyone of us in a financial rollercoaster if we’re not sure of how to devise and implement a plan. Adriene dispels the myths about money management and offers her pillars of success. Some very simple actions can lead to a world of financial freedom with the discipline and commitment to a vision. Adriene reveals those simple actions with me during our power filled chat.
You’ll find Adriene to be a gentle-spoken woman on purpose. She reveals her best advice for women searching for vision, steps to bring power to your life financially and two of her favorite quotes. I’d say, grab a pen and note pad, a hot cup of your favorite drink and take good notes as she and I delve into the world of the financially savvy sista. Adriene is definitely a P3 Pearl that the world is awaiting. Enjoy!
I was engaged in a trial coaching call with a great woman recently and we were talking candidly about her vision. She had struggled with finances for quite some time and lost some of her passion and zeal for life, so she thought a session with me would impact that area.
After years of being in this type of work, it doesn’t take very long to discover one’s vision. If each of us is willing to "open our mind" to our heart’s desire, a vision will clearly emerge. To this woman’s surprise, the vision did quickly emerge. In fact, it had always been there. She had clarified that vision 20 years before but was not living out of it or making it happen. In fact, it’s on one of her many business cards and even her license plate!
Some of us struggle with clarity of our vision while others are very clear but wonder how to have it manifest itself into the world. One major barrier is finances, thus purpose or vision may never be pursued at ones fullest potential. This woman’s struggle was that very thing! I thought it befitting to share a book with her called "The Secrets of The Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker. We spoke in depth about how she can manage her finances to assist in expanding her vision, rather than finances being the barrier.
Eker’s book is written with the intention to shift the mindset about money. It’s worth reading a number of times. Sometimes we simply need a few pieces of information to have life all come together. In this woman’s case, it was embracing and owning her vision and having some information about how to manage money effectively so that her vision could grow and expand.
T. Harv Eker speaks about and makes suggestions regarding percentages of income/revenue and how to put you in the driver’s seat of your life when it comes to finances. For example, only 50% of your income should be spent on necessities while 10% goes to investments, 10% short term savings, 10% education, 10% to give away and 10% for fun. I highly recommend the book. Read it again and again until the information becomes your mantra.
The woman I spoke of earlier is excited. In fact, she called the next day and left a message singing "I got passsssionnn, I got passion." What a wonderful message to receive. It certainly lifted me to higher heights for the day!
I believe the power lives within you and you deserve to be in the driver’s seat of every aspect of your life…So dare to learn more. Knowledge is POWER.
It has occurred to me lately that people are simply not thinking outside the box. We have a tendency to think about life from an old mode of what or how to overcome or solve a dilemma. If what has always worked before is not working now, it is time to change it.
In other words, if what you are looking at is not changing then change the way you look at it. If ever there was a time to change the way you think about things, this is it. There is no denying the fact that our world has changed. The only way to survive this change and do it magnificently is to change with it. Fighting against it will not work.
All around the world fortunes are being lost but also found. People are losing their homes to foreclosure. Many of you have lost your jobs and have no income. Some of you are sick and have no health insurance. Relationships are ending because of all the stress that is present. Crime is up because unfortunately some people have used this as a way out of the box. The universal question of “why am I here,” is sounding around the world. Rampant materialism is ending.
The reason there is a Starbucks on almost every corner is because we supported by our purchase gourmet coffee that is almost $4.00 a cup. If you bought one every day for a workweek it added up to an average of $24.00 a week or almost $100.00 a month for coffee! That boggles my mind. That, my readers is over $1000.00 a year for a cup of coffee. No wonder there are so many stores. Now, as times become tight many of these stores are closing. Is it any wonder? My purchases at a Starbucks were a rare treat and certainly not the norm.
Afternoons spent at the home improvement centers are like going to the mall for a lot of you. You go in with the idea in mind to get a few light bulbs and you come out three hours later having spent at least $100.00. I have been guilty of doing this. I leave my credit cards AT HOME now. I have been doing this for some time. If you can see clearly that things are changing then start making changes NOW!
If you have a job and you are complaining then you are not thinking outside the box. Having employment now is more of a blessing than you know. Bloom where you are planted and shine like you have never shone before. Keeping this kind of outlook will insure that you will attract good things into your life. We are universally gravitating toward something better and higher for ourselves. Many of us have never felt peace.
Indeed many of us have never felt happy. We don’t have a clue what it is. We think it is our job so we identify with it. But that is only what we do and not who we are. Any deep spiritual happiness is out of our reach simply because we have not done our due diligence where our soul is concerned. We don’t know who we are much less why are we here? As things and circumstances are being removed from our lives, we quickly go to a default setting of pining after what is gone. What we should be doing is expressing gratitude for what we do have and not for what we don’t have.
Change is a constant. What is happening is not a removal but a transmutation.
Look at the opportunities that are opening up for you. How are you going to fill your life now? If you are sitting there moaning instead of writing on that novel that you haven’t touched for months…shame on you. If you are sitting there telling the whole world what has been done to you instead of thinking about what you can do. Let the cant’s go. This word should not be in your vocabulary.
How can you think outside the box right now?
I am telling you that your creator is leading the way with guidance and signposts along the way. You are being assisted right this moment. Once you understand and use it in your life things will start to change dramatically. So, you have to start thinking outside the box with God too. Have you had God in a box? I am being constantly reminded not to box my spirit in. How about you? Are you feeling a little boxed in? Open the box and allow the expansion to follow. You can tap into more peace and happiness than you can imagine. Stop creating more problems for yourself and create more solutions. God has always told me that if I wanted peace and joy, I had to learn how to be peaceful and joyous. It makes sweet sense to me.
