Effects of White Supremacy Culture on BIPOC Women/Femmes, Perfectionism, & the Power of Intuition and Authenticity with Jenny Medrano, Founder of Jenny Medrano Coaching

00:00.14

kitedart

Hi there everyone and welcome to jenny madrano of jenny madrono coaching I'm so excited to have you here today? Um I would first love to just share with people that jenny and I met I'm thinking. I'm not positive jenny but I feel like it was a good 2 years ago at least that we met and I remember like literally sitting in that conference room at converge and you came to a workshop and meeting you there and I feel like we've just had this very intertwined path. Ever since then where we've done. We've had a lot of different ways where we've partnered with 1 another collaborated with 1 another. Um I've coached you, you've coached me. We've done each other's programs and you know we've just done a lot of collaborative things and I just am so. Always so impressed and inspired by everything you do I think you're absolutely brilliant and I've enjoyed all of my interactions with you so I am super super excited to have you here on the now and center podcast with me today. Thank you for being here.

01:08.10

Jenny Medrano

Thanks karen it's so good to be here with you and ditto to everything you said I'm thinking back I feel like it might have been 3 years because I I I remember doing ascension. Energetics.

01:18.87

kitedart

Um, was it.

01:25.61

Jenny Medrano

Maybe it was like 2018 moving into 2019 and we were together in person. Um, but yeah, we'd we've had a lot of shared experiences around coaching and training.

01:30.45

kitedart

Yeah I think you're right actually.

01:39.70

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, um I think you're right I think it was 2018 gosh time flies right? And here we are. It's you know 2021 we're getting into the the latter part of the year so it's amazing. Um, yeah, and we have done a lot of really interesting things together. So.

01:45.95

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

01:59.00

kitedart

Um I Just I really I Really do like I said appreciate just everything that you bring to the table. Um, you know I think we have such a shared ah interest commitment to. Equity and Justice and liberation and a lot of things so we'll get into that but I just I'm excited to have you here I Can't wait for you to be sharing with our audience about your business and the cool things that you're doing in the works in the world. But so. With that I'd love to request Will you start us off by just sharing about your bit about your business. What you're doing what difference you're making in the world with your business.

02:42.18

Jenny Medrano

Sure so my business is Jenny madrano coaching super creative name. Um I am just starting off with a business that's focused on bipac women and femmes. So that's black, indigenous people of color. Who identify as a femme that could include non-binary women anything in that category need person in that category and what I mainly want to do how I want to give back to the world is by supporting bipac women and femmes and experiencing greater liberation within their career. By visioning a liberated lifestyle and creating a strategic action plan. So my brain thinks very strategically as well as vision oriented and a lot of times I've met bipac women in femmes who either are stuck in their career. Or they have a vision. They have multiple visions for their lives and they just don't know how to quite manifest them so that's where I come in.

03:48.40

kitedart

Awesome. I love that and I I think that's really true like I think a lot of times people can be either kind of that visionary and they don't know how to make it happen or maybe they have a hard time even developing that vision or being able to see. Beyond maybe the way things are now um to figure that to figure that out and then may or may not have a hard time strategically figuring out how to do it. So I really appreciate that um would you share like so we've worked together in different capacities right? like I you you did you you were doing so much with building bridges before and I did a lot of that work with you I've done some other things with you since then but I haven't worked with you as part of jenny madrono coaching and and all of the new things or different tools. You might be using. So can you just share a little bit more about Maybe what that looks like for your clients.

04:46.51

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, so the way that we met through building bridges was very much a dei context diversity equity and inclusion and everything that I've done in the past eight years around dei and training informs. What I do now. But it also integrates a lot of my own beliefs and tools around awakening and manifestation. So for the past 3 s years I've been experimenting with different tools and tactics around manifesting visions and 1 of them there's a lot of them that I've received from other guides and people out there who are talking about manifestation but 1 of them in particular I felt like was my own personal spiritual download that I received in 2018 I think there were no 2017 I was working at a bookstore in the airport and what happened was I was I was just journaling. Okay, what do I want to do with my life I know that this this bookstore job is short-term and I started mapping out various visions that I have for my life along with specific details. On what those visions mean and and what they look like um, a timeline and then some connecting arrows in terms of what vision is going to fuel another and which 1 to go about first and I I honestly like I didn't even really know what I was doing. Until I mapped it out when I got home and it really has served as a map a blueprint for vision in my life. So I see a lot of people creating vision boards and maybe their collages are like some beautifully ah like. Aesthetically pleasing thing that's in their home which I think is great but a lot of times it misses that strategic action plan. So that's where a vision map comes in.

06:47.30

kitedart

Um, got it. Cool. Yeah I Really do appreciate I Love that you said that you know it was like a download right? and I think so often. Ah, when we are inspired to start a business. That those those like downloads those inspirations those little pieces those little nuggets right? are are so impactful and and empowering for other people because like it sounds like it helped you and and you're also able to take this and use it in a way to really help your clients. Get where they want to go.

07:26.49

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, totally and I didn't I never thought that receiving that download was going to be my business I just thought it was a helpful guidance for what I wanted to do. But then I started trying out trying out this. Process of vision mapping with some family members and friends and everybody was like this is working like this is more clear and specific and I'm starting to see these things come into my life I'm starting to believe them more so after a few years I was thinking well maybe this could be something that. More people could benefit from.

08:03.95

kitedart

Got it. That's cool. Um I had a question and I lost it so I was listening I'll hopefully it will come back to me and I'll ask it again later I I Totally just was listening to what you were saying and.

08:12.78

Jenny Medrano

Um, Mr. Adam.

08:24.59

kitedart

I think I guess what I was thinking about as you were as you were talking was just how you're you're pulling together these unique I feel like you're really pulling together some unique pieces inside of your business right? like you've got this heavy background and Dei work. The the folks that you're choosing to work with ah bipoc women in femmes. Um, you know visioning strategy like you're You're really kind of pulling together. A lot of different pieces and what seems to be a really unique way to me I'm curious to hear like just. Um, when you think about that like what. What comes up for you in terms of I don't I don't even quite know what I'm trying to ask but I know that you had made a comment about um 1 thing. That's really interesting to you right? in terms of this working with affinity groups of historically oppressed people and then you're pulling together these different tools. Um, so I'd love to just maybe hear you share more about your thoughts on that.

09:35.90

Jenny Medrano

Around my thoughts around visioning using the tool visioning with Bipac women and femmes.

09:44.43

kitedart

Well, yeah, and then also just I know and maybe they don't have to do with each other but you would you had made a comment when we were talking before about um, a topic that you think about is like. What it I don't I don't know if it was more around your experience or just what it's like for you to be serving this affinity group of people who've been historically oppressed and then I I think it it I I thought of that comment you made. In relationship to just how you are pulling together these different pieces with the visioning the strategy d a background in Dei um, that's so not a clear and concise question that I'm asking. You.

10:22.96

Jenny Medrano

I think I I think I'm getting it more or at least I'm going to try to answer that. Um, so sorry I feel like.

10:31.70

kitedart

Um, okay.

10:38.66

Jenny Medrano

I I am trying to focus on a specific demographic as of now. Maybe that's going to change I've thought about expanding it to all women in femmes. But the reason I'm drawn to Bipac women and femmes is because of my own personal experience as a woman of color as a multiracial Latina person. I have experienced feeling excluded from access to a lot of different privileges of society when it comes to leadership and career advancement and so now I have the words and I understand the systemic oppression that makes that so. But that doesn't take away from the extra obstacles and extra challenges that I know I'm facing in starting a business or trying to promote myself ah that I also know other bipoc women and femmes are Facing. So I Guess when I think about. Career advancement and starting a business.. There are so many coaching programs out there. There are so many different tactics and Youtube videos. You could watch on how exactly you promote yourself in advance but what they're lacking is the framework of systemic oppression. To be able to address not only the external obstacles but also the internal obstacles like imposter syndrome and internalized racism and Sexism. So that is 1 thing that I'm trying to provide and that makes me extra motivated about bipoc women and fens is that.

12:02.70

kitedart

Are.

12:17.30

Jenny Medrano

Oh I know that Arena I I can hear not only your limiting belief and the struggle you're facing with the bank but I know what's probably coming up around your own perception of yourself as well as how society perceives you.

12:31.79

kitedart

Um, yeah I Love that and I appreciate Um, like. That that and this is a thing I talk with my clients about all the time right? is that a lot of times people want to separate like personal life and professional life and we are just like holistic beings right? And so all of this.

12:59.21

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

13:05.58

kitedart

Internalized depression and all of this conditioning and all of these things. Um, they don't just affect us. Personally, they do affect us professionally right? and it sounds like what you're so what you're saying is having that lens. Ah. Ah, having the lens of systemic oppression and using that within the work you do with people and particularly supporting them around. Um their professional life though is that there's this whole personal transformation or personal work that they have to do. In order to really have access to what they want professionally or or to be able to create it and build it for themselves.

13:48.00

Jenny Medrano

Yes. Yes, especially when the world of business and top tier leadership within careers or any company or business is white cis heterosexual men dominated and just shaped after that. Person and I I feel like it's hard to because there are a lot of entrepreneurs and people in leadership positions who have not necessarily done the work of trying to. Decolonize their thinking or decolonize their business practices and rather just are like okay I'm going to emulate the cis hat white men and this is how I did it so you can do it too. So my process has been. How do we just do it newly. What does that look like for me what kind of obstacles am I going to face if I don't assimilate to the way business has done and been done in the past

14:56.22

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that I I've actually there was a of woman that I talked to I don't know probably a couple it was early in Covid that I met and talked to and it was a black woman business owner and she actually. Um, she had a couple of different businesses but 1 of them was coaching other black women business owners and 1 thing that she tended to encourage her clients to do was to um to to like whitewash themselves in order to get clients. And that just broke my heart right? to like hear that that's what she was asking her clients to do I mean I get why and I don't think that that's that's not what. That's not the world I want to be living in That's not the world I want to be creating supporting reinforcing that kind of stuff. So I think it I think it is really important. Um.

16:04.66

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, do you know if that person use the term whitewashing or how did they? How did they explain their approach.

16:13.92

kitedart

Who I don't know that she used that term um and it's been a while. It's been. You know over a year since I talked to her I think it was where she was saying you know that it was like. Um, talking with their clients about being really careful about the way they talked the way they dressed the way they looked um how they said things like um. I feel like it I feel like what it was around was it sounded sort of like this trying to encourage them to live into a like white supremacist cis gendered male. You know, heteronormative like. Um, sense of professionalism or definition of professionalism is and again I don't I don't think that's how she explained it either. But um, yeah, does that answer your question.

17:11.43

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

17:19.11

Jenny Medrano

Um, yeah. It does and that makes sense that's been my experience with a lot of people of color who are successful in leadership positions or their own businesses and I think that's 1 of the things That's so tricky about. Quote Unquote success in the Us is a lot of times that's anything um, attributed to this term this this concept of success is usually subtly white supremacist in nature in terms of the culture of it.

17:42.87

kitedart

Um, yeah.

17:59.25

Jenny Medrano

Which is a whole another thing we could talk about right or just very much modeled after the white man so it it does it hurts me to know that there are um, people of color bipa who do um. Really focus on professionalism according to success and according to whiteness. But also I totally understand it like I've been living under that same umbrella for my whole life and it's always been this tension.. It's not like I can throw.

18:24.85

kitedart

Um, beyond it.

18:34.32

Jenny Medrano

Throw away professionalism completely according to how the white man sees it because if I did that then I would have no access to loans or Networks or social media or all these things there's so I'm I'm constantly trying to ride that line I imagine she was too and I feel like a lot of people of color. Especially. Um, women of color have to straddle that and feel that pressure.

18:57.18

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, and and it and it is fair I mean I feel like I've um, had my own journey with walking that line and and dealing with that tension and um, looking. At where where does it serve me and where does it serve the situation and where does it serve the business or whatever it is that I'm in you know, taking part in right and where does it serve it and where is it is it holding things back and um. I Think it's a I think it's a unique journey for everybody right? because Also we're all different humans and so what's authentic to me like sometimes it's even hard I think with that's really strong conditioning to be like what's inherent to Me. What's authentic to me and what's just. My conditioning. Um and that even just sorting that out for oneself in my experience like that can be hard to figure out. You know? So um, yeah I But I appreciate that.

19:56.55

Jenny Medrano

Yep.

20:12.25

kitedart

It sounds like in the work that you're doing with people right? It's like really diving into um, diving into like sorting sorting through that like getting in there and getting messy with it and trying to figure it out and sort that out for for each individual person.

20:27.92

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, 1 thing that I know is becoming um a norm and how I approach professional development business or career support with women of color is coaching them in a way where we have a strategic plan. That's more like chess as opposed to checkers or as opposed to something that's quick. Most of the sessions that I have we're playing the long game and we're trying to figure out the system that exists and how to best. Work it in a way honestly that that works for these women of color and I think that for me that was a hard truth to swallow that that's going to have to be part of that working the system is going to have to be part of what I know how to do to advance myself.

21:21.31

kitedart

Are.

21:24.65

Jenny Medrano

But now that I've seen it time and time of get again I've seen organizations that work the system and then progress and then I've seen people that refuse to work the system and then they don't move anywhere. So. Think a big lesson that I'm taking that I'm trying to coach others in is we have to have a level of Patience. We have to have a level of persistence and we have to come up with the plan things are gonna obstacles are gonna come. And emotions are going to flow and I'm all about emotions and letting them flow and also we have to be level headed when it comes time to talking to whoever's in leadership making our requests and making our demands because that's where we lose a lot of. Credibility Unfortunately because we're acting out of whims or we're acting out of emotions versus a plan that we thought through strategically and that's pretty well informed.

22:31.60

kitedart

Um, yeah I think ah, an interesting thing on that too is there's um. There's this side of it right? with dealing with leadership or dealing with those in power and and what do we sort of have to do um to stay credible or to be listened to etc and then I I Also think there's because I'm I'm a person who's all about feeling the feels like. I Feel all the feels and and ah and and I'm I'm good with that I'm okay with that and that also there is a lot that can stop us And. We aren't our emotions. We aren't our thoughts right? like we are so much more than just our emotions or our thoughts and for me that's always allowed me to have some of that perspective at times right when when the emotions are high or or low for that matter.

23:20.46

Jenny Medrano

I mean.

23:40.40

kitedart

You know, um, and and trying to not get stopped by them and and I also think it matters like you're saying right that you've got this Vision. You've got this plan and you're you're leading into that and just like when you know the difference that you're committed to creating through your work. It gives you something to like kind of stay grounded in. Um so that when the emotions come up or whatever that there's still.. It's like this is this is what's really important here is this thing I'm working towards this thing I'm trying to create the difference I'm making in the world.

24:02.45

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

24:17.30

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, yeah, I feel that and and I'm with you I I am definitely a I'm an I'm an emotional person and and I get frustrated in my personal life when people. Either. They don't have the patience or cannot create the space to allow for my emotions because I very much expect that my personal life is a place where I can cry or yell or vent if I need to and then when it comes to the professional. Also I'm with you I see a blur between the personal and professional. But the thing is because of the professional world. It's so dense in this white supremacy culture. It's so dense in white male culture. It's like there's a lag So I see there's evolving happening in the personal sphere. In terms of accepting emotions and Therapy is more widely accepted and all that greatness and then when it comes to systems. There's a lag in knowing how to integrate those and accept those so I'm still very careful with how I. Allow my emotions within workplaces and I caution Bipac women and femmes to still be careful in how they allow their emotions because unfortunately there's still stereotypes of the angry black woman or Angry Latina Or. All the things you could name with people of color.

25:49.11

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, totally yeah so True. So true I Like how you said it's like a lag. It's like yep, we're working to catch up and I think it depends too on where you're operating because the world I tend to operate In. Um. I Think there's a different culture right? like um I think like you said earlier that you're working to create right? The new and the different and and I think um, both of us to an extent are pretty fortunate to be able to be working with and around people. Who are interested in diving into what does that look like um and it's It's not the norm or it's not the standard. So um, yeah. So I'd love to ask I There's where this this is kind of a blurred line because I I think I want to kind of start diving into some of the business stuff right? and I think we already are too just given the nature of the work that you're doing in this Conversation. We're already talking a little bit about um. Some of those challenges of running a business and but I'd love to dive in just a little more specifically and hear if you'd be willing to share what has been the most challenging part of starting your business. Well you.

27:11.70

Jenny Medrano

Ah, oh man, 1 thing the most challenging. Yeah, so some of the most challenging things for me, starting a business I mean 1 was.

27:18.12

kitedart

And say a few I don't know. But.

27:29.47

Jenny Medrano

Actually starting it I knew that there were there were going to be a lot of logistics that I didn't know that I would have to figure out and that's 1 of my least favorite things to do in the world I wish I was more? Um What's it called just kind of. Innovative when it comes to figuring things out and liking to google things and liking to youtube things. My brain doesn't love that it feels very um time consuming I want to get to the vision and I want to create it. That's why I've worked well with teams. That's why I've put myself in a lot of teams in the past decade so now that I'm a solarpreneur starting off There's so much that I've just have had to look up and then not know for sure if it's the actual answer but it's good enough such as setting up my llc. And figuring out what do quarterly quarterly taxes look like and figuring out how do I get a website domain up and then what does payment structures look like what's the best platform who do I invest in as a business coach There's so many questions. That are just very overwhelming so logistics really for me that's been the hardest part.

28:50.22

kitedart

Um, yeah, got it. Yeah and it's a lot isn't it. But so much. Yeah, yeah, I Really I Really appreciate what you're saying though about the the perfectionism right? and not that it doesn't have to be perfect. It's just got to be good enough.

28:55.44

Jenny Medrano

So many.

29:10.21

kitedart

And I think that was that was a huge hurdle for me in in start I mean kit and dart is my fourth business ascension was my third business like you would think I would have maybe had things figured out by then but even still like it's. Maybe some of the challenges were different but it's just not getting stuck in I don't know exactly the right way to do this or the perfect way to do this or whatever. So yeah, that's definitely very hard. Um.

29:38.62

Jenny Medrano

I think too with with that I wonder if you relate to this I I this is my first time being a solarpreneur but I did help create a startup business within building bridges which was shift and dei training for adults. So I find myself.

29:52.82

kitedart

Um, yeah.

29:58.62

Jenny Medrano

I thought it would be such an advantage that I had already done a business before to start my own and it is in terms of wisdom and experience. But also sometimes it feels like a disadvantage because I keep thinking well I should know this already or I I should do what I did. Then that should work again, right? that same business model when it's not working because I have a different message and a different why in a different audience. So then I I kind of get trapped in between what was the old way and what's my new way I don't know if you feel that.

30:34.83

kitedart

Yeah, absolutely and and and I'd even argue that it's not even just different businesses. But even and I know you're you're newer in your in this business but even within the same business right? What works. At 1 point will stop working and then you've got a shift in pivot and figured out what's next I mean I look at my experience with kiten dart from pre covered to 2020 to 2021 like we are constantly shifting and pivoting and figuring out. What works now what works now because Markets change what people want changes what we know about ourselves changes I mean there's it's a forever process. Um not to scare you but like it like I feel like that's true between businesses and then it's also just true like. Within the same business I think it's such a process all the time.

31:35.69

Jenny Medrano

That makes sense and I think that the nature of business is that it's always changing as a business owner you have to be adaptable ready to pivot and also I mean talk about the last 3 years right it's not only you're starting a business but you're starting a business. Ah, missed a complete global transformation. You know I feel like we don't I don't hear many conversations about that I hear how the pandemic affected a lot of people but it's it feels like such a collective. Shift happening in terms of mindset in terms of where I put my money in terms of how I'm even viewing the future or the future of the earth all the things.

32:21.40

kitedart

Um, yeah, so True. So true and the funny thing is is that I feel like how you know it does it does make it hard because there's the shoulds and the supposed tos and. You know I should already know how to do this or why am I not already there or did It-h Ah and and it can be easy to have that mindset and it's also really exciting Because. We can adapt and we can change and we have new challenges. Um, and when you look at this bigger collective shift that's happening. It's I think being an entrepreneur right? now is super exciting because we have such an opportunity to. Do things differently to change the way they're done and when you talk about right? So when you talk about like this whole culture around um, patriarchy and white supremacy and all of these things within business and what's professional right? Like we don't have to have the same lag. As a lot of institutions I think in our culture right? We can make those rules we can. We can break the rules we can throw away the box which is super exciting as well kind of terrifying.

33:34.97

Jenny Medrano

Yes.

33:44.24

Jenny Medrano

That is That's now that's a great point and I think I can get tripped up on in collective Change global change systemic change because that's definitely the way my mind has been oriented but now I I do. Feel that freedom I feel that that freedom as well as that responsibility of really checking myself and okay, how do I not perpetuate white supremacy culture even when it's just me myself and I how do I slow down. How do I give myself permission to. Embrace the gray area so I do feel like it is on us those entrepreneurs who do want to be changing the the blueprint which is what happened a hundred years ago and then.

34:31.77

kitedart

Um, yeah.

34:37.19

Jenny Medrano

3 hundred years ago 500 right it's always been a couple of people or whoever are the big influencers changing the path so that could happen again.

34:47.19

kitedart

Yeah, well and I think ah I think a really great thing as you were saying that is that I think um as we're working to do that right? that. We have each other in that right like that's 1 thing I really value is I know you're out there doing what you're doing and it helps keep me inspired when when I might be having a rough time or something's not going my way or I'm tired or whatever that is or you know. And and that we lift each other up and that we're we're supporting 1 another. We're complimenting the work Each of us is doing right? and that there there is it's It's not big enough yet. It's not the system yet right? and I got that and I feel like we're getting. Um, Momentum and um I mean I don't know that it's ever going to be enough in my lifetime for me to be satisfied and I feel like more and more and more I see people who want to partner and collaborate and support. The kinds of things that we're doing.

35:58.35

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, and I I feel that too when I see people other people out there I always think the other entrepreneurs in my life that I'm connected to are are just killing it and and then I like look back on my own work and I'm like. I could be doing so much more. So there's like this unhealthy, um, level of expectations I have for myself. But I do think about past entrepreneurs and I think a lot of people in the field of systemic change are. Quick to throw away. Anybody who's been super capitalist well or old white says hepman or um, anybody who's steeped in white supremacy culture and I get it but I still get inspiration from. Past people as change makers and I see like Henry ford for example I think he was 1 of the ones who started the assembly line kind of mentality right? So that was an idea that was.

37:06.45

kitedart

Um, is that.

37:12.92

Jenny Medrano

I mean you could totally trace that back to white supremacy culture in terms of there's only 1 right Way. Ah people. It's progress over people and all those things but ah 1 person was enough to start shifting things where the rest of the people were like that's a good Idea. He's making twice as much as we're making. Let's do that and then it shifted school systems to be like reading writing or an arithmetic.. That's all you need because that's how you read Factory Manel manuals right? and then we're still stuck with that in 2021 that kind of a mindset right? So it's.

37:42.87

kitedart

Um, yeah.

37:50.30

Jenny Medrano

Kind of like I take the I look at the poison of the white supremacy culture in the past and I'm like how can we alkamize this for the future. We just need another blueprint that's going to put the others out of business. We need a new way. That's more productive that's more efficient that makes more money. But that treats people better.

38:10.10

kitedart

Yeah, so true I Love that phrase alchemize that you know that's that's awesome. That's absolutely what we need to do? Yeah so with that can I let me ask this? Um I think you brought a topic for a little mini coaching session. Um, I think you know 1 thing that that I'm trying to do in the work I do is is to give people a different way to do it and what I really heard and what you were saying is we still want efficiency and effectiveness and we need to humanize it so I would love to dive into your. 1 of your current grapplings in business and see if we can ah give you some some nuggets in terms of humanizing the way that you do whatever that is in your business.

39:01.92

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, okay, let's see there's so many challenges that we could go into in this moment about obstacles that I'm facing when it comes to humanizing I think 1 thing maybe nate said. Ah, while back ago was around man now I wish I I knew the quote or maybe it was on Shark tank. It was something about if you want if you want to make hundreds or thousands of use your body. Figure out what kind of labor you can give to the world if you want to make millions use your ideas something along those lines so I have been wrestling with coming out of building bridges and that Dei world I know how much my idea is my consultation. My strategy was.

39:41.78

kitedart

Ah.

39:57.50

Jenny Medrano

Really worth a lot. It was what was what allowed us to charge more for the kind of training and consultation. We were giving because not everybody could provide that but I had to be at every meeting I had to be. Very hands on with the clients and with our team to kind of run it so now starting my own coaching business I'm running into this obstacle of I don't want to create a business that's overendent on me where it's like. I'm going to work with you as a client and you get me for a whole year ah 3 times a month or something and then I I over commit to people and then I'm constrained in growth I have a vision for how I could grow my business in 5 years

40:46.17

kitedart

Um, the.

40:50.82

Jenny Medrano

And I don't know if I could do that unless I continue to free up my own Energy. So I'm facing that and I guess the humanizing part comes in where I so eagerly want to I want to help these bipoc women and thems when I meet with them I want to be like.. What do you need? Just yeah, call me text me no,, let's get this promotion. Let's get this leave of absence. Let's get this race So I'm kind of struggling with that tension of as I'm starting. How do I build things up in a way where I can provide my ideas and consultation. But it's not. 2 dependent on me so that I can expand and involve a team.

41:32.10

kitedart

Um, yeah, that's a good question. Um, so I think. I think that kind of back to what you said earlier as far as the you know you were talking about the logistics right? but like just like the logistics. There's a lot of like trial and error and figure it out as you go and good enough is good enough. That some of that is is going to be It's going to be a real work in progress and I feel like again I feel like really in the beginning but also it continues to happen. Um in terms of how you are um. How you're providing your service I mean what you do is is incredibly um, personal and vulnerable and um, it's very much about connection. So I think that it makes perfect sense that you. Need to be very involved in what you're doing in your business right now and I think at the same time along those lines of um, selling what you know instead of selling what you do um is around. You know the more and more you step into this business and you'll you'll continue to refine like your methodologies. So just like you had you talked about your vision vision mapping right? You've kind of got a system there. So once you have something. That you've developed like that and that you've used repeatedly with people and you see that over and over and over this is something people need I think that becomes 1 of those places where it may be easier to train other people to do it for you or to. Offer it in some kind of way that doesn't require you to be there right? Whether it's a prerecorded course or a workbook or a you know a book in a workbook or whatever the thing is right? Um, so and and through. The work that you did at building bridges as well as since then right like you've already even though you're new in Business. You've already had an opportunity to seize them with those things that come up over and over and over um, but I think I'd just be looking for what are those opportunities for how you can.

44:09.87

kitedart

Um, provide people access via different modalities or different um different mediums and some of those you can sell what you know and you can sell it at a lower cost and give higher access to people and then. You know, maybe you're you're charging more for the people who need to have that 1 on 1 face to face time. Um I I I Wonder if you're ever going to be able to I don't know that you're saying you want to get out of that completely. But I think that that. There's probably always going to be some aspect of that that needs to be present in your business because of how um how it's hard for people to work some of that stuff out on their own I Guess is what I'm saying you know, but I think constantly looking for those places where you have.

44:59.41

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, yeah.

45:06.60

kitedart

Where you've created I mean it's like creating your own intellectual property and having so can you take that vision mapping process and can you turn it into a book or a workbook or a pre-recorded course that people can access and work through on their own.

45:24.18

Jenny Medrano

Yeah I've thought about that the prerecorded course and I think I've I've been starting with okay how can I at least turn the vision map into a workable pdf to start with so that people don't all.

45:26.47

kitedart

But that.

45:42.89

Jenny Medrano

Don't have to do it from scratch at their home and that we can do it together online and I think I'm trying to try that out a little bit to see even how does a a pdf function versus in person doing this with art supplies which is how. Did it in the past and then trying to work out tweaks so that I could learn more about it and then start create a course that was that needed less of me and then the next tier being okay, you created it. You have these guiding factors now. What does it look like to create actionable steps for the next 3 months or six months

46:25.90

kitedart

Yeah, and 1 thing that I think works really well in the early stages of this is when you're doing it with people right? You're you're seeing how things land and how it works. But asking for feedback from people right? like we Beta things Pilot things all the time. Um, we usually give a little bit of a price discount and be like Listen. We're gonna beta this course or we're gonna beta this this program. Um, we'll give you a discount but we. Ask for feedback from you in return and then you can kind of see how that goes and work through those things before you go to the the cost expense time of creating the prerecorded thing or. You know trying to package and sell because that because if you if you go to the work of creating that prerecorded course and then it doesn't land. Well then that's a lot more time and energy you've put into it than if you can do it interactive with people. And get that constant feedback and make those constant adjustments does that make sense. Yeah.

47:31.47

Jenny Medrano

Yeah, it does. That's what I'm experiencing as well. I I think too that I am grateful that I have taken some time to better get in touch with my intuition. Because a lot of times the way this looks like is something inside of me stops me from doing something and it feels so out of line and 1 thing that I know I can count on within myself is doing things out of authenticity. If I try to do something out of authenticity. Even if it's creating a Instagram post or any kind of post I cringe I'm like this is not how I actually feel so I've tried it to I've tried to create. Systems and structures that allow me some flexibility so it makes me think of what you're saying if if it's not the right time to go full force with an idea. Maybe it's my intuition saying to slow down and pilot it or beta test it a little bit more.

48:42.14

kitedart

Yeah I think we say that all the time is that I think so often that reluctance is discernment and that intuition right? It is us having that deeper knowing I honestly believe jenny that your intuition is 1 of your best tools in business. And the more you can trust it and listen to it and even if you don't know why it's okay, right? There's times where I have things that are kind of like niggling at me and I'm like what is that you know and and I'm the kind of person who always wants to understand things kind of annoying. So then I'm like what is that about and I think it's fine to be an inquiry but. Sometimes we don't have the answer but it's okay to just go okay, now is's not the time and and I think too like going along with that intuition piece I think the other part of it is that um. At at some point innovation will be a necessity so to speak like so so even as an example, right? Even how I got here to kite and dart right? Nate was at capacity at kite and Dart. He wanted to scale. He knew he didn't want to hire employees to coach and consult with entrepreneurs because there's such a different mindset there and ah so he came up with an idea of how he wanted to scale. And and the fact that he was there and he needed some of that time back necessitated he come up with the way he tried a way. It ultimately didn't end up working the way he had thought it would or had hoped it would. But it's evolved into something totally different where now I'm a partner at kite and dart. Kayla started the marketing division. We've got 3 other part time people right? like that that it didn't will it didn't unfold the way he thought it would unfold but by trying something he got to where it went from. Being him at the time alone to now there's 6 of us in the business and so some it's again, it's just that like trial and error seeing what works seeing what doesn't work. It doesn't have to be perfect. Um, and so you'll know when you're at that point of. Okay I have to be more out of the business so to speak in order to go wherever you want to go next.

51:20.88

Jenny Medrano

What do you mean by more out of the business. Oh like less hand them.

51:23.91

kitedart

Well more sorry more out of the delivering like deliverables of like spending the time with each and every client or that you know having some of that time back? Um, or and maybe it's not even having it.

51:29.59

Jenny Medrano

Oh okay.

51:43.37

kitedart

Time back, but it's it's part of what I hear is maybe um, you're already thinking about how you can expand your reach and your impact without it taking more of your time and so.

51:53.51

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

52:01.54

kitedart

That's that's what I'm meant is like just getting some of that time back or expand or extending your reach without it taking minutes of your time does that make sense. Okay.

52:08.38

Jenny Medrano

Got it? Okay, yeah, does.

52:17.93

kitedart

Anything else on that.

52:22.77

Jenny Medrano

Her.

52:30.34

Jenny Medrano

I Think that was the main thing now I'm just sitting with Okay, what does this look like in terms of what is the Beta test or the pilot for this version until I can make something less time consuming.

52:44.25

kitedart

Um, when I.

52:47.32

Jenny Medrano

I have thought about training others in my approach. Um I'm just still kind of testing it out. So I don't have something fully to train others in yet.

52:54.29

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah I think that there to some extent. It's like again like you'll know it when you see it or you'll know when it's time to try I Do think that you um. I Do think that you're going to have a great opportunity to train people in in your methodology and um and doing it that train the trainer or train the coach train the consultant kind of a program and there's probably a lot to work Out. Of doing it because you've you know you've been doing the work at building bridges. But this is different and so you know you doing it you working through it I think really having that intellectual property right? developing your own unique ways of doing it in systems and that kind of thing.

53:33.42

Jenny Medrano

Mr.

53:48.66

kitedart

Um, and then once you really have those down after working with people is when it gets easier to um, sort of prepackage something and sell it or train the trainer I think those 2 things can come later. Um, and then the other thing I'd say about like where to start is like.

53:57.24

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

54:07.62

kitedart

Start you can start small too right? So you could think of if you've been doing vision mapping with people for the past 3 years or 4 years is there. Can you can you look at a way to beta just that piece of it. But maybe not the part that comes after.

54:20.76

Jenny Medrano

Is here.

54:25.78

kitedart

With creating the strategy and the plan or you know what? I mean that you can kind of look at smaller chunks that may in the end look up end end up being like a whole big program or something like that. But for now you're just taking each piece of it. Um, and I think you can.

54:40.18

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

54:44.65

kitedart

Also do a hybrid approach too of is there a way where there's certain pieces that could be pre-recorded but that then people still have access to working with you? Um, So maybe like a subscription model or or ah or just like I said a hybrid thing. Where it's not only you involved but they do some on their own and then come to meet with you to get the support they need.

55:06.64

Jenny Medrano

Yeah I've thought about that too I think that that's definitely a ah potential option in terms of just especially as I'm getting it going having people understand how to use the vision Map. How to do it. And then where to go next for sure. Vision is an interesting thing in terms of or I guess visioning I think what I've experienced is a lot of the people that I've done this with.

55:28.68

kitedart

Um, yeah.

55:41.60

Jenny Medrano

They'll tell me you know I've really thought about this coffee shop I've thought about this business I've thought about this family vision I have but until I've been with you I've never actually said it out loud I've never actually written it down I don't know why I believe it more just by having someone there. Who's guiding them to believe in it fully. It really makes a difference So I don't want to lose that personal touch.

56:06.62

kitedart

Yeah, yeah I We we experience the same thing. Um, honestly and the power of connecting with people and talking it about it and sharing it I think there is a lot of power in that. Um, and it's you know there are different ways to maybe not have to be a hundred percent there all the time and. And also I think the other part of that is knowing and being okay with that if someone does like more of a Diy approach. They may not get as much out of it as if they were working with you 1 on 1 and kind of also knowing that that's okay. Like that's a hard 1 for me like and my perfectionism is I Want every single person that I work with no matter how they work with me to get like everything they can possibly get and I know that when someone takes a course what they're going to get might look different than if we work together 1 on 1 and that's okay.

57:15.53

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

57:18.50

kitedart

But it's still ah that matter of access and and that getting some of that is still better than not having access to it.

57:25.99

Jenny Medrano

Right? because I know that from my personal experience too and doing various courses some of them with a hybrid approach and some of them just on my own and I yeah like I'm doing this social media um getting clear course. And I've done it on my own time and there's certain things that have stuck with me and certain things that I do not remember from it So I like that that just making peace with each person is going to get out of it as much as they put in basically no matter format.

57:59.27

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so true. So true I have a hard time letting go of that right? like the teacher in me wants everybody to get as much as they can possibly get and it's just not. That's not my.

58:09.80

Jenny Medrano

Yeah.

58:18.67

kitedart

That's not the thing I can affect. You know, like so that's okay I think like you said making peace with it. Definitely all right? So I'd love to ask one last question um you know that at kit and Dart. We talk about entrepreneurial activism so I'm wondering if you would just real quick share what entrepreneurial activism means to you.

58:44.35

Jenny Medrano

Sure so entrepreneurial activism to me means creating a new blueprint for humanizing business and strategies putting people over progress. And learning how to work together more collaboratively versus individualistically so that my strengths I can do them and do what I love and then whatever is my weakness or what I don't like is someone else's strength and they can do them and we can work together. Like an evolving puzzle piece.

59:22.71

kitedart

I love it. Thank you, thank you for sharing that? um I love that vision Someday I may take all these little snippets on entrepreneurial activism and come up with some super creative way to. Put them together and represent them in the world. But I I um I appreciate that vision and I think that um I think that that's something that we're both committed to and I just want to extend my appreciation to you jenny like it makes my heart super warm knowing that you are out there in the world. Doing the work that you're doing making the difference for people that you're making. Thank you so much for coming on now and center and sharing our story with you and I look forward to whatever our next collaboration looks like.

01:00:10.11

Jenny Medrano

Sounds good. Thank you so much Karen for allowing me on your podcast and as always it was fun to chat.

01:00:19.84

kitedart

Awesome! Thank you.