Speaker 1: 0:11

Welcome to Speak Up International with Rita Burke and Elton Brown.

Speaker 2: 0:17

On Speak Up International, we traverse the world to find people we consider to be community builders, and today is no exception. We are in Houston, Texas, talking with Sarah Freeman-Smith. Ms Freeman-Smith is an author and enjoys a career path in human resources, recruiting leadership roles. In the peak of her career, sarah experienced significant vision loss. She's now considered legally blind. Sarah's energy and passion inspires others with determination and the optimism to persevere and achieve their aspirations. Now on Speak Up International, we feel it's important, it's necessary, it's critical for our guests to tell their own stories, and so I welcome Sarah Freeman-Smith, who will be telling us her story. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Speaker 3: 1:28

Thank you so much, so delighted to be here.

Speaker 1: 1:32

You are experiencing a illustrious career and I'd like to know what inspired you to start and pursue a speaking career.

Speaker 3: 1:47

Well, elton, to tell you the truth, it all was in God's divine direction, because I've always been in the recruiting staffing industry and at the time, some 25 plus years ago, I always attempted to target underserved communities in the Houston area, especially since I grew up in the inner city. Let their current circumstances, backgrounds, et cetera, determine their destiny. Don't just think that you cannot aspire to do something and be something in your life. So I would go to the non-traditional places, because it's extremely competitive when you're trying to hire people for various companies and industries. Going into the inner city, I would have to capture their attention and when I would walk in back 25 plus years ago, people would think oh, she's from an affluent side of the city, her parents sent her to private school. She doesn't have any clue. Why is she coming into the inner city talking to us and telling us what we can be and not be? Nobody wants to. The traditional just totally down on themselves, and I had to come up with a way to capture their attention and all I simply said is let me share with you my story. But I set it up in, or framed it up, in a way that when I would ask them questions, they obviously thought different and at the end I would say you thought I grew up in an affluent part of Houston. No, I just grew up about three blocks down the street from where we're talking.

Speaker 3: 3:30

And no, my parents did not have an education. My mother finished the fifth grade. My father finished high school and was a laborer for the railroad company, but both were retired when they adopted me and I said no, I went to the same school you did. I didn't go to private school, but what I did do differently, that my parents stressed to me was believe in yourself and arm yourself with a good education and surround yourself with positive people who can encourage you and lift you up, and stop hanging around others who want to put you down and tell you what you can't do and shouldn't do. And I said that's the difference. Once they realized that and they were going and you used to live there and yes Then I caught their attention and I said you know what you did to me? You judged me based on my outward appearance, the same way society has judged you, because they've told you what you couldn't do, what you will not be. And I said our true value is not on the outside, it is on the inside and if you believe in yourself, you don't give someone permission to put you down. So that's how I captured their attention and so at the end they would all come up and say you really encouraged and inspired me and you really should write a book because that's an amazing story. And I'm going eh, I'm just about trying to fill some jobs and trying to get some inner city people here. But who the heck, simon and Schuster, is not about to stand up and give me some advance to write my story. So I just dismissed it for several years and would always, always people would come up and say it was inspiring.

Speaker 3: 5:09

But I started feeling unfulfilled, elton, in the corporate world, because even though I was successful in recruiting and helping people find jobs, I felt this emptiness and I eventually just had to come to the conclusion. This and I eventually just had to come to the conclusion. I got to get off this merry-go-round to figure out, if I'm not content and happy at what I'm doing, what is my true purpose, what is my true calling. I'm good at this, but I don't feel like I'm successful. And when I got off that merry-go-round, that's when God clearly spoke and said write that book and the book is what I did.

Speaker 3: 5:46

30 days later I had a book. Then I said what do I do with this? I learned to self-publish it and six weeks later I was selling the book and that blew me away, because people were purchasing it and saying it was so inspiring and it helped them to figure out what their passion was and what their career aspirations might be, or their very calling. So it was about 25 years ago and I just shared my personal story of how, on the outside, I looked like I was really successful, but on the inside, there was that emptiness. And so the difference being there is a difference between your vocation and your avocation or your calling. You get paid to do your vocation and your avocation or your calling. You get paid to do your vocation. The calling is what you were made to do and, fortunately for me, I combine both. I'm a recruiter and I also get to encourage and inspire people to continue to pursue what those goals may be.

Speaker 2: 6:41

That is quite an amazing and wonderful story. Am I hearing you say that you wrote that story, that book, in 30 days?

Speaker 3: 7:06

out on my patio going what the world am I doing? And I just had I started with a prayer journal and it just I just kept writing. And then it was like, okay, get up now, go put that on the computer. And I'm going, okay, but I really did not know what do I do with this? And I never will forget and this is telling you how long ago it was.

Speaker 3: 7:22

Word perfect was the software. I'm sitting late one night because I'm a nocturnal beast and I just put my hands on my chin and my elbow, hit the print key but it opened up the advance button and it said do you wish to print this in a booklet form? And I'm going. I never saw that before. It had always been there, and that's what led me. I flipped that page, put it in booklet form. My dining room table little paper cutters, spiral comb, boom had a book. Amazing, amazing. I know it blew me away because I had this look like a little basic homemade cookbook and I'm going okay.

Speaker 3: 8:05

Then I learned I was at a church event, a convention, and sold out. I think I printed maybe 25, 50 books. So I think I'm bestseller in my neighborhood, right, hey, that's a cool thing, but I couldn't get it in the bookstores. I had to do more research. So that's where I had to learn about the business of self-publishing and how I could get it in the bookstores. I had to do more research. So that's where I had to learn about the business of self-publishing and how I could get it from just doing local speaking events into bookstores, libraries and other places. Even Amazon had not emerged but later did. So those were the things that I learned to go about doing and then I being transparent, people would say how'd you do it? I can tell you. We started a little workshop to tell them what we did to get our success.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Can you tell us, in a few steps, what you did in order to get your book from your computer to actually being published, to actually selling the book?

Speaker 3: 9:10

Right, I can tell you I'm an encapsulated in about two or three steps, but it's a lot of work behind the scenes. My husband, who is a former banker and financial he had to keep me going. He said, okay, we do need to make some money here. Okay, this is a business. Writing is an art, but publishing is a business. Let's not just lose track of that. So what I really needed to do was do the research to understand.

Speaker 3: 9:37

The publishing industry consists of the traditional big six publishers that we all are familiar with, and then there's something called independent publishers, and that's the category in which we fell in. Independent publishers could still be small publishing houses or it could be an individual like myself. So structuring a business, setting it up as a publishing entity and a consulting business because later we did consult. But then we had to do the research. You have to get things like an ISBN number, which is equivalent to a social security number that identifies your books to every bookseller, library or entity, and that takes some homework. You have to purchase it, you have to know how to categorize, you have to learn your genre, your target audience.

Speaker 3: 10:24

So we did a lot of research and homework, created a marketing and a business plan and then you go about doing it. You learn how to write press releases and I was successful in taking some courses on how to do that and then landed radio TV interviews and, as they say, the rest was history. Because the power of people sharing with others, saying, hey, I've read this really cool book. You got to read it and I even had Barnes Noble call me to say, hey, we can't find your book because I didn't have an ISBN number at that time, and so once I did, they were able to put the book into the bookstores. And then I, even later, landed doing monthly sessions at their flagship store.

Speaker 2: 11:08

You are a published author. You have done quite a number of things. At one point you worked in HR. What was that experience like for you?

Speaker 3: 11:23

It was great because I was able to do something that I truly love to do and that was to go and target, identify people, sell my company as well as sell the opportunity for them to get their foot in the door, whether it was entry level, mid-level or even at an experienced or senior level capacity. I'm a natural people person. My mom said I was recruiting from kindergarten, telling people come, get on my team, this is what we're going to do. You go over there. No, you're not a good player and now you need to go over. So it just felt like a nice fit and being able to just help people think out the box and ask probing questions to make them think, because so many of us, and I'm quite sure many of the listeners, fall into this category. When you go to college, you have an idea of what you wanna be, but then again, if those jobs don't come to you, if someone offers you that first opportunity where you can make some money, you take it and next thing you know 20 years later you're doing something, you're going. I don't know about this thing, but it makes money. So you get stuck or trapped and that's what I did not want to do.

Speaker 3: 12:34

I realized early on. I truly enjoyed talking, communicating, working with people. I could handle the financial part, number crunching but the numbers really couldn't talk back to me, so that wasn't a good fit for me. So, even though it paid better, I had to come to the realization you find something that you truly enjoy and love to do and you won't work another day in your life because you'll be loving what you do. And that's where I fell into the recruiting mode. So I just simply climbed the corporate ladder, starting out as an entry-level recruiter and ultimately left as a director, in HR and in senior team leader, things of that nature. And now just reinventing myself again in my as I call it act number two as a career navigator, but also more of a motivational and encourager for people who really have no clue. What is it that I want to do? To be able to ask some questions and walk them through some exercises to get to that point.

Speaker 2: 13:34

I guess today they call that a coach, huh.

Speaker 3: 13:37

Yeah, it's a coach. I like to call it a navigator because what I try to do is just help clear the forest for the trees. But you've got to do the walking, you've got to really understand yourself and even though I may pick up things, I may see things, if that's not something you choose to do, then it's not going to work, no matter how much I coach. So I like to call it just a navigator, to help guide and go. Okay, you're getting out of side the lines. Do you want to stay outside the lines? That's OK. Understand there are going to be these consequences. If not, hey, get back in streams. Hey, I think you're doing great. So that's the kind of the way that I differentiated. But, yes, it truly is that coach and that encourager.

Speaker 1: 14:20

So, as a career navigator, what tools do you use to encourage and improve individuals in their pursuit?

Speaker 3: 14:29

The first thing that I try to do is ask an individual what is it that you truly love to do and would do, even if you were not paid to do it? Three o'clock in the morning, I call you, you jump out of your bed, you do it, and oftentimes it doesn't coincide with what they're earning their paycheck with. Then I say, what about that that you feel that you cannot do today, and oftentimes it could be financial, or I just don't think I can make a living out of that. Or I was always told hey, this is what the family business did and this is the career path and it's okay, but I'm not really passionate about it. So, helping them peel back that onion and really find out what their true passions are. But then also sometimes some of us, as I stated, fall into a career being able to really understand what are your true skills. Some people don't even realize the things that they're very good at. That comes very instinctive or natural to them, versus things that they've had to learn and then go. I'm okay. So being true to yourself and sometimes just taking some career assessment tools will help you clearly see that so many times people go.

Speaker 3: 15:41

I never realized I really had that creative side. I didn't think that was creative. So it's like me. When I would talk to people, I never realized I really had that creative side. I didn't think that was creative. So it's like me.

Speaker 3: 15:47

When I would talk to people, I thought that what I was doing is something that every other recruiter did. And they said no, you are an encourager, that is your actual calling, and I just took that for granted and just assumed that's what everybody did. So sometimes when you take that career assessment, there's various tools, especially here in the States, and then there's some other free websites that helps guide you, and then you can explore and that's where I'm beginning to ask others what do you think are my strengths and you might just be amazed what we keep discounting that others clearly can see in us that we excel at, so being able to get them into that mode and then start targeting some careers and trying to find some mentors, ways to network and to get their foot in the door, if it is, in fact, something that they have not considered before.

Speaker 2: 16:39

It's interesting that recently I was reading a book about self-awareness and that's exactly what the author suggested that people have conversations with people who are close to them and to tease out what their strengths and weaknesses were that they were not aware of that they themselves were not aware of.

Speaker 3: 17:01

Exactly yeah.

Speaker 2: 17:04

It makes a big difference. Yes, In your bio you talk a bit about the loss of your vision. Do you want to tell us what that was like for you?

Speaker 3: 17:16

Yes, actually it wasn't a good time because you can imagine I'm a type A personality. I said I was like that ever-ready battery bunny that was non-stop Wife, mother. My son was involved in high school or middle school athletics at the time. Husband, he had his career as a banker and I was very involved in the community, church volunteer. And here I suddenly just noticed I can't see the stop signs until I'm really close to them in the exit ramps on the expressway freeway.

Speaker 3: 17:51

So I go to my physician, optometrist, because I wore glasses, but not super heavy, you know, glasses just to help with some basic reading and things of that nature. And he saw a dramatic loss and he said but you were just here like seven, eight months ago. Did you hit your head? Did you have an accident? Did you get sick? No, feel fine, no pain. Immediately I was referred to some specialists and thankfully, living in Houston, which is the medical center capital, I think, of the world, we've got so many wonderful physicians in hospitals. So I was sent to what is called a neuro-ophthalmologist because they obviously knew it was something causing this and after numerous tests they suddenly told me that it was an autoimmune condition, in other words genetics, and that my vision would be ultimately be totally lost and I would be totally blind, because my good cells were attacking my retina and there was nothing that they could do no medicine, no surgery, nothing, no clinical trials, absolutely nothing. All they could do is no clinical trials, absolutely nothing. All they could do is possibly try to slow this train wreck down. Of course I had my pity party and I'm sitting there going why me? Oh my gosh, I can't try. I'm thinking all of the worst case scenarios.

Speaker 3: 19:17

And being in recruiting, it's a people business. You're interviewing people, your body language, I'm looking at resumes. So it's a vision very visual, and I'm thinking now how in the world am I going to do this? I'm trying to hide it, of course, because I don't want anybody to really know. I had magnifiers at the wazoo. I had every kind of magnifier handheld. I would print out resumes in the afternoon, read them religiously at night. So if I pulled out their resume, I already knew by heart the person's history, everything that I could do.

Speaker 3: 19:52

And I suddenly realized, sarah, you're in human resources and in the United States we have a law that was passed in the 80s called Americans Act, with Disabilities Act, ada, and you can ask for an accommodation in your company. It's not unreasonable to say I need a larger monitor on my computer and I need some other accommodations and a little extra time. And so learning to ask for help instead of giving it because I'm a helper by nature and I was always the one I can lend a hand let me help you with that. But for me it was the most difficult thing was to learn to ask for help, and that meant swallowing that pride, that ego, and recognizing there are going to be some things you cannot do.

Speaker 3: 20:37

But what really helped me get off my pity party is I literally was sitting there with my bag of chips and glass of Merlot and God, why me? God clearly spoke, and why not you? What makes you better than anyone else who has suffered, have gone through trials? Let's just take a walk down Texas Children's Hospital, the world's largest children's hospital in the world, starting from the infants. World's largest children's hospital in the world, starting from the infants. What makes you any better?

Speaker 3: 21:09

And I suddenly realized I'm mid-career, I've done a lot of things and I've been so blessed. Okay, so I'm just going to have to learn to do it differently, but I still am able. So it just refocused my thinking and that's what got me off my pity party to my propel party and say I got to learn how to redo. It's like learning how to drive. It doesn't mean I can't drive, it means that I'm just going to have to learn how to drive a different way. That meant I had to learn to use the computer a different way, but I could still do it.

Speaker 3: 21:37

And the things that I relied on vision. I'd ask my staff another recruiter, hey, come out and meet this person, give me a sense, professional dress. Yeah, ok, cool. So we went on to the next step. I could still interview, make assessments, and it's amazing how your other senses keen in on what some of the things that you lack. So I love being in the human resources area and would probably do it until they take away my phone in the assisted living center and say stop recruiting Sarah.

Speaker 1: 22:08

What belief drives you in your efforts to help others now?

Speaker 3: 22:13

Could you repeat that again?

Speaker 1: 22:15

What belief drives you in your efforts to help others now, after your disability?

Speaker 3: 22:25

And that's the other aspect of how I reinvented myself when I said, also being a career navigator and motivational speaker, I also am a disability advocate, because I know what it's like for people to put you in a pigeonhole. And my truly true thing that drives me is to help dispel myths, because most people when they first meet me, because I'm looking at them and I wear glasses, but I've had glasses all these years, so I said I might as well keep them on my face, but it's not helping me to see any clearer. But I can look at the person because I'm listening and I'm assuming you're right in front of me. That's the way it sounds like to me and they're going. But you're looking at me, yeah, but I can't see you. So it's dispelling that myth.

Speaker 3: 23:14

But that doesn't mean that I'm less of a person. Or let me show you how. No, if you just simply guide me or you can tell me certain things, I still can do it. So when people suddenly realize, sarah, you're working on a computer, how are you doing this on Zoom, how are you doing? Because they're accessibility tools, they're aids and it just enlightens others' mindset about what's my excuse if Sarah can do this and she can't even see. What the world am I sitting over here complaining about? That's what really drives me is to help people, to not just put everybody in a box or put them in a pigeonhole and just naturally assume we all have capabilities and skills. It's just a matter of how we go about doing it and achieving it.

Speaker 2: 24:00

Isn't that fascinating. I'm hearing you say that there are times when you need help, but you're not helpless. And there's a tendency for the world to want to put you under that category of helpless, when you really are not helpless. You may need a little support.

Speaker 3: 24:24

You may need a little help, but you're not helpless, so you are a speaker you present.

Speaker 2: 24:31

Share with our audience. Please Share with our listeners some of the topics you talk about when you present, please share with our listeners some of the topics you talk about when you present, please.

Speaker 3: 24:44

Oh, there's such a wide variety since I've gained a lot of experience over the years to be able to share. Whenever I'm asked to come in and talk about dispelling disability myths, I always want to focus on, if you have a disability, maybe the four things you need to know. I also love speaking with employers who want to enhance and learn to be more inclusive and acceptive of individuals with disabilities and finding out hey, just topics. If you aren't an employer, here are some things that you must know and that it is not an expensive endeavor to hire individuals. Then I go and talk to people on especially I love talking with young people about improving their attitude mindsets. I have one topic make sure your attitude is contagious and worth catching, because you'd be amazed if you come in with a bad attitude, how it sets the tone. Everybody else is going to have a bad attitude because they're reacting off of yours.

Speaker 3: 25:40

And then, of course, helping people to figure out some of us are doing a career because it makes money but we're not happy. Let's talk about what if you could do something that you were happy, that it may very well be a possibility to earn a good living at it, but being able to use the power of networking and mentoring. And then the last area if I am speaking to Christian organizations, it is the power. In my book I talk about six P's, but the first and most important one is the power of prayer. Being able to understand that means it is a two-way conversation with God, and I talk about all of my examples of how I thought I was in control when ultimately it truly was God that was in control, and relinquishing that power. So it's a wide array of topics, but just building one's belief in themselves and not letting someone discourage them and put them down to letting them know that they cannot do but believe enough in yourself that you can.

Speaker 1: 26:42

Can you give us some testimonials or individuals that have gone through your program that have found it helpful, inspirational?

Speaker 3: 26:56

Absolutely. That's a great question. Oftentimes and I know other motivational speakers always say this you never know if someone's going to take too hard and put too practice things that you talk about. And then when you have workshops or sessions, you meet people, you give them the advice they take oh, this is great. But then many times you never hear.

Speaker 3: 27:18

There was a time I spoke at Barnes Noble and I would do workshops and the person, a lady, stayed over after the session was over and explained to me that she purchased just purchased my books and had been really motivated and inspired. And had been really motivated and inspired and she expressed what she had the desire to do and I said I see no reason why you can't do it. She was in a corporate career but wanted to make a change and inspire middle-aged women at the time. And I said all I can tell you is I think if God placed you here to come hear me speak, you've purchased the book. You need to take that leap of faith and trust that the net will appear. And she had so many unanswered questions. I said see, that's the problem. I thought I had to have all the answers before I could start the project. What I needed to do was make the first step and help appeared at the next step, totally unaware that it had already been preordained, and the person was there, and so she said, okay, so never heard anymore.

Speaker 3: 28:22

Fast forward to the pandemic. I get a LinkedIn invitation and I get many being in the recruiting HR field, but this one caught my eye and it was a person in Houston and I'm going I don't know, let me just accept it and continue to go through my other invitations. I immediately got a response back saying I am so excited I finally found you. I have been looking to thank you for what you did, and so we connected and she shared with me. After that meeting she went through my book, went through the steps about learning how to self-publish and, believing in herself, she started a whole new career.

Speaker 3: 29:00

She wrote a book and did workshops all across the country encouraging women to do and take that leap of faith in their career and aspect, and I was totally blown away that she had literally done that and she quoted this was 15 years later, and then she ended the conversation and said you know what we're in this pandemic and I know that what you told me those years still resonate. I think you need to write another book. If you have not written one, or if nothing else, bring out your old book, because we all need that now. And I took her advice. So it went full circle there. I encouraged her some 15 years ago and she encouraged me, to just dust that book off, update it and get Turning Stones into gems back out there. So I was totally blown away.

Speaker 2: 29:52

What goes around comes around, huh.

Speaker 3: 29:54

Yes, it certainly does. God uses the very person that I did.

Speaker 2: 29:58

You blessed her and she's a blessing.

Speaker 3: 30:00

And she turned to yes, absolutely yes, Total stranger.

Speaker 3: 30:04

We're talking with Sarah Freeman Smith on Speak Up International and as we attempt to inspire, inform and educate through Speak Up International the stories that you hear I'm particularly curious to find out who or what is responsible for the person that you are today, other than my Heavenly Father, god, I have to give the credit to my two parents, my adoptive parents, because there was about almost a 60-year difference in our age and they were my godparents and they had no children and were elderly and really wanted to make sure that when they passed that I would have some financial security, a home and things, that I would have some financial security, a home and things. But, more importantly, they wanted me to know, even though you live in the inner city, you have a true purpose. They couldn't tell me exactly what it was, but they said, sarah, you need to just learn as much as you can. Education is your power to get out, but, more importantly, surround yourself with good people who can always keep you encouraged and motivated. Be careful of not hanging around a lot of people that want to keep you down, because they're down, and I took that to heart.

Speaker 3: 31:30

But initially, when you get away and you go off to college, you got, eh, but then it always comes back full force, and not until I became an adult and was married and then it was like I can see some of those things that they said really came into force. So I'm just so grateful because I don't think I would be who I am today if they had not pushed and encouraged me Go do this, explore this, and I'm like I don't want to do that. Yes, you do. They would buy books, go read and I'm going. I would rather go outside and play. No, they bought an encyclopedia I'll never forget. My father said these things are expensive. You need to read a book to cover. But it helped because it inspired my curiosity. So I think that my parents definitely molded and shaped me to be who I am today parents definitely molded and shaped me to be who I am today.

Speaker 1: 32:24

You mentioned I'm paraphrasing circle of good people. Can you tell our audience how that circle of good people motivated you and keep you off the guardrails?

Speaker 3: 32:37

Oh, absolutely. Just think about it when I was much younger. Everyone wants to be with the cool people, with the in crowd. Okay, again, I'm aging myself. You always want to be around, as you would call it, the affluent, the movers, the shakers or at least in your mind you think that. But then what I learned, especially going off to college in Los Angeles there I am in the land of rich and famous and going to school with rich and famous kids that their parents were famous. But I suddenly realized, wow, they got a lot of issues, they got a lot of problems and I'm going they're no different than myself, except I just didn't have the money and I'm going. Wait a minute.

Speaker 3: 33:16

But the things that you were doing to yourself is detrimental not only to your physical but could be your mental. They were putting themselves down, trying to be more than what they were. And that's when I suddenly realized hold up, if I'm hanging around with the wrong group of people trying to obtain material goals and things that can be quite fleeting in a moment, you got it, but it could all disappear. I really wasn't investing the right amount of time. I really needed to pare that down and, to be honest with you, rita and Elton, when your circle of friends, you could probably count them on one hand, when it really, when the rubber meets the road, when you're down, they're still there meets the road, when you're down, they're still there with you. But when you're up, they're right there and encouraging you.

Speaker 3: 34:09

And I began to realize a lot of people were not there for me for those reasons only, for whatever they could gain or benefit from or make me feel less than a person. Oh, you didn't. You grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. You don't even have the first clue of what it's like to live like this, and so that's what helped me determine and use that litmus test. If you and I can't have conversations and when I say I'm thinking about doing this and the first thing you tell me is girl, you can't do that, hey, I tried to go over there and those people that day and I don't even know, I totally disagree with that Talk through this and say, hey, that sounds like a good idea, what you need to do, encourage, flesh it out. And so that's when I could call through, and I called those people that put me down or want to hold me down. Those were my stones. Those were the people that were in a rock pile, so to speak, and were content.

Speaker 3: 35:03

Our parents always said misery loves company. Right, as long as you're down there with me, I'm good, but the moment I see you trying to crawl out, hey, come on back here, no. And then they go. Oh, she thinks she's better than no, it's not. I know that. I am good enough, I know what I can do and I don't have to settle for less, and so you can come and join me and do the same thing, or you can be content where you are. And that makes it difficult because some of these people they could very well be my family members, and there were some that felt that way and there could be some very close friends. But then that's the determination Do I stay or do I go to where I feel that I'm called and purposed? And sometimes in my book, I call it. You got to do a BOGO, buy one and get one negative person free. There you go.

Speaker 3: 35:55

I guess that's easy.

Speaker 2: 35:56

That's easy enough, isn't it, to get a negative person?

Speaker 3: 36:00

Yeah, absolutely. So you just have to take that litmus test and say, hey, are they there when I'm up? And then when I really need someone to boost me up, then I can't find them. Then I'm questioning really, is that true friend or that person, Are they really here for me? So that's where that circle of friends became very small. And if it weren't for them, they were the ones that said get up off your dukas and keep going. You can do it. No, make that call again. I don't care if they said no, call back. And sure enough, something would happen. So those are the kind of friends that I'm very grateful that I follow up. And then you know what, Elton.

Speaker 3: 36:38

The other part is our self-talk. We can be our own worst enemy. We talk ourselves out of things because we try to work it out in our mind. And again, if God has a purpose, it's usually God size. It's something I can't figure out how to do. He's got to lead me, but I've got to be willing to be obedient, to trust him. And it's to do those things. It's to go places that I would have never, ever wanted to go or do. It was telling my personal story that I'm going. Who the heck cares. I felt like it had no value, but it did so. It is also eliminating that negative self-talk in our mind that also can be so detrimental to us, and working on improving that as well that also can be so detrimental to us in working on improving that as well.

Speaker 2: 37:39

Now, sarah, let's suppose that you and I were to run into each other at a networking session Today they have networking events and you handed me your business card and on the card it says book consultant. Talk to me about what you mean by book consultant.

Speaker 3: 37:56

Essentially, a book consultant is someone in, in, in, when we really think about it. Just about all of us have stories to tell. It's just what do we want to do with that story? Is it worth sharing for a legacy reason, just something for the family, or is it something far bigger, far greater, to help improve, enhance? It could even be something just to entertain.

Speaker 3: 38:17

So the book consultant, what we would do is say, rita, do you think you have a book or story to tell? And if you say yes, and then you tell me what type of story, and then who's your target audience? Who is what person is going to benefit from reading this? And that's the hard part for most people, because, oh, everybody can read this book. I don't think so. Everybody's not going to read your book. You have to fine tune it and say who am I truly writing?

Speaker 3: 38:48

So that book consultant is the person who sits down and helps you flesh out. And if the story are you trying to become a New York Times bestseller, then there are some steps you're going to have to invest and do to go about doing that. But if it's okay to just small, if I'm a business person, and this will just give me an edge to set my business apart from others, and I can just offer this as a giveaway. I remember speaking to a guy that I believe he was either in the plumbing industry or HVAC, heating, ventilation or something, and he had a lot of experience. But it's so competitive in Houston. A little simple booklet that gives some basic tips that set yourself apart from your competition. So when you call me and I come out, we can leave this. How many other people would do something like that?

Speaker 3: 39:38

Oh, okay, so it's learning and fleshing out what one wants to do and then, if it is in fact something you truly want to invest in, then giving you the options, because, as a book consultant, some people are great as self-publishers but you have to wear multiple hats. You not only got to be the creative genius, but you got to be the business person, so you got to be the chief bottle cook and all of that. So you got to not only make the money, you got to collect the money, you got to keep up with the money, you got to hire the talent, but then there's other people that really are very creative and don't want to do that. Then you need to do the traditional publishing route and then we also give you steps in ways in which to connect with editors in order to target and try to get a publishing deal where you are actually paid and can make that.

Speaker 3: 40:29

Living as a published author with a traditional publishing house, versus being self-employed, so to speak, is more of an independent person, but you get more of the the benefits. But we give you the pros and the cons and let that person make their decision, because there is a lot of little nuances that people need to know before they make that decision as to which traditional route or non-traditional route they want to go. So that's the role that as a book consultant. But we really don't publish any works other than our own material, but we certainly help guide and direct individuals and perhaps connect them to other professionals to help them complete their project.

Speaker 1: 41:11

Your book is in its third edition.

Speaker 3: 41:14

Yes.

Speaker 1: 41:15

Your self-help book? Can you tell us? The name of the book and now that it's in its third edition, can you tell us a little bit about its evolution?

Speaker 3: 41:30

Sure, the name of the book is Turning Stones into Gems an inspirational self-development system, learn how to find direction in your life and career. And essentially it's like that diamond in the rough, so to speak. You look at it. On the outward appearance it looks like it has absolutely no value. But it's got to go through that refining process, which is brutal, where you've got to get all that outward debris, crustiness and all shedding, all of those negative things, unhealthy things, and that's essentially turning stones into gems.

Speaker 3: 42:05

Is my personal story Because, again, as I stated, most people would not think the background that I have and that I have been able to be successful. But, more importantly, I'm proud of the fact that I grew up in the inner city, in an underserved area. But I also want to reach back. It's like paving that forward. I have to share what I did in order to get out and be successful and I think it is some basic, simple, internal self-development tools.

Speaker 3: 42:37

And I talk in the book about the six Ps and that's what it when I really started thinking how did I get from point A to point Z? I began to break those down into steps and the six P's essentially, where I expand on it is the power of prayer, as I stated, is the first P. Then there is the planning stage, and from the planning stage you have to go into and discover that passion. And from passion then you have to learn. You have to have patience, because it's not an evolution overnight to achieve your goals. And then from patience it's to persevere, because there are going to be some ups and some downs. And then that last P is essentially pay it forward or pull someone else up along the way and help others with what you have come to learn to help you be successful. So it's never, ever stopping at yourself, but going back and reaching back to help others.

Speaker 3: 43:36

And so the book also has some tools. I have a action planner that I ask some probative questions, that someone pulls out and can write them down in the power of a prayer and a gratitude journal, because that helped me immensely, and it's like a 30-day journal that I also include in the book to help get one's focus in direction. So that's essentially what the book contains. I've updated it several times with some updated information, but it's a really simple, quick read. Probably on Audible, I think, it's just a little bit over an hour. So it's a very quick read, but it's self-reflective and that's the part that is going to take time. But you hear my own personal story and how I've evolved and it's led me to doing what I do today and now being able to share that with others and say you can do it as well.

Speaker 2: 44:32

Turning stones into gems Sounds exciting. I believe that I will get it, because some of the topics, some of the ideas that you're discussing in that book I would be certainly interested in. Now, talking about gems, imagine that you're a keynote speaker for a graduating class of visually impaired young people. What three gems would you want to leave with them?

Speaker 3: 45:07

The three gems that I would want to leave with them is, first and foremost and this is also in my book be a bully to yourself, and that's an acronym that I use, but it's not the negative bully that you think, it's B-U-L-I, and that means believe in yourself. First of all, understand yourself, know what you can do, what you are able to do, what you enjoy to do. And the L is love yourself. You've got to truly love yourself, to take care of yourself. And then that last I, instead of a Y, is invest in yourself. You got to put something in in order to make withdrawals.

Speaker 3: 45:49

Unfortunately, we all push ourselves and forget about replenishing ourselves. And when I say invest, and that's always constantly learning, doing something to go about to improve yourself, and that self-care. You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself, and that's self-care. You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself. So that would be my first nugget.

Speaker 3: 46:10

My second gem is never, ever be afraid to ask for help and accept help. The power of how you ask for help is important, but you have to learn that there's some things I can do, but there's other things that I cannot do, but the things that I can do. I'm going to give it my absolute best to be able to do it, but to learn about the power of asking for some help or assistance in doing some things. And then, lastly, just always know that no matter what your circumstances, that you may face you will have some difficulties. But that does not define who you are or whatever your current circumstances are will not determine your destiny. You and you alone are in control of your own destiny. It's up to you. You believe enough in yourself to push through it. I guarantee you you always working with individuals, working with people.

Speaker 1: 47:35

How did you handle your medical challenge? Not letting it get the best of you and knowing that God has a purpose for you and that you were not to rest on the sidelines and wait for your life to end, but to get out there and help individuals realize their value, by you encouraging and empowering individuals in their pursuit. So I want to thank you so much for joining us this afternoon, even though it is hot and steamy in Houston. And we want to thank you for the time that you have given us.

Speaker 3: 48:28

Thank you for the time that you have given us. Oh, thank you all for the privilege and honor and I'm extremely grateful and definitely know that. I'm so thankful for the efforts that you are doing to spread the word within the community and just will pray for your continued success in doing so, because you guys are doing a great job.

Speaker 2: 48:46

Thank you so much. It certainly was a delight to have you in Speak Up International and listening to you. I just wanted to keep on leaning in because you bring so many nuggets to the conversation. I appreciate it Wonderful.

Speaker 3: 49:00

I do have a little surprise, I think. If any of your listeners, they can go to my website and get two free resources. That Action Planner and that Prayer and Gratitude Journal is free. All they have to do is just go in and click on resources and download it and that might just give them a good start and a prelude, even if they're not sure about purchasing the book. And the website address is wwwu, the letter U-R-G-E-M-S youaregemscom.

Speaker 1: 49:35

I can personally say, and I'm sure I can speak for Rita we really do appreciate those blessings that you are providing to us and to our audience and please, when you write that fourth edition, please let us know. We would really love to have another conversation with you Absolutely.

Speaker 3: 49:58

And when I finish, my husband and I are updating the how to Self-Publish book. I'll definitely let you know by the end of this year. Oh please, Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 50:25

Thank you for listening to Speak Up International. If you wish to contact Ms Sarah Freeman-Smith, please be prepared to submit your name, your email address and the reason why you wish to contact Ms Sarah Freeman-Smith at wwwurgemscom. Ms Sarah Freeman-Smith has other social media platforms you can use to connect to her, listed in the description section. Be interviewed and have your cause promoted by Speak Up International. We invite you to connect to us by sending a message that includes your name, company or organization name, the valuable service you offer to your community and your email address to info at speakuppodcastca. Worry about your confidence as an interviewee? Don't fret. Speak Up International can provide you with the necessary training so you shine during an interview. To receive training information and a 10% discount about the Speak Up International's podcast interviewee training program, email us at info at speakuppodcastca. You can reach us using Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn To connect to our podcast. Use Spotify or your favorite podcast platform and search for Speak Up International. You can also find our podcast using our web address, speakuppodcastca. Our logo has the woman with her finger pointing up, mouth open, speaking up. Is the woman with her finger pointing up, mouth open, speaking up.

Speaker 1: 52:33

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