WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:02.480
The topics and opinions expressed on the following show are
2
00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:04.400
solely those of the hosts and their guests, and not
3
00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:07.360
those of W four WN Radio It's employees or affiliates.
4
00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:11.039
We make no recommendations or endorsement for radio show programs, services,
5
00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:14.160
or products mentioned on air or on our web. No liability,
6
00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:17.120
explicit or implied shall be extended to W four WN
7
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:20.280
Radio It's employees or affiliates. Any questions or common should
8
00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.519
be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for choosing
9
00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:23.879
W four WN Radio.
10
00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.280
This is Beyond Confidence with your host w Park. Do
11
00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:31.480
you want to live a more fulfilling life? Do you
12
00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:34.399
want to live your legacy and achieve your personal, professional,
13
00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:38.679
and financial goals? Well? Coming up on dvparks Beyond Confidence,
14
00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.320
you will hear real stories of leaders, entrepreneurs, and achievers
15
00:00:42.359 --> 00:00:45.799
who have stepped into discomfort, shattered their status quo, and
16
00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:48.359
are living the life they want. You will learn how
17
00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:52.240
relationships are the key to achieving your aspirations and financial goals.
18
00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:55.159
Moving your career business forward does not have to happen
19
00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:57.759
at the expense of your personal or family life or
20
00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:02.200
vice versa. Learn more at www dot Divpork dot com
21
00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:06.480
and you can connect with divats contact dants divpark dot com.
22
00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:10.640
This is beyond confidence and now here's your host, div Park.
23
00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.000
Good morning listeners, It's Tuesday, and of course I'm thrilled
24
00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:19.799
to be here with you all, and today we have
25
00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:24.159
a very special surprise in store with so one thing
26
00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:27.519
I do want to share quickly that life has its
27
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:32.400
own way of happening. And just one very quick story
28
00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:34.799
that I want to share with you. Just past this weekend,
29
00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:40.920
everything that could go wrong went wrong and everything that
30
00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:45.480
could go right went right. So I was running with
31
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:49.319
my partner, the Confident Leaders co hot. We were connecting
32
00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.560
with the team members, with the ladies like ed Heart.
33
00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.359
I mean, it was a deep connection. So first day's over,
34
00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:03.879
I'm just Hi Hi, without drinking anything or without taking anything.
35
00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:10.039
Come the second day, not only my courage showing signs.
36
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:14.599
So I take it to the dealer. When I come back,
37
00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:18.080
you know, then what happens is that I'm opening the
38
00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:21.360
garage door. It stuttered and falls on my head like
39
00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:25.560
you know, drop my coffee. And then of course I
40
00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:27.000
got to show up for my co hod So I
41
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.639
do show up. I'm like, huh, Universe is definitely testing me,
42
00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:32.879
I talk about presence and there you go.
43
00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:34.919
Then I fractured my toe.
44
00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.280
So all in all, what I want to share is
45
00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:41.520
that when life is fun, yes, we can be present,
46
00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.360
we can be mindful, but the key is how do
47
00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:48.599
you maintain that presence while you're feeling the discomfort? How
48
00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:52.639
can you be on that edge of comfort? And that's
49
00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:55.639
what we are going to be talking about today as
50
00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:59.719
we speak to our very specially guest Abbah.
51
00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:05.719
Thank you so much for having me. Good morning, good morning,
52
00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.039
So sorry about your toe.
53
00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:10.599
Part of life, it's like, you know, we took things
54
00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:13.319
for granted and then you find out that little toe
55
00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:17.280
can make a huge difference. Absolutely, But here's I always
56
00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:21.360
say that without contrast, there's no clarity. So unless you
57
00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:25.080
know the contrast, you don't appreciate it as much. You
58
00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:27.840
appreciate but then it kind of brings you back into focus.
59
00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.199
So I'll about share with us. When you are young,
60
00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:35.639
do you recall a moment or a person who left
61
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:36.560
a positive.
62
00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:40.360
Mark on you? Oh? Absolutely, I'm very lucky to say
63
00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:42.919
there's several, but I have to shout out my mother.
64
00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.800
She is the core reason why I am so creative
65
00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:50.759
and why I know there's always a solution to any
66
00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:55.000
problem or any obstacle, and that also you can find
67
00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.520
ways to make things better. She by far is the
68
00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.960
most just engine like ingenious person I know, and as
69
00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.000
a woman who you know, came from an arranged marriage,
70
00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:10.039
didn't have the opportunity to finish college. Uh, you know,
71
00:04:10.199 --> 00:04:12.759
there are these certain stereotypes or standards of you know,
72
00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:15.759
what you know can provide creativity or intelligence and things
73
00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:19.120
of that nature. But she is born with just natural
74
00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:23.560
grit and creativity and literally anything is possible that way.
75
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.879
So I have to absolutely shout out my mother there.
76
00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:31.519
Well, that's phenomenal because it's important that we give that
77
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.600
shout out to those influencers in our life. So, Athew,
78
00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:40.120
weren't growing up? What interest did you have? And you
79
00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:44.199
know usually all kids have this different dream So I'm
80
00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:45.839
going to be this when I grew up, did you
81
00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:47.480
have any of those I did?
82
00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:50.319
I have to agree. I wanted to be a teacher,
83
00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:54.560
I wanted to be a vet, and I wanted to
84
00:04:54.639 --> 00:05:00.680
be an animal police officer. So advocacy for are those
85
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:06.120
who cannot defend themselves or speak for themselves, and teaching
86
00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:09.720
and being with people and others were clearly things that
87
00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.279
stood out to my folks of what that's what she's
88
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.079
going to do when she grows up something in this world.
89
00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.279
I love that, And you know, it's just kind of
90
00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.639
fascinating how much we can learn from our pets or
91
00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:27.839
even nature or like un as you're talking about animals,
92
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.399
like just sitting and watching there that little board or.
93
00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:34.319
Yeah, I'm not sure if you've had the chance yet
94
00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:37.639
to see Jane Goodall's documentary on Netflix that just came
95
00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:41.519
out as she recently passed on, and it is fascinating.
96
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:43.560
But what I love is she said she never understand
97
00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:46.879
she can never grasp how people would say they could
98
00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.839
be bored, and she'd say, in nature, there's always something
99
00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.480
to watch, observe, and learn. And I find that fascinating
100
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:55.759
to when you're saying, when you are going through the
101
00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:59.680
difficult moments, it's very easy to fixate on exactly what's
102
00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.519
happening to you and feel certain emotions. But if you
103
00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:05.120
were to just look up and look around, step outside,
104
00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:07.759
or even just listen, you see that so much is
105
00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:10.439
going around you to be grateful for, and it really
106
00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.160
helps with that perspective. So she's someone I certainly look
107
00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:13.800
up to as.
108
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:18.000
Well, oh, absolutely, I'll definitely have to. She's one of
109
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:22.720
my cheers, and yes, yes, talk about nature for the
110
00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:23.720
rest of it, and I'm.
111
00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:26.480
Yes, yes, that's her advocacy for animals too, right. It
112
00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:28.759
ties in very well. Absolutely.
113
00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:31.519
I do want to bring back to you, like you know,
114
00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:34.800
that's that's such a beautiful dream that you had. And
115
00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:36.879
then as you kind of went through your high school
116
00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:38.839
and college, what did you interest take you?
117
00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:44.199
Well, it took me to I love doing musicals and performing,
118
00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:48.319
so I joined choirs and then my team would go
119
00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:52.360
and compete, and I love being on stage and doing shows.
120
00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:55.879
So I think you know the takeaway there looking back
121
00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:59.800
and reflecting, was I enjoyed public speaking, I enjoyed performing,
122
00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:03.480
and enjoyed teamwork and all those things. When you're an acchoir,
123
00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:06.519
you have to work well. I was a soprano, but
124
00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:08.839
you have to work well with all different levels of
125
00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:12.519
the alto, tenor and base to make sure that you're harmonizing. So,
126
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:15.079
you know, while lots of folks grow up learning teamwork
127
00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:18.560
via sports, I learned the same tools and mechanisms through
128
00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:22.879
singing and music, and that that part of harmony, whether
129
00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.879
you're on the field or you're on the stage, and.
130
00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.319
That is so powerful because whether it is sports.
131
00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:35.759
Or arts, or science or music, that's something that binds
132
00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:39.920
the whole humanity. Doesn't matter where you're from. Good music,
133
00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:43.279
you will be nodding your head to the rhythm, doesn't
134
00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:46.399
matter whether you understand the words or you don't. And
135
00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.360
that is such a powerful thing that you said that
136
00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:52.079
you learned the lessons from there. What was like, you know,
137
00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.560
a couple of lessons that you've carried with you.
138
00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:00.920
In today from those experiences. You are better together, stronger together.
139
00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.439
You can be powerful and you can perform well, sound
140
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.079
well on your own, but you are always that much
141
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:11.279
stronger and better when you have others alongside with you
142
00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.959
and making sure that you're also aware of others. I'm
143
00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.519
an incredibly empathetic human being, and so you know, being
144
00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.519
cognizant of those around you and how you are incorporating
145
00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.959
them and finding the best superpowers in people, I think
146
00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.120
is one of my strengths. And that's something I learned
147
00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.919
too by observing and listening. So music you have is
148
00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:35.960
a lot you sing, but you have to listen. I
149
00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:39.519
think a lot of times in our world we like
150
00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.279
to share our opinions quickly chime in, but a lot
151
00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.200
of times folks need you to pause and listen and
152
00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.159
take in what it is that they're trying to tell you.
153
00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:49.720
Mm hmm.
154
00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:53.919
None is such a powerful superpower to have because many
155
00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:59.000
understand people. Whether it's through listening or through observing. You
156
00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:01.639
don't have to think how you can support them. It
157
00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.440
comes naturally and that is such a beautiful way to
158
00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:11.080
be a leader. And so tell us your journey from
159
00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:14.559
being a soprano to getting into the corporate world.
160
00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:20.200
Okay, so once my father figured out, all right, medicine
161
00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:22.720
is not going to be her thing. Business is her thing.
162
00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:25.720
My dad's an aprologist, and so he had said, you know,
163
00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.799
you take a shine to people. That's your superpower. What
164
00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:31.679
do you think about business? And business is so broad
165
00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.879
you could do anything. And I am a big data nerd.
166
00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:39.480
I love numbers, and so really we were debating should
167
00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.120
I go into finance. And I had a mentor in
168
00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:45.080
college that said you'd be great for marketing, and I
169
00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:46.159
was like, what's marketing?
170
00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:46.279
Like?
171
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.759
I see TV ads, radio ads. And I was led
172
00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.440
to an internship at Merrill Lynch and I'm going to
173
00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.879
call out my very first mentor Angela Ponticello, who absolutely
174
00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.759
changed my life. The internship was at Merrill Lynch and
175
00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:02.080
it was half marketing, half finance, and I remember him
176
00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.159
sitting me down in his office and saying, you know,
177
00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:06.480
you really got the numbers thing down. You're taking a
178
00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.360
shine to marketing. I want you to meet someone I
179
00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:12.559
know and his wife's very best friend, Lisa Feckenhoward, who's
180
00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:15.559
still a dear front to this day, was working at
181
00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.080
a local ad agency and he had said, why do
182
00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:19.320
you go meet her for the day? And I think
183
00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.240
they had day internships back then, and I said, all right,
184
00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.159
let's go do this. And I remember walking off onto
185
00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:29.279
this agency and you have to go through an elevator
186
00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.600
and the elevator door is ding open, and I knew
187
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.039
I was in love. And it was like he had said,
188
00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:38.320
you kidnapped your head to music, but also you're feeling
189
00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:41.240
something and you have to listen to your body and
190
00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:43.320
the feelings in which it emits. It'll tell you things
191
00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:46.519
sometimes quicker than even your brain. And I felt like
192
00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:48.960
this was my home. I belonged here. There was so
193
00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:53.320
much energy, camaraderie, passion. There was just so much buzz
194
00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:55.159
and I said, what is marketing? I have to figure
195
00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.039
out what they do here? And so I had this
196
00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.039
day internship. It turned into a week, and then I
197
00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:01.320
was so fortunate turned into a job offer before I
198
00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.879
graduated college, and that's how I started my marketing role
199
00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:08.759
in Rochester, New York. So upstate New York. Big shocker,
200
00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.360
I'm from there. You know, Wow, another person from New
201
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:13.919
York living in North Carolina, right, But you know, I
202
00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:16.399
followed my passions through and if you're from Rochester, you
203
00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:19.919
go to New York City to advance your knowledge and
204
00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:21.840
career in marketing. It's the biggest hub there. It's a
205
00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:25.039
big apple. It's exciting. And within my ten years in
206
00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:28.519
New York, I bopped around from going to my first
207
00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.639
client in house position at Tiffany and Company, and that
208
00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:35.279
gave me exposure to building and launching new products and services,
209
00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:38.639
doing marketing on a global level, which was really exciting,
210
00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:40.720
and it led me all the way to also working
211
00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:44.399
within startups. I have too dear friends in college that
212
00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:47.120
were brave and bold enough to start their own startup
213
00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:50.000
called Brand Networks. I was their third hire in New
214
00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:53.279
York City and they're still doing fantastic. So shout out
215
00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.320
to them too, and you know, so from there that
216
00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:00.480
was Corporate America and I ended up boomeranging back to Rochester,
217
00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.039
thinking this is it. I have my house, the kids,
218
00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:07.000
the dogs, the dream. But after my youngest, my daughter
219
00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:10.559
turned to this wonderful thing called sleep, came back to me.
220
00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.039
She started sleeping through the night. And yes, I'm one
221
00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:15.000
of those parents with kids who didn't sleep. And you
222
00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:17.759
take that for granted, let me tell you, but I
223
00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:21.039
wanted more than my family here in North Carolina that said,
224
00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.480
this is a really great place to raise your children,
225
00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:26.799
and the market's booming for marketing, and so we moved
226
00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.159
down and I found walk West and I met Donald Thompson,
227
00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:34.600
who is a game changer, life changer for me, very
228
00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:38.080
well known gentleman in the area. And he, you know,
229
00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:41.279
it came down to him saying, when I was given
230
00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:45.159
the opportunity to become CMO at a very great bank
231
00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:47.960
in Rochester to working at walk West back in the
232
00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:50.120
agency world, he kind of scoffed and said, you think
233
00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:52.360
you're made for corporate America. You know you want to
234
00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:54.799
come back in the ring for the agency world. And
235
00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:58.519
so I did, and it was through Donald's mentorship. That
236
00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:02.240
becoming a CEH fell into my lap, which is kind
237
00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:04.440
of a weird thing to say, Like generally speaking, it's
238
00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:08.240
a goal you obtain and go towards. But my mantra
239
00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:10.879
is right behind me is work hard and be nice