Shakin' Hands

Ep. 66 | The Power in Your Own Story - Sydney Sprenger

• Jack Moran • Season 1 • Episode 66

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In this powerful and personal episode, Jack sits down with Sydney Sprenger—content creator, former Miss Charleston County, and founder of the nonprofit Fear To Faith. Sydney opens up about her journey from a college grad working in visual communications to becoming a single mother and building a vibrant platform that uplifts moms in Charleston. She discusses the value of storytelling, the grit required to rebuild when life doesn’t go as planned, and her rapid growth on social media through authenticity and editing talent. Together, they explore how vulnerability creates real community both online and offline. The episode is a raw and inspiring conversation about identity, impact, and creating purpose from pain.

Sydney Sprenger: https://www.instagram.com/syd.loren/?hl=en
Fear To Faith: https://feartofaithformoms.com

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Welcome to Shakin’ Hands, where we provide the platform for entrepreneurs and thought leaders to share their stories in order to hopefully influence others to get out of the rat race and chase their own dreams. If you have any recommendations for guests or questions that you want to be asked, please don't hesitate to reach out. Anyways, if you enjoy the podcast, please like, comment, subscribe and share in order to keep the podcast growing. Otherwise, I'm your host, Jack Moran and this is Shakin’ Hands. If you're looking for business mentorship, I have a place where you can get feedback on your unique personal development and business growth challenges. Over the last year, I've brought together a group of impact driven thought leaders where we meet every single day to discuss psychology, communication, mindset, and business case studies. We have people who have made millions of dollars, lost millions of dollars, Harvard MBAs and new entrepreneurs like you and I. Entrepreneurship can be lonely. So if you're looking for a support system, please follow the link in the description below for some more information. There was just a lot of information that I learned like about myself, that kind of like switched the path that I was going on. I was just like hustle, hustle, hustle every day. Like there was never a moment where I would stop and think like, okay, what I actually want to do, right? Like, I'm doing all these random little jobs. Well, what about like, future wise? What do you actually want to do? So it kind of shifted for me what I was doing versus what I'm doing now, where I'm where I started the nonprofit to help, like other young and single moms like myself, because I was like, okay, I'm doing all these things for other people. Well, it's time to, like, do something. Although it's like a little bit for myself, it's more so because my purpose in life is like just to help other people, whether that's like women who are going through something similar to what I'm going through, or just like people in general, by building the platform on social media to be able to like, share inspiration and encouragement with. But it truly transformed me and I. It's like almost unexplainable the way that it transformed me, because it was just like a shift in mindset. So I don't know, like what exactly happened, but I just know that I came out of it and hit the ground with like a completely different spirit. And I was like, on fire for what I was doing versus like before the trip. I was like, oh my God. Like, I have to get up today. Like I have to do something today. So it was, I mean, literally transformative. So what's the nonprofit that you're doing? It's called fear to Faith. So it's for young and single mothers. It's starting right now with, like, peer support. So obviously me, because I'm the only one in it. And then I've already gotten a couple of donations and investors to start just giving supplies. So essential supplies for the new moms and the babies, because a lot of places like nonprofits are just, a support whatever from the government. Like they help pre baby, they'll help pregnant mothers and they'll help like with family planning or whatever it is. But then there's no support once they actually have their kids. And that was like what I experienced was I had a nonprofit that helped me when I was pregnant. They did family classes for me and all kinds of stuff, which was like a blessing. But then it was like, okay, you're on your own. Once you have your kid and it's like, oh God, like, what am I? What am I going to do? Like what is out there for me? And people who like, don't have the support that I have is kind of where I come in. Like I want to be able to be the voice for them and like the support that they don't have. A lot of people like, don't have their families. And then there's girls who, like, just have the father of their kid and then they don't have any family around, and maybe they're in a really bad situation or like domestic violence situation or whatever it is, and they want to get out, but they don't know where to go. That's kind of like where the nonprofit is going. That's the goal is actually to build like a farm that will be an event venue to have income coming in, and the girls will be able to, like, come in and have a safe place to live, and they'll be like childcare, community classes, just different forms of engagement and forms of work for them to like, come in and build a life for themselves to know that, like, okay, there is a place out there for me and I can go and be safe and like rebuild my life and then eventually, like go out on, on their own. So that's what. Well that's awesome. Yeah. Did you come up with this at the mastermind? I did, I absolutely did, yeah. So I knew that I've always wanted to help other people. I mean, I originally was in the modeling industry and it's like a completely corrupt industry. So I was going to help guide girls and make sure they don't go through what I went through. And that was a corrupt, oh my gosh. Because, I mean, you basically are putting young females in a room with old men who are wanting to take advantage of their vulnerability. And it doesn't matter what situation you're in, like, unless you're like a powerhouse of a person who already knows going into it, like, hey, I'm probably going to be put put in a position of vulnerability and someone might want to try to take advantage of me, and I can handle that. Most girls don't go into that with that mindset because they don't know, like they're 15, 16, even younger than that, and they're going into it and they're like, they have no idea what they're getting themselves into. And it's a bunch of like grooming and people who are trying to build these girls into, like this weird image of what they think. And they'll just I mean, they just take advantage of them. So it's kind of crazy. So that was the original goal was to like, just to help models with building. I have a TikTok that I've built, but, you know, doing encouragement for younger girls and like helping them, like with some modeling tips and stuff like that. And, I mean, there's agencies in Charleston that are like taking girls money to just take pictures of them, and then they're not getting anything from that. Like it's just, it's a giant scam, honestly. But going into the mastermind from everything that we talked about in the mastermind, I was like, okay, I know how to help people. How do I help people? And the idea of, you know, helping young single mothers because of my story has always been something that's on my mind, but I just didn't know how to do it or what to do. And my number one problem was, okay, I don't have the money, I don't have the resources. Like, I can't do it. I was holding myself back. So what the mastermind did for me was like, make me realize it doesn't matter what's holding you back. Like, you just have to take that first initial step and, like, step out in faith and just trust that, you know, God's got you in whatever you're supposed to do. He's going to help guide you through the process. So from the nonprofit or from from the mastermind, I realized, like, okay, I need to take this next step and what I feel called to do. And that was the nonprofit. And I started it and I realized, like, everything that I've been through throughout the past 2 or 3 years has all led me to this moment, like everybody that I've ever met. And since moving to Charleston in April of last year, everybody that I've met has led me to making the nonprofit. And I started working on it, and I got everything done, and I was like, wow, okay. This is like, somehow all working out, like I've no idea what I'm doing. But at the same time, like it's somehow all working out. So it's been it's been really cool to see how to start the process. And like, I truly think like the mastermind helped me get to this point. Where did you move from? I was originally living in a tiny little town called Timmins Ville. Is that in South Carolina? Yeah, it's just like two hours away from here. Why did you come to Charleston? This more opportunities here? Well, I actually moved to Charleston to run a political campaign. Now, so for her, James Depois was running for state House district 116, and we got him elected. So, yeah, he's in a class. I had no political background, didn't go to school for it. Like I went to school for visual communication. So I did a lot of the graphic design work. But I was managing like day to day activities. I did a fun little spy mission in the campaign. So it's, a spy mission. Yeah, that's five missions you spot on the other side. I did spy on the other. What was that like? Very interesting, honestly, because I'm not a person of deception. So, like, going in and literally, like, had glasses on, put hair extensions in, like, it was a whole spy mission and went and sat in and I was filming, like, recording him talking on my phone. And it was kind of crazy because we were really just like trying to get see what his answers were like, see what substance he had, which he really didn't have a whole lot. But then there was one point where we were talking after the like, initial, what was it? I don't know, it was, just, well, oh, a forum. So he was doing like a forum answering questions or whatever. And we were talking afterwards and he was like, oh, well, that pretty face could get me a hundred votes. You should come and work for me and join us on some ads. And I was like, oh God, a married, married man. And he's like saying this stuff. And I was like, oh my gosh, I like took it to my boss after. And I was like, you have to listen to this. Like, this is crazy. He's like, oh my God, we have to use it. We have to use. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. Just because I went in there and like, did this spy mission for you does not mean I want to be in this and in any way, like, I don't want to be a part of it because I was like, y'all don't need me digging out the skeletons in my closet. And that's what they'll do if they hear this recording or whatever. So it was kind of crazy, but it was a lot of fun. It's honestly like a giant game of chess. Yeah, in the real world. So it's it's kind of a crazy industry. Yeah. What did you learn about politics? Like how is it different in the back end and compared to like, the forward facing politics that everyone else is? Honestly, there's a lot there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that nobody knows about. And like what? Well, I mean, it's just you're I mean, like I said, you're playing a giant game of chess. So behind the scenes, there's pieces that are moving that you wouldn't tell other people about. I mean, there's a lot of, like, I don't know what I can say and can't say. I feel like there's a lot of scandal that goes on behind the scenes and like, it's it's a dirty industry, like people are using other people to get. I mean, I guess this is life in general, but people are using other people to get what they want. But there's a whole game right now with the governor's race where there's like back end stuff and it's like, oh, who is going to who's going to support who? And it's like, I don't know. I don't know what I can say. So I'm like, it's just it's just like I said, it's a giant game of chess and everybody's kind of using people as pawns. So yeah, it's just a pretty dirty. It's just a pretty dirty place where you I don't know, you see things like there's a, there's a huge argument about like Trump's bill right now, the big beautiful bill or whatever. And people don't realize, like the media makes it something that it's not. And they kind of like form to different sides to get people to be dramatic, honestly. Like it's a big, big scheme of drama. And I mean, that's that's TV for you. It's like the news is reality TV instead of sharing something that they actually should and like giving people the information instead of trying to coerce them to either side. So this is crazy. It usually just comes down to money too. Like, absolutely. I've been in several political meetings and I've never heard anyone talk about like, how can we solve the problems of the world? Oh my gosh. Exactly. Yeah. So I'm literally even in the state House. It's so crazy because I'm like working for these people and seeing all of the bills they're passing. They're all passing bills to help businessmen, like they're all passing bills to help themselves. That's a part of the nonprofit that I'm working on and like, thank God I have the connections that I do in the government. But it's like all of these, all of these bills, and they just passed the abortion ban in South Carolina. And it's like, okay, pass the abortion ban. But then what are you going to do for those women? So my goal is to like get in there because the the foster care system is corrupt. The adoption system is freaking corrupt, like all of it is just corrupt. So I want to use the nonprofit as a platform to get in and like, be able to actually pass bills and laws to help the women who are keeping the babies, because, I mean, it's a it's a beautiful thing, like life is a beautiful thing, but at the same time, like, okay, they still need help and guidance. And instead of using your money to help yourself, use your money to help other people. But that's literally what it all boils down to, is who has the most money. Yeah. And it's like, you know, I started an environmental company after college, and I care like a lot about the environment, but I had to realize, like quickly, if you're just like, hey, you know, going for this environmental justice and you're a warrior, like, you don't have influence with the people that make the decisions to have a fiscal motivation in mind. So you kind of have to play both sides and like, understand that there are business interests involved, but then also like that, like environmental interests. But if you just try to push that environmental interest down their throat, then you don't really have much impact. But if you can kind of balance the two sides, then you have more, more influence and can get more of your mission accomplished. Right. But it's but it's cool that you're taking that or understanding that political route. And I mean, that is going to be the the power of the nonprofit is is the political influence that you have. And if you can start lobbying interests together and and getting influence within policy, that's pretty powerful. Oh yeah. No. Absolutely. And that's kind of why I got into politics in the first place, was only because the, the man that I was working for was a good man with strong morals and values, like his daughter had a brain tumor when she was like two years old. Musk misdiagnosed her. They thought she was going to die in 12 months. And then they ended up taking her to Saint Jude and they were like, no, we can cure this. Like we can get this out. And now he's bringing a Saint Jude affiliate clinic to Charleston and he's actively working on it. That's been like the number one thing that he's been working on. So I think that's why I was somehow connected to him and was able to work for him. And because it's like, literally who I can use to help the nonprofit in the political world because it's somebody who's in it for actually helping others instead of his own political agenda. So I think that's really cool that that was how things align, because I never would have worked in the political world if it was anybody else. So, we're in communication right now about the nonprofit and like him potentially helping out and being an ambassador. So I think it'll be a really powerful tool to use for the nonprofit, because you're right. Like, if you don't have the ability to actually get and and make a difference and like be able to talk to the people who can actually change the laws and make a difference, then you're just in it to make a community difference, which is fantastic. But at the same time, it's like if you want to go to a broader scale, then you have to you have to get in and use your connections and network. And thankfully, I've built that and I'm able to like kind of get in and see what happens. What did you learn from that experience, being in politics that you take into your your life today that you still utilize? Like what skill set did you learn? Well, I think the number one thing that I learned from politics to today, honestly, is just like the way it's helping me with the nonprofit is literally raising money, honestly, because it's like, how much of a difference that makes and what you're capable of doing because I can only do so much with like a social media reach or a platform that I'm building. But like, the money is actually where I'm able to, like, get in and help people, whether that's providing them with like, financial help in their rent or bills that they have to pay or like purchasing supplies for them because, like, my voice can't do that. My platform can't do that. It can reach people to donate to them. But the, you know, the political side of things definitely helped me realize, like, okay, this is how you have to build the business and work to be able to actually provide for people and like help people. And I also think it helped me out a lot with like social skills, honestly, because I was a very anxious person and like could not talk like I couldn't just go up to somebody and have a conversation with them. I was very nervous. And the political thing, it almost made me step into a character and be like, okay, I just have to like go out and fundraise. I have to I had to go knock doors. We knocked over 6000 doors on the on the campaign trail. And I do like have conversations with these people that I never would have. I mean, I never would have done that in a past life. So the the politics definitely geared me up to literally everything that I'm doing right now. Honestly, that was like the biggest, one of the biggest transformational pieces of who I am and how I operate. So yeah, I see a lot of people trying to raise money and not doing it very successfully. What do you think is the keys to successfully raising money? Successfully raising money is honestly taking advantage of your network. The people that are in your life that have been there from day one, or who will support you and using them and building out from that is very important. People were trying to raise money by like talking to random people, and that's not really going to do a whole lot because they don't know you, they don't know your mission. Like they're just like, oh, somebody's asking you for money, right? So the number one thing that we did in the political world was reach out to one, all of the contacts in the phone of who we were trying to raise money for. And then we reached out to anybody who had donated previously to the guy who is in his seat before. So the raising money pieces, like people were just trying to, like, post ads on social media and, and they're trying to call just random people to get money or whatever it is that they're doing, and they're not actually realizing, like, hey, people give money to the purpose in the mission, not necessarily like, you know, they don't necessarily just give it to random random things or random people. You know, it's it's all about the connection that you feel with somebody, and that's how you actually make the money. How do you are articulate that purpose and mission effectively? Is it on the phones or you're doing presentations? Or if you had to give someone who wants to raise money like this is your starter pack, this is what you need your starter pack for raising money. Yeah, it's honestly about, first of all, building your personal brand. It's about showcasing who you are. Yeah. Because they're going to if you it's like, say I'm building a business for something. Well, nobody's going to support the business if I just all of a sudden start a business, it's like, okay, tell the story of who you are. You're why? Like, oh, I'm building this business for x, y, z purpose. Well, then people are like, wow, okay, you know, support this person instead of the business. So I think that, you know, the the starter pack is truly just building, building who you are in a way that people can see vulnerability and a connection, a way to connect with you instead of just the fact that, like, oh, you're trying to get money or you're trying to build a business or whatever it is, so building yourself, so what does that look like in actuality? Like if you're building your brand, how do you be intentional about your brand? How do you what's the methodology that you're using to define a character that has an influence over a specific audience? Well, I think to start on it, honestly, it's doing it for one yourself instead of a performance. I think that's huge because a lot of people will go do something just to take a picture of it. And a really big thing is honestly helping people before it's a show. So kind of like. Let's see. I don't know, I'd say I'd say the number one best example other outside of, you know, actually just helping people to help people and not to just show it off to other people is obviously you have to start with social media because that's where everybody sees your brand. It's where everybody sees you. And being authentic instead of performing. That's the number one thing that I've realized in my life is my social media is very curated. It's very polished and perfect, and like people looking at it would be like, oh, like this girl starting a nonprofit for single moms. Like, what's what's her backstory like? Does she really is she really helping people, or is she doing this for looks right? Because it's I mean, I have like the model page Instagram because that was what I was originally working on. So I realized, like, okay, I need to post videos about, you know, my struggles, my trials and tribulations, what I've actually dealt with and how I've used that to like transform myself and actually use it for good. And because, you know, your circumstances don't define you. And that's kind of what I tried to show with my personal brands have posted videos about my story, who I am, and being a single mother at 23, Will had him at 20, but now 23. So I think showcasing authenticity on social media is something that people struggle with because they try to create a curated image and it it just doesn't work because people can't connect with something that's not actual and authentic and true. Why do you think people? Because this has definitely been a shift, that the more authentic brands are having more influence, as opposed to the more polished brands? I mean, we saw it in the last race, like, you know, Donald Trump wins. He's very unpolished, as opposed to someone who's, you know, as opposed to these career politicians that have been branded, their messaging, their PR is everything is so dialed in. And people resonated with that authenticity. So this is a more recent thing where those authentic personal brands are having more traction and more, influence. Why do you think that is? Because people can actually connect in a day and age where social media is, I mean, falsified. Everything is just curated when you actually find something that's organic and authentic, you can truly connect to it as people. Because as people, we want to feel that emotional connection. That's literally what we live for. Every day is connection. And if we don't build that authentically, then we can't connect. So I think that people who have like a polished image aren't really getting the people support behind them is because it's like, okay, is that real? Like, are we looking at something that's like eye generated or whatever? Or are we looking at an actual person that we can connect with because people just want to connect. And I think we've been exposed through our lifetimes to so many ads and so much like, so much stuff being pushed down our throat that we've developed this, like intuition for inauthentic City. And so you could be scrolling through Instagram, you know, for example. And that's kind of a mindless activity, right? You know, your brain almost shuts off. You're just going through reels, but you probably can tell almost instantly within the first like half second of a video, whether or not it's going to be an ad or not, because we've we've developed this intuition for that inauthenticity. And so the people that are having the real success, that are able to cut through and have an influence with the person is the person that it's like trust is the most valuable commodity right now because there's been so much distrust in the market. And I think the people that understand that and our branding themselves to achieve trust, are the ones that are having the biggest impact with their brands. Absolutely. Yeah. Trust is the number one thing that we, as all people, want and need, right? Like if if somebody is lying to your face or trying to sell you something, you're automatically like it's a turn off. It's like, no, absolutely not. Like I want I don't want anything to do with that. You don't want to be around people who lie, right? Yeah. You had said before that before the mastermind, you weren't really sure what you wanted to do. You had all these ideas, but you didn't have like a, an aligned path that you had picked yet. And I think a lot of people deal with that, you know, they have a lot of options for a direction that they want to go in. But making that decision on a direction and building that momentum of that choice can be difficult for them. So I'm curious to understand what kind of catalyzed you to find that purpose? Like what was that process like that allowed you to, you know, find that path essentially? Yeah. I mean, I think in my heart, I've always known the underlying purpose and goal of what I wanted to do, which was literally just to help people. And I wasn't sure how to do that. So throughout the mastermind, what we did was kind of go through like a series of questions to ask yourself, like, what is your start at ten years? What does ten years look like for you? What is five years look like for you, and what is three years in the next year look like for you and going backwards, you're developing like, okay, if I want to reach this goal, then these are the steps that I have to take in the next couple of years to be able to do that. So that was an important part of the process. And then I think for me, it was just at the end of the day literally being like, okay, God, I know what you have for me. And I know what I feel in my heart is what I'm called to do. But I just need you to show me. So literally, it was being in prayer and being like, okay, what is what is the thing that I'm supposed to do that will, you know, accomplish my purpose of helping other people? And I think we at the mastermind, it actually was funny because it was like supposed to be more of like a real estate mastermind. It turned into like, I mean, a very faith driven mastermind, which was beautiful for I mean, we had people who really weren't in their faith connecting more so than ever, and it was a really cool experience. But I think that truly, it was like sitting in my thoughts and thinking like, okay, literally just learning how to be still and thinking about, okay, like, what is it that I'm supposed to do to get to the goal? Or like, what is it that I'm supposed to do to be able to help other people? So it wasn't necessarily like a giant step that I took that pushed me into like, oh, I want to do the nonprofit. Like it wasn't like an moment. It was literally just sitting alone and stillness and quietness and just like processing the feelings. And then I think eventually it was like, okay, like I want to help other people. But my biggest fear is like not having enough money or not being able to get to the goal that I want. And it literally was just a point that it got to for me to be like, you literally just have to take this step. Like, you just have to step out and whatever it is you want to do because people have I mean, I had all these different ideas. I was like, oh, I can I used to do spray tans. I was doing social media management. I was in a real estate production company. I'm like, okay, first of all, none of these things go together. So eventually I'm going to have to pick one or find a career path that's right for me instead of pursuing other people's goals. What is my goal like? What is my purpose driven mission in life? And so I realized like, okay, I have to stop doing stuff for other people and start taking action for myself. So I literally just was like, okay, I have to, I have to step out, whatever it is. Like I have to step out. And I realized, like, okay, the nonprofit is because of all of my thoughts kind of combined and putting everything out on paper. Like, I mean, I sat there and wrote down like 100 different jobs that I was doing or have done or like, would potentially want to do. And I mean, one of those was like motivational speaking or a podcast or something like that. And then I started to connect dots with writing everything down. And I actually have like a giant piece of paper on my wall in my house right now that has like the fear to faith plan. And it's every step of the way of like what I'm supposed to do. So I think for me, like visualizing my dreams of my future, how I wanted to live my everyday life. Like what a day in my dream life would look like. The visualization process for me made me realize, like, okay, that this is what I need to do and this is what I want to do is the nonprofit and step out and just take the first step into that. But definitely like seeing it on the paper or written down was probably the number one thing that helped me. You said a very powerful word, and I think I'm glad you said it, which is visualization. I see a lot of people, they don't define that end goal. Why is that visualized and like, so important and why is it so revealing? At why does that visualization reveal the path? Well, I think that, you know, if you don't set a goal and you can't see that goal, then you're not going to take the steps every day to get to it. Like you're not going to know what you want to do if you don't set that goal and actually see yourself living that life. Like I sat down and intentionally wrote what I wanted to do, what a day in my dream life would look like. And then I literally would, like, draw out little things so I could see it. And I think actually thinking about that made me realize, like, okay, what I need to like, take action now and be able to step out into whatever it is I'm supposed to do to accomplish that dream life. Because if people you know, they don't, if they can't visualize what they want to do, then they're just going to be lost running around like, oh, maybe I should do this. Maybe I need to do this, or maybe I need to run over here and do this. It's like, no, you're you're literally running blindly. You don't have a vision. You don't have that idea in your head of like what your actual goal is. So actually being able to see it for me helped. And some people are different. Like some people can just write stuff down and they don't have to like visualize a picture. They don't have to see it to achieve it. But I feel like a majority of us do need to be able to visualize like a future or dream life that we want to achieve, so that we can know the steps that it would take to get there and actually like, want it instead of not knowing what it is. And you had mentioned something at the beginning of the podcast that I also thought was pretty powerful, which was that mindset shift. He said that there was that internal limitation, while it was really an external limitation, that not having the money was preventing you from chasing or pursuing this passion, but then making that external limitation, which is it's really not a limitation and taking internal accountability for it, was the first step, to starting to getting started. Why was what happened in that mindset shift? Well, I think honestly, the mastermind was what kind of like shifted that because I was so, so concerned financially. Like I'm like, I can't do X, Y, and Z because I don't have the funds, like I don't have the money. And then talking, talking to JS and he was like, you don't need the money when you do something like that. That's purpose driven. It's faith driven. The money will come like, because you're doing something so powerful and special, the money will come to you. You just have to do it. You literally just have to start. Because if you don't start, you're preventing yourself from doing anything. Like if I just sat there and wondered every day like, oh, when is the money going to come for me to be able to start this? Then I never would have started it. I literally would have been holding myself back and been like, oh, I can't start this because I don't have the money. I don't know how they get the money. I still don't necessarily know how to do a lot of things, but I just know that I took that first step and started the nonprofit and all of a sudden through, I mean, through hard work. But it was like, okay, the money is coming. I'm figuring out how to get the money and how to operate on a day to day business. So it was kind of just like the shift of like I realized, oh, I don't I don't have to have everything figured out to be able to actually make a difference and start doing things. Yeah. I've, I've discovered through my own entrepreneurial journey, and I think that this is like the single biggest concept to understand. It's difficult to teach, but entrepreneurship or really just pursuing anything in life, when you want to get the outcomes that you want, it has nothing to do with the external. There is no such thing as an external limitation. All of the limitations that prevent you from getting the outcomes that you want are internal. They're typically belief systems that have come from a past experience, that define or create this box around your reality. That's set the limitations. And everyone has different thresholds. You know, everyone's limited by different things and everyone can, you know, different people can accomplish bigger things because they have less limitations. But the second that you realize that and have that awareness that there is no such thing as an external limitation, you can really start to break down barriers, because every challenge that you encounter just becomes an internal process of how can I deal with this adversity and overcome it and find a solution internally? Really, the external doesn't matter, it's just how you respond to that, how you respond to that external right? No, absolutely. Yeah. I think that's like when people figure that out, that's the commonality that we find with a lot of entrepreneurs on this podcast. Obviously, we've interacted with a lot of entrepreneurs. The people that are the most successful realize that they take internal accountability for everything, right? Yeah. Your number one thing holding you back is you. So if you can step out and just go for it and just do it, then you I mean, you literally won't be holding yourself back anymore. Like it's like. Oh my God. Well, same as I held on, my thought left me. It's all good. Oh my gosh. Wait, I have it. I need to come back with it. And it kind of sounds like. Whew. Like a lot of people think it's. Yeah, but it's like that methodology is like, it is so important and it's so theoretical and like, philosophical that people can't really wrap their head around it being like like a scientific process. It's like if you follow this process of like visualizing, like you said, defining that end goal. And hopefully this inspires you to remember your thought. But, if you visualize and define that end goal, that's going to be very revealing. Just that process of like putting your conscious on that end goal starts to reveal a path or a plan to get to it. And if you just execute on that path that you have conceptually is because you haven't been down the path. So you you can't come, you can't be 100% accurate, like what that path is. But you can typically through that visualization get between, you know, 70 and 80% of what it's going to take to accomplish that goal. And then it's just executing every single day on what you said you were going to do. And eventually you're going to encounter some adversity along that path. And that's where that internal struggle comes. If you can just no matter what adversity comes along that path, find it or make the decision in the commitment that no matter what happens, I am going to internally find a solution to overcome that adversity in my opinion, there is no outcome that you cannot achieve because that adversity and that pain just ends up being the currency that you pay to learn that 1,020% that is needed to get to that final outcome. Right. And it's all about mindset, too. It's a major shift in mindset of thinking like, if you think you already have that dream life and you start acting like it, then you truly will build the dream life from that. But if you're living in a mindset of like, oh, I'm, I'm broke, or I don't have this and I don't have that, then you're going to keep putting that out and that's what you're going to keep getting. So it really is a major shift in the mindset of taking, you know, who you want to be and where you want to be versus where you're at right now. Maybe you're like the negative thoughts that consume you. It's taking the positive and making sure that that's what's in the forefront of your mind. Like when you're facing all of those hardships or trials and adversity, like you've got to be in there like, okay, this is just, a little stepping stone to get to where I'm supposed to be. It's taking that negative and reinforcing it for good. So unpack that a little bit. Like if you are someone who's in a situation, your present state or your present reality is you're not getting the outcomes that you want and you're not living the life that you want. How do you reframe your mindset to be the person that you want to be? Yeah, well, I think the number one thing is just making sure you're not taking that situation that's happening to you and making it define you like your circumstance does not define you. I mean, I was literally 20 years old, completely alone, having my child like with no paternal support at all and still have no paternal support. And I could have taken that and been like, oh, oh, whoa, me like, poor me, I'm in this situation and blah blah blah. And it's like, no, I'm using that and I'm turning my life around. I mean, I literally moved to Charleston by myself and started the political job and then literally lost that job in January and just was like, oh my gosh, I could have been like, oh my God, I have to go home now. Like, I'm never going to be able to accomplish my dreams or like, what am I even doing with my life? It was like, no, okay, this is just a setback on the path of success, of moving forward. I just have to take that and step over it and keep on going. Instead of letting it hold my hold me back or define me. So I stepped over it and was like, okay, I'm going to pursue all these different things and like, make sure I can still live in Charleston. And I wasn't I wasn't letting the setback hold me back. I was literally using this setback to propel me forward. And it only, you know, it just is like that drive it gives you because it's like, oh, I'm not going to let something that didn't work make me feel like a failure. It's no, I'm going to take that moment of, you know, not winning. I'm going to take that moment of losing and think of it as like it's literally just a step forward on the right direction, because we have to take those moments and use them as like our propeller of moving forward and be like, okay, this is just a lesson for me. This isn't this isn't a failure. This isn't a setback. It's literally just a lesson of, okay, how do I use this to continue on my dream life? Or like, what is this lesson that I have to take from this to actually be able to step forward? Because if you never faced adversities or trials, you would never really appreciate the doors that open for you. You would never really appreciate the good things that come in. When you actually reach the moment of feeling like you've succeeded or you're like, wow, this is really what I've worked hard for. You worked hard for it, and you really appreciate it because you've come a long way and you've overcome all of the setbacks and challenges in life, instead of letting them consume you and define you as a person, it's very revealing to your character that you were able to approach a setback like, you know, losing that job or something and not let it define you. And that is a testament to your success. And why you're going to be more successful. Because it does all stemmed down to that internal mindset. Someone could have been dealt the exact same hand of cards. And in that situation, let that define them and let that negative put them on a path that brings them back home or whatever, and makes a step back. And it's it shows. It's just a testament that it all stems from that internal mindset and that internal belief system. It's the decision that you make to on how you're going to perceive that reality in the moment. That's going to define where you end up next. And if people more people can understand and be more disciplined over that internal mindset, it really does. It's the that is what gives you the power to control your reality. It's all starts internal with that internal belief system. But sorry I'm ranting, but right now and this will kind of be the final, you know, final questions that I have. But what do you see as the biggest challenge that you are encountering currently or you foresee? Encountering the biggest challenge, I think, with the nonprofit right now is just being being able to make sure that I'm building an authentic brand and showing me and my story and how it enters, like, I don't know, interwebs with the nonprofit of why I'm doing what I'm doing and how I want to actually help women instead of just being like for show. So I think building an authentic brand is number one, and the number two is just finding the right people to support me, because I have all of these connections and contacts and like in this network of people where I'm like, oh, they could easily help me. But I'm like, but is that really who I want to help me? Because what I'm building is something that needs to be safe, and it needs to be from pure heart and like good intention and good people and if I have somebody who's like kind of corrupt trying to be a part of it, then it's going to corrupt the system. It's like who you surround yourself with is who you're going to be. So I want to make sure the nonprofit is built on a good, strong, solid foundation of like, good people and just good intention and in general, and not like for oneself. So I think that's the number two issue is literally finding finding the financial support and the support from the right people is the number one thing. If you could give one piece of advice to someone that would be listening to this, that you've learned along your journey, that you wish you knew before, that you know now, what would it be? Pressure makes diamonds honestly. Like your hardships are not going to make you a failure. They're literally just going to make you succeed. And I wish I knew that earlier because I think for a long time I was like, I like, I'm not. I'm never going to amount to anything, honestly. Like, I've got all these things going on that just like make me, I felt less of a person or like, and it was never going to be able to do anything with it. And I realized like once I once I shifted that mindset and used those hardships for success, then I realized like, okay, this pressure is only put on me because I am destined for something bigger and better. So if I would have known that, I think I would have like, probably catapulted and kind of catapulted, catapulted myself a little bit quicker. But I mean, I think everything happens for a reason, but I truly think the number one thing is that pressure makes diamonds. It's great advice. If people align with your mission and they want to learn more, they want to reach out to you for advice or anything like that, where can they find you? My Instagram is Syd, Syd, Loren Loren and the nonprofit's website is feartoofaithformoms.com so they can find out more about my story on my Instagram and on the website. As well, and figure out how they can help, because there's a lot more ways to help than just financially awesome. Well, I appreciate you coming on. Yeah. Thank you for having me I appreciate it. Yeah.

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Jack Moran

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