 Welcome to Sister Power. I'm your host Sharon Thomas Yarbrough. It's all about showing up. The power is in the asking. Now, this book is an anthology of 45 individual heartfelt stories written by 46 authors. The purpose of this book is to provide examples of how implementing these important mantras can be life changing. Today, here at Sister Power, we have three of the 46 authors with us here today. We have the lovely Robby Marder. Aloha Robby. Aloha Sharon, I'm so happy to be on your show. And I remember spending wonderful time with you the last time I was in Hawaii. Thank you. I remember that time too. We'll talk about that later. And we have Joan Wakeland. Aloha, thank you for having me on your show. Aloha and the lovely Angela. How are you? I'm fantastic. Aloha, thank you so much, Sharon, for the opportunity, really appreciate it. Good, good. You know, this is very exciting. Your book is all about showing up in the powers in the acting. And I wouldn't ask you, Robby. It was your vision to come up with this book. And we'll talk about that later because years ago we were talking about something similar to that in Waikiki. And you taught me a valuable lesson. What inspired you to write this book? Well, it's been a mantra of mine for many years, making women understand the power of showing up and the power of asking. And I thought if we put this book together with people sharing their stories of how their life changed or how they met the right people or different things that happened that impacted their life because they showed up and asked. Great. So Joan, tell us about your story in the book. What was it all about? What did you learn when writing the book? Actually, I wrote about getting out of your comfort zone because that's where nothing happens. It's like a rocking chair. You're busy rocking, but you're not going anywhere. So what happened to me is that I moved into a new town and I didn't know anybody. So I stopped at a restaurant and asked, do you know someone in this town that runs a meeting for women? I'd like to connect. And he said to me, come back and introduce you to Robbie Mater. Then my life changed. I made so many influences because of Robbie. Yeah, Rob is a connector. I think you and I, Joan, had that conversation. They called me the connector here in Honolulu. It's so, so very vital to network wherever we are. And so, Angela, you are one of the authors in the book. What surprised you the most when you were writing your story? Tell us a little bit about your story. So Robbie asked me to publish the book and she says to me, I think you should put a chapter in. And I said, you know, it's an incredible honor to me just to be a part of this because I know how impactful it's going to be. And it just really touched on something very emotional for me. So I was reluctant to write it. But just like Joan says, you get out of your comfort zone and you just do. And so my chapter actually was written from a very heartfelt personal place. I lost my mother at age 20. The doctors told me I would lose her at age nine. So my biggest ask has always been through those years for one more day. And the power, you know, in prayer. So that was such a powerful message that needed to be out there. And so many people, you know, struggle with terminal illnesses and there's no hope and people need hope. Because hope and prayer can make people be here way past, you know, limitations. So to me it was an opportunity to provide a legacy to my mother and also to inspire other people. And with the book itself, I think the most beautiful thing about it is it's a living legacy for all the people who have been impacted by that mantra that Ravi shared that with. And also the diversity in the chapters for each is so different. And, you know, showing up or asking has just changed the trajectory of so many people's lives, whether it's been a meeting their partner for life or landing their dream job. And the beautiful thing with the anthology is that you can read a story and put it down and you have that sense of accomplishment. So it's not this huge book that you're hesitant to pick up. So I'm really finding the anthologies is a wonderful way to go. Yeah, I like that. Let's talk about the cover of the book. You know, it's all about showing up. The power is in the asking. Tell me about the cover of this book. Could I direct that to you? Should it be Robbie or Angela? Angela, because she designed the cover. Okay. So, you know, Robbie has meetings everywhere and she shows up to almost all of them 99% of them. I thought having the map there and the pinpoint and the compass is it just really all came together. It's hard to create a cover when you're thinking about somebody else's vision and also aesthetically. So when we came up with a few different things, she threw it out to a few of the authors. And we, honestly, I think had 44 out of 46 say I absolutely love the cover. And it's just been phenomenal. I think really it's cover sell books and get your attention to actually pick it up and look into it. And we've had tremendous success with it. So my first joy is illustrating and designing. And we've just been so lucky that we've had this cover created that has been successful. So it just captured the nature of what the book is all about. Yeah, it does. It does, you know, Robbie, let's break it down even more. Tell us more about, it's all about showing up. Well, I always say that showing up is like a treasure map. You never know what treasure you're going to find. Like a good example, when I was in Hawaii, we all met for lunch. You showed up, so I got to meet you and we have been friends ever since. Had I not showed up or you not showed up, we would have had that wonderful opportunity. So I always say that no matter where you show up, the right person is there or... And I always tell my members to add something to when they're doing their 30-second commercial ad and how you can help me is. And I've seen at meetings when people add that, people say, oh, I can help you. I know that person and that puts them on another journey. It does. And you know, when you talk about your members, let's talk about the mission of global society for female entrepreneurs. So I want to go back to you, Robbie. And then Joan, I want to come back to you. Let's talk about global society for female entrepreneurs. Were you the leader in starting this as well? Yes, I was the founder and the CEO. And the mission of global is to inspire, empower, educate, connect, and just be there. I would say we're like the cheerleaders for the women to help them sort of greater heights than they ever could imagine. Because we're not in competition, we're in collaboration. And we do a lot of collaborations with other groups as well because it's coming together and being together, we can do so much more. There's room for all of us that, you know, this is what I think that, I'm just going to speak to the women out there right now. There is room for each one of us. We all have a different talent that we can bring together and all of us will shine. And so Joan, what GSFE has meant to you? Tell us about what global society for female entrepreneurs means to you. First, it's a sisterhood. I have had so many friends. A good example is on Labor Day weekend, there was a pageant and I was asked to be a part of it. And my sisters came together and made it happen. They supported me financially to enter the pageant and they were there to cheer me on and I won. And I just felt that you have to do this. You can't let these guys down because they're supporting you. So that gave me an extra boost, an extra confidence. Another thing is that I've met so many people that I wouldn't normally have met. I was in the pharmaceutical industry before I wasn't so much out there except with the medical people. Now this is more fun to me, not that I don't like medicine, but it's more fun because these guys, they are wanting you to go to another level. They're actually collaborating like they said, they're connecting and they're improving me, personal development. I have moved up so much because I meet the people who offer courses and I invest in myself. Having said that, I know I'm able to invest in others. I know mentor other people because the young ones need to be mentored since they're the ones that are going to take over when our eyes say shut, we're gone. They have to take that baton and run with it. I like that. I like this. So Angela, how have you benefited from you're the director of the GSFE organization? So tell me, how have you benefited? I have benefited in tremendous ways. It is such a cycle of giving and receiving and giving and receiving and coming from that place of being mentored to be in a position to be able to mentor. It's a beautiful collaboration between all the women. I find it's just, it's a sisterhood that it's a circle of friends that we are really here to just help each other elevate to the next level. And if we don't know how to guide them, we have somebody in the organization who's been there and done that. And it's really a pay it forward and it comes from the heart. It's just been highly beneficial for me for all the beautiful souls that I've met and interacted with and the forever friends that I've made. So I've been very grateful and honored to be a part of it. And now to be a director that's quite an honor for me. So Robbie, GSFE, how many chapters do you have? We have 11 chapters and we have almost 300 members and we're global. When the pandemic came, we had all of our networks meeting on Zoom. So that gave us the idea that even when we could go back live in California, we could set up Zoom networks and we have three Zoom networks a month. We also have United Kingdom coming in in January. That'll be on Zoom. We have Austria coming in in January and that'll be on Zoom. And what's the great part about that is our local people can jump on Zoom and meet the international and out of state people. So again, we're just enveloping the sisterhood to become better. And I wanted to mention that Joan is also a director. She's the director of our Riverside and Emmett network. Wow. So I'm not here at Hawaii. So we need to have a chapter out here. Is this what I do? We do. We do. I've been, I wanted one so bad. All right. Well, we have to talk about that a little later. Absolutely. Because it's just so much. So Joan, I want to come back to you. What motivates you to do what you do? I think that's the drive that I have, the passion that I have to connect and to educate. I just want to be a resource for people. And I wanted also for my grandchildren to realize that they can be whoever they want to be. Do whatever you want to do and not sit back and wait for somebody to do stuff for you. You can be a leader. For instance, I do a lot of serving. And why did I serve? I get such joy in serving. I call it my psychic paycheck. Because whenever I help someone, I get such joy. Someone helps me. I remember coming to this country with very little money, $50. And I got help because of relationships that I built. And so I invite people to build relationships and not just be a taker in life, be a giver. Because they're joy in giving, such joy. Yes, it is. Yes. So Angela, why do you believe that you can be a leader? Why do you believe that many individuals have a hard time asking? I think so many strong women are so used to standing on their own, maybe not having support from other people. So they just find the solutions and they think they can do it all. And Robbie taught me such an important lesson a couple of years ago. She said, if you don't ask, you rub someone the joy of giving. And I never really looked at it like that. I felt like asking was a selfish thing, but really truthfully, we don't give because we receive, but if you don't ask, you don't get. And it is such a wonderful thing to be able to give. And it makes you feel good and it just helps. So it's been interesting to be able to see that more women are asking and standing up for saying, I know that I'm capable of so many things, but it's so nice to know that I don't have to do it all because there is help out there and they're standing in power. It is, you know, Robbie, when Robbie was out here in Honolulu, we had lunch in Waikiki and I was having an event. And I am today, I am still friends, they're still supporters of Sisters in Farik Hawaii because of you Robbie, because we had this conversation. You said just ask them and they're still supporting Sisters in Farik Hawaii. So please Robbie, tell us a little bit more about how people should feel comfortable in asking. Well, like Angela said, I was one of those that I always liked to help. And I remember one day a person came up to me and said, Robbie, you get so much pleasure of helping, don't you? And I said, oh, yes, my heart, it gets so full. And they said, well, then why are you not letting others get that same feeling? And the other thing I wanted to mention that I think our network is really good, we're like accountability partners. And Joan is a good example. She kept saying she was gonna write a book and, you know, we became her accountability partner and her book came out. She actually beat me in getting my book out. Once we got on top of her, she was several weeks before mine. Joe, let's talk about your book, The Run for Freedom. Oh, that is some book. It actually, this was done because I wanted to share my story with my grandchildren because when I was a little girl, I wanted to know what my grandmother was like. I didn't have a picture, had nothing. So I figured these kids need to know what they're enjoying now did not come easy. It came from sacrifice. And that sacrifice was from grandma Nan, they call me. And so I wrote this book, it's called The Run for Freedom, Golden Nuggets for Success in Life and in Business. Because the nuggets that are shared, some are from the good book, some are from poets, some are from mentors. And I use these principles to help me to be successful in life. For instance, if you were living happy, you had everything done for you and everything was taken away from you. The rug was pulled from under you. It's no point having a pity party. It means that you have to make decision and the decisions sometimes have to be fast. In my case, it was very fast. And I came to America with $50 and a six-year-old child and I had relationship with one person who said to me, if you come to California, I can help you better. So I came and I took a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep because I did not have the qualifications to do pharmacy here. And that helped me to go along in business. I remembered to over-deliver on the promise. Those are things that I had in the book. I also had relationships from A to Z, from 26 letters that shared what each letter meant, like A is for action. You can't sit and expect things to happen. Mana doesn't drop from above. And then I have commitment. I really think about being committed and to be loyal to what you're going to do. So many people don't remember that word commitment and that's my pet pee. If you say you're going to do something, you should do it because you're building trust when you do that. And when your trust is broken, nobody wants to be bothered with you. It's very hard to get back in the group, so to speak. Yeah, so, you know, I applaud you and I ask everyone to go on and purchase your book, The Run for Freedom, and Angela, you're doing a book launch, 100 Most Successful Women. Tell us about your book. So we actually have 52 in that volume one. 52 amazing international ladies from all over the place with such wonderful stories. The thesis of it really is what success means to you and how it's defined. And the purpose really was to give the younger generation something to aspire towards and the knowledge and the wisdom that we can give them from all the years that we've spent. Obviously, success means something different to everybody. And to see these young minds wonder, how do I become successful? Each story, again, just like the anthology with Robbie is so diverse. And so one person's story is gonna connect with that one person reading it. And that's what it's all about. I mean, we're here to inspire, educate, and aspire before we expire, right? I like that, I like that. And we have your website and we'll put that up where people can register for your book launch. And it's free. So the first volume came out, the second volume we're still waiting for the date. But on the website is a lot of suggested reads from the sisters in the GSFE group. A lot of them have self-published, but there is a page on there with links so that everybody can get the exposure and make more booksells that will help them. Okay. We're here to collaborate. You're here to collaborate. So Robbie, what motivates you to do what you do? Well, I have to tell you what really started me. Back in 1957, I remember asking a woman if she could teach me something. And she looked at me and said, I will not teach you or any woman. And I made a decision that I was shocked. And I made a decision that day that whatever I learned, I'd spend the rest of my life sharing with women. And prior to starting GSFE, I was the NAFIC global coordinator for 29 years. Then NAFIC decided not to have networks anymore. So luckily we had already started the nonprofit in 2017. So it was just easy just to move my networks into GSFE. And that's what we did. And I wanted to mention on the book, the first day our book came out, we made number one best seller US. And the next day we made number one best seller international. And Joan's book and the other book also have hit those statuses. Congratulations, ladies, congratulations. And Joan, I want to come back to you. And then Angela, I want you to follow up. And then Robbie, if you ladies had to leave a message to young women listening to the sister power show, what would that message say, Joan? Be authentic, be yourself, be bold, be courageous. Do what you want to do. Don't listen to the naysayers. Be passionate about what you want to do and make that your job. Because when you are not passionate about your job, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life. So go for your passion. Love it. Be passionate, be bold, be fierce. Come on, Angela. My message would be to the same thing, stand in your authenticity. Don't let anyone else's opinion of you define who you are. Find a sisterhood of people that are gonna help empower you to help you believe that your dreams are possible because they are. Never give up and just keep on, keep on going. It will happen, it's a matter of time, but definitely never give up on your dreams. Never, ever, ever give up. Robbie? Well, I say that obstacles are opportunities waiting to happen, so always remember that. And secondly, stop waiting for perfect. There is no perfect. You've gotta step out. You can always adjust. So many times people don't do it because they want it to be perfect. Well, there is no perfect, only God is perfect. So forget about perfect. Just get out and adjust because when people see it, they'll give you ideas and you can make it better. The other thing is, I believe always be who you really are. Don't try to be what other people say you should be and do your passion. If you do not do your passion, it'll slow you down. When you do your passion, success will come so easy. I mean, the road is not easy every day, but you know what? Obstacles are opportunities waiting to happen. There you go. Wow, I'm fired up and ready to go. So it's all about showing up with what I have found. Showing up, you have to be present. You really have to be present. And when you work in that room, you need to listen. What are some of the other examples in it's all about showing up? The power is in the asking Joan. I think you have to be disciplined. You have to be determined to achieve what you want. You have to be accountable for your failures and learn from those failures because we all, like Robbie says, we all make mistakes. The only thing that I say that would be wrong is if you keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results and that's insanity. Angela, give us some more pointers and it's all about showing up. The power is in the asking. You know, it's really funny. So many times you get invited somewhere and you don't feel like going. You try to talk yourself out of it. You know, you just, you make excuses. And then for me, because I've been hearing Robbie with this mantra for so long, every time I start to feel that little bit of adjustment, like, nah, I decide, no, that means I need to go now. That means I need to be present at that meeting. There's something I can share or someone's gonna share with me that will add value or I can add value to. And I always get something every time I show up or give something. So when you feel like not going, go. Get dressed and go. Yeah, so Robbie, when is your next meeting for global society for female entrepreneurs? Well, tomorrow we have a Zoom conference for our out of state. So we're doing a conference online to cover, we do a live conference every year, but now that we have global, we decided to also add this year a global conference. So tomorrow is that. Then November 13th, we're doing World Kindness Day. It'll be our second year to do that. And like I said, we have a live conference every year. And then we also do the Lady in Blue fashion show and awards. And then we collaborate with others. In fact, April 2nd, we'll be collaborating with she inspires me from England, Ada Gutterman. And she's doing a big event in England, but this year we decided we didn't wanna fly to England. So she's coming to California. We're gonna be doing the awards here as a collaboration. Well, how do we get involved? I mean, so is there, can you tell us your website? Where should we go to? Okay, our website is globalsocietyforfemaleentrepreneurs.org. You can learn a lot about us there. And you can join, you can read about us and find out where our meetings are. And we'll be posting the, she inspires me award information. If you wanna go to England, we can connect you with Ada and go to England for her huge event. It's gonna be amazing. And of course, it'll be amazing in California. And I think she said maybe next year or the year after she's going to Hawaii. Oh, okay. Well, we must talk about that. We can go on and on about the power is in the asking. And ladies, Robbie, Joan, Angela, thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for your wisdom. I'm Sharon Thomas Yarbrough, right here at Sister Power. Remember it's all about showing up Aloha.