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OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW with Victoria Odekomaya
Welcome to the OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW where you'll learn how to own and grow your brand and market your business. Every week I interview entrepreneurs and/or share branding, marketing and business tips to grow your influence, build a profitable business and make an impact.
Victoria Odekomaya is an award winning photographer, brand & marketing strategist with over a decade of experience. She is passionate about helping women fulfill their dreams and purpose effortlessly.
Click to be featured, advertise on the show or connect with Victoria: https://mtr.bio/limstudios
OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW with Victoria Odekomaya
The Secret to Grant Writing Success with a Cultural Twist | Epi 53
Experience the incredible journey of Anastasia Oguntade, a dynamic entrepreneur and grant writer, who joins us to share her unique insights into grant writing, entrepreneurship, culture, and faith. Anastasia's story is a blend of embracing cultural nuances, from learning Yoruba to savoring the rich flavors of Nigerian cuisine, and her entrepreneurial drive. This episode offers a treasure trove of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those navigating the intricacies of grant writing and funding.
Dive into the world of grant writing with Anastasia as she reveals the essential strategies for securing funding for businesses and non-profits. Learn how demonstrating results and building community credibility play a crucial role in successful partnerships. We discuss the importance of aligning business objectives with funders’ missions and the impact of clear communication in grant applications. Our conversation is enriched with stories of resilience, underscoring the transformative role of faith and positive thinking in overcoming life’s challenges and turning them into opportunities for growth.
Reflect on the intersection of business, social impact, and spirituality as Anastasia shares her personal motivations and the importance of extending opportunities to others while maintaining a sustainable business model. Hear uplifting narratives of finding peace after job loss and pursuing personal dreams with newfound optimism. We also explore thought-provoking interpretations of biblical stories and their relevance to our everyday lives. This engaging episode weaves together themes of faith, culture, and entrepreneurship, leaving you inspired and equipped to embark on your own journey.
Contact Anastasia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-oguntade-cls-49028483
//ABOUT
Victoria Odekomaya is a Nigerian American and former drug research scientist turned brand and marketing expert. Through her Creative Agency, LiMStudios, she specializes in brand photography, video creation, and strategic marketing. Victoria's mission is to empower female entrepreneurs to be SEEN, KNOWN, and HEARD, enhancing their visual presence and attracting their ideal customers to build a BANKABLE PERSONAL BRAND. Victoria's scientific background has honed her analytical thinking, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills, which she integrates into her branding strategies. Her 23-year journey to U.S. citizenship reflects the perseverance female entrepreneurs need to overcome challenges in branding and marketing. This fuels her dedication to empower women to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
In 2022, Victoria launched the BOSS LADIES CAMPAIGN, giving participants a celebrity photoshoot experience to enhance their confidence and brand visibility. The campaign promotes these women through features in BOSS LADIES magazine, appearances on Victoria's 'OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW', and recognition at the BOSS LADIES GALA. The gala not only celebrates women but also raises funds for local non-profits, so far raising $19,000+ for Dove Recovery House for Women and PINK RIBBON CONNECTION.
For sponsorship/business inquiries, visit https://mtr.bio/limstudios or email hello@thelimstudios.com.
So I'm like let's just make sure we catch up everything on tape. And is your phone on silent? I put it on vibrate. Okay, perfect, that's good, that's good Okay.
Speaker 2:I text our well, my husband. He was here. But I text our family friend to see if he would be available to pick the baby up and just drop her off at the house, because my older two are at the house.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, okay, he didn't answer so oh, we'll be okay yeah, if you need to check, that's fine. You know in between, okay, so we're just gonna talk about live, about, you know, your entrepreneur journey, um life, kids, mom j mom Jesus you know and how you know grants. I think maybe we should also tie it into like grants writing, because I feel, like a lot of us I know we're looking for grants because you know money is tough, you know we got to.
Speaker 2:I feel like this is too far away from you. Is it too far away from me?
Speaker 1:away from me. Uh, so just like getting into the whole grant writing at some point and also, um, you know, like just thinking about, especially because, with the year coming to an end, new year starting, people are thinking about funding for their businesses.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah there's so many opportunities out there and what you can do to help them more, maybe even something that they can, something to pay attention to. Yeah, as they're getting ready, I think I remember you talk about this a little bit. When we're talking about you said that there are some things you have to do in advance, like you have to show the results, right, yeah, yeah, you have to show like okay, so this, it doesn't matter if it's a for-profit or not-for-profit, like you have.
Speaker 2:You're going to ask someone for some money. You have to ask them. Well, you have to show them what your purpose in this society is like. What are you doing with this money, what have you done with your business thus far and how is their funds going to? You know, propel your business forward or propel your mission, or their mission really. And that's the thing you're trying to appeal to the funder like, hey, this is you. You like to help the homeless population. Or, you know, fight hunger and guess what my organization also likes to do. That, since you don't have the manpower to go out and do the grassroots organization work, be on the streets, hand out hot plates and things of that nature, how about you give me some money and I'll do the work for you? You know, do the work on your behalf.
Speaker 1:Right right.
Speaker 2:And that's really it. And so, and to show you know what we've done thus far, we've been in operation for the past 10 years. We've held thousands of families, you know whatever the case may be, and that is how you show your credibility. And we've partnered and that's really the key thing is partnering with other organizations. Oh yeah, we've partnered with this pantry, we've partnered with this food bank, we've partnered with, you know, second Helpings or whatever the case may be, and that shows that you are invested and embedded in the community. The community knows who you are. So you have to build rapport and you have to build trust. You know, know who they are and, um, well, the community knows who you are and you go from there and so, uh, that that's really one of the key things is like, you have to establish credibility in your community first, and you do that by your data and you do that by um, being a good, you know, keeper of your monies Got it Okay.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to ask this question and kind of lead into other questions. But I know you got it, I know you're going to help us, so I'll start the podcast now officially and then we'll go from there. So I'm thinking I always mess up my intro.
Speaker 2:So give me a couple a couple tries.
Speaker 1:You know, yes, look, this is the intro. We're not even going to do any other intro. This is the intro. You're watching the own, your brand show and I have Anastasia Ogutade here. Yes, she's Nigerian and I am super excited. I remember when I first met you, I was like wait a minute. I was like wait a minute, like the name, like let's break down all of that. But today we're going to be chatting about life being a mom, being an entrepreneur, being a child of God, and also funding grants. She's a grant writer and she excels in this area. As a business owner myself, I know funding is a big, big deal, something that we all need. So I'm hoping that at the end of this conversation, you will be able to come up with some things that you can do, those action items that are important for you to set yourself up to be able to get that grant in 2025 and beyond. So, without much ado, let's get into it. Let's get into it, girl. How are you doing? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1:I like that. Okay, she you doing, I'm doing with Ojo Meta. I like that. Okay, she's speaking Nigerian. Okay, I like that. Wow, you've been picking up a lot of the language Yoruba language right. I really do. I love the culture, I love the people, I love everything.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness, so wait, you got to tell me how did you meet your husband At work? No, at work. I was raised in the military, I lived up and down this coast and we kind of sort of finally settled in Virginia, left Virginia. I was born in Ohio, though, so my core family is in Ohio. I was in Ohio trying to figure out life, like what's next, and the job that I was working needed me to come here for a special project. So I came here and he was here.
Speaker 1:He was there, and you know, and he was like oh girl, how you doing.
Speaker 2:He did. He asked me for my number. I'm not going to tell my husband. He asked me for my number and I was was like not today, I'll take yours. I'll take yours. I wasn't sure, I didn't know yeah, they're like those nigerian guys.
Speaker 1:Huh, you're starting your day, let me tell you something.
Speaker 2:When I met my husband I was such in a place of I'm about my money I you know I had two children you know engagement and I was like I'm not here for anything other than rebuilding myself. I'm here to get my bag, I'm here to make my money and I'm trying to go home.
Speaker 1:That's it.
Speaker 2:So a man was not on my radar.
Speaker 1:You didn't have time for all the shenanigans. No, no, none of that.
Speaker 2:It didn't matter where you came from. If you was a man, I didn't have time. So how did you know he was the one? So I didn't know that he was the one until I had gotten back home and we had been talking for some time and I was cleaning my room one day and I came upon a notebook. And the notebook I opened it up and it was a list that I had created maybe about a year or so ago about what it was that I wanted in a husband. Wow, and my husband had hit everything on the list for like two things and they were like negotiables.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I was like, ok, all right, cool. As you know, I just felt just the way that everything happened, like it, just it just aligned so perfectly amazing, yeah so welcome to the nigerian family.
Speaker 1:And you have a nigerian name. Right, you have a yoruba name. He calls me anike anike, okay, okay, I like that, I like that. And, if you have, you been to nigeria?
Speaker 2:not. We're planning on going very soon.
Speaker 1:That's good, we got to make that happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, our baby girl is three, she has to go. I'm very determined. So you have to see your father's list.
Speaker 1:Yes, and so what are Nigerian food? What Nigerian food do you like to eat and that you make?
Speaker 2:Almost, I don't want to yes.
Speaker 1:Yes to the effa, yes to the affa. I like Igbo food, honey, oh okay. Well, how did you hear about Igbo food? Your husband is your ruby.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he introduced me and Quovey was it oh, I see, and that's some good stuff and so he brought that home and I was like, oh, this is nice. So then he introduced me to Affang and so I've had the poundo. I like actual, real pound again, not the powdered stuff, no kidding. You know there's a lot of work that goes into pounding, but you know I watch on YouTube and they got little tips and tricks to make it easier.
Speaker 1:And so.
Speaker 2:I surprised him one day and I made it.
Speaker 1:He said this is real pound dough, so you eat the agusi the efo.
Speaker 2:I make jllof rice, Okay girl. Or coconut rice, all of that, All right.
Speaker 1:I have to ask you. You probably have heard about the jollof wars.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh between Ghana and Nigeria and Nigeria.
Speaker 1:So knowing that you are, technically Nigerian now that you're married to a Nigerian, I'm going to ask you the question that every Nigerian versus yeah, the burning question which, jollof, do you think is the best one?
Speaker 2:You know I'm biased, hey, hey, hey. Before you answer that question, think very well, I'm biased, okay, and then I'm also operating on, because I've never had Ghanaian jollof rice. But you know, as it stands right now, and I'm pretty sure the answer will still remain the same, it's Nigerian Jollof.
Speaker 1:Rice. Look, there you have it everybody. It's a smoky, hearty Jollof Rice. That's it. Look, that's it. The war is over. We have won. The Nigerian Jollof has won the battle again. Look, I mean, I don't know what the fight is about, but this is over. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Look I'm pretty sure they have another specialty. Yeah, but yeah, I guess.
Speaker 1:I think it's a friendly fight, it's just like you know. But oh my goodness, that's amazing and you make all these things too right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, I'm really, I'm very, um, sincere and and actually it's, it's my husband knows. I just don't understand why you marry someone from another culture and you don't try to embrace that culture, you don't try to partake in it, you don't try to help, you know, bridge that gap, like you know. So I was very, you know, step fast in that and making sure that I tried to embrace, explore, did research and tried and and go from there. That was just one thing that I didn't want to do. I didn't want to. It's called imperialism like I didn't want to overtake his culture with american culture. But then, not only that, excuse me, not um, for myself, I learned a lot about the african-american culture when I met him. There were some things that he did and I'm like we do that here.
Speaker 1:So that's where we get it from.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, you know, we don't know why we do it, we just know that we do it right um and so, like hearing him talk, they're nigerians, are loud, no matter what. Yes, we are. But you know we're loud too, in my family we're loud, and so you know, I'm like oh okay, so this is an us thing.
Speaker 1:This is an us thing.
Speaker 2:It's not a, but it was just really good and I told him I said it's going to be a homecoming for you, but it's definitely going to be a homecoming for me, like it's going to be such a full circle moment and I just know that I'm going to love it when I get there even in all of it's imperfections and you know highs and lows, like I'm ready and willing to embrace it all because I'm like this.
Speaker 2:I really feel like this is a piece that's going to connect a lot of that oh my god, that's, amazing.
Speaker 1:I'm excited yeah, and you know, I mean I'm sure you've heard about all the things in nigeria, you know, but but I think your mother-in-law would be so happy that she found a woman that is willing to embrace the culture. Yeah, because I know a lot of mothers. They are fearful of that, like you know. Am I losing my son forever and all the things. But she's like look one, she came back home, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:They see he was sending pictures. I had back the baby and everything.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:That's so good.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:And I think one of her major concerns was when I had the baby is she going to breastfeed? He's like, oh yeah, she's going to breastfeed the baby, yeah.
Speaker 1:I did. She's going to breastfeed. He's like oh yeah, she's going to breastfeed the baby.
Speaker 2:She was like yeah, I did. He was like my mom told me to tell you thank you. My mom told me to tell you thank you, that you really, you know you tried to.
Speaker 1:Oh, that is so sweet. Oh, my God, you're such a wonderful wife, wonderful woman, oh my God yeah, you know, we were talking about this before we started like just the impact of God in our lives, you know, and I see that you embrace that so much, because, I mean, I see God in everything that I do, you know, and again, it's all God, it starts and ends with Him, you know, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have that relationship with him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some people they don't even know like I'll say something or I'll do a presentation, and people are like oh, you're so amazing, you're doing so well. And I'm like honey, that was not me.
Speaker 1:That's the God factor and they're like no, that wasn't.
Speaker 2:like they wasn't like you don't even understand what I'm saying exactly. This is not me. This is all god like. What you see, what you're witnessing is the goodness of god, and what you're witnessing is the glory of god made manifest that's right.
Speaker 1:Oh, I can relate completely, yes, because you know, yeah, I get that a lot too, like wow, you're excellent and other things I'm look you have no idea.
Speaker 2:We would have stopped a long time ago. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I know, and you know just the idea that God blesses what you do and amplifies it too. You know that little bit I remember there was, like you know, when God blesses the works of your hands, yeah, yeah, yeah. The things that you would spend a thousand years to get, it would take you one year. That's the grace of speed. My pastor shout out to Apostle Joshua Selman, shout out. He's quite known here at.
Speaker 2:Global. Go check him out. That's what he talks about. You know, the grace of speed. The grace of speed and the grace of favor.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:You know, because a lot of people are like, oh God, what they don't realize is that your blessings lie within the men that are around you, not men, men, but human, the human human race, right. And so he's like God's blessings come to men through men. Yes, so this, right now, you extending your platform, it is a blessing for my business and so, but God blessed you with this platform in the first place.
Speaker 1:Yes, you know, and one of the things that, you know, we talked about a little before we started was like I always worried about I'm not a preacher, but how do I, you know, still do the work of God? You know, and it sounds like even what you just said is like this is me using my talents to still do the work of God, even though I might not be preaching. And you know, and for you you said like sometimes you're the one conversation, might be the one only conversation someone gets Absolutely, absolutely, you don't, you don't know who.
Speaker 2:So sometimes people only encounter with Jesus is through the encounter that they have with you.
Speaker 2:And it is our job as a believer, as a follower of Christ, as a child of the Most High King, to allow for that love that we've been given to be shown to other people. And so someone may say they could be having a bad day or whatever, and then they and we have an encounter with them, and then it's just changed the whole trajectory because we showed them kindness or we showed them love. That's our job. Yes, you know, full stop. Um, it may not be. I I commend no street preachers, honey. I couldn't do it. I can't do it because because, again, because the way that anastasia is set up, the way that she is set up, right. Sometimes we keep real, real debatey, right, and I don't need to argue I don't need to argue what the bible says.
Speaker 2:I don't need to order, I don't need to argue technicalities or semantics or none of that stuff, because the word said what the word said yes, period. That's it Like you take that up with him.
Speaker 1:I don't have nothing to do with that, absolutely, you know and I recognize that that's my strength.
Speaker 2:The Lord knows what my strength is right. And so I was like well, god, maybe you can put me in a situation where it's like an alley-oop, like you know, you toss it up and then I slam. I slam nothing down, like you just set everything up and then I'll come and say a little thing, but to come and do the hell you know get to the court and then that's not me.
Speaker 2:That's not me, like you know that that's not who I am. But um, that's just what we're called to do. Is we're called to? He calls us. We are light and salt.
Speaker 1:Yes Of the world, yes Right.
Speaker 2:So salt enhances right.
Speaker 1:Light illuminates Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So if we cannot illuminate and if we're not enhancing, then we are all the way out of line. Yes, so that's what we should be doing. Yeah, I love that. That's our calling.
Speaker 1:That's what we should be doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's our that's our calling, that's what we're supposed to do. Wow, I love that. And again, for me it's just reassuring to know that, yes, I mean again, every time I have the opportunity, I still share the love of god, like in terms of preaching to people, but like just my everyday doing everything, that my conversation, my sometimes it's just your action or reaction to you know speaks louder and speaks the love of god. And yeah, so, because it took me a while to be delivered from that, I always thought I was like, oh, and look, for a long time I asked him like lord, am I doing your will? Like, am I, is this what I'm supposed to be doing? Like, how am I supposed to be? Like preaching? Like, because for me I was like, well, you want me to feed my family, right, I have to be okay, but then, but if I'm like, I just don't know how to do.
Speaker 2:What do I do?
Speaker 1:So you know, once I was talking to a pastor friend of mine and she was like, oh, okay, so that's, you know. Oh, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus.
Speaker 2:And you know, sometimes it's so difficult because you know we're I'll give it to you analogy we're like whales. Whales are born in the water, they live in the water their entire life, but they can and will drown because they are not of the water. So we are in this world but we are not of it. Yes, so it's I. That's one thing that I use because you know, oh, we want to be politically correct and we want to make all nice and you know, play. You know, be, be the cool kid on the block. Guess what? Sometimes, following christ, you know, be the cool kid on the block. Guess what? Sometimes following Christ, we're not going to be the cool kid, that's right.
Speaker 1:And it's okay not to be that yeah.
Speaker 2:Once you get to that point where you're like well, you know what, I'm okay with being the oddball out. You want to know why? Because we are a peculiar priesthood.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:We're meant to be set apart, so there has to be something different about us. Yeah, and it's not for us.
Speaker 1:It's not our job to go around oh yeah, condemning people right, but you gotta stand on business.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know you have to stand on business and and that's that, and so that's one thing that I did struggle with, because it was like you know, god, like you see, what I have to deal with that work, and that's part of another reason why I stopped working because like you know the environments and things. It's like it's really hard for me, you know, to want to. Just it's hard for me to be that light.
Speaker 2:It's hard for me to be that light, it's hard for me to do those things, and so that's where that revelation came in. It's like, oh, I think I'm supposed to be preaching to my coworkers. And it's like, no, I'm really not comfortable doing that. You know, and not only that. I can clearly see that people they're. They're because it's different levels.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:No one's more saved than the other. We're just at different levels of ourselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, different journey too, yeah.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And so I was like, Like you know, what am I doing here? How can I feel good and do your will at the same time? Or am I not supposed to? Is that not the case? Because sometimes, God be like I don't care about your feelings, he be like since when did your feelings come into play?
Speaker 1:You know God is dealing with me about that, like my prices, and I've been like thinking about my prices. I'm like I need to drop them down, like it's so exciting. But I'm hearing in my spirit don't.
Speaker 2:If he tell you not to be. Now, this is. Let me tell you something. God is so good, oh, because Me, I have a real bad habit of just giving it away.
Speaker 2:Me too, I feel like literally giving it away because I'm like and because I lean heavily on you. Know what? God's going to take care of me. God's going to take care of me and I just feel in my heart, like just because maybe it's because I've lived in poverty before, where just because somebody can't afford to do something doesn't mean that they don't deserve to have it that's how I got into grant writing. That's how I got into grant writing, because just because the organization doesn't have the money to do something or to do the work they want to, doesn't mean that they don't deserve to get the funding or have an avenue to do it. I see that and I just really feel strongly about that. Like who? Who gets to tell someone that you don't get to eat because you don't have the money to like? How dare you? That's a basic human necessity, absolutely, and you deserve to eat well, yes, a nutritious meal, not some food from the convenience store.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Simply because you live in a food desert.
Speaker 1:That's the convenience store, absolutely yeah, simply because you live in a food desert, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, that that is yeah. So I've been hearing too like don't and I'm like mm. I don't know, but, like you know, it kind of reminds me of that story of the woman where I think she was I think she's the widow woman that was oh, with yeah to elijah. And so is it elijah, elijah, I think it's elijah, and she told, he told her to go get all the pots, like what do you have?
Speaker 2:and if she got a loan, did you realize that?
Speaker 1:really tell me about that she went to borrow. Yeah, yeah, she went to go borrow a bunch of all pots and things. Yeah, I never thought of it that way, but she went to go borrow a car. But but I was thinking like if had she not gone out and did those things, had she not gone, if she had gone and just did a few, because the moment she got, to the last she ran out.
Speaker 2:That was it. So if she went and only got a few, she would have only got a little bit.
Speaker 1:So when I keep hearing don't in my spirits, I'm like I just need to be obedient, yeah, yeah, and my feelings doesn't matter here, because if I could just listen and be obedient, you know it's okay, so Whew.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, you're. You're right, I feel like I need to go up on my rates, but I also don't feel like this strong burning to go up on my rate. This strong burning to go up on my rate. Okay, and then I'm also taking into consideration the environment that I'm in it's like okay, well, we have some people who are like okay well, I want to hire you to write a grant and I give them my price. Okay, well, what if you just review it for?
Speaker 1:me.
Speaker 2:My review rate is different than my writing rate. Okay, we can do that, so I'll review it, but you still got to do the work. I'm not doing anything. But it's a lesson that they have to learn, because then this just happened with a client of mine. She was like I'm never doing this again. Never am I doing this again.
Speaker 2:Appreciation for the work that you do, yeah, yeah, and the application, and imagine and it's not to downplay anything like that, the application was was eight questions I've written. I've written applications that were much grander than that, wow, you know. And but it was a learning lesson and I really hope that they did take away the questions that I asked, because I go through and I write questions, because I'm doing it from the lens of a reviewer and, okay, this I don't. When you're writing your application, there should be your aim is to not have any questions, for that person to not have any questions at the end of your proposal. Okay, to not have any questions, for that person to not have any questions at the end of your proposal. Okay, because if you have questions, if I have questions at the end, then that means you were done there's nothing else for to discuss why.
Speaker 2:Because there are 500 other applications that I gotta read. That's right, and I don't have time to call you up. Send you an email to be like what did you mean by this? Oh, that's good. Okay, it's incomplete yeah, it's incomplete, or you don't even know how to effectively talk about what it is that you're doing oh my god, that's a whole different. You don't even know how to effectively talk about what it is that you're doing. So what am I funding?
Speaker 2:if you can't if you can't clearly tell me what it is that you have going on and what you're trying to do, then why are you asking me for money?
Speaker 1:Okay, let's just make sure that that's in case, because, look, you know, one of the biggest things for small business owners or even bigger business, wherever it is you are entrepreneur is funding, and there's a lot of grants out there. You know opportunities out there, and so it's important. And I love what you said, that looking at it from the lens of the reviewer. Yeah, because a lot of times we're just like, let me just do this, we're not really thinking about it that way. Yeah, and you're saying, like, the one number one takeaway that I'm hearing here look at it from the point of reviewer. Secondly, leave no questions.
Speaker 2:Leave no questions. Leave no questions in the mind of that. Okay, right, and I know that it's difficult because you know what you're talking about when you write yeah, I don't know what you're talking about, that's right so one, one common thing that I that happens a lot. If your organization has a long name and you've, you know, shortened it, you have acronyms. You may or may not say the name at the beginning of the application, and then it's acronyms all the way throughout. I it.
Speaker 1:It burns me when I forget the name of the organization because even if you wanted to hand out the money, like, who are you handing out the money to? Who am I?
Speaker 2:handing out to now. I gotta go and search, try to find the name. So what? I tell people it's okay to put your acronyms in there, but every once in a while, put, put your full name in there. Put your full name in there. Put your full name in there, because that reminds the person of who your organization is. Wow.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. So that's good. So are there anything else we should be now that we're talking about grants? So, like, where would someone even begin to look if they're looking for grants?
Speaker 2:well, honestly, it just depends on what it, what it is they want to do okay, my special or what their business, how their business is structured, um, okay, so first things first, if you have a non-profit organization, you should be running it like a business. That's something that a lot of organizations they don't do. Um, but it's my specialty is non-profit. Now that I have a for-profit business, I'm beginning to learn more about the for-profit sector, but my my start and my specialty was with non-profits. Okay, so you look at your local foundations, like here you have the central indianapolis foundation, um, you have, you can look up different women's funds. So it just depends on what specialty or what, and that's the thing. What problem is your organization trying to?
Speaker 1:solve.
Speaker 2:That's good right what problem is your organization trying to solve? And what happens if your organization is not in place for me because that's your pain point for me in my applications everybody's gonna die. If these kids don't get these book bags, they're gonna die I don't know how they're gonna die, but they're gonna die. I figured that out later. They're going to die. You know what happens if this food pantry is not in place? People will die of hunger yeah you know what happens.
Speaker 2:So my other, like my niche is dealing with, is working with organizations that work with maternal and infant mortality right so breastfeeding is my jam. Breastfeeding is my jam y'all um. So what happens if we don't have organizations in place to support families who are trying to breastfeed? Guess? What You're going to have moms and babies die. So you have to just type it in like grants for infant mortality or grants for maternal mortality, grants for and we're talking.
Speaker 1:Type it in Google, yeah. Type it in Google, okay.
Speaker 2:Funding for economic development, workforce development. You know, look at those key things Like you can type in like how to describe what it is that I'm doing so with photography. This could you could work on. This is like women empowerment, economic development, economic stability, creativity there are, you know, things like arts and things like that. So we can expand in multiple different ways. You just got to look at how you describe it and then, once you do that, then you can start and look. So, first of all, grant databases are very expensive, oh wow. Grant databases are very expensive, oh wow. So you can find free options. It'll take a little bit of legwork, but more like foundation directory or grants that first of all, stay off of. Stay off of grantsgov. You are not ready for grantsgov. Okay, you are not. Okay, tell me why? Because people will have just a just got. The ink is not dry on their articles of incorporation and they're like grant and they're like hit me with the 10 million dollars.
Speaker 2:Can I, can I get?
Speaker 1:no, you're not you're not ready, right and so grantsgov.
Speaker 2:Those are federal grants and they're like millions of dollars in funding right and so you can. You know, local organizations unite, but there can get them, but they're more for the united ways, the girls, the bigger ones, the bigger ones but again, that's not. That's where your partnership comes into play okay because you can't.
Speaker 2:If you, if you have a partnership with you, know your girls inc or whatever the case may be, you can say, hey, I found this grant. We've already been doing work. We already have a workshop going with some of the girls, because my organization comes in and we talk about you know self, self esteem and things of that nature, right, so we already have an established partnership or established working.
Speaker 1:We've built rapport.
Speaker 2:How about you apply for this grant or I apply for this grant and we partner together?
Speaker 1:That's good, that's good, right. And then you also mentioned another critical thing was having work to show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, your impact mentioned. Another critical thing was having work to show. Yeah, your impact. So, unfortunately, a lot of times founders like they just going because that's what is in their heart right, and so they're just doing the work they're going off vibes. They're not collecting no data. Oh yeah, they've been doing this for five years and they're like well, we have summer camp every year. I don't know how many kids you know, we just yeah just do it, we just do it that's really unfortunate, because right now it looks like you've done absolutely nothing right.
Speaker 2:But start collecting data from day one. First year we had 30 students. Second year, where it got out a little bit more, we had 45 students. Next year we had and start collecting. Okay, are their race demographic? If we can get their economic demographic, why? Because then you can say the majority, our core population, or the target population, our target demographic, are lower income or black children or brown children or whatever the case may be. Whoever, whoever tends to gravitate towards your organization, they can. You can do this two different ways. You can say well, these are the main, main people who come to our organization, but we're really not checking for them. We're checking for these people right, because we know that if there's already a deficit with this demographic, then there's a greater deficit with this demographic.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's good.
Speaker 1:That's good. So, yeah, no taking that, doing your taking numbers, taking notes of the numbers and then maybe even taking testimony of the results Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Doing surveys, doing pre and post program surveys, find out, okay, so like if your program is self-esteem or how to, whatever you know how to organize our parenting class or something like that.
Speaker 2:Do a pre-survey. What do you know? You know, ask them a couple of questions, basic questions, baseline questions and then, after the workshop, have them take the survey again. Okay, because then you can say, okay, well, there was a 50% or 70% increase in knowledge based on the information that they gave. And this has been a historical pattern for however many sessions we've had and things of that nature, and this is the feedback that we've gotten. Families have seen for working with children. Families have seen a decrease in suspensions, an increase in grades. You know we've seen an increase in, like, family engagement and things of that nature.
Speaker 2:Like, everything can be quantified and you will want to quantify as much as possible, because the data doesn't lie and you can't. You can't refute data Right. So, no matter what it is, if you gave out book bags we gave out X amount of book bags this year you want to hit up who's a book bag? Eddie Bauer or Jan Sport or whoever you know? We gave out this many book bags. This demographic is low income. You know students suffer from not being you can. Let me tell you something you get you a good grant writer. You can tie it into so many stuff so much stuff, uh-huh excuse me, to so much stuff.
Speaker 2:Uh, you can simply say well, you know, if you don't have a proper fit and book bag, then that can lend to scoliosis and all of that stuff. You know why? Why I'm laughing.
Speaker 1:You know why I'm laughing? Because my kids their boot back. One of them in particular, trevor. His boot back is I think it's like 50 pounds and Trevor is like 10, 11 year old and I keep telling him, you know, whenever he's picking up his bag, he has to swing it just to put it on his back and I'm like what is it that you're carrying about? So when you say scoliosis, and I'm like there's a ton of things like, because I'm like, are you not? There's too much weight on you if you have to like swing the bag, have like okay.
Speaker 2:So when I was in school we had like a day and b day. Does he have those? Does he have like day one or day two?
Speaker 1:he has I know he has three um classes in a day or like three sessions, but but he keeps telling me that he's not able to put his books in his locker. I'm like so why do you have a locker? Why do you have to lock it around every day? But in any case, there's something about that ball, so it's interesting to see how you can tie it into so many things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you get your good grandmother you can tie your mission back to a lot of funders. But I say that there's a caveat to that, because then you don't want to do scope creep, because then like, oh well, let's adjust this to fit into this, and then let's adjust it to fit into that, and the next thing you know you're so far away off base when you look back. You don't want to do that. So I said all that to say all money ain't good money make sure that the the fit is defined.
Speaker 2:Right right, make sure the fit is defined, because if not, then you just find yourself end up being just all over the place right like how did a scoliosis foundation end up with a Sherman, a paint application, a paint company Like what are we doing? How did that work Right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, okay, that's it, because you have to account for the money too, right?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely Listen. Don't play with these people's money.
Speaker 1:It's free money, but not free, it's not free it is.
Speaker 2:It is free money with accountability, stiff directions, hard direction, like you have in your application. You have to say like, because you're telling them this is what we want to do with that money. So, and this is why. So it's very important for an organization to have funding outside of grants, because grants are earmarked for specific things that you said in your application. So if you said I'm gonna bus these girls to king's dominion at the end of our program, um, and the funding is for the food, for the program, the books and everything else, but guess what? The van breaks down, you cannot take that money and go get your van fixed oh, and you can have a hundred thousand dollars sitting in your bank account.
Speaker 2:If it's all grant money and none of that money was for fixing your van, you don't have no money. Wow. Unfortunately, some organizations don't get that memo or they don't think that it's that serious, but it really is, because again you have to submit receipts.
Speaker 1:And another thing. I was getting ready to say that how do they know all this?
Speaker 2:Oh, you submit receipts. Oh, okay, yeah, you have to submit proof. Some organizations, some funders will require pictures. Oh, wow. So to be like, okay, let's see these kids' book bag.
Speaker 1:Ooh, okay.
Speaker 2:Let's see these kids in Kings of Million or let's see these families on Pantry Day, right, okay, you know, whatever the case may be, so it really is all up to the funder. But yeah, you can't just go out Now unless it's a um unrestricted funding.
Speaker 2:Okay, then with unrestricted funding, then you can go get the van fixed, I see but, if it's yeah if it's restricted, if it's specific, you have to do what it is that you said that you're going to do Now. You can't call them up and say, hey, this is what we plan to do, this is what happened and we can't do that without doing this. Can we pivot a little bit? So maybe we are not able to fund 30 girls, maybe we can only fund 20 girls and then get the van fixed.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so you have to get that approved, you, and then get the van fixed, okay, and so you have to get that approval.
Speaker 2:You have to get the approval and, yes, get everything in writing. You have to get the approval in writing because again someone later they might not have gotten a memo and say, hey, this application said this is this what you submit and car repair receipts. What's going on?
Speaker 1:oh well print out this email here you go, that's good, okay, wow, that's interesting.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that it was that deep, like very detailed and the thing is and sometimes so, people probably try to do that with local foundation grants. Don't do that with the government's money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's all. I was gonna ask the question later too about how that play into taxes, but go ahead with your thoughts here so, uh, yeah, don't, that's it.
Speaker 2:That's it. You have to. You have to prove yourself financially responsible, and that's the thing. So there you pay. Pay very, very close attention to the um proposal. The rfp request for it has all of the guidelines in there. Sometimes some funders will even say we want this in 12 font double space Times New Roman Wow On pink paper. Okay, wow. And guess what, if you don't have it in 12.5 Times New Roman double space on pink paper, your application is done. Yeah, no matter if it's a wonderful proposal, because what you have proven is that you can't follow directions, mmm. So if you can't follow directions and you're in your request, then how are you going to follow directions when you get the money?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Plus, they have a ton of them to review anyway, and who has time? Yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's, and that's it. That makes sense. And that's it so yeah.
Speaker 1:So what about? I mean, I know you're not a, you're not a CPA, but I'm just wondering from your point of view. So you get this money, let's say a hundred thousand dollars, right, and you know the year goes by like well, how does that fit into?
Speaker 2:like you know taxes at the end of the year, like yeah taxes on this money, yeah, so not necessarily taxes, but you do have to report the money, okay, um, I'm not a cpa.
Speaker 2:This is not tax information not tax advice this is not financial advice, but, yeah, no, people go to their local CPA or to their. There might even be organizations that specifically help nonprofits with this. But no, you have to report the monies that you got and keep receipts. Like I said, keep receipts of everything, how much you got, and then so you can say well, we got an award. Sorry, I keep hitting this. It's okay we have this award for $100,000, but we only actually spent $50,000 of it. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2:So then next year you allocate it differently, like on your budget for the next year, because you're not working with $100,000, you're only working with $50,000. So, short answer yes, you do have to put on your taxes, but how much of it? Because you have, you know, some grants are reimbursable, meaning. This is why it's important for you to have diversified income streams, because funders will say, well, yeah, we'll give you $100,000, but you have to put the money up first and as you go, you submit receipts for what it is that you spend and we'll give it back to you. Wow, yeah. Um, then you have some who are like, yeah, you could have a hundred thousand, but do you have a hundred thousand?
Speaker 2:no you only have 50. Well, we're only matching 50, and that's that's how you're gonna get your hundred thousand yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1:So. So I know we've talked a lot about non-profit organizations and their grants out there for and that's how you're going to get your $100,000. Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2:So I know we've talked a lot about nonprofit organizations and there are grants out there for for-profit organizations. Yeah, so there are grants out there for for-profits. It's a little bit more difficult I'm finding myself, but it's pretty much the same thing. What social impact is your business doing? If your business, you know you got a chocolate city out there. I'm sorry, but you're probably not going to get funded because there's no social enterprise or social impact, hey look we never 2024, you never know.
Speaker 2:But you know, like, if you have a for-profit organization, that okay, like a barber school, it's a school, it's for profit. Um, and you structured it that way because sometimes some people, they don't know, they're like listen, I just know I need a business, so we just do it like this. But you want to have, like a social enterprise or nonprofit aspect to that, you can do that as well, but it's all about keeping your data. So for your business, for example, okay, well, I have photography. Students come in and I help them develop their skills and there is a small fee associated with it. But that small fee that they have to pay, it doesn't cover everything that they utilize or whatever the case may be. And so that's why I'm asking for funding, so that I can keep on with this program. So because I do want to make money, but I also understand the importance of extending the olive branch.
Speaker 1:That makes sense. That makes sense, yeah, because what I've done in my business is I like to raise money for a local nonprofit organization, so I take a portion of all my proceeds and I also, you know, canvas, women, people from the public to help raise the money and we've been successful doing it twice. So we've raised about $20,000 so far. Now I don't have any nonprofit and usually what we do is that we, whenever, whatever organization we're donating the money to, I'm very transparent. I'm like this money is going to these people. If you donate, it's going directly to them. You'll be getting a letter of thanks and everything from them.
Speaker 1:I'm just like the conduit you know, like so, yeah, but I have thought about had a lot of people even talk to me about maybe having a non-profit because you know, like the type of experience that I give in my photo shoots, you know the celebrity experience, you know some people, it beyond the photography, just young girls can, you know, benefit from that self-esteem boost, the confidence boost that you know. But I just don't know how to like, how to.
Speaker 1:You know, I need to talk to a non-profit, um, someone with a specialty with non-profit, and then you with the grants and other things because you know I think it would be nice to be able to give opportunities to more people, you know, but that comes with you know I think it would be nice to be able to give opportunities to more people, you know, but that comes with, you know, having that kind of fund. That's necessary because I know I like to give away everything and I still will do, but I still got to, I got to feed that.
Speaker 2:That's me, you know, I like it. Yeah, I like it Wow they come, sometimes doing all of the back and forth. So this is something that's so funny, like some colleagues and I will do, and I'm like, why are we like this? So someone will come to me for services and I'll write them an invoice and they'll pay me the money and then they'll turn around and get services from them and turn around and get the same exact money that they just. Why are we like this? What are we doing?
Speaker 1:why do we do this at least from the, from the point of? Like your books, it shows that you collected money and then you spent that is so funny.
Speaker 2:Why are we doing?
Speaker 1:this, oh my goodness. Well, I guess it speaks to your heart of just giving too. Yeah, wow, wow. This has been such a wonderful, wonderful conversation. I really enjoy talking to you and thank you for just being open to share with us about grants and how we can take advantage of that. So now for those of people out there that are like I need help from Anastasia to tell me what to do, how to do it, like whether to review their grants or to help them write it how can they get in touch with you?
Speaker 2:So my website is wwwagsgrantscom, so agsgrantscom.
Speaker 1:And I'm going to put all of that in the description so you can have access. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Speaker 2:I'm on LinkedIn as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, follow, girl, follow. Well, thank you so much for coming. This has been such a wonderful conversation. I just feel like you, just like you know keep chatting.
Speaker 1:It was really nice. Yeah, this is my first podcast. It was good. Oh, thank you. Yeah, well, that's it for today. Make sure you check out Anastasia's LinkedIn, as well as our website, which I'm going to put on the, you know, in the description. You know how that already goes. Make sure you, you know, connect with her, check out our website and ask for help with grants, because I feel I have a strong feeling, like with 2025, there's a lot that we can do. There's a lot of help that we need. Get the help that you need so that we can go far. So, but until next time, keep owning your brand. Bye, oh man, thank you, this was fun. Yeah, good job. I really like the way you kind of segwayed into the grants you know conversation. I was like, yeah, that was really nice, yeah, nice, yeah yeah, being being being a grant writer is.
Speaker 2:I came about it because I didn't. We talked about working for other people right and I was like I shouldn't I read poppies. I'm like I shouldn't have to choose between making the money, making money making a living and raising my kids yeah, I just I didn't like that jobs put me in that like, oh, you got to choose between being an employee and being a mom. Like being a mom is always going to win Exactly Always.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not like the kids grow up and then they are gone. You're always going to be a mom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no matter what the age is you know, yeah, and I'm like the fact that you even thought that you could put me in that position. Yeah, in that position.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know yes yes, well, I couldn't think about going back to work for anybody else like I don't, just you know I like, I like going where.
Speaker 2:What do we queen city women in business in the middle of the day? Right, I like doing that. I know, I mean like having a podcast in the middle of the day, exactly like I like. I like, I like that and's I try to surround myself. I like us having that option and opportunity to be able to have free time with us, because, guess, even with praying, if I want to sit here and take two, three hours to pray, guess what?
Speaker 1:You can, I can.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, I really like that. I definitely enjoy that. I just remember back in the day I would like 6 amm. I'm at work already because I, my clients, were in in the uk, so I have to like, you know. But now I'm like sometimes I don't even run out of bed, it's like 7 30 and I'm like, oh okay, I can, especially when I first, when I first transitioned into full-time, I was like, wait a minute, am I really actually gonna work? Because I'm like, am I disciplined enough to wake up? And you know. But you know it'd be like that sometimes I'm not even going to lie.
Speaker 2:It'll be a year, and some days I'm like let me check my schedule. You know what? Okay drama.
Speaker 1:What are we doing? What?
Speaker 2:are we doing? But I do make sure, like okay, if I have the before and after, I make sure that I log in. But you know what, my life is not meant to be stressful that way. It's not. I shouldn't, it's not. To me, it never felt natural, Like it's being up at work First of all, being up at work in somebody's office, pretending that I'm even approachable, ready to start my day, ready to do it at seven o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1:That's too much. Yeah, it's too much. I'm not a morning person like that.
Speaker 2:Not like that. I am At 7 o'clock in the morning, I'm getting up out of bed. All right, me and God done had our time, and now I'm about to go cook us some breakfast or whatever the case may be Right. But to be up dressed.
Speaker 1:And ready to go.
Speaker 2:On the road and ready to go.
Speaker 1:Absolutely not. It's a struggle. It was a struggle for me definitely.
Speaker 2:Always a struggle, always I can't, I don't like that, and then I had that Sunday's fear too, like Monday's coming.
Speaker 1:It's like, oh goodness.
Speaker 2:Like you just can't even enjoy. You can't enjoy the weekend because you're like Saturday, don't went by too quick.
Speaker 1:And then Sunday I tell you get back from church the day's over.
Speaker 2:yeah, church dang, we done spent half the day in church like you and this messing up your relationship with God. Like, like dang, I can't even get Ginger to go go to church because, like I know, by the time we get out it's a night time routine, dinner bed, dinner bath and bed. The nighttime routine, dinner baths in bed, and that's it oh my goodness.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you. It was a point in time. I put it to you this way, the catalyst for me to be like. You know, I'm never doing this again for real. It was in 2016. I was working for the state. I used to work for child support, not for Indiana for another state working for child support.
Speaker 1:I was working for the state. I used to work for child support, not for Indiana for another state Working for child support.
Speaker 2:I was crying in the parking lot because I was so unhappy. But I'm like dang, this place is paying all of my bills, Like we have a decent life, but at what cost? But let me tell you something. God works in mysterious ways. He does, does and guess what?
Speaker 1:he's sending a flood, a for real flood. Wow me and my kids.
Speaker 2:We lost everything. Yeah, we lost everything. Water was up to my knees in our apartment. We lost everything. Wow, we lost everything, and at first I was devastated. But once, once you have time to sit back and reflect, it's like god you, it was the flood that led me here, because if I still had my roots in my old place then I wouldn't have been ready.
Speaker 2:And I wouldn't have, because when you lose everything, like your whole mindset just shifts, because it's like I no longer put stock in all of these material things because it could literally gone just like that. So once that happened, oh honey, it was all over.
Speaker 2:Well, that happened in October right february, my job was like well, you missed a lot of time in november and so because of that, you know, we did an audit and reviewed your time and so we're gonna let you go. And I'm like you mean back when my life was in absolute shambles. I had, we were literally homeless, had no place to stay. In November, y'all gonna let me. Let me go because I was facing a natural disaster wow, don't worry about it and I, I called my mom in such joy I was like mom, guess what? I just got fired.
Speaker 1:She's like what are you drinking, what are you smoking? I just lost my job.
Speaker 2:It felt so good and I was like, thank you, I would never want to work for anyone like that, like that Like that you lose your human, like my life. Me and my two smart children literally had nothing wow, and then they counted that against you, wow but everything, everything works out, because then later on that year they end up losing their contract and so the whole building shut down. Hey, so my separation just came around, right? Hey, so that's that.
Speaker 2:So yeah I was like I just won't ever put that much stock and put that much. I won't sacrifice myself that much for another job because they clearly don't care yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I'm with you too, like I'm, I'm very, I, very, I mean like I'm just so happy. So, mine, I was already thinking about quitting in March this year and I was saving all the money that I thought I was going to need and all the things, cause I was like I don't want to have to worry about money when I start the business full time Cause, you know, in case I needed time to, you know, recover or whatever. And then in November, this is is so weird. I heard about this website and I can't remember. I think it's called serve s-e-r-v-e or something like that or something. And you can tell, because every company that is either about to lay off a bunch of people they have to report it.
Speaker 1:So I don't know what the name of the website, but I would go on that website every single day.
Speaker 2:This is like because I was. That is not normal. You should not have to do that.
Speaker 1:You know why? Because I was hoping that I got laid off. I wanted to be laid off.
Speaker 2:Isn't that bad. Or at least you want to be ahead of the game, like they about to let a whole bunch of people go, look you know.
Speaker 1:But then I was, the reason why I was really thinking about even though I felt bad about it for other people was like if I got laid off, I've been in this company for 17 years my severance is gonna be good, good night. So I was like looking like maybe tomorrow maybe, and every day I would go on the website and I would search for Indiana. And then I heard that they were laying people off and I was like, so I started telling everybody that kept to listen. You know what I wouldn't mind being laid off. You know, like I was just putting it out there, putting it in the atmosphere.
Speaker 2:It gets anybody listening.
Speaker 1:And then I got the call, I was so happy happy we heard that you wanted to be like so this woman.
Speaker 1:She's like three bosses ahead of me. She just tried to downplay it, be like oh no, I didn't even try, you didn't even hide it. No, look. So she was like I'm very, very sorry about this. She's like can I, can you drop on a call with me? I was like sure, and I had. The moment I said so, the moment I dropped on the call and I saw h, I was like this is it, this is it? Well, I know she said she started talking and then, and then you know they, they tried to be emotional about it and empathetic and other things. But I was like look, it's okay, it's okay and I was encouraging them. And then they were kind of turned like what's wrong with this girl, like, and I was like it's okay, it's gonna be fine. Yeah, I understand. I was like I totally understand. How much money are we talking about?
Speaker 1:tell me that my boss heard it was like I can't believe you're taking this one like if only you knew, if only he gives us a piece that surpasses all that's it, and that right there, oh my gosh I was thank god that piece feels so good look and, and. Then after that it was so I, they told me November and they said my last day would be in January. But I didn't have to come to work in December. Girl, I turned 40 in December and I was like everybody we're going to Hawaii.
Speaker 2:There you go, like December 4th, oh, okay, okay, my son's 13.
Speaker 1:Oh okay. So then I got a really good ticket for like I think it was like two thousand dollars for every one of us to go to hawaii. I was like I am, but that's a sign because I I used I used to live in hawaii for like four years. That's why I did college and I've been trying to go back. Every time I went back like I look at the ticket, it's like two thousand per person. So then I was googling and I was like what you say, like two thousand for all of us, yeah it was?
Speaker 1:It was actually $1,600. I was like, look, we're buying this one. We just went and I was like look, take a rest, take a vacation.
Speaker 2:Look, God is I mean, he's so good, he cares about even just a little thing the little things too, I'm telling you. It's so good, it's so when you look at it, it's like all of those things had to come into play in order to land me right here where I am. Yes.
Speaker 1:And sometimes we don't know when we're going through it, it's when we reflect back. I guess that's why he tells us to trust him even in the journey too. Yeah, because we don't see the whole picture until after the fact, right?
Speaker 2:Because let me tell you something, because if God had told me you're about to lose everything, like because if God had told me you about to lose everything like, this is where you gonna go, this is where you gonna. This is part of it, cause I haven't reached my final bus stop, right, but this is where you gonna end up being in the next few years. But how you get here is gonna look real scary and it's gonna look real suspect, because most people be like I had a brand new car brand new, I'm talking about when I got it. It had 60 miles on it. Wow, brand new car flooded, it totaled, gone okay, wow, in fact, that truck that you see out there is.
Speaker 2:My mom had told me to go to this dealership before I had bought the car, that car and I did not go and, uh, I ended up, I lost that car, and so I ended up going to that dealership. I did not have to put no money down. My payments was less than what it was with the other car, and it was still, and it was still like a current year, like it was still that that year, that they were still, and so I was like, okay, like I should have listened to my mom, but I mean everything he look out for us, he does, he look. He look out for us even when we don't think and when we're like this is like god, how was this? Your will like I literally just lost everything. Like my kids, you know, they're young and sometimes you don't think that they remember, but then they talk about it and they vivid and it's like so was it like a natural disaster?
Speaker 1:Yeah, hurricane, oh my goodness, oh my God.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hurricane Matthew, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hurricane.
Speaker 2:Matthew, october 2016 came and it's crazy because if you look at my like, I have videos and everything okay the apartment complex where we're at is the last. We're the last four apart. We're the last four apartments in the row and the way way back and there's a. There was a creek a little bit further down and I'm telling you like I had been there for a while and it had never flooded and the people was like we haven't seen it flood like this in so long. It was funny. We had to get the military, had to come and evacuate us out, because there was no, you couldn't get back there.
Speaker 2:Wow, you couldn't get Like the fire department had to come get my kids because my son he was young at the time it would have overtook him Like it was. It was.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:It was a time. It was a time to be alive. I'm thankful for it now because, you know, if I had to go through that process of shedding by myself, I wouldn't have shed it the way that I did and so God was like let me just go ahead and strip that all off and I'm thankful for that, because now I'm less like, it's so easy for me to let go and it's so because when you think about it, it's like people think like idols are these statues.
Speaker 2:But no, sometimes idols is stuff that you really hold dear. Hold dear in the things. Yeah, and so you know those, oh, these new shoes or this new clothes or this TV, all of that honey, all of it was gone Wow.
Speaker 1:All of it was gone. That is, it's crazy, and that's it. Wow, god is so good, he is, he is, and the story continues too, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, the story continues. I mean, and it's those things, because, okay, there's this song by Anthony Brown, it's called History, and there's a part in the song where it says he's like basically, it's like, if you've done it before, like you know you've done this before Like why would I not think that you wouldn't do it again? So now, when less than desirable things come, at first you know somebody wants to get frustrated, but then it's like OK, God, like what do I need to see? Yeah, Like what is what are you trying to show me? What do I need to learn? Yeah, like what is what are you trying to show me? What do I need to learn? What is this all for?
Speaker 2:right and then I just got a piece because it's like you. I have seen too many times you bring me, you brought me to situations and you've carried me through them, because that's the main thing. A lot of times people forget like he brings you to these stuff, but he's also going to carry you through. He says many are the afflictions of the righteous, and then the beautiful part of it, yeah, and the lord delivers him from them all not some but all, and it's like a twofold.
Speaker 2:People think that you know, following christ is going to be sunshine and rainbows, honey. No, he said we're gonna have affliction. Yeah, we're gonna have many of them. We're gonna have a lot of them. Why? Because to whom much is given, much is required. Yes, so you know better. So you, I'm going to expect more from you. Yeah, and just knowing that he's going to deliver us, he's not going to leave us in that whole situation that we're going through, and so I just rely on that that is so good, that is so good.
Speaker 1:I feel like you've given me something that whenever I'm going to because I'm a crier yeah, I cry a lot, especially when I'm feeling stressed and I'm asking for something or I'm waiting I just start crying. I go waiting for it, I just start crying. Like I go in the shower and I just start crying. The water's going to wipe it all off and nobody's going to know that I'm crying.
Speaker 2:Girl. Sometimes I cry in the shower, Sometimes I cry in the bed. I'm bigger.
Speaker 1:All of that stuff. But I like just the reminder, knowing that and it's okay to cry I mean, if it's like I'm going to cry it out, but I know you got me it's okay to cry, I'm going to weep, I'm going to. I just want you to know. This is how I feel right now and I just want to express it out. But I know you've got me, you're going to deliver me from it all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly Exactly. And that's the thing. God knows that we're human, he knows that we're Jesus. Wept, he was angry before. Let me tell you something People seem to think that Jesus was. This old Jesus was out here whooping tail. He was literally beating folks up, I don't know, out of the temple he was. I think y'all need to realize Jesus didn't play no games. He was flipping tables and whipping folks and that shows he knows he's human like he had this human experience, so he knows what we're all going through.
Speaker 2:He told us when we go through child, he knows we're gonna feel pain. Yeah, why and when in childbirth we're gonna feel pain he knows that we're gonna experience all of these things so good.
Speaker 1:You know, one day I found myself just saying thank you, god for sending Jesus, because at Jesus not came first of all, we won't have the salvation, but we wouldn't even understand the pain, like we were just talking about. Jesus understands the pain because he's gone through it, you know, and unless God went through that, he could never understand completely from our point of view, from our perspective, and that's exactly and that's really honestly what it was, because when you look at the scriptures, god went through that.
Speaker 2:He could never understand completely from our point of view, from our perspective, our point of view, and that's exactly and that's really honestly what it was, because when you look at the scriptures and you look at how his relationship was, he really tried to. He tried to establish a relationship with us without being here and it was just this big voice and it was scary. In fact, the children of Israel said Moses, don't let God talk to us, right, because he going to kill us. Right, okay, you just go ahead and talk to him and then you come deliver the message.
Speaker 2:Right Because it told us it was just a big booming and thunderstorm and all of these things. So imagine trying to have a relationship and they're afraid of you. We're supposed to have a fear of God god, but it's a fear out of respect reverence, yeah, I don't want to mess up this relationship, so I'm not going to do that like I I.
Speaker 2:I don't fear my husband, but I have a fear of that. I don't want to do this because I don't want to mess with the relationship. Even jealousy is good. I'm allowed to be jealous of my husband because let somebody come and try to be like, excuse me he's a spoken property he said.
Speaker 2:He said he's a jealous guy and that's what it is, because he's like you're mine. So what are you doing? Talking to this idol? Or what are you doing? Establishing you're giving credit to things that have nothing to do with it. Like this is me yeah, and you are mine, and and that and that's what people don't understand, like it's not jealous in that, it's that we already have an established thing going on. Yes, yes, that's right, and I expect for that respect to be given, because I'm giving you that respect.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I'm being faithful. So he's allowed to feel that way right.
Speaker 1:Yes, faithful, so he's allowed to feel that way right? Yes, because I would feel some type of way too.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, oh my god, that is so good that is so true? Yeah, so that's what people sometimes people don't know, and it's like man, like sometimes you hear this conversation with people, it's like you don't even. I just wish you would just take a chance to open up your book, because it is so. It's not what you think that it is, it's really not.
Speaker 2:And then even the stuff that we have learned throughout the years. Like people talk about, oh, will it rain for 40 days, 40 nights? Let me tell you something that whole ordeal lasted for 365 days. I did not know that until I opened up the book and read it myself.
Speaker 1:Wow, I didn't know that. Tell me about that part then.
Speaker 2:So it rained? Yes, it not only did it rain, but the water came from up underneath the earth as well. Yes, yes, so it rained and it flooded for 40 days and 40 nights and the water was so high that it reached the highest peak. So think of mount everest. The water reached to the top of mount everest. So it wasn't just a little thing. There's nothing.
Speaker 2:And it said there was nothing on the earth that was living, that was still alive, except for those, that things that were in the ark yeah, that's it right, yeah and then it tells you, like the process where he let the, let the bird out and it came back because it was nowhere for it to rest, and then he let another bird. But it said that whole thing from beginning to end. It was for a year, so not only did it rain but the? Water stayed on the earth. Yeah, for a whole, the whole thing. I remember that too For 365 days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember reading that because he talked about what year and what months and you know how you'd say on on the on the 11th month of this, the age of noah, until, like, let's yeah it was yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:So what, what do you think like? Do you think like the fish? Because my son was just asking me. The other is like do fishes drown? Yeah, they do. Wow, yeah. So like, did you feel like? Because I don't know if I. I mean, he said that all the animals went in there, but like, do you feel like maybe some of the animals? Because I just said that all the animals went in there, but like, do you feel like maybe some of the animals? Because I just imagine that all the sea living creatures kind of just stayed. They were okay.
Speaker 2:No, the Bible said that everything that was on that earth and that was in the sea and that was in the air was dead. He said everything and then when you think, if you want to talk about scientifically, you know there are levels of the sea right.
Speaker 2:And so there are some sea creatures that are on the lower levels. They cannot rise past a certain level because the solution of salt and the density is different, so then they will die. So imagine if all of this water is being added and sloshed around, everything like that. It messes up everything it does, yeah, so no, everybody, and everything was done, wow. And then we think and then another thing it also talks about well, how did he do that? And it was only two animals. Again, when you read the scriptures, it says no, some of some animals.
Speaker 1:He gathered seven of them yes, yes, I remember that part. Yes, some animals he gathered more.
Speaker 2:Some of them it was only two, you know, and but it's just. That's sometimes how the world does, it's like well, let's just take a little bit of the truth and then frame everything and then us we're like oh well, yeah, it does say that those who are unlearned are not familiar. They're like oh well, the bible. But you gotta do it yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you gotta really know oh my gosh study, sometimes I would do multiple different translations. Yeah, yeah, that's good, very well, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 2:And I mean, and then you go and you look in the the greek or the hebrew definition and everything like that I'm telling you when. And sometimes, when you look at things and you break it down, it's like oh, my gosh, like lord, you are so good.
Speaker 1:Because this means this, like it just hits you the whole different meaning it hits different.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you, yeah, it's so good, it's so good it's. I tell people all the time I love it here, yeah I love it here and if you want to join me, you're more than welcome to look there's room for everyone if you don't know the Lord and Jesus Lord, savior Jesus Christ he's ready to talk to you.
Speaker 1:Would you like me to offer you anything? Are you sure I feel like I? Mean I should like, let's see, my boys are probably going to be here soon yeah, and I gotta.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, you can.
