Day one: You are the SAUCE - Your story has the keys to your success at work

In this five part series I will be helping you uncover your unique value proposition that will help you differentiate yourself to succeed at work (and frankly any other area of your life). When we finally begin to realize that no one is us and that is TRULY our super power, then we will be free to fully step into and own our greatness. What I know is this, you don’t have to keep looking for the secret sauce to your success, you already have all you need within you to accomplish all of your heart’s desires. You ARE the SAUCE!

If you are like me, you used to think that in order to succeed in the corporate world or even in business, you needed to conform as much to the "boys club" or mainstream way of doing things as much as possible. That was what I was explicitly told when I moved to the US as a child. In order to succeed here, you have to blend in, don’t speak with an accent, straighten your hair, don’t stay in the sun too long you will get too dark. All these actions to be taken, in order to be more palatable to the majority culture. This is part of my own story based on my life experience as a black immigrant to the US. Here is the thing, when you are conditioned to believe that the parts of your identity that makes you different from everyone else is your biggest liability and a block to your success - it becomes the perfect breeding ground for self-doubt. In my experience, my negative self talk didn’t just have to be general … like you are not good enough or not smart enough. I had tangible reasons to explain the not enoughness. Your accent is too thick, smart people or successful people don’t sound like you. Everyone has self-doubt, but the most debilitating ones for all of us is tied back to some fundamental insecurities that developed as a result of our life experiences, what I refer to as our stories.

Here is the truth however, the very thing that makes us different is the thing that makes us valuable - instead of it being our biggest liability as we may be conditioned to believe, it is our greatest asset. When I really begun to dig into my own story I realized that my immigration story was the source of some character building strengths that allowed me to be successful. Here are a few: Even-though I may have missed birthdays, weddings, graduations, births and events from my homeland - I learned to be curious enough to learn new things. I learned how to adapt to new environments. I learned the power of resilience. I learned to be focused and determined to reach a goal. I learned that I was brave.

What about you? Perhaps you too have a part of your story that you have been conditioned to be ashamed of, but what if instead of shame - you could unpack the gifts of your struggle? What characteristics did these experiences build in you that allow you to be the SUPER woman you are today? That my friend is part of your SAUCE. It is not that you are not enough or too much, in fact you are JUST perfectly designed for the specific divine purpose you were pre-ordained before the foundation of the world to fulfill. You are perfectly made for your purpose.

One life experience can be the final straw before ultimate failure for someone and the exact same thing can be the fuel to success for the other, it is all about how we choose to interpret them and use them. So I want to invite you to do this final exercise for today. I invite you to identify one negative belief that you have developed as a result of your life experiences. The belief must be something that you are ready and willing to release because it no longer serves you. Then choose a new set of beliefs that will better serve you and where you are going. In my example the old belief that I was ready to release was:

Being different will get in the way of my success

the new set of beliefs I decided to adapt that would better serve me are:

• My difference is my differentiator

• My unique story is my super power, and will cause be to bring a perspective that no one else will

• When I liberate myself from my own fear, I give other people permission to do the same

How did these new beliefs serve me professionally? First instead of hiding my difference, I highlighted it to show that I can identify with others and be empathetic towards others who may feel that they don’t belong or don’t have what it takes to do whatever it is that they want to do professionally. This allowed me to effectively coach people of various backgrounds as a human resources leader previously and now as an executive coach and consultant. Second, that unique perspective allowed me to share solutions that no one else could come up with in my company because they didn’t see things the way I saw it. Third, as I became free to live fully and step into my potential, I can and do use the lessons and blueprint that I have developed for my own life to help others do the same. These things have helped me to fully step into my purpose and calling.

Whatever your story is, I know that if you do the work to release and heal from any traumatic experiences, you can turn that painful story into one of power.

I encourage you to do the exercises above to start this journey of uncovering your story because in it lies the keys to your success, fulfillment and bigger purpose.

Doing this work of releasing the burden of the past to live into your full potential is not easy work, not is it work that can be done completely alone. I would be honored to be your guide in your coming out and stepping up into your full potential process. Click this LINK to find out more on how you can schedule a 90 minute You are the SAUCE coaching and personal branding session with me.

See you tomorrow, where we will review the “A” in SAUCE!

- Kisha