WBE Feature – Women’s Health Awareness: How Women Are Making a Difference

Intro: [00:00:07] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:27] Lee Kantor here with Dr. Pamela Williamson. Another episode of Women In Motion, brought to you by WBEC-West. This month’s theme, Women’s Health Awareness Month, and today’s topic, mental health awareness. Dr. Pam, exciting show.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:00:44] You know what? I am so excited for this broadcast today because mental health is something that I am very passionate about. And I guess I should frame that is mental health wellness I am very passionate about. For those of you who don’t know, my background is I came from mental health. I was a therapist for years and a counselor, so it’s just something that I have a passion for.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:01:10] I am very excited for our two guests today. We have Michelle Beltran from RWM,LLC, and we also have Tamika Lewis from Women of Color Therapy. And as everybody knows, women have a very unique set of mental health care issues because we are balancing so many things at the same time, tend to be caregivers, and a lot of times we don’t take care of ourselves, especially with mental health issues. So, I’m excited for both of you to be on the show.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:01:45] Michelle, I’m going to start with you. Can you tell us a little bit about your company, what you do? And I am so interested in how you incorporate what you do into corporate America.

Michelle Beltran: [00:01:54] Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here. I am a spiritual teacher. I am an intuitive life coach. And I’ve been doing this formally for about maybe 13 or 14 years. No surprise. It’s sort of been integrated and woven in my whole life calling since an early age to support and help and guide and influence. And I just love being able to do that and walk alongside people and support them in their life journey.

Michelle Beltran: [00:02:25] I have a podcast called The Intuitive Hour, where I teach people to tap into that source that we all have, that inner kind of gut sense about who we are and our next steps in life. And I also have written a book on the topic. And I’ve been inspired on this topic of tapping into that subconscious and using it in life since an early age. No surprise, then here I am doing it in life, in any event. So, my clients are global, and clients that come in, we talk about all manner of issues from health and wellness, to career, to subconscious development and learning, and accessing that intuition.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:03:07] Okay. Thank you. Tamika Lewis, can you tell us a little bit about your company, what you do and how you incorporate what you do into corporate America?

Tamika Lewis: [00:03:19] Yes. Thank you so much for having me on the show. It’s so timely because we are literally coming off the heels. Last night was the grand opening of our WOC House, which is a wellness center that we just opened for teens and women of color here in Valley Glen. And we provide counseling, we provide retreats, yoga classes, a menu of wellness services for women. And it’s targeted to women of color because we need safe spaces, I think, to come and process some of the unique challenges that we experience as women of color.

Tamika Lewis: [00:04:04] And these are some of the services that we bring to the corporate experience as well, whether it’s a workshop or working with employee resource groups to help offer just a place for folks to be able to process and talk about some of the challenges in their workplace.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:04:23] I think both of the services that you provide are very unique in this marketplace, and so I’d love to hear both of your journeys around how you came up with the concept, how you incorporated it into a business. Because it sounds like for both of you, this is really a passion, and I think our listeners would love to hear about how you turned such a passion that appears to be such a personal passion into a business. Michelle, can you [inaudible] that?

Michelle Beltran: [00:05:00] Yeah. It’s interesting how when I’m working with clients, I guide them to go back to what they were doing when they were 9, 10, or 11 years old because so often that’s what they’re doing in life now going forward. That’s where our passions really were and they don’t always though then evolve. So, I formerly raced a bicycle professionally, and a woman that I raced with at nine years old, for example, drew herself with an Olympic gold medal around her neck and went on to win several gold medals. So, that’s such an important time in life I always go back to.

Michelle Beltran: [00:05:38] And that was the same for me at that young age, as I mentioned earlier, I was just so intrigued with the mind and the power of our mind and accessing that. So, again, this passion has always been in life where I’ve noticed that people were coming to me for support. I worked as a probation officer for years, so I was offering supportive care in that field as well, in coaching, bike racing as well.

Michelle Beltran: [00:06:08] And then, though, in my 30s, I went through a time where just one thing after another was kind of falling apart. I was in a career change, relationship change, financial shift, move all at once. And as is often the case, those sorts of things in life, they rattle us from the core, and it certainly rattled me. And so, it made me go within and I started to think about what do I really want to do, how do I really want to show up in the world, how do I want to be perceived, what is my calling.

Michelle Beltran: [00:06:45] And that was the catapult for me into creating. I just put it all together. I put life together and I created this life coaching business and just never looked back, and then forth came the podcast and the book and clients. And, for me, it was nothing more rewarding than being able to help others find their own passions and callings. And so, for me, it was that pivotal time where I was sort of cracked open. But, you know, I think we need to be cracked open. The world needs to see us open. We go through tough times sometimes and it reshapes us. And so, that was the catalyst for my business launch.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:07:26] Tamika, what about you?

Tamika Lewis: [00:07:29] Yeah. I love that word, Michelle, catalyst, because it’s usually like some life event that creates the shift, that kind of sparks the shift. For me, it was the loss. I lost two very dear friends, college mates. They both passed from suicide. And these were women who were highly perfectionistic on the surface. And I think, you know, again, as women in business, entrepreneurs, we can understand what it’s like to feel like you have to go above and beyond and to kind of keep this presentation of functioning and perfectionism.

Tamika Lewis: [00:08:15] And I decided that I wanted to create a space for us to have this conversation about the disconnect between who we really are as women and who we’re presenting to the world and how can we find a way to integrate the two and live more honest easeful lives. And so, that was really the catalyst for me creating Women of Color Therapy. And it’s a proven concept because we’ve just grown. We opened in 2019 and we started with a team of two therapists, and now we’re a team of nine. So, I think I’m just so excited that our community is more and more responsive to seeking healing services and therapy. And it’s just we’re simply meeting the demand. That’s really kind of what’s happening, so it’s really exciting.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:09:13] And then, I’ve always been curious around what do you really feel is the secret sauce to your success?

Tamika Lewis: [00:09:29] That’s a really great question. And I think as leaders, a couple of mantras that I use or we use in our practice is being human first, leading with being human. And that means that before I’m the expert, I’m the therapist, I’m all the roles, I am simply human. And from that place, I think we’re able to forge authentic connections with clients because we’re just two women sitting across from each other, one who is in the role of the guide, sort of, but both being equally open to learning and growing together.

Tamika Lewis: [00:10:14] And I think that is the mark when we talk about culturally competent therapy, it is creating an open for someone else to be the expert on their life and to be able to offer information about what shapes them and to honor that their lived experience and wisdom and to invite that into the healing space.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:10:43] I like that response. I think as women, sometimes we shy away from that, and so I would love to hear from you, Michelle, what are some things that our audience can do to kind of step into that space fully?

Michelle Beltran: [00:11:01] Yeah. So, I feel like intention is so huge for me. And even without all the knowns of a business and the structure in place, which are very important for launching a business and such, just having that intention, that desire, that commitment, tapping into what your true calling is, and just what makes you grin ear to ear and do it, find that and do it. There’s things like commitment and tenacity and fortitude and being driven that are part of business launch and success as well. But I feel like these are things that are sort of embedded within. They aren’t things we put on. You know, it’s not an emotion that bursts out from us. They’re innate things that we pull forward in who we are that help us to create and build the business.

Michelle Beltran: [00:12:02] I would also say that one of the fundamental things I’ve always had in place with the business growth is continued learning and development. My own learning and my excitement about that and helping others and this topic, it’s just, as I’ve shared, such a passion, so I’m always giving to the continued growth for myself as well as a means to help those that I’m working with and for.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:12:32] Well, I think listening to you, one of the things that I’m struck by or one of the things that goes through my head is that failure is so scary and success sometimes you have to get through the failure, and I think that as women, we internalize so much. I’m curious from both of you what advice you have for women who are thinking about starting a business, who get paralyzed because of failure, and then suggestions on how they work through that failure?

Michelle Beltran: [00:13:09] Yeah. I feel like you have to be kind of queen of plan B, right? Because there have been many things in the business that I’ve started and didn’t quite go as I wanted, but that’s okay, plan B got shifted into place. And so, I’m not sure I would call it a failure. I would say they are opportunities that you stepped into and maybe didn’t quite go the way you wanted so now you just sort of redirect. So, I feel like there’s got to be somewhere in there where there’s a mindset of being able to put in plan B and redirect when you need to.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:13:52] Tamika, I see you nodding your head, so I’m excited to hear your thoughts.

Tamika Lewis: [00:13:57] This is very fresh topic for me around because, you know, in trying to raise the funding to get this house, it was challenging learning that when you talk about venture capitalists and investments and funding that’s available out there, it’s not readily available or given to women, especially women of color. And so, I learned a lot. The learning curve, there’s just so much that I immediately had to discover.

Tamika Lewis: [00:14:32] And one of them being organizations like WBENC because I realized, well, I need to move in circles among more women, more successful women. And it’s truly been those connections and then just keeping a circle of other strong ambitious women around me who set a bar, truly, and who allow me to see all of the struggle and some of the strides that I’ve had to go through. Some aspects of that is normal because that’s exactly what they’re doing. We’re all doing the same thing. We’re all operating at a similar frequency. So, I think as you’re growing, you want to be very mindful about who you’re surrounding yourself with and to what extent they are lending to all of the things that you need to be able to build and grow or detracting from that and being very discerning about that.

Tamika Lewis: [00:15:37] And I like what Michelle said, it’s just the reframe on failure. I am very eager to learn quickly what’s not going to work so that I can get on with the business of redirecting and finding the path that is going to work. So, I don’t even flinch anymore about, you know, doors closing. Actually, just show me the door that’s going to close so that I can get to the door that’s going to open.

Michelle Beltran: [00:16:04] Yeah. I love that. Can I add really quickly, too? In terms of funding and seed money, it’s so important to launch a business. But I didn’t start that way. I started with testimonials for my offering and I also had referrals from my teachers and educators, and then it just took off from there. So, seed money is important, but don’t let the fact that you don’t have money necessarily stop you. There are other means for that.

Michelle Beltran: [00:16:30] The other thing I would add is that you have got to stay seen in this business venture, and it can be a little scary, you know, getting yourself out there on social medias and networking and so forth. But it is so important to get seen. And I think a lot of entrepreneurs, maybe they would be so well served to create a budget or else make sure that, you know, blog writing, they’ve got a podcast, maybe they’re speaking or networking. They’re really getting out there and being visible because, you know, we have to work that angle. It doesn’t cost a lot of money. It’s just, again, that intention inside and that passion to just be known and be seen and share your message and just not be afraid to.

Michelle Beltran: [00:17:17] I would say that it’s scary. And if someone would have told me, you know, 15 years ago that I was going to be doing what I have, I might have said don’t sign me up, because to think then what I have done now in terms of authoring and speaking and so forth and various opportunities, it would have been a little scary. But I think that you come to these things when you’re ready. And so, let them find you and I think they come in time and seize the moment in terms of being visible with it.

Tamika Lewis: [00:17:48] I really love that. It reminded me like on those times when I did want to retreat and just disappear, you know, because there are those days where you’re like, “Oh, my God. This is not happening.” Let’s retreat and I want it to shut it down. And I just said, “Tamika, you have to keep moving. You have to stay in motion, even if it’s just a tiny, tiny move.” And that’s actually part of the title of a book that I’m working on, Tiny Moves. But if you can just stay in motion because then you can continue with the momentum and you feel like there’s forward movement.

Tamika Lewis: [00:18:28] But with that, there are times where silence and stillness are key. Because you also have to be able to tune in and listen to your own body wisdom and what it’s telling you, how it’s telling you to move. So, I think it was the balance of that. The tiny moves just keep going, but then not being afraid to sit in the silence and the stillness of hard thoughts and hard decisions so that my body could register and know the right thing to do.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:19:06] I love what you said about tiny movements, because I think at times people feel that it has to be this drastic big motion to have an impact, and that’s not always true. So, sometimes the biggest impact is the smallest things that you do. And I think as women, we tend to just want to make a splash because we feel like that’s going to have the biggest impact or the biggest momentum to where we want to go. So, I love how you said that. And then, just sitting still and letting some things come to you. So, I’m wondering if you have any advice on how to get to that point because we are always in motion. And if we’re not in motion, we feel like something’s wrong.

Tamika Lewis: [00:20:01] Well, listen, I am still working on that. Being able to just making a practice of sitting down, I think, some of the work that’s been helpful is the work of Tricia Hersey, who is the amazing thought leader behind The Nap Ministry and this movement, especially among black women to be able to rest, to be able to invite rest back into our daily language and how we move throughout our days or weeks. It is usually about overextending and hustling and overcompensating. But what about if we can just slow it all down and take a nap and rest on occasion so that our bodies, our nervous systems are not perpetually revved and anxious, but then we can actually find pockets of peace and space to be able to sit still.

Tamika Lewis: [00:21:10] So, I think that’s been a very important lesson for me to learn about. And a lot of what we’ve been talking with our own clients about, who all of us are quite similar, we’re all often powerhouse, ambitious women who want to do great things in the world, but we’re tired. We’re tired and we want to feel human and we want to feel held and we want to feel valued. So, how do we strike the balance among all of those desires and rest.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:21:47] And not feel guilty. Not feel guilty about resting.

Tamika Lewis: [00:21:50] Yeah, yeah.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:21:53] And so, I am probably one who always feels guilty when I’m resting. I feel like I always have to be constantly doing something. And so, I know I would love some advice on how not to feel guilty about resting. So, I’m going to take the stance that if I have that question, our audience has that question. So, what suggestions or thoughts do you have around that to help women not feel guilty when, you know, 2:00 in the afternoon, they’re overwhelmed and they need a nap?

Michelle Beltran: [00:22:27] Yeah. You know, I’d love to respond to that. I feel like your own personal quality rest time is non-negotiable. And everyone is going to have that time for themselves different – of course, for me it’s sport and athleticism – but it’s non-negotiable. And to me here’s why, I don’t feel like we can be 100 percent for those around us that we’re serving if we’re not 100 percent within first. So, I need to feel full and then come to the table, otherwise I’m giving you 70 or 80 percent.

Michelle Beltran: [00:23:04] So, I’ve just learned over the years that time is non-negotiable. And I made the mistake early on. I was working around the clock with clients coming in globally, and I was so driven that it was okay, but for a while it did come to a point where the measure became, is this sustainable? And I need to be able to do that, something that’s healthy and sustainable for the long term. And relationship was coming in and life changes with relationship and various things and family, so I had to strike that balance.

Michelle Beltran: [00:23:40] And for me, it just became making that quality time for myself as just a way of actually giving self-love and care. But, also, for me, the meditation, quieting the mind – I think we touched on that a little bit earlier – and just being in that quiet space is so valuable. And what’s so ironic is that when we really want to tap into that gut sense or that intuitive side of us that we all have, that subconscious self, the way to access that very easily and clearly and allow that in is in this kind of no thought space where we’re at ease and peace.

Michelle Beltran: [00:24:23] And we can call it meditation, but meditation can be achieved, runner’s high is a similar sort of meditation, a walk in the park, what have you. But definitely I would also support that quieting of the mind sort of space. I achieve that on my bicycle, so that helps me find that space and then I’m filled up to go forward.

Tamika Lewis: [00:24:51] I would add that let’s be flexible with what the idea of rest looks like. So, I think about my grandma, I called her Big Mama, and she would just sit in her chair and sway a little bit, sometimes she’d read scripture, sometimes she’d hum. And those were moments of rest for her, or maybe it’s a walk.

Tamika Lewis: [00:25:21] So, Dr. Pamela, I imagine you and many women, you think about resting, it means you have to stop, carve a time out of the day to do this thing called rest. When rest could be that you take a few extra steps in a walk to your car in the morning, or you do some things that allow the body to settle a little bit more, and for your mind, the thoughts to stop kind of racing.

Tamika Lewis: [00:25:53] And so, rest looks different for everyone. It’s same with meditation. It doesn’t mean sitting for 20 minutes and just being in thought. It could just be swaying or just folding other kind of creative somatic things into your day and that could be the beginning of it.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:26:16] I love that. So, to share a little bit about me, I used to belong to a drum circle, which I absolutely loved. That was probably one of the most relaxing things I did in my lifetime. And so, I love the whole thought of rethinking, rewiring, and really just figuring out what works for you in order for you to have that stillness or that relaxation time.

Tamika Lewis: [00:26:44] So, just a funny thing I love to do with my son is we play Bananagrams, and I think it’s such a silly random thing, but that’s rest for me because it’s play. I think that play is in that same cluster with rest and letting the body restore. And so, laughter and play I think are really key parts. Especially as women entrepreneurs, we can’t take it all so seriously. My therapist actually had me set an alarm on my phone that goes off and says at noon, “Girl, it’s not that serious.” And it’s a reminder in the day with all the things that feel so epic that it’s just all not that serious.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:27:35] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and you mentioned your son, and so children, elderly, animals, there’s such ease and no thought and fun and play in that space, so I appreciate that. I echo that as well. It’s just a place to just kind of just laugh. I feel like, you know, as we’ve all heard, laughter is kind of one of those best medicines. So trite, but so true, so true.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:05] Now, for the listener out there that’s never gone to see somebody kind of human to human, but maybe they read a lot, they listened to podcasts, but they’ve never actually gone and seen somebody to help them with whatever they’re struggling with, are there some symptoms or breadcrumbs that you’ve learned over the years that kind of are signals that, hey, maybe it’s time that you have to go and you’d be better served by seeing a human or having a relationship, like with a caregiver or provider like one of you. Michelle, you want to go first?

Michelle Beltran: [00:28:46] So, I find clients are usually coming in to visit and sit in session with me because they’re at a stuck juncture in life, and it could be career, it could be relationship, health. And so, they’re kind of in this lull. And maybe stuck isn’t even the best word. It’s more like a lull or a rest period or they’re spinning their wheels. So, I would say that if anyone’s feeling any of that spinning of the wheels, not knowing what’s next, those are all indicators.

Michelle Beltran: [00:29:21] Because we all know what that yes energy is about life and what we’re doing. And if we’re not feeling that, then we’re just at this space where, again, we’re spinning our wheels, we just need some support and direction. That’s not a bad thing at all. But that’s where it seems like clients will come in to me and we just sort of brainstorm and look at things in terms of planning ahead and such.

Michelle Beltran: [00:29:47] And by the way, I have had points in my life where I feel like I’m in this rest. And I know about myself that I just pay attention and kind of know what to look for personally. And so, I know that that knowing will come and it will feel like, yes, there it is. And if it’s not there, it’s okay. But sometimes it takes a year or two and we don’t always have time. But I would say if you’re feeling any of those emotions of spinning your wheels, that’s the time to invite someone into your circle and just see what’s there, and don’t be afraid to do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:30:36] Tamika?

Tamika Lewis: [00:30:37] I really like that question just because I think what I see happen is either the two extremes, the person that’s constantly over diagnosing themselves and kind of pathologizing everything. So, we like to say, instead of asking the question what’s wrong with me, ask the question what’s happened to me. Why does it make sense that I’m feeling x, Y, or Z? And then, the other extreme is those who minimize what they’re experiencing and just go far too long without reaching out for help.

Tamika Lewis: [00:31:15] So, another mantra that I live by is let nothing compromise your sanity or your sexy. And what that means is your sanity, your mental health, if there’s relationships, if there’s a job, if there’s any life circumstance that is impairing your mental wellness to a point where you’re not sleeping, you’re not eating, all the basics are being compromised, then it’s time. It’s time to try something different. And you’re sexy, how you show up in the world, how you feel, how you look. It’s the only thing that we can really control, our confidence.

Tamika Lewis: [00:31:53] If that’s starting to feel compromised, then it’s time for a shift. And I don’t know if that means reaching out to a therapist, or reaching out to an amazing coach, or reaching out to start doing some yoga, whatever the entry point is, there has to be some shakeup in what you’re doing because the current mode of operating isn’t working.

Lee Kantor: [00:32:19] Is there a story you can share that maybe kind of is the most rewarding – I don’t want to say success story, but maybe the most rewarding moment of your practice where you did make a difference? Obviously don’t name the name, but maybe share the challenge that they were having and how you were able to help them get to a new level. Tamika?

Tamika Lewis: [00:32:45] Yeah, sure. Yes, I think I’m still just reveling from last night, because in the audience, there were friends, there were family, there were clients. The person standing next to me co-hosting this event was a client who is now 27, 28, and I started with her when she was 16. And to watch the arc of transformation unfold in that way to where now I’ve watched her kind of evolve and go on to accomplish so many incredible things, and then for me to be able to reach out to her and ask her for her support, and for her to be fully equipped and just so well adjusted and ready to be able to do something like that and to stand next to me in front of almost a hundred women who are all seeking, for us to be able to do that, there was so much synergy and just beauty and the arc and witnessing the arc of healing happen right before our eyes. And I think it is the part of what we get to do is to be firsthand witnesses of that arc of transformation in people on a daily basis.

Michelle Beltran: [00:34:21] Nice. Yeah. So, I would add – gosh – so overall, I tend to work a lot with women who are in relationship. And there’s often a sense of losing who we are and our sense of autonomy and our personal power and what we’ve got going on in the world when it comes to relationships. So, from overall, generally, I just had a number of clients who I so appreciate seeing the shift of reclaiming that sense of autonomy and who they are and knowing that they create their happy within, not someone else. Sure, a partner might help us be happier, but at the end of the day, it’s who we are and feeling tree top tall and showing up that way in the world. And so, from a general perspective, I love to see that shift routinely among women and men that come into session with me.

Michelle Beltran: [00:35:22] And I want to go back to a specific example and this has been years ago that just came to mind, where I was in a session with someone, and it was a few sessions, and I don’t remember all the details, but when we were done, this person came back and said, “Thank you. Before this, I didn’t want to live. I just didn’t want to live.” And they said, “I want to live now.” And it gives me chills now even today to talk about it, to be walking alongside that person and help them make that shift, to know that life is just so full of opportunity and goodness. And so often it’s our our perspective about things or our beliefs or our thoughts we’re telling ourselves. So, that was long ago, but I’ve never forgotten it as a very meaningful session.

Lee Kantor: [00:36:20] Now, is there anything actionable somebody could do right now regarding their mental health if they are struggling today? Like what would be kind of a go-to first step for somebody that is struggling right now?

Tamika Lewis: [00:36:40] I would share personally when I was going through the roughest patch in my life coming out of my marriage, I was now facing single motherhood with two kids, and it was a really critical time for me. And I remember the first thing important for me to do was to sit down and create some kind of visual of every person that’s in my life who’s going to be on my team. And that was everyone. That was folks that were kind of the medical team, folks that were on the emergency babysitter team, parents, family. I think sometimes we forget who is actually in our orbit who’s there ready to help, and for whatever reason, we’re not reaching out.

Tamika Lewis: [00:37:42] And so, we can immediately grab a piece of paper and start to reflect and write down who is there for me right now, who is really there for me, and who can I, in this next hour, pick up the phone and call to just let them know what’s going on. Just to have the courage to be able to do that initial step is huge. And it’s a tiny move that will likely lead to the next layer of support and it will just build from there.

Michelle Beltran: [00:38:22] Yeah, nice. I would definitely echo that whole team dynamic for sure. And I think that ripples out in business as well. As I was sort of sitting and pondering today, one of the things I wanted to share was that don’t try to do it alone and create that team and those alliances. Particularly in business, when you’re not the expert at something, hire out, bring in that team and create those long term relationships with those folks. So, definitely, I would concur that the team around you, we’re not alone. We’re not alone in business. We’re not alone in life. We have that immediate resource around us.

Michelle Beltran: [00:39:05] Sometimes I do have clients who actually don’t have or feel like they have someone right there. And there’s the organizations out there that support counseling local, state, and otherwise, or depending on their various issues, so I will refer out organizations that are right there ready to help as well.

Michelle Beltran: [00:39:26] One of the things I did also, though, as I was coming out of this time where my world seemed like it was sort of tumbling in all these areas I mentioned earlier, the idea of actually therapy wasn’t something that came to me right away, but what did and I find actually it also is very meaningful for clients are books and learning and reading on your own. I’m a big fan of The Gottman Institute. They do great work on therapy and counseling. So, reading books and learning about what’s happening.

Michelle Beltran: [00:39:59] I work with a lot of people who are grieving through loss, and they just don’t understand that they’re grieving. And there’s actually steps in this process of loss. And once they understand that, they say, “Oh, okay. Here’s what I’m going through.” And that’s helpful for a lot of people to just know what’s happening. It’s much less scary for them.

Lee Kantor: [00:40:19] Now, you mentioned books, and, Michelle, you are an author of a book, and, Tamika, you said you’re in the process of writing a book, why don’t we start with Michelle, can you share maybe some lessons about the process of writing a book that you’ve learned from going through that, and maybe that’ll help Tamika, but also explain why that was an important decision to invest that much time and energy to author a book.

Michelle Beltran: [00:40:47] So, it was a combination of clients coming forward asking for development tools to learn more about their intuition and their spiritual self and how to grow in that aspect. And, also, a lot of writings that I had created and just started putting together and passion and so it all went into the mix. And here came this book about tapping into that resource, that internal knowing that we do have to guide us. I would say that definitely it’s an investment in time. I had to redirect a couple times in there.

Michelle Beltran: [00:41:33] I didn’t do this alone. I had a team, for sure. A book will take a village. So, I had editors working with me, designers. And so, definitely it was not something that was a solo thing. I don’t really feel like there were necessarily mistakes, but I would say it takes a village, take your time.

Michelle Beltran: [00:41:57] And, personally, I didn’t do a mainstream publisher. I worked with a private publishing. And for me, that worked. The next book will be probably through more mainstream. So, it’s definitely a journey, but it will push you and it will help you grow. It certainly did me.

Tamika Lewis: [00:42:28] Michelle, I’m curious, like, how did you stay disciplined just with you know just the follow through.

Michelle Beltran: [00:42:35] The follow through, you know, it was just a passion to get that book published and get it out there. And by the way, I published it and I just put it out on my podcast. It was never about money. Because sometimes I think people do think that when they publish a book, lots of money is going to come in, and that is a possibility. But it also takes time and effort and expense and advertising. I just decided to put my book on my podcast and offer it as free material to those coming in wanting to know more about this because I was so passionate about this topic.

Tamika Lewis: [00:43:16] I’ve heard that as well, I mean, it’s not about making money around the book. The book is your platform. And it’s like [inaudible].

Michelle Beltran: [00:43:29] Yeah. You end up teaching it. Yeah. You definitely you end up teaching it, for sure.

Tamika Lewis: [00:43:36] Well, I started my book in 2020, if you can believe it, or 2021, and I’m still working on it. And I think it’s because at some point and the story behind the WOC House is I went on a plant medicine journey in Peru a couple years ago and I felt a calling. Because it was so beautiful to do all the healing that we did in the garden and outside and in the Sacred Valley and I felt this calling to come back and bring that experience to our clients. And then, it all lined up with a friend of mine who was selling his house, who ended up selling me the house way below market value. Doors were just opening and aligning for me to answer the call for me to do this house and that just took over. So, I sort of had to pour everything into building that.

Tamika Lewis: [00:44:33] And now I feel like that’s done and it’s time for me to come back to the book. And I think what’s challenging and what I’m learning is it comes back to sitting with yourself, just being with yourself. Because that can be a scary thing when you’re writing a book, especially when you’re sharing about your life, is you got to sit in all this stuff and be with all the things, and actually move through it again and talk about it. And so, I think I’m excited to get back to it.

Tamika Lewis: [00:45:10] It’s tiny moves and the defining moments that change us. And it’s a collection of stories of other women who, because of a tiny move or those sliding door moments when they made a choice, a choice that at the time it could have been small, it could have felt big, but it changed the trajectory of their entire life. And for me, that was when I made the choice to go it alone and leave my marriage, and in a succession of other choices. But I’m excited to celebrate the stories of other women and to continue finishing out my own story. But it definitely requires discipline and the ability to be with yourself and to make time for that.

Michelle Beltran: [00:46:00] Yeah. But let it be fun. Let it be fun. And let it find you. Because we are those driven women and we just want to push and rush and get her done. But I think the magic is in space to let it create, and I think you probably know that. But anyway, I’m excited to know more and read it.

Michelle Beltran: [00:46:26] One of the things for me is I thought, Well, who’s going to want to read my book? Really? You want to you want to know my story and my journey? And people do. They really do. They want to know who you are, and I realized that fairly early on. And so, it’s the epitome of putting yourself out there. But it’s beautiful. Beautiful. Find that. Yeah.

Tamika Lewis: [00:46:50] Right. You tell people you’re going to do something, I think that’s that’s maybe a tip, right? If you’ve been sitting on an idea, as soon as you declare it and you tell someone that this is coming, then folks around you, they hold you accountable. They want to know. They want to see it. So, I always say, don’t wait. Set a date. Just set a date for the event or set a launch date or whatever it is, because then you have to deliver.

Lee Kantor: [00:47:22] So, Tamika, if somebody wants to learn more about your practice, what is the coordinates, website, social media?

Tamika Lewis: [00:47:29] Yes. You can visit us at W-O-C-Therapy, woctherapy.com, and you’ll learn more about all of our services, you can watch a video where you can see the new WOC Wellness Center. You can also follow us on Instagram, @woctherapy or @wochouse.

Lee Kantor: [00:47:51] Michelle?

Michelle Beltran: [00:47:53] Yes. And so, I’m at michellebeltran.com and all my services are there, the book is available there. I teach intuitive development and offer sessions, of course. And I’m excited to share, I recently launched a Body Mind page at the website, which integrates health and wellness with our intuitive development and tapping into that inner source we have through our senses. And so, that’s a program, the Body Mind page at michellebeltran.com. I invite everyone to come take a look at as well. The focus is on mental mindset performance coaching and so I think that might be an interesting place for listeners to go visit.

Lee Kantor: [00:48:40] Dr. Pam?

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:48:42] Yeah. Great episode. I want to thank you both for joining us today. And I think my biggest takeaway was that it’s okay to sit still and it’s okay to take a break. And whatever that break or moment of rest looks like for you, it’s your moment and you should embrace it and enjoy it and just be okay with it. So, I appreciate your wisdom and just your willingness to share who you are and what you do with us today, so thank you.

Tamika Lewis: [00:49:21] Thank you. Thank you for this space. It’s just more of what we love, so thank you.

Michelle Beltran: [00:49:29] Thank you. Thank you. Yes, Dr. Pam. Appreciate it. Wonderful time.

Dr. Pamela Williamson: [00:49:34] And, Lee. any last words?

Lee Kantor: [00:49:36] No. I think that’s a wrap. Thank you both again for sharing your story. You’re both doing important work and we appreciate you. This is Lee Kantor for Dr. Pamela Williamson. We will see you all next time on Women In Motion.