March 29, 2026

Success Isn’t Accidental: How Positioning, Access & Visibility Shape Your Career with Elaine Walker

Success Isn’t Accidental: How Positioning, Access & Visibility Shape Your Career with Elaine Walker

Give us feedback,suggestion or make a request Why do so many capable, hardworking people still miss out on the opportunities they deserve? In this episode of the Career Labs Podcast, we unpack a powerful truth: success isn’t accidental—it’s intentional, positioned, and strategically built. Joined by Elaine Cunningham-Walker, a globally recognised education strategist and founder of Everything’s Education, we go beyond surface-level career advice to explore what really drives success in today’...

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Season 6

Give us feedback,suggestion or make a request

Why do so many capable, hardworking people still miss out on the opportunities they deserve?

In this episode of the Career Labs Podcast, we unpack a powerful truth: success isn’t accidental—it’s intentional, positioned, and strategically built.

Joined by Elaine Cunningham-Walker, a globally recognised education strategist and founder of Everything’s Education, we go beyond surface-level career advice to explore what really drives success in today’s world.

This conversation challenges the idea that hard work alone is enough. Instead, we dive into the critical role of access, positioning, perception, and intentional action in shaping your career trajectory.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

  • Why performance alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity
  • The hidden role of access and networks in career progression
  • How to position yourself strategically in the rooms that matter
  • What it really takes to build credibility and influence
  • The importance of consistency between your personal brand and real-life presence
  • Why success must be designed—not left to chance

🚀 Key Insight:

Most people are working hard… but playing a game they don’t fully understand.

This episode will help you see the game clearly—and start playing it intentionally.

This episode is sponsored by MyCareerLabs

Support the show

00:00 - Why Opportunity Is Not Fair

02:10 - Imposter Syndrome And Self Grace

04:45 - Turning Chaos Into A Plan

07:58 - Access Starts With Reading Rooms

12:30 - Why Adults Stop Being Strategic

14:38 - Credibility Is Integrity Plus Delivery

18:19 - Africa Is Not One Market

21:22 - Reinvention Through Loss And Recovery

27:51 - Brand Mistakes That Quietly Block You

30:34 - Networks Merit And The Gatekeeping Trap

33:53 - The First 90 Day Access Play

36:46 - What Elite Parents Do Differently

39:20 - Protect The Assignment And Your Inputs

49:30 - Find Your Why And Where To Connect

WEBVTT

00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:26.960
I've been thinking a lot recently about why so many people, good people, capable people, don't get the opportunities they deserve.

00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:37.600
And it's not because they're lazy, it's not because they are underperforming, and definitely not because they lack ambition, but because they're playing a game they don't understand.

00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:45.039
A game where access matters, where positioning matters, where perception often matters just as much as performance.

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And now here's where it's interesting.

00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:50.320
When it comes to our children, we don't leave things to chance.

00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:59.679
We research schools, we build strategies, we invest time, energy, resources because we understand that their future needs to be engineered, not hoped for.

00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:02.479
But when it comes to our own careers, we improvise.

00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:17.680
And that's why I'm really looking forward to today's conversation because today's guests operate at the intersection of access, strategy, and intentional positioning, not just for individuals, but across institutions, countries, and entire ecosystems.

00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:29.920
Elaine Walker is a forward-featured multi-award-winning education strategist and the founder of Everything's Education, an organization that has impacted millions globally.

00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:45.760
She works with some of the world's most prestigious institutions, from lots of group universities to leading independent schools, helping them attract, nurture, and retain exceptional talent, particularly from underrepresented communities.

00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.879
But beyond the accolades, what really stands out is how she thinks.

00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.200
This is someone who understands that success is not accidental.

00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:57.200
It's designed, it's positioned, and it's built deliberately.

00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:00.560
So today we're going to unpack what that actually means.

00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:06.799
Not just for education, but for your career, your growth, and how you show up in the rooms that matter.

00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.439
Elaine, welcome to Career Labs.

00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:12.479
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for having me, Femi.

00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:17.360
And as you were you were introducing me, I was thinking, wow, I need to meet this person.

00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:18.000
You know what?

00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:28.240
Before I go into the question, that happens a lot where sometimes I was listening, I watch sports a lot and I was watching this interview of Coco Goff, the American tennis player.

00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:33.520
And she said sometimes she looks back at her career herself as she has this imposter syndrome.

00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:39.680
And when people are reading of her achievements before she starts a tennis match, she goes, Who achieved that?

00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:40.879
Who achieved all of that?

00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.520
Is that me?

00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:47.840
And I imagine in a lot of people you meet and yourself, sometimes you take a step back and you go, Did I do all of that?

00:02:48.080 --> 00:03:03.759
Yes, and I think sometimes our family, our community almost belittle what we do, and that for somebody to reiterate what you've done, you can say, actually, I've got every right to put my chest up high because I did that.

00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:05.360
Nobody else is doing that.

00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:09.199
And I think that we don't give ourselves enough grace at the time.

00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:09.919
We don't.

00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:15.439
We often downplay ourselves so that people don't feel intimidated.

00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:16.800
But it is what it is.

00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:17.439
I did it.

00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:18.319
These are the fruits.

00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.879
These are, as the young people would say, these are the receipts.

00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:21.599
I did it.

00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:22.080
Yes.

00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:27.520
And it's one of those we don't we measure, we don't meet, we keep measuring ourselves by ourselves.

00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.080
We keep looking at others and you don't know everyone else's story.

00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:36.719
You don't know where they came from, you don't know their background, you don't know their starting point.

00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:46.319
So we look at everyone else's finish point, we don't look at their starting point because it's all relative, and you don't realize that to have come from the background you've come to to get to where you are.

00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:51.039
It may not be Jeff Bezos or Ilion Moss, but it's a huge achievement for you.

00:03:51.280 --> 00:04:02.400
But you keep looking at this other person, and we don't all start at the same place, so we should give ourselves a bit more grace and sometimes just take a step back and look at how much you've done and congratulate yourself.

00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:06.319
Yeah, I think you're, you know, I know before we move on to other things, that's so true.

00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:26.399
I was having lunch with a group of friends yesterday, and one particular friend said to me, She can't believe that she's at the table talking about trusts and where to put her wealth because she came from drinking Lambrini in the park where bailiffs were coming to her house because her mum wasn't paying the bills or couldn't make ends meet.

00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.920
So now she's talking about trusts and where to put her wealth.

00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.120
She said, Wow, I have really come a long way.

00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:39.839
And she's sitting and she's we were having lunch at the ivy, she's sitting in the ivy, like that was non-existent.

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But you know, God places us in positions where we can be an influence and we can have access.

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So we thank God for that.

00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:46.399
Yeah.

00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.920
And that takes me to my very first part of this podcast.

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So you said something there that I think is really important.

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This idea that success isn't random, it's built.

00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:04.639
Let's go deeper into that because I think a lot of people hear positioning but don't understand what that really looks like in practice.

00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:06.720
Tell us a bit more about that.

00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:12.399
I think with success, people equate success to how many letters you've got after your name.

00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:16.560
And success can look very different for different people, right?

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A success could be that I'm not I'm in a different space from where I was yesterday.

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That's success.

00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:24.319
That's progression.

00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:29.680
And so I think what you have to do is, like you rightly said, success is intentional.

00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:38.800
What they are the intentional habits that you are building on every single day to be that version that you wrote down about yourself.

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You know, the scripture tells us to write the vision down.

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What have you written about yourself?

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Who do you want to be?

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Because that comes with a plan.

00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:55.839
And you cannot tell me, people say, oh, you know, I I'm a Christian, I believe in Allah, and you know, that you know, things just happened.

00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.639
No, nothing in those scriptures just happened.

00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.959
There was a clear and distinct plan.

00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:06.319
God knew that Adam was going to mess up, so that's why he brought Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:08.879
He knew that there was going to be this and there was going to be that.

00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:10.959
That's why he had to raise him from the grave.

00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.639
Like, you cannot tell me that this God never had a plan.

00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.879
Right from the beginning, there was a plan.

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When the world was in chaos, and I don't want to turn this into a preaching segment, but when the world was in chaos, he said, let there be light.

00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:26.480
He put things in order.

00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.959
And a lot of times, people want to create success from chaos.

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It is impossible.

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Put yourself together and ask yourself what are the three things that I need to work on to get myself right in the next 90 days to position myself for the next thing that I want to happen in my life.

00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:46.959
That is so true.

00:06:47.199 --> 00:07:01.120
And I know we weren't going to make this a preacher session, and but I was going to just pivot quickly and say, I think one of the challenges as well is you get lots of church leaders who they preach a lot, but sometimes they don't let people understand.

00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.720
These are some of the most driven individuals you would meet.

00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:06.720
They are organized behind the scenes.

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Sometimes you get the sense that they they preach a lot, but they don't help people realize there is some serious planning and intentionality they go in to grow their ministries and their churches.

00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.600
So people look at it and go, oh, they pray a lot.

00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.120
They do all of this a lot, but they also work hard and have a strategy as well.

00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:24.959
They also do marketing.

00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:26.560
Church is a business.

00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.160
Church is a business, it's an organization full of people.

00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.680
You must understand how to do organizational structure.

00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:42.879
You must understand how to have a vision and a mission in your like we pray a lot, yes, but we must also be practical in ministry.

00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:43.600
Yeah.

00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:55.120
So I get really not frustrated, but I get really worried when I see a church leader who emphasizes on the spirituality and not on the practicality of your walk with Christ.

00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:56.240
Yeah, so much.

00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:57.120
That's so true.

00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:58.000
That's so true.

00:07:58.160 --> 00:07:58.639
Yeah, that is.

00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:04.879
So coming back, what you're sort of describing here is starting to touch on something bigger, which is access.

00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:08.319
Because I want to talk about access, because I know this is something you're passionate about.

00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:13.360
Because for many people, it's not just about what they know, it's about what they're exposed to.

00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:14.720
So let's talk about that.

00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:20.240
What are the rules of this game of life when it comes to access that most people don't see?

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Because a lot of people like to think I just work hard, but access is just as important.

00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.319
Yeah, I think more.

00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:37.039
I think it's really important to understand who's around you and understand this stage that we're on called life and what you're trying to achieve.

00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:51.519
And sometimes access it means that you have to position yourself in a particular way, and that doesn't mean showing up fake, it means understanding the access that you're trying to get into and position.

00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:52.879
Let me give you an example.

00:08:53.039 --> 00:09:08.960
Um, I had a client who had a child with dreadlocks, and the dreadlocks were not neat, and I don't have a problem with you having dreadlocks, but I have a problem with you not keeping it neat.

00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:15.120
Now, if you want to go into certain rooms, you can you won't lose your identity.

00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:17.759
You can still have the dreadlocks, but let it look neat.

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Walk in with your dreadlocks, but it's all plattered down in a way that they go, Oh my gosh, your hair looks so stunning, rather than the hair looks interesting.

00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:35.519
Now, we know that when somebody says your hair looks interesting from a particular demographic, it doesn't mean it looks interesting, it means it's a hotness.

00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:41.679
And I I think we also need to understand the colloquialisms that are happening in those demographics.

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And sometimes we don't know how to read the ring, and we it's something that must be learnt and must be studied.

00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.039
Um and and and and that's how we get access.

00:09:51.279 --> 00:10:00.159
And sometimes, you know, I walk onto certain calls and people expect me to their presumption is I will behave a particular way, but I don't.

00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.279
They're confused.

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That's what we're here to do.

00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:07.759
We're here to disrupt the narrative because I'm not going to behave how you're expecting me to behave.

00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.759
I have had the same exposure as you, and you're going to see that show up.

00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.840
And there's nothing wrong with the exposure, it's what you do with the exposure that matters.

00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:16.320
Yeah.

00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:16.799
Yeah.

00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:21.200
So it feels like part of what you're also saying here is you've got to be present.

00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.679
You've got to be aware, read the room.

00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.919
When you're in a room, you've got to be able to read the room.

00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:43.440
So how you show up to the room, and just as important is reading the dynamics in the room, the non-verbal and the verbal communications going on to make it clear that you're not just a passenger in these engagements, you're hearing and you're listening visually and audibly as well.

00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:45.039
Absolutely, absolutely.

00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:59.519
I think that a lot of times we fail to see the subliminal messages, so the non-verbal messages, in the fact that somebody could be saying something with their lip but actually meaning something very different.

00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:08.159
You know, the Bible speaks about um your heart, your your words say a lot of things, but your heart is very far from me.

00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:18.639
So a lot of times you can see the condition of people's hearts in things that they say, but also in the way that they structure their face, the way that they move towards you.

00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.000
It's real so important.

00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:30.000
And so I found myself being very quiet in rooms just because I want to study people, and sometimes I don't even say who I am, just to see how people will react.

00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:35.200
And then I then I put my accolades on the table, and they're just like, Oh, you know, that's interesting.

00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:37.919
And I want us to go back to what you were talking about access.

00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:51.679
So I was on LinkedIn recently, and uh there's a lady who's reached out to me a couple of times, and she has set up an organization that gives access, well, wants to champion access or advocate for access.

00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:57.679
I looked at the board, slightly confused, because there was nobody that looked like us on there.

00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.519
If I want to be really candid, I'll say there was nobody black on the board.

00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:11.440
And I'm thinking, how can you be championing access when you have nobody who's got a lived experience of being denied access to be able to champion access on there?

00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:18.399
That's so weird to me, you know, because people want to jump on a certain narrative, but they don't really understand what they're talking about.

00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:19.120
But yeah.

00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:27.120
So and this comes back to saying it and doing it and your actions backing up what you say as well.

00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:30.320
Absolutely, absolutely, totally agree with that.

00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:30.720
Yeah.

00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:46.720
And this is where I thought so there was something you said that showed me that when you said in the room, you you listen and then you put your accolades on the table, which tells me that you can be quite you're very strategic in you're very thoughtful, um, if I use that word.

00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:54.879
And I find it interesting because when it and this I'm gonna sort of bring it back a bit, when it comes to children, parents are incredibly intentional, strategic.

00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.720
We try to be strategic, we try to be focused.

00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:03.519
But when it comes to our own careers, we're not as intentional to that self-same level of thinking.

00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.240
Why do you think that is sort of in your you know experience?

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:12.960
Because a lot of us are we try to be ex for our kids, we try to be really strategic, but on ourselves sometimes we're not as strategic with our careers.

00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.399
And I know you're someone who's quite strategic in everything you do.

00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:23.039
I think that's because of where some people are coming from, they feel like it's too late for them.

00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:25.120
But I don't believe it's ever too late.

00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:26.639
I don't believe it's ever too late.

00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.720
They think that's too late for them, so they're gonna concentrate on the next generation.

00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:39.919
But if you are not, if you're not the example that the next generation can look at and say, I want to be like you and better, then what are we doing here?

00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:51.200
It's okay for the children, it makes sense for the children to see you as your best self, but also understand that they're meant to build on your foundation to take it to the next level.

00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:58.799
It's almost not fair, but it just doesn't make sense for you to be completely disconnected on strategic and expect the children to go from a zero to a hundred.

00:13:59.120 --> 00:13:59.679
It doesn't make sense.

00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.200
Children do as we do, not as we say.

00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:04.720
So what are they seeing you doing?

00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:07.759
I had a parent tell me that a daughter doesn't like reading.

00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.360
And I said, Do you like reading?

00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:10.399
And the mum said no.

00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.840
I said, Therein lies the problem.

00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:15.440
Daughter doesn't see you reading, you don't have a good attitude to reading.

00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:16.080
Why should she?

00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:16.720
You don't?

00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.519
Why should she?

00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:18.559
Because she has to.

00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:20.720
I said, and so you never had to?

00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:22.399
It's weird.

00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:23.759
Or even have to.

00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:24.159
Yeah.

00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:26.639
Because we should all be reading, yeah.

00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.960
She said, she reads when she has to.

00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.919
And I said, okay, we need to do a whole 360 on your mind towards reading.

00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:38.080
When you can do that, then you can talk to your daughter about wanting to read.

00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.600
Yeah, yes, absolutely.

00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:41.600
So let's pivot for a bit.

00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:46.240
You're operating in rooms with institutions, decision makers, leaders.

00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.799
And I think for a lot of our listeners, these environments can feel distant.

00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.480
Let's make it practical.

00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:58.879
What does it actually take to build credibility and influence at that level or any level?

00:14:59.039 --> 00:14:59.759
What does it take?

00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.360
Oh, that's a good question.

00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:02.320
What does it take?

00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.799
I think it takes integrity, it takes being a doer of your words.

00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:10.559
So a lot of people have seen me do things that how did you get that done?

00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:11.679
I don't worry about that.

00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:14.000
I've got a little black book that works for me.

00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:25.919
And I think when they see that you're also a person of influence, it's quite easy for them to bring you in the circle because I'm I'm not coming from a place of bragging, it just is what it is.

00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:26.960
Yeah.

00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:37.200
And so when they see that, they've never seen that in a person of colour before, unless you have been given a job title and you have studied to show yourself approved.

00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:42.000
But hey, how about you want to meet the first lady of this country?

00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:44.159
Okay, let me get that sorted for you.

00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.080
That's not just done by anybody.

00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:49.120
You want to meet this king and it's done for you.

00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:50.559
How did you get that sorted?

00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.840
Don't worry your head about that.

00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:52.960
I got it sorted.

00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.720
And so that has become that's where I've built my brand.

00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:07.120
And that a lot of people come to me because if you want to go into Africa and you want to mix with the black demographic and you want to know how to speak to them, she's your woman.

00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:10.960
And I know there's a lot of people trying to do what I do, but they don't do what I do.

00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:11.679
It's okay.

00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:13.600
I see them on socials all the time.

00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:18.320
Some of you say that I'm doing private one-to-ones, I'm onboarding the family.

00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.000
And and I'm saying, even what you're saying doesn't make sense, but that's okay.

00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:23.679
You do you and I'll do me.

00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.480
Mel Robin says, let them and let you.

00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:27.039
Let them.

00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.879
Whatever they want to do, they should do.

00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:33.039
But there is a unique assignment that God has given me that I need to walk into.

00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:37.440
If I start to look at them, I get distracted from the assignment.

00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.480
That's so true.

00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:39.120
That's true.

00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:41.200
It's uh it's that intentionality, isn't it?

00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.799
And being and being clear on your purpose, isn't it?

00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:45.919
Absolutely.

00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.519
And I think a lot of people are not.

00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:57.919
I was speaking to somebody this morning and she said, you know, there's so many people who are just haters, and I said, they're they're haters because they've not understood the assignment that has been given to them.

00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:04.480
You only become a hater and you see that other people are doing better than me because you've not understood what you're meant to be doing.

00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:09.759
When your eyes are fixed and focused, you don't have time to be looking at what anybody else is doing.

00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.200
They become distractions, they're just distractions.

00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.160
Exactly that.

00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:15.680
Exactly that.

00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:21.440
And the same goes in some way, even for those who are chairing and celebrating you.

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:25.759
It's okay to acknowledge them as well, but even them as well, it's like a runner.

00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.279
You don't see a runner stop in the middle of the run, start high-fiving everyone.

00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:31.920
They're focused and they're pressing on towards the mark.

00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:33.359
You have to press on.

00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:40.799
And the haters and the celebrators, you're the man or the woman in the arena, and you're the one who has to press towards the mark, isn't it?

00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:41.759
That's so true.

00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:42.559
That's so true.

00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:45.519
So I will continue to press on to the mark.

00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.640
They can high-five everybody when they've gone past the finish line.

00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:49.279
Absolutely.

00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.720
It's like the story of the hare and the tortoise that just came to mind.

00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.920
You know, the hare was busy doing all kinds of jokes.

00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:03.119
The tortoise was just gradually going, gradually going, gradually going, fixed on the assignment, which was to finish the race.

00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:09.200
And before the hare knew it, the tortoise was miles ahead of him, and he couldn't make up the time.

00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:13.519
And that's a lot of a lot of people are busy looking at what everybody else is doing.

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.559
Focus on you, as I say.

00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:18.400
Focus on you, do you?

00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:18.880
Yeah.

00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:20.079
Yeah, absolutely.

00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:28.079
So you've also been very intentional about how you sort of position Africa, not just as a place, but as a narrative in your story and your goal.

00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:36.720
And I think this is where it starts to get more interesting is a lot of people are still thinking locally, but the opportunities are global for all of us, isn't it?

00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.680
Do you know what?

00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:41.519
I was on a call the other day, and this person was like, Oh my god, I'm going to Africa.

00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.559
I'm like, okay, there are 55 countries in Africa.

00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:46.880
What we're not going to do is treat us as a monli.

00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:51.119
And if you're somebody who follows me on LinkedIn, I talk about this all the time.

00:18:51.359 --> 00:19:02.640
I was on a Zoom with a headmaster who used to be head of geography in his school, and then he's talking to me like, oh yeah, but Africa is just like the north and the south of China.

00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:03.680
No, it isn't.

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.079
China's a country, Africa is a continent.

00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:07.359
Big difference.

00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:18.000
So if you want to do business with Africa, you're doing business with 55 individual countries or have their own dialect or have their own currency or have the way they do business.

00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.720
And so you cannot tell me that there's no way to make money.

00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:23.039
Yeah.

00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:27.599
The way to make money in Africa is to find a solution to a problem.

00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:28.799
You made your money.

00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:30.720
Because there's so many problems there.

00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:31.839
Find a solution.

00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:41.680
And I know people that are getting wealthy from little basic things like somebody will how to make a proper um reusable plastic bottle.

00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:43.279
And I'm like, huh?

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:44.880
But that is a thing.

00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:46.480
They've made their money out of it.

00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:49.039
There's a lady I know who's known as the water lady.

00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:50.640
Why is she known as the water lady?

00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:56.720
Because everybody was drinking water out of bags, and now everybody's drinking them out of bottles with proper labelling.

00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.640
Find a problem and provide a solution, and people will pay you for it.

00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:06.079
That's all it sounds simple, but that's pretty much business, isn't it?

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:07.599
That's pretty much business.

00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:10.400
And people sometimes overcomplicate business.

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:14.240
And people come to me, they've got and I'm like, okay, so what's your ask?

00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:15.599
And is all these things?

00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:17.920
And I'm like, okay, what are you trying to achieve?

00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:26.799
And I'm what you're the reason why Amazon was put in place was because there was no logistics company that could take books from A to B.

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.480
That's why Amazon started.

00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:33.200
Facebook, there was no way of connecting your friends and your families digitally.

00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:34.559
That's how they started.

00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:40.480
WhatsApp, there was no way of sending text messages that you were paying for, that you weren't paying for.

00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:49.839
Really simple ideologies, and yet you're out here making your business as complex as possible to the point where you don't even understand what you're doing.

00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.960
That's why I changed part way I changed my business model.

00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.079
I was like, we offer this, we offer this, we offer this.

00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:59.920
And I'm like, the reason why nobody's signing up is because you've got too many choices.

00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.880
Break it down into three things spot analysis, hourly rate, or monthly retainer.

00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:06.240
Which one is it gonna be?

00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.559
And then people go, Oh, so what can you do for me?

00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:10.160
We do whatever you need us to do.

00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:18.079
You don't go to a law firm and say, Oh, I've got to do this, this you pay a retainer and then whatever your problem is, they solve it for you.

00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:18.960
Absolutely.

00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:19.839
Absolutely.

00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.839
It's it's not rocket science.

00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.039
Yeah, absolutely.

00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:24.319
May you put it that way.

00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:33.200
So behind all this, there's also a personal journey for you because no one arrives here without moments of uncertainty, challenge, or reinvention.

00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:35.759
Was there a point for you in all of this?

00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:38.400
Because everything's like you're all put together, you're displaced.

00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:42.640
Was there a point where things were not so clear and you had to get here?

00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:44.400
There's been quite a few points.

00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:53.200
I think one of the first points is when I decided that I didn't want to go down the conventional route.

00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:58.480
Um, you know, I got into dentistry and I moved from dentistry to chemistry with management.

00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:03.920
Then I said I was gonna be in a Accountant started doing that, and I was like, this is not what I want to do.

00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:09.839
Went through a divorce, and that's when the education came up because I started to see statistics.

00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:12.079
Single black woman raising two black boys.

00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:13.279
What does that look like?

00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:15.440
Went on to do what I did with that.

00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:28.400
And then um I think what was a real pivotal moment in my life a couple of years ago was losing so many people in such a short space of time.

00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:36.720
And yes, we had COVID, but that was COVID, and I lost in the year 2021, I lost my really good cousin.

00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:38.960
Then I thought, you know, I'm okay.

00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:55.599
And then five months later I lost my gran, five weeks later I lost my mum, and then went to bury my gran, and my grandfather died five days later, and and then another cousin who loved dearly was in a freak accident and died on the spot.

00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:56.559
That was a lot.

00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:58.079
That was a lot.

00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:00.640
And I thought, you know, I'm just coming out of that.

00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:13.440
Went on a health journey, went from a size 22 to a size 10, and then um was involved in a car accident, and that shook me, shook my faith, shook my ability to be there.

00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:20.079
I went from walking, running to not being able to do anything, and that made me really look at life differently.

00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:27.359
Even now I'm still in rehab, and I know God is I'm gonna get back to walking, being a better version of who I was before.

00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:29.680
I'm even beginning to see it now.

00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:43.359
But that really shook me, and what that allowed me to do was to see who was around me, to see the condition of people's hearts, people's mind towards me, and where God was taking my business.

00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:49.039
And I always thought I was gonna be like this, but then God was calling me in two separate directions.

00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:59.920
And one of the directions I told God I never want to go in that direction, which was to mentor women and to gather women because women are a lot, they are a lot.

00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:03.200
I'm a woman, I know we can be a lot, okay?

00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:07.680
But yeah, that allowed me to see the condition of people's hearts.

00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:17.839
That changed a lot about me, you know, and I've learned a lot, and it's it's made me look at things differently, and I I'm even more intentional now than I was before.

00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:20.000
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:25.200
Those those moments that just make you realize that you can't take anything for granted.

00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:26.160
You can't.

00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:50.019
And that's when I realized that you know, and a lot of things have gone on that I've just like I never want to rely on anybody, I just want to rely on God and then rely on the empire that I've built.

00:25:50.179 --> 00:25:51.380
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

00:25:51.780 --> 00:25:58.500
It's it's your faith and and your God, your faith and the pa and the power he has put within you.

00:25:58.739 --> 00:25:59.059
Yeah.

00:25:59.219 --> 00:26:04.739
You know, the Bible says some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord.

00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:08.340
Literally, that scripture has been so real to me.

00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:08.820
Okay.

00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:16.179
So literally, that scripture has been so real to me and so prevalent that we shall trust in the name of the Lord.

00:26:16.260 --> 00:26:21.539
And it there's another scripture that says, they that that know their God shall do exploits.

00:26:21.699 --> 00:26:26.980
And so you say you're a believer, but you're not doing exploits, I don't understand.

00:26:27.139 --> 00:26:28.659
Yeah, there's a disconnect.

00:26:28.820 --> 00:26:30.019
There's a disconnect.

00:26:30.260 --> 00:26:31.059
Yeah, yeah.

00:26:31.300 --> 00:26:41.699
So just to come back a bit to also positioning, so success is a lot about competence, but sometimes it's about how you're perceived and how you present yourselves.

00:26:41.860 --> 00:26:51.139
What are some subt subtle mistakes people make that can sometimes disquietly disqualify them when they're actually quite capable?

00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:55.219
I think that the art of not using social media properly as well.

00:26:55.380 --> 00:27:01.860
So they will present themselves with one thing on social media and you meet them in real life, and you're like, this isn't the person that I thought.

00:27:02.340 --> 00:27:02.900
Not rhyming.

00:27:03.139 --> 00:27:04.820
It's not rhyming, yeah.

00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:13.380
And then also thinking that they have to keep up with the Jonesins when actually all you have to do is keep up with your assignment.

00:27:13.460 --> 00:27:13.940
Yeah.

00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:16.260
You were never designed to keep up with the Joneses.

00:27:16.579 --> 00:27:19.219
That's that's a lie from the pit of hell, right?

00:27:19.460 --> 00:27:23.539
Because sometimes you start running a race that was never yours to run in the first place.

00:27:23.780 --> 00:27:24.900
And it can be tiring.

00:27:25.059 --> 00:27:25.780
It can be tiring.

00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:33.219
And you know it's tiring because the Bible tells us, and I'm I don't want to keep quoting the Bible, but that's where I come from.

00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:36.340
The Bible tells us that his yoke is easy.

00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:42.260
So if you're tired, there is something that you're carrying that is you've not given everything to him.

00:27:42.500 --> 00:27:42.739
Yeah.

00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:50.179
So I always say to people, yeah, I always say to people, you can wake me up and I can come up with an educational strategy for your child.

00:27:50.340 --> 00:27:52.099
It is something God has given me.

00:27:52.179 --> 00:27:53.539
You can't take it away from me.

00:27:53.780 --> 00:27:57.539
When I see people trying to do the same thing, and I'm just like, go ahead.

00:27:57.699 --> 00:27:58.980
I'm not competing with you.

00:27:59.139 --> 00:28:01.059
You can't compete where you don't compare.

00:28:01.300 --> 00:28:01.780
Simple.

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:02.260
Yeah.

00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:12.019
So what what they do that disqualifies them sometimes is is their brand management is when you meet them in person and what they proceed.

00:28:12.340 --> 00:28:15.940
So there's no consistency between who they say they are and who they are.

00:28:16.099 --> 00:28:16.340
Yeah.

00:28:16.820 --> 00:28:21.300
Because branding is is really about what people who people say you are when you're not in the room.

00:28:21.539 --> 00:28:21.940
Exactly.

00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:22.420
Exactly.

00:28:22.500 --> 00:28:22.659
Yeah.

00:28:22.820 --> 00:28:27.780
So how many people are mentioning your names in rooms that you're not in, you've not even stepped into?

00:28:27.940 --> 00:28:33.940
And I've been in positions where people have gone, oh my gosh, I was in this meeting, and I said, Do you know this lady?

00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:35.539
You need to meet this lady.

00:28:35.699 --> 00:28:38.099
And I'm just like, oh, thank you, Jesus.

00:28:38.260 --> 00:28:44.579
And and and and and your your reputation should definitely precede you, should go ahead of you.

00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:48.420
And the way to do that is to put out good work.

00:28:48.579 --> 00:28:52.179
It's to put out good work that speaks for you.

00:28:52.340 --> 00:28:59.699
So you put out good work, not superficial work, not shoddy work, work that your name is on it, and people trace it back to.

00:28:59.780 --> 00:29:01.059
It's an educational strategy.

00:29:01.139 --> 00:29:12.900
It's it's support, it's it's placing a child with an institution and the child thrives, and they go, Yeah, that's got Elaine's work, Elaine Walker's blueprint all over it, and that is part of it as well.

00:29:13.860 --> 00:29:14.900
That is so powerful.

00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:16.579
So let's talk honestly.

00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:21.380
How important are networks in comparison to merit?

00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:42.420
I think that networks are good to merit, but you also have to make sure that whoever's bringing you in from the network is not gonna be embarrassed by your behaviour because they could bring you in to put you up in terms of merit, but if your behavior then they look at you sideways going, why did I even bring this person in?

00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:44.900
You're gonna find yourself outside of that network.

00:29:45.139 --> 00:29:45.699
So true.

00:29:45.940 --> 00:30:06.340
And successive topic, but that's something that even within our community is a big thing, and that's why for a lot of a lot of people, you don't do this because I know you, you are a door opener, but a lot of people gatekeep too much because they are so worried that they're the only ones there and they would lose everything they have if they bring someone else in.

00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:06.980
Yeah, yeah.

00:30:07.300 --> 00:30:13.219
And you see other cultures in a workplace, once one comes in, they open the floodgate for everyone else to come in.

00:30:13.300 --> 00:30:18.260
But we as a people, we gatekeep so much more, and it's something we probably need.

00:30:18.420 --> 00:30:19.539
There's two parts to it.

00:30:19.619 --> 00:30:28.739
We need to be relaxed a bit and open the door for others like you do, but we also need ourselves when people open the door for us to make sure we deliver and we deliver value so we can do that.

00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:38.579
So you need to when you are opening doors for people, you also have to be operating a very heavy spirit of discernment.

00:30:38.659 --> 00:30:49.059
That's and I've been in that position where I've opened doors for people and they've basically almost ruined relationships that I've introduced them to because of their bad behaviour.

00:30:49.300 --> 00:30:52.900
So now I'm like, God, do you want me to introduce that person?

00:30:53.059 --> 00:30:55.059
I want it to bear this kind of fruit.

00:30:55.219 --> 00:30:58.019
And if God is saying no, I'll just be like, Oh, you know what?

00:30:58.099 --> 00:31:05.860
I reached out to them, but they said not right now, but you know, maybe you can reach out to them on socials and get in touch with them.

00:31:06.019 --> 00:31:15.059
That's a very nice way of kind of skiving on out of it because we know whether it's our own or whether it's other people, that there are some people that just got bad behaviour.

00:31:15.300 --> 00:31:16.260
Absolutely.

00:31:16.739 --> 00:31:34.179
And sometimes and then there's the others where sometimes if you think this person is almost ready, I need to help them a bit, they've got the right attitude, the right spirit, but they need you not just to open but also to package in on them, you need to help them and support them on the journey till you go, yeah, you're fine now.

00:31:34.340 --> 00:31:39.300
And then at some point, the person you hand them over to knows as well this person stands for themselves.

00:31:39.539 --> 00:31:40.420
Exactly, exactly.

00:31:40.659 --> 00:31:41.940
They're not associated, yeah.

00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:43.380
Yeah, that makes sense.

00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:44.420
Yeah, you're absolutely right.

00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:51.380
You also have to make sure that the person that you're introducing to the network is ready to receive the weight of that network as well.

00:31:51.619 --> 00:31:57.539
Yes, you know, yes, and that's one thing that there's people that I've introduced to certain networks who weren't ready for that network.

00:31:57.699 --> 00:32:01.380
And so, what has God has given me is the gift to be able to say, do you know what?

00:32:01.460 --> 00:32:09.300
I'm gonna mentor you, package you, so that when you're presented to that network, you're speaking the talk, you're walking the walk.

00:32:09.539 --> 00:32:13.139
Well, you already look like part of them, you belong there.

00:32:13.380 --> 00:32:14.340
You belong there, yeah.

00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:16.980
Rather than the person going, oh my god, how did I get here?

00:32:17.139 --> 00:32:17.780
You can't have it.

00:32:17.940 --> 00:32:22.900
So sometimes you have to, sometimes if they're the right person, you have to disciple them for a bit.

00:32:23.139 --> 00:32:25.380
Well, I like that word, disciple them for a bit.

00:32:25.619 --> 00:32:31.780
Disciple them, and then when they're ready, they can then go out and create their they can then go out up to you.

00:32:31.940 --> 00:32:33.300
That makes a lot of sense, yes.

00:32:33.460 --> 00:32:41.860
So for someone who feels like they're outside the room, what would you suggest is the first strategic move they could they can or should make?

00:32:42.659 --> 00:32:43.860
Have you got any tips?

00:32:44.179 --> 00:32:45.139
Contact me.

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:56.019
I think the first strategic move is to just look at yourself and be honest with yourself and give yourself ticks where you've done well, where you need to do better.

00:32:56.260 --> 00:33:00.179
Say I need to do better, I want to improve here, I want to improve there.

00:33:00.340 --> 00:33:01.059
And you know what?

00:33:01.219 --> 00:33:02.099
Write a wish list.

00:33:02.260 --> 00:33:04.500
Who do I want to meet in the next 90 days?

00:33:04.579 --> 00:33:08.820
And what do I need to do to get myself there?

00:33:08.980 --> 00:33:14.340
You know, a lot of people talk about generational this, generational that, but they're also generational habits.

00:33:14.579 --> 00:33:19.139
There are things that we keep doing the same way and expecting different results.

00:33:19.380 --> 00:33:20.739
That is a madness.

00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:24.820
And this is one where I think I'm gonna take a free coaching lesson from you now.

00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:26.019
I'm gonna steal it.

00:33:26.659 --> 00:33:50.900
I've met, I've had quite I'm one of the things I'm learning to do is I've met people like you sometimes, or people who I know are quite in the right rooms, and sometimes after the initial engagement or two, how do you nurture it and how do you get it to a place where I suppose maybe how do you move from transactional to relational?

00:33:50.980 --> 00:33:51.380
How do you move it?

00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:53.219
Try and get informational, yeah.

00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:55.539
So how do you move it from that first one?

00:33:55.699 --> 00:34:02.980
Because sometimes for some for some people, get it into the door and that first engagement is fine, but it's how do you sustain it?

00:34:03.059 --> 00:34:03.940
How do you nurture it?

00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:05.380
How do you sustain it to something more?

00:34:05.780 --> 00:34:07.139
I think you have to be intentional.

00:34:07.300 --> 00:34:10.179
So for me, for example, I have two types of client.

00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:21.539
There are some clients that I'm just moved that I need to help this person, whether they can pay me, they can't pay me, because there's a scripture that says, cast thy bread upon the waters and ye shall find it after many days.

00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:26.099
I know that I'm pouring into them, but there's gonna be a reward somewhere down the line.

00:34:26.260 --> 00:34:40.659
And so when we go from transactional to transformational, that is because I usually send them a link that every week we are going to meet and we're gonna make this happen and that happen, and this is the homework you need to do.

00:34:40.739 --> 00:34:41.940
This is what I need to do.

00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:48.980
This is what we're gonna make sure that we do this and we do this, and within 90 days, it's like always having a coach, right?

00:34:49.300 --> 00:34:58.579
That we have to be intentional, nothing under the face of the earth just happens, even with people who are presumably on a level higher than you.

00:34:58.820 --> 00:35:00.500
Nobody's that busy, lads.

00:35:01.059 --> 00:35:05.780
A little bit of my South London came out there, but nobody is that busy.

00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:17.219
I think if the person really cares about you, and if you really want this to happen, you will make an effort, and the person will see that you're making an effort and will go, you know what, let's set some time aside.

00:35:17.380 --> 00:35:20.900
I might not be able to do it every week, but I can do every month or every two weeks.

00:35:21.059 --> 00:35:23.940
And let's let's sit down, let's see what you're trying to achieve.

00:35:24.099 --> 00:35:25.139
Yeah, fantastic.

00:35:25.219 --> 00:35:26.019
That makes sense.

00:35:26.259 --> 00:35:26.579
Yeah.

00:35:26.900 --> 00:35:31.859
So, what can sort of professionals learn from how high-performing parents approach school placements?

00:35:32.019 --> 00:35:36.739
Is there anything you've seen that when you've met some high-performing parents who place this their children?

00:35:36.900 --> 00:35:38.339
What can some professionals learn from school?

00:35:38.500 --> 00:35:40.819
They start from early, they have a plan.

00:35:40.980 --> 00:35:41.940
They have a plan.

00:35:42.099 --> 00:35:48.179
They know why they're going to that institution, they know what they want to get out of that institution, they have a plan.

00:35:48.420 --> 00:35:51.859
You plan for everything else, but you don't plan for your children's education.

00:35:52.019 --> 00:35:52.339
What?

00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:53.699
What are we doing here?

00:35:53.859 --> 00:35:56.819
And then you wait till university and you start scrambling.

00:35:56.980 --> 00:35:59.779
Meanwhile, the people that you're up against, they've been doing this.

00:36:00.019 --> 00:36:00.659
Yeah, yeah.

00:36:00.739 --> 00:36:04.900
And I can tell from experience, there's some people who have been, they've mapped out everything.

00:36:05.059 --> 00:36:07.539
Sure, you can call them anal, you can call them.

00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:09.619
Tiger parents, whatever.

00:36:09.940 --> 00:36:17.619
But the tiger parents, but the fruits are seen at the end because these are the children who are topping all the metrics.

00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:22.099
And even if they're not topping all the methods, you know what?

00:36:22.179 --> 00:36:34.339
One of my friends used an amazing term, I love it, on Instagram the other day, no, on LinkedIn, and he said, you know, this attitude of spray and pray has got to stop.

00:36:34.579 --> 00:36:36.980
I was like, not spray and pray.

00:36:37.139 --> 00:36:42.179
But it's true, a lot of times we do some things, but we don't have a structure.

00:36:42.339 --> 00:36:53.940
For example, if you know you want to lose weight for a particular time, there are things that you have to eat, things that you cannot eat, things that you do every day to make sure you get to that target.

00:36:54.179 --> 00:36:57.059
Sometimes we don't even want to do it, but we've got to do it.

00:36:57.299 --> 00:36:59.940
And habits, consistency is habits, yeah.

00:37:00.179 --> 00:37:04.659
And a lot of these parents know how to network, they know how to network like mad.

00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:07.059
And so it's is it should be studied.

00:37:07.219 --> 00:37:08.099
Yes, it should be studied.

00:37:08.339 --> 00:37:09.139
It should be studied.

00:37:09.380 --> 00:37:16.019
And so, yeah, you know, one of my friends said to me when my children were little, she's like, How come everybody likes you?

00:37:16.259 --> 00:37:18.739
I said, Because I talk to everybody.

00:37:18.900 --> 00:37:22.579
I make sure I go to the coffee morning, I make sure I go to this.

00:37:22.739 --> 00:37:24.259
Hi, hi! I can do it.

00:37:24.339 --> 00:37:26.579
That's how I was trained, yeah.

00:37:26.739 --> 00:37:31.940
But if you want to be there and carry your handbag and sit in your car, that's fine.

00:37:32.099 --> 00:37:38.659
But your child is not going to be invited to all the play dates, mine is, because the parents know me and they're happy with me.

00:37:38.819 --> 00:37:44.019
So before your child is invited anywhere, they have to be happy with you, the parent.

00:37:44.179 --> 00:37:47.299
Because once they're okay with you, they know the child is of good stock.

00:37:47.460 --> 00:37:48.500
Yeah, exactly.

00:37:48.739 --> 00:37:54.179
Because they're thinking, I can see you've you are the manifestation of the child you're raising.

00:37:54.339 --> 00:37:57.619
So if you are a certain way, they know the child should be that way.

00:37:58.339 --> 00:37:58.739
Exactly.

00:37:58.900 --> 00:37:59.460
Yeah, yeah.

00:37:59.699 --> 00:38:00.179
Exactly.

00:38:00.339 --> 00:38:00.579
Yeah.

00:38:00.819 --> 00:38:10.259
So we're starting to round up very quickly, and there's one thing I wanted to sort of get so from you is purpose, faith, and assignment to dig into that.

00:38:10.339 --> 00:38:17.699
Is how do you balance ambition, impact, purpose without losing clarity of without losing clarity?

00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:25.859
I think sometimes you do because you get swayed by what people say you should do, but it's always good to go back to the initial blueprint.

00:38:26.019 --> 00:38:27.059
What was the blueprint?

00:38:27.219 --> 00:38:28.900
What was the assignment you were given?

00:38:29.059 --> 00:38:33.059
And that assignment will always bring you back to what clarity looks like.

00:38:33.219 --> 00:38:37.940
If you look at the definition of clarity, it's something that's quite simple, quite transparent.

00:38:38.099 --> 00:38:44.500
And sometimes we overcomplicate things, that's where we lose the focus and we listen to what other people are saying.

00:38:44.739 --> 00:38:46.980
What was the assignment that I was given?

00:38:47.219 --> 00:38:56.980
And I think that also is important to start doing things one thing at a time because if you continue to do your assignment correctly, the impact will come, the fame will come.

00:38:57.299 --> 00:38:59.619
All of those things to stick to the assignment.

00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:00.019
Yeah.

00:39:00.420 --> 00:39:11.539
And if you stick to what you're meant to do and what you're meant to do, you're not going to be derailed and you're not going to be looking at anybody and you're not going to lose focus.

00:39:11.699 --> 00:39:14.659
You're always going to be clear about what you're trying to achieve.

00:39:14.819 --> 00:39:26.980
For me, my my outcome, my assignment has changed along the years, but it's always been one thing to make sure that people are positioned in certain institutions to raise leaders of the future.

00:39:27.139 --> 00:39:28.259
That's always been there.

00:39:28.339 --> 00:39:28.579
Yeah.

00:39:28.739 --> 00:39:32.179
It might it might have been articulated a slightly different way.

00:39:32.339 --> 00:39:35.539
You know, there's genius in every child, and you know, you can't.

00:39:35.699 --> 00:39:41.460
The methods might change, but the core core is I'm building leaders of the future.

00:39:41.779 --> 00:39:45.139
It's just that now the vehicle that I'm using has changed.

00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:53.139
So before, education was only thought as being maybe in this institution, but actually now education is more broader.

00:39:53.380 --> 00:39:58.900
So maybe I'm good at academia, but I'm amazing at football.

00:39:59.139 --> 00:40:02.420
That type of education is what I'm gonna drive after.

00:40:02.579 --> 00:40:04.819
I'm amazing at art.

00:40:05.059 --> 00:40:09.779
I'm gonna go into the art industry, I'm gonna do this because that is my gift.

00:40:10.019 --> 00:40:10.579
Absolutely.

00:40:10.739 --> 00:40:11.059
Yeah.

00:40:11.299 --> 00:40:13.619
This has been very powerful, very practical.

00:40:13.779 --> 00:40:16.099
And I want to bring it back to the listener right now as well.

00:40:16.179 --> 00:40:25.460
So for someone listening to this who feels capable, but they feel overlooked or stuck on an clear, what's the first shift they probably need to make?

00:40:25.699 --> 00:40:34.259
They need to surround themselves with people who are going already where they want to be because there's no point having naysayers around you.

00:40:34.339 --> 00:40:38.659
That's gonna affect your mental space and it's not gonna allow you to move.

00:40:38.739 --> 00:40:40.900
Um, I think that's the first thing they need to do.

00:40:40.980 --> 00:40:43.940
They need to identify who is where I want to be.

00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:46.500
Then how do I get in the room with them?

00:40:46.739 --> 00:40:48.179
How do I network?

00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:54.819
Speak to somebody like me, have a strategy session with me, sit down and look at your strategies.

00:40:54.980 --> 00:40:57.139
Do I know how to network effectively?

00:40:57.299 --> 00:40:59.779
If I don't, what books do I need to read?

00:40:59.940 --> 00:41:04.739
What if you don't like reading or you're not that what audio books do I need to listen to?

00:41:04.980 --> 00:41:07.059
What YouTube do I need to watch?

00:41:07.219 --> 00:41:08.659
What podcast do I need?

00:41:08.819 --> 00:41:10.980
What am I filling my mind with?

00:41:11.219 --> 00:41:12.179
Absolutely.

00:41:12.579 --> 00:41:17.299
Because if you're filling your mind full of rubbish, you're going to become a product of that rubbish.

00:41:17.539 --> 00:41:19.139
That is so important.

00:41:19.619 --> 00:41:29.380
That's why the whole social media regulation that governments are looking at with our children, but even for us, it's so important is you are a reflection of what you put into you.

00:41:29.460 --> 00:41:39.539
Now I can tell from you that scripture is very important to you because you've as we've been speaking, it wasn't by choice, it was just flowing out of you that you were saying these scriptures.

00:41:39.699 --> 00:41:42.900
And that's because you intentionally fill yourself with scripture.

00:41:42.980 --> 00:41:51.139
That means it goes to your spirit, body, and soul, and it comes out, it comes out to you, and it comes out to your soul because you are feeding it in.

00:41:51.299 --> 00:41:56.659
So the things you put into ourselves that are important, and the people we surround ourselves with are very important.

00:41:57.059 --> 00:42:01.380
So that also then means you need to identify who do I want to be?

00:42:01.539 --> 00:42:02.739
What am I trying to achieve?

00:42:02.900 --> 00:42:06.179
Because then that helps you understand the kind of people you are looking for.

00:42:06.339 --> 00:42:06.500
Okay.

00:42:06.819 --> 00:42:10.659
I want to be in, I want to become a property investor, who are the property investors.

00:42:10.819 --> 00:42:14.179
I want to be I want my children to be high-performing students.

00:42:14.339 --> 00:42:26.420
Who do I know as parents whose children are high performing parents, uh high-performing students, and then you become friends with them and then you or you associate to them and they show you what good looks like and then you start to model.

00:42:26.900 --> 00:42:29.699
You cannot become what you don't see.

00:42:29.940 --> 00:42:33.059
You cannot become what you there is no model for you.

00:42:33.219 --> 00:42:37.699
You cannot become what you've never imagined because then it's accidental.

00:42:38.099 --> 00:42:45.460
You may be lucky and come across someone who takes you under their wing, but if you're not intentional, you will just be accidental.

00:42:45.539 --> 00:42:48.819
And if you're lucky, lucky, but if not, you won't.

00:42:48.980 --> 00:42:55.699
So that makes a lot of sense that you have to surround yourselves with the right people who would then help you.

00:42:55.859 --> 00:42:56.179
Yeah.

00:42:57.139 --> 00:42:58.179
That is so powerful.

00:42:58.259 --> 00:43:01.059
So you spoke a bit about books, podcasts, as they finished.

00:43:01.139 --> 00:43:04.980
What what are you reading or listening to that's inspiring you at the moment?

00:43:05.299 --> 00:43:05.859
Do you know what?

00:43:06.019 --> 00:43:07.779
There's a book that I bought.

00:43:08.019 --> 00:43:13.699
I there's I tend to start reading books and and then I'm reading like two or three books at the same time.

00:43:14.019 --> 00:43:15.539
God, I'm so happy I found you.

00:43:15.699 --> 00:43:22.019
I'm so happy I found you because I've when I was much younger, when I read fiction a lot, I would always finish it.

00:43:22.179 --> 00:43:26.500
And I'm trying to go back to reading fiction because it's just good for you.

00:43:26.659 --> 00:43:33.059
But I'm more because of what I what we do, I'm more of a sort of personal development, self-help, and I read a lot of books.

00:43:33.219 --> 00:43:37.059
And sometimes they can be quite hard to read cover to cover.

00:43:37.299 --> 00:43:41.139
You get something inspiring, and then you put it down, then you come back to it.

00:43:41.219 --> 00:43:41.460
Yeah.

00:43:41.619 --> 00:43:45.139
So I'm glad I met someone like you who sometimes has three, four on the go.

00:43:45.299 --> 00:43:48.420
And I may finish it, I may not finish it.

00:43:48.500 --> 00:43:48.659
Yeah.

00:43:48.819 --> 00:43:50.739
But I'm always reading it and picking stuff up for me.

00:43:51.059 --> 00:43:52.179
Picking stuff up from it.

00:43:52.339 --> 00:43:55.460
So there's a book that I started reading called Bimbo.

00:43:55.940 --> 00:44:00.420
And one of my Nigerian friends is like, why did I read this like it was a name, Bimbo?

00:44:00.659 --> 00:44:15.219
And I was like, No, it's Bimbo, as in the title that people give to women, and it's by a lady called Ashley James, and it talks about all the different labels that women go through and what they have to, the hoops that they have to go through before they find their identity.

00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:22.819
And I started reading that because I, you know, I'm all about, and I hate this word, women's empowerment, but I'm all about understanding why women do what they do.

00:44:22.980 --> 00:44:28.099
And then I came across this book on LinkedIn called How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps.

00:44:28.259 --> 00:44:30.659
And it's by Jake Humphrey.

00:44:30.819 --> 00:44:34.500
No, it's by Richard Harpin, and he is a billionaire.

00:44:34.659 --> 00:44:39.219
And I started reading his little excerpts on LinkedIn, let me get this man's book.

00:44:39.299 --> 00:44:53.699
And you know, I I I don't always like those nine steps to six figures and all of that, and but actually, I think this man has got something to say, and even if he's just writing a book to become an authoritative voice, I think he's got some good things to say because he's built and scaled businesses.

00:44:53.859 --> 00:45:11.219
Then there's another book that I was happening to be on Amazon and he would talk about the Bible, and I was read and and I saw this book which I started reading yesterday, which I started reading yesterday, called Operating in the Courts of Heaven, granting God the legal rights to fulfill his passion and answer our prayers.

00:45:11.380 --> 00:45:13.380
Because I was asking God, I've been praying.

00:45:13.859 --> 00:45:16.659
About this thing for some time, what is happening?

00:45:16.819 --> 00:45:23.699
And there's a scripture that talks about when Daniel prayed, but the prince of Persia was stopping the angel from coming down, right?

00:45:24.339 --> 00:45:30.019
So I need to understand, like, Lord, I can trust you for a parking space at a supermarket.

00:45:30.179 --> 00:45:32.099
I'm trusting you for a couple mil.

00:45:32.500 --> 00:45:33.380
What is happening?

00:45:33.539 --> 00:45:34.819
So therefore, I need to have it.

00:45:35.380 --> 00:45:36.339
Why is it not being answered?

00:45:36.420 --> 00:45:37.619
Why is it us quickly?

00:45:37.779 --> 00:45:41.699
Is there is there because I kind of need the money like yesterday, Lord?

00:45:41.859 --> 00:45:42.099
Yeah.

00:45:42.179 --> 00:45:47.380
So I kind of need Angel Michael to kind of step in and fight some battles to clear the way for them to come in.

00:45:47.940 --> 00:45:52.579
And so sometimes, and that's why I talk about our faith being practical.

00:45:52.739 --> 00:45:59.539
Sometimes we pray and we pray and we pray and we pray and we pray, but there's something that we need to do as well.

00:45:59.699 --> 00:45:59.940
Yeah.

00:46:00.099 --> 00:46:15.059
A friend of mine made me laugh, and she talked about you know, black churches and white churches, and she said the black church would be using tongues, be assured, calling the ushers, and a white you go to a white church, they go, In the name of Jesus, come out.

00:46:15.139 --> 00:46:16.739
And that's the deliverance right there.

00:46:16.980 --> 00:46:18.259
How am I approaching this?

00:46:18.339 --> 00:46:26.019
So that's why I started reading I started reading it yesterday, and I thought, you can have all of those things, but what's your spirit man being fed, Elaine?

00:46:27.139 --> 00:46:27.380
Yeah.

00:46:27.539 --> 00:46:34.819
So, like you said, at least you've got to feed your soul, your mind, your body, and also what am I eating?

00:46:34.980 --> 00:46:38.099
You know, how am I being healthy in this journey?

00:46:38.179 --> 00:46:38.339
Yeah.

00:46:38.579 --> 00:46:46.099
And I always say to I I always say to people, you never see people who are unhealthy on a stage talking about money, do you?

00:46:46.420 --> 00:46:52.420
It's everything, it's uh because I was I I one of the books I read was uh The World's Greatest Salesman.

00:46:52.579 --> 00:46:55.779
And uh making me go on my Amazon now.

00:46:56.019 --> 00:47:05.859
Yeah, and one of the things he said was that he said was that I and he spoke about I am God's greatest creation, but I will watch everything that goes into me.

00:47:06.019 --> 00:47:16.339
And when he said it, it was said, even the thing I eat, the thing I drink, the thing I think, the thing I read, I will guard everything that comes into me so that I know.

00:47:16.579 --> 00:47:24.500
Because and that's about being present, not just mindlessly consuming anything that comes your way, and and so you're so right.

00:47:24.659 --> 00:47:34.500
The thing you eat is just as important because studies are starting to show that there is brain food, there's actually food that is good for your brain, blueberries, etc.

00:47:34.819 --> 00:47:36.339
So you really have to be intentional.

00:47:36.500 --> 00:47:39.619
High-performing people watch everything to become high performers.

00:47:39.859 --> 00:47:40.420
Exactly.

00:47:41.059 --> 00:47:42.099
Fascinating.

00:47:42.420 --> 00:47:48.019
It has been an amazing time with you, Elaine, to get your time here to share.

00:47:48.179 --> 00:47:51.299
I'm sure if we did this, we can go on for hours and hours.

00:47:51.539 --> 00:47:55.139
So I'm gonna leave the floor to you before we leave.

00:47:55.380 --> 00:48:10.659
If there was one message you had to leave to the listeners that uh you would give them about this be strategic, positioning, walking in these rooms, having a plan, being intentional.

00:48:10.819 --> 00:48:16.019
Is there one message that you hold tight that you would like to just leave as one piece of advice?

00:48:16.259 --> 00:48:17.940
Wow, being intentional.

00:48:18.259 --> 00:48:23.859
I think that what is really important is understanding your why.

00:48:24.099 --> 00:48:29.699
That will make your intentionality authentic, integral, and strategic.

00:48:30.179 --> 00:48:33.779
Anything else will just be quick, a quick fix.

00:48:33.859 --> 00:48:36.339
So yeah, I think that's the advice that I would hear.

00:48:36.500 --> 00:48:37.699
I hope that's a good answer.

00:48:37.940 --> 00:48:39.219
It is find your why.

00:48:39.299 --> 00:48:44.099
That's the thrill, that's why you wake up, that's what get that that's what keeps you going.

00:48:44.179 --> 00:48:48.019
And sometimes your why doesn't have to be have to be some grand thing.

00:48:48.179 --> 00:48:58.019
It can be as simple as I just want to be good to others and be a good role mother for my children and make sure they have the great and as simple as that.

00:48:58.099 --> 00:49:00.819
And it doesn't always have to be some It doesn't have to be big.

00:49:00.980 --> 00:49:16.900
Do you know what I was watching on Netflix and the story of Gordon Ramsey, and he said the reason why he makes so much money is because when he was growing up he had holes in his trousers, he was living in a council flat and his mum was working three jobs and it was not nice.

00:49:17.059 --> 00:49:21.859
And he said the fear of him ever going back to that kind of life is what drives him.

00:49:22.019 --> 00:49:25.059
That's his why, and that's a billionaire that you're talking to.

00:49:25.219 --> 00:49:25.539
Yeah.

00:49:25.699 --> 00:49:29.619
And that that's a why that sometimes we should not be ashamed of.

00:49:29.779 --> 00:49:34.900
I just want to be financially successful in a clean, in a in an ethical, honest way.

00:49:35.059 --> 00:49:50.339
I want to be financially successful, and sometimes in a way that can be quite clarifying, because then it because sometimes trying to find some bigger purpose when you just want to make money, sometimes I just want to make money is as long as it's honest, is a simple one, is a simple one.

00:49:50.659 --> 00:49:51.219
Very simple one.

00:49:51.619 --> 00:49:53.619
And keep it moving and get on with implementing it.

00:49:53.940 --> 00:49:56.019
Keep it moving that part, sir.

00:49:56.179 --> 00:49:57.299
That part right there.

00:49:57.539 --> 00:49:58.339
All right, Elaine.

00:49:58.579 --> 00:49:59.779
Thank you so, so much.

00:49:59.940 --> 00:50:02.980
You've been a blessing, you've been a gift for you to pour out.

00:50:03.219 --> 00:50:13.059
Um so sort of supporting, praying that your mission, your goals continue to flourish and um abound, and you do great work.

00:50:13.139 --> 00:50:19.779
And um, I'm sure we'll be inviting you more because you've not we've not even scratched the surface of what you have to offer.

00:50:19.940 --> 00:50:24.819
I speak to you a lot, and I know that there's um there's uh there's so much we've not pulled out of you yet.

00:50:24.980 --> 00:50:25.460
So thank you.

00:50:25.539 --> 00:50:27.859
And uh so where can people find you?

00:50:28.099 --> 00:50:31.859
People want to find out more about you, want to retail to you, want your health services.

00:50:32.259 --> 00:50:39.139
If you're somebody that that is on TikTok, I used to go on TikTok just to laugh at the videos, but I've actually realized it's actually a really good tool.

00:50:39.299 --> 00:50:41.219
So you can find me on TikTok, Elaine C.

00:50:41.380 --> 00:50:42.019
Walker.

00:50:42.179 --> 00:50:46.099
Um, if you are on Instagram, you can find me on Instagram, Elaine C.

00:50:46.259 --> 00:50:49.779
Walker, um, you can find me on LinkedIn, Elaine C.

00:50:49.940 --> 00:50:52.900
Walker, you can find me on Facebook now.

00:50:53.059 --> 00:51:00.259
On Facebook, I have two names, one with spelt with a Y and one spelt Elaine Cunningham Walker.

00:51:00.420 --> 00:51:06.019
So if because I've never really taken my Facebook that seriously, because it's been more of a connecting ground.

00:51:06.259 --> 00:51:15.059
So if you want to reach out to me on on any of those, but if you want to respond straight away, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, in that order, you can get a hold of me.

00:51:15.139 --> 00:51:19.299
You can join my education community, you can join my women's community.

00:51:19.460 --> 00:51:20.659
I'd love to meet you.

00:51:20.819 --> 00:51:23.139
Let me know what your story is and how we can help.

00:51:23.299 --> 00:51:23.699
Brilliant.

00:51:23.779 --> 00:51:28.819
And we will put some we will put her contact details in the description as well for you to access her.

00:51:29.059 --> 00:51:29.779
But a blessing.

00:51:30.019 --> 00:51:30.659
Thank you for having.

00:51:30.819 --> 00:51:31.699
Thanks, God bless us.

00:51:32.420 --> 00:51:32.900
Take care.

00:51:33.219 --> 00:51:33.859
Bye.