176 | Doing Business that Changes Lives & Shifts Culture with Andréa Ranae
Our guest today on the pod is Andréa Ranae. Andréa is a coach, activist, facilitator and community creator. Her work is rooted in the intersection of coaching, personal development, business and cultural shift.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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Andréa Ranae Awareprneurs Interview
SPEAKERS: Paul Zelizer, Andréa Ranae
Paul Zelizer 00:01
Hi, this is Paul Zelizer, and welcome to another episode of the Awarepreneurs podcast. This podcast is all about the intersection of three things, conscious business, social impact, and awareness practices. Each episode, I do a deep dive interview with a thought leader in this intersection, someone who has market tested experience and is already transforming many lives. Before I introduce today's guests in our topic, I've got one request, if you could go over to iTunes or whatever app you're listening to the show on and do a rating and review. It helps tremendously. Thanks for considering. Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to Andrea Rene. And our topic is doing business that changes lives and shifts culture I give our guests when I know them a little bit. Sometimes I give them the option of like, let's step away from the traditional bio and just Can I tell a little story and Andrea graciously gave me that option. So I want to say a couple years ago, I remember hearing about Andrea's works or program that she was then offering called coaching is activism. Fabulous program. And she was like bringing the fire and just bringing incredible amount of care to both the inner transformation work. And also paying attention to the social context in a coaching environment. It was awesome. And we talked and we were just laughing about that. There's been a lot it's probably three years ago, it's been a lot of change and Andrea's work. Now I was getting ready for the show. You've gone Instagram 72,000 followers, awesome work, still looking at that intersection, deep inner work, and what's happening in the world, that there's a maturity that the passion of fire still there. But the thing that I'm really excited about now, there's more of that market tested thing that we talked about in the intro of the episode, that she's knows a little bit more about the levers to lean on to help people get traction, and to find their way in that intersection. so thrilled to have you here. Andrea, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you, I'm so excited to be here and to have this conversation. It's a poignant moment to have this particular way. Oh gosh, shifting culture and changing lives. Yeah, we got something to talk about. Before we do that. We're called the where printers Andrea and one of the ways we like to get to know somebody is to ask you about a wellness or an awareness practice that you personally use to bring your resilient creative self to Work Day after day, week after week.
Andréa Ranae 02:36
So my first thought is sleep. And I've just been I've been allowing myself the sleep that my body needs and my spirit needs more and more over this past year or so whether it's naps or even just over this last few weeks, I've realized I really need like nine to 10 hours of sleep and I have implemented a new bedtime which is wildly different where before I was going to sleep sometimes super late like 1am to I am and now I'm like nine o'clock 10 o'clock at the latest I need to be my head on the pillow. And so that that's been huge and has impacted me on multiple levels whether it's like physically mentally, emotionally like having enough rest is is a big deal and I definitely credit stuff that I've learned to to the nap ministry Tricia Hirsi and an even human design, just learning more about my human design has given me more space to to rest as well.
Paul Zelizer 03:49
I was gonna say, I'm gonna bet that you know about the Nap Ministry. I’ll put a link in the show notes, folks are just fabulous, fabulous work about the importance of rest and the cultural implications and context of why so many people feel overwhelmed and why some people have more access to the ability to even something like safe and enough sleep. So such powerful work. I don't think anybody's ever said that in that question.
Andréa Ranae 04:19
I love it.
Paul Zelizer 04:20
So this intersection of coaching and personal growth work and business and culture change, like how did some of those threads show up on your radar? And then once they showed up as like, wow, these are things that are important to me. When did you start to say I want to work in the intersection of these things.
Andréa Ranae 04:43
It kind of all happened at once. I think, you know, I was aware of coaching as a career path. Since I was a baby. My dad has been a coach most of my life. In different realms, whether it's regeneration coal, yeah. Yeah, so and even just just the work of and the questions of like, How can I be the best person that I can be? How can I be the most me? I can be how can I help others? Like, those are questions that I have been grappling with since I since I was a baby. And whether that was from influence with my dad buying me, Seven Habits of Highly Effective teen girls, kind of books, or my mom buying me like different books that were around, like taking care of yourself and things like that. And both of them were in ministry, work in church and everything when I was little. And so there's been like, this spirit in me forever. That's just been inclined towards looking at like, why is the world this way? What's my part in it? What What can I do to live the life that I meant to live and to support others in doing that? And and I think, as I grew up, and especially once I got into college, starting to, like, really look at that, look at those questions for myself, just knowing Okay, I'm 1819, I'm going into this world, like, what do I want to do? I definitely thought being a coach for a long time. In one part, because I was like, I don't want to like fall in the footsteps of my dad, not for any reason, in particular, but I just wanted to, like, leave my own path. And I think I also had a lot of judgment about how young I was. and feeling like I didn't have enough knowledge life experience to actually dive into that work. And, and not even so much that but like, the majority of the judgment was worried about other people feeling like I'm not equipped. And worrying about coming into that. But eventually, I was just like, this is what I want to do. This is this is where I want to be like, I love connecting with people, I love supporting people and I love especially supporting people and going after what they want, whether that's what they want for themselves, or what they want for the world. So I kind of, I would say surrendered And, and, and in college I studied, I studied the intersection to school that I went to didn't have majors. So you would choose your own kind of choose your own path. And kind of define what your what your focus or your thesis was. And mine was focused on personal growth, social change and conscious business. And and I was just looking at, like how, first and foremost, like how can I create spaces, facilitate spaces that honor the individual and recognize and honor the systems that we're in the cultures that we're in, and how we how it's all intertwined, that doesn't negate the individual in favor of the system or negate the system in favor of the individual but holds both because that's when we're talking about our wholeness, like, that's all there. And then also looking at, okay, how can I do that and get paid for it with the conscious business and wanting it to be in alignment with my values. So that's a bit of like my origin story. That's what got me here. And by the time I graduated from college, I started coaching is activism for my thesis project, actually. And it's just, it's been a ride since then.
Paul Zelizer 09:00
I was just thinking about, it's not that typical story, Andrea, I'm a second generation conscious entrepreneur as well. My mom was a psychotherapist and I was just telling you before we have recorded progressive Jewish psychotherapist, she and I were just text banking right before we got on the recording so I'm just like bowing to your dad and my mom and everybody shoulders that that helped those of us who are doing this work like any of us have mentors and to be as blessed as I feel like you might be you know, I don't know your dad but I know your work a little bit and so like about your dad and about my mom and all the ancestors that helped steer us in this direction. Absolutely. When he kind of stopped fighting it instead. Okay, I'm gonna make this mine right. I love the coaching his activism was what came out of your like graduate undergraduate parlay. How cool is that? Awesome. And when you when How old were you when you decided I'm going to make coaching mine, and this is where I'm gonna go with it.
Andréa Ranae 10:07
So I decided and I started to like play with and have some, like, informal sessions with random people when I was like 19. And by the time I created coachings activism, I was 21 to 122. And, yeah, it was, it was a lot of fun, especially in that time where, like, people would find out how old I was. And they'd be like, wait, wait. And people still do that. But it was a lot more back then.
Paul Zelizer 10:43
So let's just go there under we I love the next generation of up and coming conscious social entrepreneurs, just big shout out. And we're really blessed to have a good portion of listeners, if somebody is in that hesitancy. They're listening, they kinda are leaning in, they're like, Yeah, I got this thing. And, you know, maybe there's some similar intersections to what you're talking about Andrea, something about personal, there's got to be an inside part of the change. And there's got to be a context, you know, just awareness of what's happening in the world part of the change, and I've got a sense, but I feel like I'm too young. What would you say to that person? who's listening?
Andréa Ranae 11:23
Yeah, well, I, I love, I love this group of people, first of all, and I just, I was just on my friend, Eliza Reynolds, podcast, and she does mentorship work with teen girls who want to lead and, and create something different in the world. And I was on a call with with them. And they're kind of asking similar questions like, we're just dealing with, with similar things. I think when we're younger, and we recognize that we have some skills, we have some gifts, we have something that we want to create, there is like this, worry about what other people will think. And for me, I just I, I love getting to get like being able to get older and look back on and just have a even more awareness about what was going on. For me. I knew what I had, I knew what I had was valuable. I knew what like that. The gifts that I had would support people and help people and support folks in getting more clarity and understanding about themselves or about what they wanted to do and their goals. And like I knew that but I was concerned about what other people would think and that other people wouldn't see that. And my encouragement around that is to just to go with what you have. And and recognize that there might be some people that may even question you, they may even and i i got question a couple times, especially in the beginning. And okay. And one of the people that question me is like one of my biggest fans. So what other people think isn't as important as you think. Because if you're showing up with, with who you are and what you have, and your gifts and your vision, there will be people that resonate, for sure, especially if you keep going at it and keep showing up with it and the ways that take care of you. Those are my thoughts.
Paul Zelizer 13:36
I dad, go follow Andrea, because if I can say that down the hall straight, fabulous role model, just go check out what she's doing. So we're gonna get into in the second part of the show, and really, we unpack like, what are the offerings, how you know, we put our entrepreneur glasses on, but in one of your offerings that we're going to talk about in a little bit, use some language about what's happening in the conscious business kind of coaching kind of more intuitive, emotionally intelligent, service businesses, whatever healer, therapist, coach, whatever you are, in that world you used, I want to just read this list here because I was like, I need to ask Andre about that right. despair, worrying, striving, freezing, giving everything in contemplated giving up. So despair, worrying, striving, freezing, giving everything and contemplating walking away. I'm sorry, I read that wrong. So this was in the context of what you're seeing in this space. These are the emotional and just you know, fight flight freeze response. Talk to us a little bit like what are you seeing in that round?
Andréa Ranae 14:56
Yeah, well, all of those things. I think it's It's hard for many people that are doing any any business, whether it's online, or a brick and mortar business or any other kind of business and nonprofit or, like, I think it's hard for people right now, where there is such a shift happening in paradigms and how we are understanding ourselves and our place in this world, how we're understanding the world or understanding systems, where there is this, like, deep desire to be in alignment with what you know, to be true to be in alignment with what is most important to you with the vision that you have of what you want to create in the world, or what you want to see in the world. And it it's a challenge for a lot of us to figure out. Okay, well, this is the systems that we currently have. This is the way that I've been told to do business, this is the way that I'm seeing other people do business. And I know that this doesn't quite fit for me like this isn't, this isn't what I really want. But what else is there? And, and we have all of these different responses where there's something huge happening in the world, and we feel like, Well, my work doesn't impact that in any way. So maybe I should just abandon it and do something else. Because obviously, there's a need, or we go, I don't feel like my, what I'm doing right now is making enough of an impact. And so maybe I should change everything or, or I don't know how to market my work because everything that I've learned about marketing work doesn't feel right. To me, it feels slimy, it feels exploit exploitative, or capitalistic or. And there's all these these conundrums. And that's that list that, that I've heard and seen and experienced going through myself. And yeah, it's it's a tough one. But my, my philosophy around it is that there is a way and that way is going to be you uniquely yours. There. There's no way in which it's sustainable, where you're trying, trying on what other people have done, to see if if it works for you. Especially if it's not in alignment with who you are just doing it because you've been told it works. There's, there's a way and you've got to figure out that way for you. And it may use some of the tools that we currently have, but it may be using them differently. It may be using them in a way that you're bringing your consciousness, your awareness to those systems and those tools. So I think I'm answering your question.
Paul Zelizer 18:00
And and follow up on that. I'm gonna I want to know how you work with clients. But before that, like how do you work with yourself in this time have lots of things going on? Are things where are? Yeah, where's your attention? and how to use it with the question? Is this enough impact? I don't even know what enough impact is. But I think a lot of us are asking, I'm asking that question. Yeah, I know you as a person have. I feel like you're a person a conscious, like, very high degree to the extent that I know you. How could you not be asking that question any person of consciousness in this time, but I'm talking to Andrea, how are you sitting with this enough impact? Is my work meaningful in these times?
Andréa Ranae 18:45
So I actually have a whole YouTube video where I'm talking about this and it's actually a bit of a rant, because I don't I've like completely let go of the like, Is this enough question, especially in terms of my impact, there's definitely some things that come up for me like am I doing enough just personally, but in terms of my impact, I recognize I could never know. I could never like enough is a measurement of my own choosing. And and how I how I measure enough for me is am I doing what I want to do? Am I doing? like am I doing what is in alignment with like who I am and and what I want for the world. And in my getting in my getting what I want from what I'm doing? That's that's the only thing I can really latch on to in terms of Am I doing enough? Because that's really the only thing that matters there's there's no way there are little ways to measure impact by All of those are never going to be fully accurate because you have no idea what you asking somebody a question, it may not land for that person, but they may ask, they may bring that up to somebody else that you don't even know of. And it might completely change their entire day around and therefore impact the next days. And the next days after that, you have no idea how your decisions are going to, to ripple out and to impact and influence the world around you. All you can take care of is what am I doing? How am I using my resources? How am I using my power? What am I creating? And the is this what I want? Is this what I'm committed to? That's it? And and I can say yes to that question. Because that's something that I can actually assess. For myself. I
Paul Zelizer 21:00
love that beautiful answer. Thank you. So one of the questions I was sitting with, again, when we first met, you're coming into the marketplace, and people are excited. And and like when I look at how you express your work now there's a there's a maturing, if I can use that word. That's my story anyway, right? Something happened in the past three or four years since we first met. I can't remember exactly what it was. But that's somewhere in that time, maybe five? I don't know. But something you're you're equally passionate. But there's a there's a depth and just it's more the the fierceness in a good way has also a Polish in a good way. Mm hmm. And like, talk to us, what have you learned in the past three or four years? Some in this? What ever timeframe this maturing, where you're keeping the fire? But it also has? It's clear, it's crisper? These are all words, I guess you could say they're being judgmental, I don't know, tell me if those don't fit, throw them away out in new words, but there's something different and help us understand what that difference is? And how did you what what contributed What was your part of contributing to that difference?
Andréa Ranae 22:18
I think I've learned a ton for sure. about myself about business about other people about the audience, the community that I am looking to serve, but I think what is different, especially about like, what I express and how I express it, is that I am a lot more rooted in myself a lot less concerned about what other people think about it. And, and just, I, I think I'm more Okay, with what I know, I'm more okay with what I see. And, and, and I'm more okay with getting it wrong. I'm more okay with, with, with people having feelings about something that I've posted or, or, or being upset or the possibility of me being called out, like, I'm just I'm so much more okay with it. And that has come through experience. And just, you know, understanding and relating to the people that I serve more, a lot, a lot, a lot of personal growth and healing work. And I think that is what is reflected. And that's just what I feel when I like when I think about, or even I have on Facebook, like a memory come up of a post that I made and in 2016 or something I it's like, I still agree with what I said. And it's like, I wouldn't say it in that way. Because there is not this. I think back then as well. There there was this I want to say anger. But it wasn't I'll just use the word tension for right now. It wasn't necessarily anger itself because I still have anger. But there was this tension that like I needed people to hear what I had to say, or I was dependent or worrying about how other people respond to what I said. And so there was this edge to it. For me just it may not have you know, translated into text but like as I was writing it there was this like, this tension of like, like I don't know if this will be okay, and I don't know if this will actually land with people and and now I'm so much less attached to what people do with my words. how they react to it, how they respond to it, I'm willing to relate and I am I want to know how people respond to it for sure. But it's it's not something that is really it's not in the in the passenger seat with me like, it's not backseat driving. As I'm writing a post or as I'm creating something, I'm just going with, I have this this message or I have this thought this that I want to share or this idea that I want to share. And I am still protective, there are so many posts that I have half written in my iPhone, because it doesn't feel quite right yet to finish it and post it. Because I'm, I want to be able to stand behind everything that I post, which I do, especially even the ones that I would I would say differently now or that I would use different words or that maybe aren't quite true from how I understand things now. But I still stand by it. Because I wrote it. So
Paul Zelizer 26:16
beautiful. I was just thinking as you're sharing two thoughts. One is, if we're saying I said it awesomely five years ago, nothing has changed, and we're not growing. Right? Talk about stagnant brands, right? Like, yeah, 20 years ago, everything I said 20 years ago is exactly the way I'd say it now. What do you been doing for the last 20 years, right? So congratulations for that. And then listeners of this show, know that I like to joke about my spiritual highlight, or basically just a couple things as somebody in that place. And I hear this a lot joking aside, there's a lot of polarization out there. And people are nervous. And they say, you know, Paul, my other business coaching and coaching friends is, you know, oh my gosh, I'm afraid I'm going to get it wrong. And someone's gonna jump on me, because there is a lot of polarization out there right now, a lot out there. And so what I heard you say five things that I just want to pull out the spirit, you say you care less, you're less focused on what other people are saying. They're more rooted in, in who you are. And that was just Ah, yes. Right? Literally love that word. You're sinking down into who you are. You're more experienced, you just have more time in the saddle. Right? That certainly helps. And you talked about the tension and the edge of how people are going to respond being like, a key that in the front of con, maybe it's still somewhere in your being I still have that, you know, filter, do I do I not even pay attention? No, I'd be lying. If I said it's not even there. Maybe it's gone for you. But it's less. It's not driving as much as what I heard you said?
Andréa Ranae 27:54
Yeah. Not it's not gone. But it's something it's it's more of just an awareness. And I might have some like jitters about posting something. And I'm like, I I know that there will be people that that read this that will not like it, and just preparing myself for that. But it's not necessarily shifting what I say and how I say it. Yeah.
Paul Zelizer 28:18
And a big contributor to those other four things. The fifth one was you've done a lot of personal growth work in yours. And and yeah, I would say that those two things are the you know, the last one is very connected to the other for humble opinion. Yeah.
Paul Zelizer 28:35
So let's do this. Let's take a quick break here from our sponsor, and come back and read. We want to hear specifically how you're working with clients now and what you do with your clients to work on these issues. Do you have a business that is about making the world a better place in an inner and outer kind of a way, and you want it to grow? And you hate slimy marketing? One of the best things I know if that's true, is to do exactly what's happening right here. podcasting. It's a fabulous tool. Let me talk about why the average podcast episode is 43 minutes long. Yeah, you heard that right. 43 minutes long. So whether you're in the seat that Andre is in, in this particular conversation, the guest room the seat, the Paul's in, in this particular conversation, the host, there's a real opportunity to go deep into topics. It's not a 13 word Instagram meet or 17 second Facebook ads video or whatever it is. Now maybe it's 12 you really can go deep and look at the nuances and the many layers and podcast listeners are more innovative. They make more money, they love new ideas, and people tend to turn for them for leadership. So if you've got an idea and you want it to grow and impact more people and move the needle in terms of your income goals, I really encourage you to check out the website printers, podcasts Xs T. As the name implies, that's what we do. You can find out more information by going to aware printers comm forward slash podcast dash success, there'll be a link in the show notes. And thank you to the whole podcast success team that helped sponsor this podcast. So Andre, and the second part of the show, we talk about putting on our entrepreneurial glasses. So talk to us a little bit about like, what I'm mostly aware of are these two great offerings. Let's start with the first one whole self liberation, what is that? And who tends to go who's like the best fit for whole self liberation?
Andréa Ranae 30:41
Yeah, so so whole self liberation is my new project, my new baby. It's a container space, we've been using different words training ground portal, kind of like a Hogwarts for social change, where there's this this collective of teachers who are sharing their own special gifts and their special sauce, around support supporting people who want to make a difference in the world, to proach all of these different facets of their lives, in ways that really regard their humanity, the humanity of others, their wholeness, their sovereignty, that really take into account their responsibility and the power that they have. And so it's this, it's kind of modeled in a way where it's, it's part like, membership, part, like University. And there's, there's two seasons a year. And seasons are kind of like a semester, they're 15 weeks long. And there's a selection of classes that people can dive into once they join the school, and learn about all of these different things in this first season that we have coming up that starts in January. There's classes about parenting, and creativity and healing, religious and spiritual wounds and desire as disobedience and all of these different topics that are absolutely connected to this goal that many of us have of making a difference in the world or creating something new, shifting culture, creating new systems, that we've got to recognize that while while the system's absolutely needs some tending to say the least, it starts, right where we are individually. It starts in how we relate to ourselves, and how we relate to others. And, and we create our systems out of that. And so I have a thing that I've been saying where you are the system, and you are the revolution, that the system isn't this thing that's outside of us. It's something that we we uphold, we create, we dismantle through our individual and collective decisions. And so whole self liberation is this space to look at? What are the decisions I'm making in this area, in this little area, and in this relationship? And go, what do I want to do differently, that's more aligned with the world that I want to create. So that's what's up liberation.
Paul Zelizer 33:42
And tell me like, tell us who, who's a great fit, like, like, if you're gonna, or maybe there's like yours, Person A, B, and C? And then these are the kinds of folks that this was like custom crafted for?
Andréa Ranae 33:55
Yeah, so it's a super wide range of people. It's, it's primarily focused towards people that want to make a difference in the world. And that could be a student in they're still in their, like their late teens, who is just looking at Like, who do I who do I want to be in this world. And it could be someone who is in their 60s, who's retired, and, like, really, mostly, like engages in their community or with their, with their children or their grandchildren? And it's just looking at, like, what's my place in all of this. So it's a it's a wide range in terms of demographically. For for who can and may be interested in joining. But it's really focused in on people that are looking at what is my way of making a difference in the world, not so much looking at what's the right way and what's the way that will help me avoid making a mistake, or what's the way that that is right or good, but I know that I have something of value to give to this world and and I want to find a way to give it to share it in a way that's sustainable. And also in a way that takes care of me that regards the whole, the whole of who I am. And also really takes into account when we're looking at the whole of who I am not just my personality or like, my, like, what I like and what I don't like, but what's my, my positionality in the world? What are my identities? And how does that impact how I see myself and how I see others, really taking a full holistic view, taking into account the systems and cultures as well, at this individual. So it's for people that are wanting to, to look at whether it's it's specifically on one of the topics that we're offering in a certain season, whether it's parenting, parenting, or creativity, Human Design, or just wanting to look at this, like this wider view of how do I want to make an impact in the world? How do I want to make a difference? In a way that that's me? that's unique to me, takes care of me sustainable for me. And, and impactful.
Paul Zelizer 36:37
Beautiful offering thanks for doing that work. Okay. Yeah. Talk to us about rise up rise up is about visionary business for these times, and oh, my God these times? Like, what's that all about? How does it work? Talk to us a little bit about the structure.
Andréa Ranae 36:53
Yeah, so a rise up is a, an evergreen course that's available at all times. That takes you through so much. It's it's a, it's a biggie in terms of like how much content and just ideas and everything is in there. And that's tends to be my mo I kind of go overboard, and there's so much to share on
Paul Zelizer 37:22
your middle name.
Andréa Ranae 37:25
And I've been trying to get better at it, you know, with with holes of liberation, we have this internal model of do the least. Because that doesn't mean mediocrity, but just everybody on the team is like, well, I want to give and give and give and it's like, but let's take care of let's take care of the students, let's take care of ourselves. Like, let's only give what is necessary in order to get the intended result. So with rise up, I put a lot in there. And beforehand, I did look through everything, and when is everything here necessary. And I think it is because it's like a holistic, like, and deep dive into all of the pieces of our business and especially coming from wanting it to be a visionary business, a business that is looking out and saying, This is the world that we want to create, or that I want to create. And while my business won't create it by itself, this is this is the way that what I have can contribute to creating that world. And starting from there looking at what is that vision looking at? What are all the different pieces from marketing to even before marketing, like naming Who are your people, and it's really looking at all of these like basic elements of a business and the foundational elements of a business but with some different contacts with some some more nuance and and taking into account more more relational ways of being more humanizing ways of being and really making space for for you to do it your way, which is also one of my Mo. Like that there is no right way. There's only your way. And so it it's in terms of like who it's for, it could be for the person who is just starting out who just has an idea and is looking for support, but it could also be for someone who has had a business for a while, for a long time even and is wanting to take a look at like maybe the way I've been doing things so far isn't quite working for me or I'm realizing that I want something different or I want to go after making a bigger impact in this area. And really taking a look at all of these pieces from a different perspective can help as well. So it goes through, there's about six modules that dive into, into so many things. The foundations of culture shifting, relational marketing, creating transformative offerings, even just looking at that systems, nourishing systems, whether that's like actual like tools, systems that you're using in your business, but also the way that you work, how you structure your days, and your your, your work with your team. But looking at all these pieces, and at the core of it, it's, it's really like how do you create a business that is aligned with you, and your vision?
Paul Zelizer 41:04
A lot that the different modules and I feel like, when I was looking at what's in the course, the foundations one you gave a good sense of, and I think that's one of how do you create foundations of work that's going to shift culture, I think you gave us a pretty good example of the kinds of things you're encouraging people to look at. Talk to us about creating transformational offerings, Andrea, like right now, in this moment, there's so many people who listen to our podcasts are trying to do what our title is today, doing changes lives and shifts culture. So like it, if you could distill down what you've learned about creating transformational offerings, in this particular moment in time want to share with our listeners.
Andréa Ranae 41:56
I was just talking with someone about this yesterday, you would think it would be obvious and I think when I say this to people, they go, Oh, of course. But we don't, many of us don't, don't do this, talk to your people. Talk to your people, because like what the piece about the title of this course, in these times, can apply to any time this could apply five years later than now. It's not about the specific time that we're living in right now. But it's business is about people. At the core, it's about relating to and offering something to people. And in order for you to create something transformative, create an offering that has that transformative impact on the person that you're looking to serve, you've got to know your person. And you've got to know what's going on for them. What are they thinking, what are they feeling? What are they dreaming of? What do they want? What are they scared of? You've got to know that and so you've got to talk with them. You can't, there's no way around it. And there's different ways that you can do that. But like, I think especially this 2020 has been a wild time. But especially at the beginning of when when COVID started to go ramp in and businesses were starting to be closed. And in everything, people had a really hard time pivoting. Because they and this isn't across the board, but we try to figure out our business problems in our heads, we try to figure it out within the business, instead of going to the people and going what would be of use to you right now. And that's not the best question to ask. In my experience, but to to have that question in mind, and go to them and just ask them about their experience. Ask them about what's going on for them will like be able to inform so much of what you create if you're really listening if you're really taking in what they're sharing with you and and be able to actually create something that that your people will latch on to and say yes, I've been looking for this. And it could be something that's like super deep and, and and life changing like life altering. But it could also be something that's like a momentary joy. It could be a momentary pleasure. It could be something from coaching to like to selling chocolate. But we want it all right now. Deep in my world. Listen, I understand
Paul Zelizer 44:58
this chocolate please No, no. I like coaching to buy chocolate that sorry. Yeah,
Andréa Ranae 45:04
chocolate and chocolate coach you can have, you know, the same with like sometime. Um so but but talk to your people, like invite them on on a call with you not to sell, but just to understand to have them share themselves with you to ask questions about their lives to ask them about their stories. Because that's that's where you'll get all of the goods to be able to discern okay with what I'm hearing from what my people are saying, and what I know I have what I what I have resources around or knowledge around. I can offer this. And then I think there's an experimentation to it, where you put something out there and see what happens. Always with business, in my experience. But yeah, in terms of what I've, I've learned about creating a transformative offering in these times, and all times is about talking to your people.
Paul Zelizer 46:07
And listening, what a great I love that. And as you were talking very simple, but like it actually involves you. So for instance, the were printers podcast has grown in these times, and we're getting quite a number of people pitching to be on the show. And I realized, like I was making choice, like there's some people that our meeting Yes. And there's some people like Nope, that's not a values fit. But there's more folks that you know, it's not 100% clear. So I went we have a community aware printers, community 300 something members, and I just took five people, you were one of them. And we said they asked to be on the aware printers podcast, and can you help me recalibrate? Like it's been a while since we've done this as a community and who we have on the show is deeply influences what happens in terms of our collective network and who might get introduced or blob, it just, it has a big impact in terms of our community business goals. We're not here to talk about those. What I want to share though, is I went to vote, here's five people and like on a continuum is this person highly resonant or not resonant at all. And if I hadn't done something like that, and was incredibly like immediately recalibrated, what my role was, as somebody who's working hard to have the most impact, and really live up to the values and the vision of the organization and serve these incredible hundreds of entrepreneurs. Right. And so, so simple, hadn't done in a while. And that was laughing as you're coming in that story. And I was like, and Andre as well. Yeah, I had already said yes to by the way. I knew they were gonna love you. But I just wanted to people, here's like, five, like, pretty diverse and representative of who's pitching us and why do y'all think and it was so so so helpful that I wasn't like trying to just make it all up myself? These are the my people to use your word. And I suppose. Yeah. And that simple exercise. I feel like so much crisper, as I'm going through these emails of who's interested? No, that's not what the community Yes, the community just told me, that's what they want. Right? So I just want real world story of what you're talking about.
48:16
Yes, I
Andréa Ranae 48:17
love that.
Paul Zelizer 48:18
Here's Andrea, and everybody's going to be thrilled to listen to this episode. I already know it because they already told me. And I'd love to hang out and talk to you all day. But I don't want to do that to you. If there was something that you were hoping we'd get to on this topic, doing business changes, lives and shifts cultures that we haven't yet gotten to, or there's something you want to leave our listeners with, besides we'll put all the links in the show notes to all the various places and go find Andrea and all of them. So that'll happen. Is there anything you want to leave our listeners with or something that feels really important that we haven't touched on?
Andréa Ranae 48:55
I feel it so we've touched on it, but just to I think, route it more. The thing about like doing business your way. I think in one part just want to say like you've got to be open to what your what your heart or what your soul what, what or what you just feel called to create even if it may not make sense, even if it may not be logically or even in terms of like best practices, in marketing or whatever it is, but you've got to go with that. Because that that is how you find your way, both with with rise up. I launched it in a way that I think a lot of people would in terms of best practices will go you're not going to make any money off of that. Where it was rise up. I taught the entire course live for free. Where if people showed up live They just got the content. But the recordings would only go to the people that signed up for the course, that something that I have never seen anybody do, but was aligned with one how I know that I work where I was originally planning on doing all of the content creation, just up front, and like in my own space. And and I sat with that for a long time tried to force myself to do it. And it just it's not how my energy works. Like I love doing it.
Paul Zelizer 50:31
You like lie to humans?
Andréa Ranae 50:32
Yes, exactly. So it was that and then it was also I was launching it towards the beginning of COVID. And I just knew that there was a lot of people that just wouldn't have access to the resources to pay for it. So it met both of the things that were really important to me as I was creating it, where it was making it as accessible as possible to as many people as possible, and still taking care of me. And I still made enough money for it to be sustainable for me from it. But that's not something like I never seen anybody do it like that before. And it was a risk, for sure to do it. But now, I know that about myself where I know that I can, I can do it in this way, even though it may not seem right to do. And then it's the same way with wholesale collaboration where it's an entirely different business model than I've ever seen behind the scenes especially. And it's something that's just never been created before. It's a risk. It's an experiment. But I'm, it's what I feel called to create. And so I'm doing it and that's how you figure it out. That's how you figure out your way is by being willing to take those, those risks. And also, whenever I tell people to take risks, I also go but make sure it takes care of you at the same time. Like make sure you have a plan, or some kind of way where you're you're still taking care of where you know, what you might do if it doesn't pan out, as well. So you are taking care of it that way. But yeah, I just want to share that piece too.
Paul Zelizer 52:09
Okay, it's such a fabulous honor to have you on the show. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Andréa Ranae 52:15
Thank you for having me.
Paul Zelizer 52:17
So that's all the time we have for today's episode. two quick things before we go. First of all, we love listener suggested topics and guests. If you have an idea, we drop an episode every Tuesday and Thursday now, so we're telling as many great stories as we can. And if you know of one, go to our website, go to the contact page and we talk about what we use as guidelines for who we invite on the show. If it feels like a fit. Tell us your idea. We'd love listener supported guests and topics. For now I just want to say thank you so much for listening. Please, please take really good care in these intense times. Thank you for all the positive i
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