56: Bonus Episode

She's Fabulous by MaryAnn Lim Favie

​​Welcome to She’s Fabulous.

In this episode, I would like to share the meaning of this podcast to me and the lessons that launching this podcast has brought to my life.

This podcast show has done a lot to me:

1. It has again proven to me that we are bigger than our insecurities and fears. That if we want to accomplish something, all we need is courage and a little help and push from people who believe we can do it.

2. It has given me that platform to show myself up and let my voice get heard. I started to be seen as a person with a purpose beyond personal, someone who can help other women find theirs.

3. I started getting messages from people I know, and even people I don’t know. It was heartwarming when someone sent me a message on my Facebook telling me she listened to an episode and can relate to me, and felt inspired. Not a few have expressed intention to join me in my cause, to participate in my passion project for middle aged women - on helping them feel fabulous again.

4. More importantly, though in most episodes I just speak my mind and share my random thoughts without structure, without wanting to be perfect, I was able to overcome being highly critical of myself. I am not a professional podcaster, but I am a person with a pure intention to reach out and make a difference. And even if I change just one person's life for the better, I can say I have served my purpose.

Objections:

a) I started not sure about what role a podcast will do to my life in general. In 2019 I was new in the arena of using social media for professional reasons. Years before that my Facebook account was only meant to connect with family, relatives and friends, purely for a personal purpose. My LinkedIn was just for connecting with people in the industry where I am working in.

b) But then I reached that stage when I felt that no matter what I have gone through the past 50 years of my life - the trials and challenges, the success and the lessons - I was having that strong feeling that it is time to pay forward. I went through the most difficult time with the loss of my husband in May 2019 - one that changed my life and my daughters in an instant. But one morning I woke up with overwhelming gratitude seeing how despite the darkness, it has changed me and my daughters into more beautiful persons. And a heart filled with gratitude is a heart that wants to give and share. That was the morning I found my new purpose - to help other women like me overcome their deepest moment and be fabulous again - that is exactly what I wanted to do more of, for the rest of my life.

c) But who am I to get to people to listen to me? I am just like most of the people you see in social media - someone who lives a normal life, nothing extraordinary. And with social media being dominated by the more outgoing, more creative, bolder people who naturally can attract social media attention, how can I gain even just a little of that attention for someone to listen to my thoughts and to my stories?

d) And it hit me, isn’t it that the celebrities - the big names, the popular social media influencers, - isn’t it that following them do inspire us but somehow leaves us with a feeling that they are different from us that’s why they are successful? That we are likely not part of the “lucky ones” or we are not made like them, therefore to achieve that level of success or result is only for people who have special qualities like them? Well you may feel differently, but that is how I feel. And I have met a few normal people in my life that I may consider as ordinary, but living extraordinary lives enough to make an impact on others.

e) And I thought, I want to be like that - an ordinary person living an extraordinary life, creating extraordinary impact to ordinary people like me. But I need to start somewhere. I need to be seen, I need to be heard. I need to be able to have a platform to reach out to other people who are looking for ordinary people like - one who can guide and lead them to their better version, without feeling intimidated or feeling overwhelmed by popularity and the noise happening in the world of social media.

f) It is when I started my search for a way to start this new purpose. In November 2019, I joined the Soul Rich Woman community and attended the course. This was the start to me getting more understanding of the importance of being seen as a Leader in the space I want to go into, and to gain a deeper understanding of how to reach out to those ordinary people I want to help.

g) When the Instant Podcast Leader program was introduced to us during the course, I dismissed it as I do not see myself as a podcaster. In my mind, I will share my stories to people who will connect with me and would want to listen to them. But to be out there publicly and openly making a part of my life very accessible to anyone and to everyone, this was not my style.

h) But then I signed up for mentoring of the founder of Soul Rich Woman, Genecia Alluora. And on my first mentoring session with her, I understood more. Being seen is necessary to being heard. And being seen and heard is essential to cross over the line to being trusted.

i) I was convinced that this podcast will help elevate me to be one of the leaders of Soul Rich Woman, and I love that idea. I believe in what the community stands for - alone you are strong, together we are unstoppable. But there is one problem, I am totally scared of going public, of being out there. I have so many thoughts in my mind - I will surely make mistakes and what if I get criticised? What if I say something that is off to some people? what if I have grammatical errors and do not pronounce words properly? What if my English is not correct? Will I not make myself a subject of ridicule and criticisms, than be perceived as someone capable and a leader?

j) The first episodes were painstakingly long for me to write the content. When my first episodes aired, I did not like what I was hearing. I can easily pick out what I could have said better or where I could have sounded more like a pro. But my podcast coach Joanne keeps repeating this to me - the goal is not to sound professional as I am not a pro, the goal is to sound like who you are in real life, to be authentic, to be real.

k) And I realised she is right. I am my worst critic. And that if people who listen to me will find things to criticise, they are not my audience.

l) And isn’t it what was my intention in the first place - to find the ordinary people? To relate to people just like me? To send the message that if they find my life inspiring with all its flaws and wins, it is just like what can happen to another ordinary person like them? Which is why all of us can live a fabulous life on our own terms.

Conclusion:

To the important people in my life, I wanted to leave the episodes as a testament of how each of you have shaped my life in one way or another. You would know who you are when you listen to my stories. And I am taking this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU, and to send my love to you.

Truly, we are in charge of how we can make our life fabulous. I leave you with a challenge to live your own fabulous life everyday.

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