Podcast Ambition Without Compromise by Monique R. Shields

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50 | Top 5 Episodes Since Launching AWC

mercredi 1 janvier 2025 • Duration 39:04

Welcome 2025 with us as we celebrate our 50th podcast episode! 🎉

Join Monique as she reflects on the top five episodes—ranked by downloads and impact—exploring themes like embracing change, prioritizing well-being, and balancing humanity with wealth.

Monique also shares exciting news about her upcoming speaking engagement at Rachel Rogers' ROI Millionaire Summit, a conference aimed at empowering marginalized identities to achieve financial success.

Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the podcast, this episode serves as both a guide to the most impactful episodes and a celebration of the journey so far. Thank you for being a crucial part of our community. Here's to another year of growth, reflection, and ambition.

📢As a special note, Monique is opening her coaching waitlist for February 2025. You can sign up through her website to receive updates and secure a spot for transformative one-on-one coaching.

TOP 5 EPISODES
#1) Episode 25 | Avoiding The Real Work
#2) Episode 26 | When Achievement Is No Longer The Goal
#3) Episode 27 | Scaling Your Humanity With Your Wealth
#4) Episode 29 | Betting On My Wellbeing: Sharing My Practices
#5) Episode 01 | Embracing Your Next Season - How To Let Go Of What's Holding You Back

HONORABLE MENTIONS
#6) Episode 32 | The Right Time Is Not Coming
#7) Episode 30 | How I Became A Podcaster - 1 Year Anniversary Episode!
#8) Episode 12 | Allowing Your Ambition To Evolve with Jereshia Hawk
#9) Episode 31 | When Will It Ever Be Enough?
#10) Episode 28 | Beneath The Struggle To Ask For Help

MENTIONED

Where Monique is Speaking: ROI Millionaire Summit by Rachel Rodgers Jan 15-17 2025 in Huntington Beach California. My session is the afternoon of Weds, Jan 15 for Golden Ticket holders... get your tickets here!
Book: We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers

GEMS DROPPED
"Take a moment to appreciate yourself for having the level of integrity with yourself that you have had, no matter how big or small the commitment."

"The work that actually unlocks the success that we're deeply craving is the work that we're avoiding."

"When you share from the vulnerable place, you create powerful influence and connect with people as a leader."

STAY IN TOUCH
Follow me on Instagram @moniquershields

49 | Whose Permission Are You Seeking?

mercredi 18 décembre 2024 • Duration 27:36

Have you ever felt the pull to close one chapter of your life and start a new one, only to be held back by an invisible ball and chain?

This episode tackles the heart of that struggle, exploring how we can make meaningful shifts in how we work, live, and perceive ourselves. Join Monique on this live broadcast episode as she discusses how to break free from old identities, embrace personal evolution, and seek permission from within.

Tune in for a transformative conversation that challenges you to rethink the rules you've lived by and invites you to create from a place of artistry and authenticity.

📢As a special note, Monique is opening her coaching waitlist for February 2025. You can sign up through her website to receive updates and secure a spot for transformative one-on-one coaching.

GEMS DROPPED
“Once we've reached a certain level of achievement and success in our lives, oftentimes then we have the privilege of looking up and creating from this place of artistry, like actually being a creative, taking a paintbrush to blank canvas and building from scratch. How we see the world, how we want things to be, how we want to exist. And that level of freedom can come with a lot of fear and it can be disorienting. But it is the place that we, I think, all deserve to be at.”

“I think the top two reasons that I hear from people who are scared to pivot, who are scared to make the leap: number one, there's some scarcity thing going on around money. But I think that the bigger driver is something around this invisible audience that is judging our every move. The language that people use constantly is ’I get scared of what people will think or what people will say’. Like, what people? Who are you talking about? Who specifically are you referring to? ”

“Usually there are specific relationships, there are specific groups of people that we have related to in a certain way, who have seen us occupy a certain identity, who have seen us in a certain light that we don't want to break our current image with them. We're terrified of becoming something unrecognizable to these people or a specific person. And the way these show up in our thoughts and in our minds that then influence our actions is what I've been calling an invisible audience.”

“There's a physiological connection to the ways in which we are not allowing ourselves to show up in the fullness of who we are and we've created all of these rules around these old identities that are no longer going to serve us. We have created all of these limitations and rules and constraints based off of old spaces, places and identities that we've had to occupy or that we've chosen to occupy in the past and that stuff is sticking with us.”

"Sacrifice is meant to be temporary. It is not meant to be the end all, be all, forever state of things."

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

40 | Are You Asking Too Much Of Your Team?

mercredi 14 août 2024 • Duration 34:04

One of the most challenging aspects of this journey of entrepreneurship is people management. As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves grappling with delegation and feedback, two crucial elements that can make or break our team dynamics and overall business success.

In this episode, I’m diving deep into these very topics by exploring the common pitfalls entrepreneurs face when trying to delegate tasks and provide feedback, and offering practical solutions to overcome these challenges. Join me as I share personal experiences and the lessons I've learned from coaching clients through the intricate dance of delegation. From setting clear expectations to creating effective checkpoints, I walk you through my thought process and provide actionable advice to help you delegate tasks more effectively and give constructive feedback.

If you've ever struggled with feeling like your standards are too high or questioned your ability to trust your team, this episode is for you.

MENTIONED
I'm opening three exclusive spots for women CEOs ready to redefine their leadership. If you're at a pivotal moment—launching a new fund, leading a team, or stepping into a new role—and feel the weight of what's next, I’m here to support you. Ready to invest in your growth and tackle challenges head-on? Visit www.moniquershields.com and fill out the simple contact form to get started.

GEMS DROPPED
“When we delegate the first thing we go to is the initial delegation, but I think that we skip a couple of steps when we jump to initial delegation. We bundle together in our mind that expectation setting and delegation are the same thing. Telling someone what you expect them to do in terms of steps that you expect them to take, people that you expect them to speak to, that is not the same thing as expectation setting. Expectation setting really revolves around, have I actually taken the time to define what ownership means?”

“I think the other part of defining ownership, is also explaining the stakes in the context because when we start handing over decision making authority - even if it's very low stakes or small decisions - they still have an impact. We equip our team members with what they need to increase their chances of success when we explain to them the context, that is necessary for the task at hand or for the whatever it is that you're trying to hand over ownership for. This is a key missing piece.”

“Before we set any expectations, we have to recognize how little we actually know about what our expectations are. Especially as women leaders, we know what we want, but we don't know how to express what we want. We're not practiced at it. We're not practiced at both, what it is that we want, and expressing it freely because we are often in spaces where it is not safe to do that. And so, number one … is to drop into and find support for expressing your needs. This flows outside the walls of your business or your organization. This is about how you are also showing up in life, how you relate to what it is that you need… How you express that. Period.“

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

39 | On People Pleasing

mercredi 31 juillet 2024 • Duration 32:33

In this live-recorded episode, we explore the pervasive issue of people-pleasing, its roots, impacts, and the paths to overcoming it.

This behavior, often rooted in a desire to be liked and accepted, can have profound impacts on both our personal and professional lives. Join me for personal stories, client experiences, and actionable steps to help you reclaim your voice and set healthier boundaries. Learning to love and accept ourselves, flaws and all, is a vital part of the journey towards breaking free from this behavior.

If you're ready to reclaim your voice, tune in to this enlightening episode. It's time to prioritize your own well-being and create a life that truly reflects who you are.

GEMS DROPPED

“People pleasing is symptomatic of feeling unseen, going for long periods of your life, probably in your youth, probably having to deal with some of our traumas, where we've been unseen. “

“I want to be really clear that people pleasing is not the same thing as being ”weak”, or, not having a perspective or being passive. Some of the most hard hitting, ambitious, aggressive, in all the best ways, women that I know also identify as being people pleasers. Two things can be true at the same time, y'all. People pleasing is not the same thing as playing second fiddle and always taking a backseat.”

“You are in the driver's seat of the choices you make, no matter what choices you make. This podcast, Ambition Without Compromise, is about you designing what ambition looks like. And I think oftentimes when you really think about it, one of the most ambitious things, if I'm honest, that a black woman in this world could do is to decide against all odds that she is prioritizing just her basic well-being over anything else. Over career, over accolades, over anything. And that could look a lot of different ways.”

“Our bodies are our bodies. We are still real flesh and blood human beings. We are not supernatural. We are not meant to take on all the burdens of the world. We have got to stop convincing ourselves that, like, I can hold it. They're not built like me, so I guess I better handle it. Like, at some point, it will catch up with you. 1000% guaranteed and on that day, you won't be able to always just walk it back.”

“I think all of this boils down to a very fundamental need that all of us have as humans, which is unconditional love. It's like the ooey gooey center of it all. I'm talking about leadership. I'm talking about, you know, showing up in spaces and holding things and pleasing folks. And you gotta please your investors, you gotta please your team, you gotta please your clients, you gotta please your parents, you gotta please your extended family, you gotta please your spouse, you gotta please your kids. Right? But when we operate like this, I think a big part of it is that we move into circumstances, in general, in life, where we just don't expect unconditional love. We don't know what that looks like. We have not been taught that and not in a blanketed way. And it's what we crave most, where it's just like, I can be me and I'll still be accepted. I can want what I need too, and still be loved. I’m deserving of it all.”

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

38 | Scared To Hire

mercredi 17 juillet 2024 • Duration 43:54

In this special behind-the-scenes episode, I pull back the covers on my personal journey as a CEO and entrepreneur sharing my fears, challenges, and breakthroughs. From hiring hurdles to business growth, I get real and raw about the ups and downs of my five-year journey of building my business and the challenges of making my first full-time hire.

If you've ever hesitated to invest in yourself or your business, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in now and discover how you can move past your fears and build the business of your dreams.

MENTIONED
12 | Allowing Your Ambition To Evolve with Jereshia Hawk

GEMS DROPPED
“Inevitably when we move through and we get one new level of clarity, a new barrier gets introduced. When we break through one ceiling, a new ceiling all of a sudden appears.”

“I had begun to buy into this sort of vague, emotional reaction, and told myself a story that was irresponsible to hire someone until I have this feeling that I can support them. And that's not what hiring is like. The actual exchange of expectations and the resources and the energy that flows between you and your team members or those who are working for your company, you're not paying to take care of them. And so that doesn't have anything to do with my values around being a thoughtful and kind and compassionate person and leader, right. How I will treat people, how I actually care about whoever works with me, their humanity, like I'm still me and I don't have to place this additional weight on the relationship that doesn't need to exist. It just really has no place.”

“We all need this. We need other people to help us catch those blind spots and shift our perspective. Otherwise, we're trapped in our own way of thinking, and we overcomplicate stuff. We make things harder than they need to be and it's just because certain things are hidden or there’re certain angles that we're just not exploring.”

“I think it's important to get yourself into conversation not only with your coach, because I would not have made the connections to the undercurrents right around the belonging, around the messiness if I had not already laid the groundwork, which with the deeper level work that I do with my coach and that I have done with my therapists. But these kind of [questions], ‘What's the next step? Where are we going to take it next?’ Not sitting in that alone. It makes all the difference.”

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

37 | The Power Of Prioritizing Friendship And Connection

mercredi 3 juillet 2024 • Duration 36:44

As a coach, facilitator, and speaker, I have come to realize that our dreams don't always welcome us with open arms. The journey towards our aligned future can often feel lonely and unwelcoming, especially when we are made to feel isolated.

Join me as I share personal stories and revelations about overcoming isolation and finding support in our journeys. From a significant encounter in 2018 that solidified my commitment to working with women of color, to the transformative power of finding and fostering authentic connections during the pandemic, this episode is a heartfelt testimony to the necessity of community for thriving.

Tune in to discover how prioritizing connection can unlock your potential and lead to greater success in both your personal and professional life.

MENTIONED
I'm opening three exclusive spots for women CEOs ready to redefine their leadership. If you're at a pivotal moment—launching a new fund, leading a team, or stepping into a new role—and feel the weight of what's next, I’m here to support you. Ready to invest in your growth and tackle challenges head-on? Visit www.moniquershields.com and fill out the simple contact form to get started.

GEMS DROPPED
“Success requires community. Success requires belonging. Someone needs to be looking out for you, holding space for you, sending up prayers for you, thinking of you, knowing what's going on with you, knowing a few layers deep, understanding the dimensions of your life, because enough of them overlap with theirs, and because they've spent the time, the intention of both working on themselves and making it known that they are serious and invested in your success, that they want you to win. There's no, like, weird, threatening, frenemy energy going on, right? “

“Your primary concern must be about connection. It must be about community. It must be meeting the needs.”

“As a black woman, we're used to counting on ourselves. And so the help that we really deep, deep, deep, deep down, that desire, the vulnerability, the sadness, the emotions, the joy that we wish we could not only express, but to be witnessed and to be held in and celebrated in or whatever needs to be amplified or just held, we don't know how to do that. Nobody has taught us how to do that. And so it is the medicine for so many things. “

“There's a whole different experience of human interaction in the world. And I think we think about this just for our kids. We are greatly impacted by this, • and I think it is costing us dearly. And I think for those of us who have layer upon layer of subjugated and or marginalized identities, however you hold that language in your mind, it's even more so. So we are under attack, like, our humanity. And what becomes possible for us is under attack because of what kinds of patterns and practices have become normalized in our societies.”

“When belonging is blocked, or you're not getting enough of that, it has far reaching impacts over the rest of your life. It has everything to do with how much money you believe you can make as well. Make it happen like you're fighting for your life, because you are.”

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

36 | Learning How To Do Nothing

mercredi 19 juin 2024 • Duration 39:44

In today's fast-paced world, the concept of truly resting and enjoying success often feels elusive. Many of us are caught in a cycle of hyper productivity and achievement, constantly striving for the next milestone without pausing to reflect or recharge.

Inspired by a friend's sabbatical and a compelling story from Will Smith's autobiography, I’m examining the internal struggle and unexpected discomfort that comes with stepping away from the grind.

If you're seeking ways to incorporate rest into your life, or simply curious about the journey of self-discovery and enjoyment, this episode offers valuable reflections and practical advice to help you embrace stillness and find balance. Tune in as I dive into the art of stillness and explore what it means to remove yourself from the relentless pace of life to reconnect with your true self.

MENTIONED
The Will Smith Autobiography Will by Will Smith

GEMS DROPPED
“Many of us have the privilege to do this, to actually take sabbaticals or to open a new chapter in your life where your work, your business, your profession is not at the center, at the core of your identity.”

“Some of us have been working full time employees since we were very small children. Whether we were going elsewhere, outside of our household to work or whether we were energetically, emotionally laboring, we've been like many of us have been laboring for a very long time. And so when that threshold arises where it's time for my sabbatical, it's gonna vary.”

“Without the expressed belief that I am working towards a sabbatical, some sort of extended break to pull yourself away and to reconnect with yourself and life…whatever. I think that that's what we're quietly playing for, but I don't think that many of us have actually taken ourselves to the place.”

“The question is what do we actually think we want and what we truly will find on the other side of this freedom to rest, the stillness, the pause that we all keep saying that we want?”

“I think we focus a lot on, like, I need to have a hobby, I need to have fun. And I think a lot of that just comes back down to like sit down either with yourself or someone else, however you process out your thoughts. If you can't think of like what am I into? What am I interested in besides making money, besides doing, you know, achieving things and you know, like working, what am I into? Go back to your younger self and think about what brought you delight and joy and surprise and what really intrigued you as a kid. What was something that you used to spend hours on. It may not be that exact thing today in its exact form, but some continuity of that still exists within you.”

“Build yourself a bridge back to yourself first.”

“Until he had had that kind of stillness experience where it's like, I have nowhere to go but to be here with me and to actually feel what it is that is trying to be felt. That is the thing that I think we are avoiding most.”

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

35 | The Courage To Pursue Peace With Hillarie Maddox of BlackGirlCountryLiving

mercredi 5 juin 2024 • Duration 56:15

Are you yearning for a change in your life, especially one that brings you closer to your true self? This episode might just be the nudge you need.

In this episode, we unfold the essence of rewilding – a term that transcends its ecological roots to embody a spiritual awakening and connection with the natural world. Hillarie Maddox, a mother, aspiring farmer, community builder and the visionary behind Black Girl Country Living, shares her profound shift from the corporate grind to a life steeped in nature, healing, and community on Whidbey Island.

Join in as Hillarie recounts her journey– from her aspirations for big-city success to her courageous leap into a life that truly resonates with her soul. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of transitioning multiple times, the power of visibility in attracting life-altering opportunities, and the importance of aligning one's work with deeply held values.

Her story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to seek a more fulfilling path, and that transitions are not just about the physical move from one place to another but also about the spiritual passage from one state of being to another.

GEMS DROPPED
“When we allow ourselves to be free and have the privilege… it really ends up being like coming back into this formative early part of myself, this foundational part of me as a child to live a fuller expression of that kid now.” - Monique R. Shields

“When I first started getting into gardening, and homesteading and thinking about, like, you know, this is something that I have to do all on my own. And then realizing, like, homesteaders, farmers, they don't do this on their own, they work in connection to all of these other people, and you can't possibly grow everything on your own. And so it's been like this sort of expansive rethinking of what this lifestyle actually means. And that understanding has trickled into all parts of my life, including my career.”- Hillarie Maddox

“Many of us are still building our careers off of that very old dream. There's nothing wrong with having that dream, like, whatever age you have it at, and you pursue it and then decide, actually, this is not what I thought it was going to be and then making a new decision. But sometimes we never hit that point or allow ourselves to hit the point of reckoning where it's just like, this ain't it. It may be “it”, but sometimes it's not it, many times it's not it.” - Monique R. Shields

“If you don't know what your values are, then you're making decisions from all of these different inputs from who knows where in your life and then it creates this really out of touch, out of alignment way of living.“ - Hillarie Maddox

GUEST LINKS
Learn more about Hillarie Maddox | Website | Instagram | Substack
If you are looking for retreat space to host your programming around climate justice, BIPOC wellness, or land-based healing work, connect with Hillarie at hillarie@whidbeyinsitute.org

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

34 | Perfectionism & The Settled Place We're Seeking

mercredi 22 mai 2024 • Duration 44:46

Have you ever felt like you're constantly chasing a moment of peace, where everything on your to-do list is checked off, and you can finally relax? This pursuit of the 'settled place' might be more ingrained in your daily life than you realize.

There's a way to shift from this endless cycle of striving for perfection to embracing an abundant boss mindset. A mindset that allows you to assume possibility, to believe that space and resources you need will be available to you, and to prioritize your own well-being alongside your ambitions.

Join me as we unpack the layers of societal expectation that have taught us to stifle our emotions, to maintain composure at the cost of our authentic selves. I also share personal anecdotes and insights into how modeling emotional honesty can shape our environments, encourage others, and foster a culture of genuine well-being. Tune in to learn more.

GEMS DROPPED
“An abundant boss mindset is a mindset around leadership where you assume possibility. You assume that the space you require is available to you. You assume that your needs shall be met. You assume that if you take up the space it’s gonna be okay. There's a way that we kind of assume that we can have our needs met and that the things get done… at the same damn time.”

“Some of the most important mental resource tools I've honestly ever picked up were between therapy and the fact that I worked for four years at a mental health startup where I learned cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in and out.”

“One of the greatest lessons that I learned in my coaching training is how emotions move. Emotions are emotions. There are no good emotions, there are no bad emotions… emotions are just energy. They are energy that needs to flow through us. Our body is engaging with the world and energetically reacting to the experiences that we have, the relationships that we keep and when our emotions come up, as adults, we have been trained to work them on down, to make them feasible, to make them workable, or to shut them off, to shut ourselves off, and to go into numb mode just to survive the moment because we're not socially given the space to do much more than that on a da -to -day basis.”

“This craving of arriving at the settled place, this desire to get ahead of this, to get to the point where you feel peace and confident and on top of things. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I think that what we are not recognizing in that process or in that craving is that it's not just so much as a desire to get to a place as it is I think a desire to get away from. Because what's happening is we're just scared to be present to what is so we need to get somewhere else where there aren't the complicated, hard feelings there. Sadness is not there. Rage, anger and frustration are not there. It's just pure satisfaction and rest and peace, which we all deserve. And I want to argue today that we also deserve to have regular space to feel all of the other emotions as well.“

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.

33 | Unpacking Trauma And Achievement with Psychologist Andrea Michel

mercredi 8 mai 2024 • Duration 59:23

In this episode, we explore the intricate web of trauma, perfectionism and high achievement with Andrea Michel.

As a developmental psychologist, trauma-sensitive leadership coach, and former corporate badass, Andrea peels back the layers of what it means to be a high achiever, how our childhood traumas shape our professional lives, and the subtle yet significant distinction between burnout and trauma responses in the workplace. She offers a compassionate lens through which to view our inner perfectionist – not as something to be vanquished, but as a part of ourselves that requires understanding and, if we choose, healing.

Whether you're a leader seeking to create a trauma-sensitive environment or an individual ready to confront the roots of your perfectionism, Andrea's expertise will guide you toward a path of self-awareness and empowerment. Press play to join the conversation.

Some key points discussed in this episode include:

Understanding decision-making
High-functioning behavior, overachievement, and childhood trauma
Parenting and trauma
Forming relationships based solely on achievement
Self-awareness and Healing
Differentiating burnout and trauma response

GEMS DROPPED
“Simply put, trauma is any experience or any event that overwhelms our internal resources. And when we feel out of control of a situation. So in other words, trauma is anything that happens to us where we feel like we have no control over the situation and we're basically stressed out to the max. And so I like to say, when we think about trauma, there is the event, there the experience, and then there is the expectations. So the event is the thing that happens, the experience is how we interpret that thing that happened and then the expectation is how do others around us respond to that situation.” - Andrea Michel

“What I come into contact with, even with some clients in session, sometime we're asking, like, where does that come from? Why is that showing up? Why is that happening? What was that about? But we can't take it much further. And I just feel like sometimes it's just another reminder that you can't really do this alone. You can, many times only get yourself so far, because we can't see outside. We can't see outside of how we see.” - Monique R. Shields

“We have to unburden ourselves of things that we ultimately cannot control and we're not supposed to anyway.” - Monique R. Shields

“If you want to stop repeating the same cycle, you have to heal the trauma.” - Andrea Michel

MENTIONED

EP. 14 Spiritual Knowing and Self-Integrity with Josie Rosario

GUEST LINKS
Learn more about Andrea Michel | Website | The Global Center for Trauma | Private Coaching

STAY IN TOUCH
Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to ambition@moniquershields.com.