Patrice Washington - A journey to true wealth

In today's episode, our guest is Patricia Washington. She is an award-winning best-selling author, top rated podcaster, television and radio personality, international transformational speaker, brand influencer, national spokesperson and leading authority on personal finance, entrepreneurship and success for women. Patricia is known for her holistic approach to wealth management, she is proud to be one of few women of color who hold a Certificate in Financial Psychology. Today, we delve deeper into her experiences and the adversities that mold her into the best individual she can be. [02:01] Why should we listen to you? I'd say something completely out of the blue that would catch you off guard. Who is this crazy person insane lady, you ask? In the grand scheme of things, my life hasn't been that amusing. I often say that I consider myself fortunate for what I've been through, despite the fact that I've been through a lot. Then, if you go any deeper than that, you'll find out shortly. Despite my reputation as a finance specialist, I am not really enthusiastic about personal finance because to textbooks. [04:27] What happened in life that led to that business downfall and what do you think was your ability at that time to build that? I knew I wanted to be a business owner. My friends informed me in third grade that my father would always come to me, even though I didn't live with him. I asked my father what he does for a living because he always has time to come visit me whenever he wants, and I found out that he is an entrepreneur, which is a better way to make money than my mother, who had to get up early simply to be at the office and then leave extremely late at night. I knew then that I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps as an entrepreneur. [08:41] I stayed at her house when I was 20 weeks pregnant. But I was hurried to the emergency room, where I was told that I was in labor and that there was nothing the hospital could do to stop it. On top of that, I learned of the company's demise, which added to my already high level of anxiety. The doctor advised me that if I don't stop worrying about other things, I'll lose this child and be stuck in the same room for the rest of my life, going out without a child. [12:10] How did those moments transpire and go down? Take me back and guide me on this point. When I was released, I went straight to the mailbox and opened some mail that had been sitting there for quite some time. It included some crucial notices, particularly for properties that are now at risk of foreclosure. I eventually had to liquidate assets, lay off some employees, and pay some bills with my savings. Some of my possessions were repossessed, so I sold everything on Craigslist before relocating. [13:14] with having the last of my savings, I have decided to use that to purchase a house to where we have decided to relocate. I have been sending money to a broker that promised us a place to live in. When we got there, we found out there were squatters residing in the property, and the money that I have been sending all this time was taken by that person and he ran away. [15:16] After hearing all this, we were able to move into a 1 square foot apartment where I could not even been able to keep the lights running. It was then at that time that I looked at the mirror, self reflected and asked God for guidance. I cried heavily, but then when I felt better, I opened up the bible and it showed me a scripture that is found in Proverbs 17:16. It changed my life and my perspective, and that was where I had a clear vision going forward. [20:46] Were there any people who helped you get back on your feet? What was the next step? One way God showed me that he cared about me was by sending strangers my way, who assisted me by sharing their thoughts whenever I opened up about my family's circumstances. I was able to obtain excellent information from a variety of sources. This was also the time when I had the opportunity to learn more about the Mommy Bloggers when they gave my husband and me coffee at a fast-food restaurant. I had no idea what that was about at the time. [27:06] Tell me all the cool things that you have done I've written five personal finance books. With 18,000 copies sold, it was a best seller. I spent four years on Steve Harvey's morning show, where I answered financial concerns, had guest appearances, and was published in several periodicals. I got featured on the success magazine's digital cover. My four-year-old podcast has nearly a million dollars in revenue. [31:25] Were there times where you felt like super stretched, maybe super scared. Or felt not credible for the next stage but you stepped into it? Many of us are praying for the ability to accept and sustain information. In order to process childhood trauma, I have invested in a therapist and counseling. I didn't have a really happy childhood. My family was often in dispute, and I always felt like I was the undesirable one. It became a concern for me when I became addicted to achieving and continuously demonstrating my value because it was the one area where I felt like I had control. [33:04] A portion of us believes that we need to gather more data because we believe that having more data will make us more trustworthy. So we spiral into this confusion of "I can't move to the next level because I'm so confused," "I still need validation or I still need that," and "I can't go to the next level because I'm so confused." Someone said something on my show that struck a chord with me: "Your business will grow to the amount that you are ready to repair." [37:13] Do you feel like fulfilled and at ease and almost like a draw? Like to the point of like working? Right now, I'm at a season in my life when scaling joy is the focus. In the program that I teach, I am exactly where I want to be. When I consider the positive impact that my team and I have had on people's lives, I realize that keeping the numbers low has been a mistake. I prefer to block out time in my calendar for activities that I truly enjoy. [45:35] Where can people find you if people want to engage, follow join what it Where's the place, you would direct them? You can find me at https://patricewashington.com/ to know more about me.  [46:06] What promise did God make to the world when he created you? People were promised by God that they would be able to redefine their wealth, that they would be able to reject civilizations, and that they would be able to have everything that they were created to have, without perfectionism or validation.   Key Quotes [38:47 – 39:02] “The things that you truly enjoy, I'm just doubling down on it so I'm really  creating space in the calendar and in my life and in my life to just do the things that are lovely.” [33:27 – 33:35] "So many of us gather information. We think that the more information we have, that's something that would make us credible." Learn more about Patrice Washington on: Website: https://patricewashington.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricecunninghamwashington/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeekWisdomPCW/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/seekwisdompcw