276 MINISODE April Yvette: Meaningful Fame

April Yvette is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker transformed her live from single mom with a $9 per hour job to a real estate phenomenon earning $9 million in one year. Then she became an inventor, her product featured on Shark Tank, and now she helps people with a compelling story align to their purpose and build a profitable business. Today she shares her advice on how to leverage your setbacks, get into “inspired action” and why it’s vital you share your unique gifts with the world with “meaningful fame”.

Melinda Wittstock:         April, welcome to Wings.

April Yvette:                      Hi, welcome. I’m so excited to be here. Thank you. Glad to be on.

Melinda Wittstock:         Yeah, it’s great to have you on as well. What’s inspiring you right now?

April Yvette:                      One of the things I think that inspires me the most is some days I just feel like wow, I get to do this work in the world. And I think what brings me the most joy and inspires me the most is seeing others succeed, on many different levels. That’s one of the things that genuinely brings me joy, and that’s what inspires me.

Melinda Wittstock:         Oh, that’s beautiful. I think women in business… we all tend to come at this with a mission of helping other people. Is that your experience? Are women more hardwired that way?

April Yvette:                      Yes. I believe so. I think that sometimes we put on our business hat and our high achiever hat and we slip back into that mindset, be in our head a little bit more than our heart, but I think ultimately, what it comes down to it, it’s really about doing meaningful work in the world.

Melinda Wittstock:         So, all of us have challenges, and I know through my own journey in entrepreneurship as a serial entrepreneur, there are always ups and downs, and different things that come up. What are some of yours right now?

April Yvette:                      Some of the challenges that I have is, well one, my business has been growing, so just making sure that I maintain my time off where I am fully present with my husband and my daughter, when I’m actually with them. Sometimes I’m in work mode, and I’m like, “Wait, one more email.” And I’m like, “Okay, remember we’ve got to take off that hat and we’ve just got to be fully present in the moment.” So, that’s definitely one of the challenges that, it’s like it’s a practice for me. So, I just practice self awareness and I’m okay, “Okay, I’ve got to switch into being with my family, and stay in that space when I’m with them”

Melinda Wittstock:         Oh gosh, this is so important because I think we do have a hard time transitioning kind of in and out of kind of business mode, work mode, and then being present. And it really is about just seizing the present moment where of course, all the power actually is, you know? You get to know that over a little bit of time. But beautifully said. And so, what are your main go-to pieces of advice for women in business? I mean, you’re a motivational speaker, you’ve been on Shark Tank, you’ve done all these amazing things. What are the top three go-to pieces of advice that you would give female entrepreneurs wherever they are in their journey, or women in business generally?

April Yvette:                      Well, I was thinking about that earlier, and I’m like, “What are the three?” And I’m trying to narrow it down. I’m like, “I kind of have four, but here’s”-

Melinda Wittstock:         Four is okay. I’ll let you have four.

April Yvette:                      Okay.

Melinda Wittstock:         Four is better.

April Yvette:                      Because I’m like, “What’s the most important?” Right? So, the first piece of advice that I have for female entrepreneurs, based on my own experience, what I literally have learned, I’ve been in the trenches, is that if you have a message, some advice, gifts, a process, some skills that can genuinely help other people, meaning your ideal clients get real results or some kind of a transformation or a breakthrough, I believe it’s part of your calling to be more well known, to have meaningful fame, to be seen. And the whole purpose of that is so you can help more people. It’s part of your calling. And I think at some point, we have to stop holding back, or stop hiding out, and it’s just time to get ourselves out there in a much bigger way. Because it’s what you’re meant to do, it’s part of why you were born. So, that’s the first piece.

Melinda Wittstock:         Oh gosh, you’re so right. And I think so often, women confuse personal branding with personal bragging. And they don’t stand up.

April Yvette:                      Yes. Right.

Melinda Wittstock:         Instead of saying what’s great, because we’re providing so much value, but if we don’t value ourselves, it’s so hard to kind of step out into that role. So, what a great piece, number one advice. That’s awesome. Okay, so what are two, three, and four?

April Yvette:                      So, the next one is, I learned this for sure in my own life is, our life’s most painful problems, our wounding experiences, is something what I call them or refer to them as, the most painful experiences, and also our greatest triumphs have helped us develop our life’s PhD. And what I mean by that is because we went through that, it was like a catalyst that caused us to reach deeper levels of mastery, with certain skills and certain gifts. And when you can mine, look back at those painful experiences, and what did you develop, what came as a result of that, that is the real work that you’re here to do in the world. Do that.

Melinda Wittstock:         Oh, beautifully said. Okay, and now to the rest.

April Yvette:                      So, for me, I spent most of my life being a high achiever. Matter of fact, my entire lie, I think even as a kid, I kind of was in that mode. And I spent it pushing and striving, and reaching goals, and climbing the ladder back when I was in corporate, and even before I became an entrepreneur. And then doing it as an entrepreneur. And it was hard. What I found is when I finally put God first, and for me it’s God. Could be your higher power, source, whatever that is for you, for me it’s God, it’s Jesus. And surrender. Surrender on a deeper level, while we’re taking inspired action. That is the path to peace and plenty in business and life. Peace and plenty, because I’ve had plenty, but not the peace. And then I’ve had a drought, but then been peaceful. You know what I mean? You can’t have one or the other. It’s both that really makes life more enjoyable. And business for that matter.

Melinda Wittstock:         I love that surrender. That’s something that’s come to me and my life. And in fact, my word for 2018 … I always have a word now for the year, was surrender. And it literally was about letting go. Whether it’s letting go of stuff that just doesn’t serve you anymore, or just letting go of your kind of willful ego power and opening yourself up to inspiration, things you might not otherwise see. We need to create that space. So, how beautifully said. Whether it’s source, God, whatever.

April Yvette:                      Right. Yeah.

Melinda Wittstock:         Get out of our own way.

April Yvette:                      Exactly. I’m so glad that … I went on my own journey with that. The reaching deeper levels of surrender is a practice. It’s like spiritual practices that you do daily, and that’s what helps you to get to that place of allowing and receiving, and that’s when there’s an opening created. Yeah.

Melinda Wittstock:         So April, how can people find you and what you do?

April Yvette:                      They can find me on my website. It’s at www.aprilyvette.com, A-P-R-I-L Y-V-E-T-T-E dot com.

Melinda Wittstock:         Wonderful. You have a special offer for anybody today?

April Yvette:                      I do. I am offering a free 45 minute coaching session with me. This is an actual coaching session where it’s part coaching, part consulting, and it’s anything around marketing or mindset, and really identifying what is it that you need. And I will help you, you’ll leave the call with literally a plan or an answer, and specific advice that can help you one step further on your journey.

Melinda Wittstock:         Oh, how beautiful. Well, thank you so much for putting on your wings and flying with us today.

April Yvette:                      Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.