Message from Loral: Don’t Quit Now
When I was in my mid twenties, out of college, deep into the workforce and just starting with my entrepreneurial dreams, one of my mentors told me something I’ll never forget:
“If you quit now, you’ll never know how many people you could’ve helped.”
I’ve had more than my fair share of struggles in life, from being a single mother to seeing some of my businesses fall during the recent economic downfall to facing a multi-million-dollar divorce — I’ve been through a lot. We all have.
But what helps me keep going is that saying. And every so often, I meet (or re-meet) someone who reminds me of that. This happened to me recently.
Her name is Jodi Orshan — Jodi Orshan, The Parenting Expert.
Jodi Orshan, the Parenting Expert
After meeting Jodi at a 3 Days to Cash event in Orlando in February 2011, I saw Jodi again at the EIPPY Awards in New Mexico last week.
She caught up with me after I spoke, and the story she shared with me…well, it was just incredible.
A member of my staff caught up with Jodi to get her complete story. So, I’ll let her tell it:
Live Out Loud: Tell me about yourself, Jodi.
Jodi: I’m a parenting coach and have been in the field for more than 30 years. I’ve been working in my personal business for the past 12 years. I work with individuals and couples, helping them truly define and create the family they’ve always wanted.
As a parenting expert, I have a 3-step approach for them to achieve success: First they write a family mission statement, second they clarify their abilities and capabilities, and third, they bring in outside to help.
Live Out Loud: Gotcha. So how did you meet Loral?
Jodi: Two years ago, I won an opportunity to see her speak in Orlando, so I jumped on it. I had no idea what to expect, but it was more of an it-choosing-me vs. me-choosing-it deal. Right off the bat, I was just really drawn into her enthusiasm.
She’s actually the one who got me to start calling myself the “parenting expert.”
Live Out Loud: What do you mean?
Jodi: Within 15 minutes of being at her seminar, Loral looked at me and asked, “Define your expertise.” I thought about it and realized that my expertise was in parenting. I never had this declarative sentence until she told me to “just say it.” So I did.
Live Out Loud: Wow, that’s wonderful. So what happened after the event?
Jodi: After the event, I was supposed to go to Loral’s Big Table, but I kept delaying my time to go. Months passed by and eventually I got so wrapped up in my business and personal stuff I had going on that I still haven’t attended to this day.
But I had all of the materials, access to the coaches, and all of the resources she shared with us. And it was all working. I’ve built a great team around me — some of them are folks I met at Loral’s event —, reached 2 of my Freedom Days, and have already reached the goal of having all of the money I make in my business go right back into it.
Live Out Loud: Quite the impact, huh?
Jodi: Yeah, but it was much, much more than financial. For all of Loral’s financial advice, that’s not what changed me. What changed me was her core, her enthusiasm, her integrity and her blessed passion. She gave me a gift that says, “Life shouldn’t be about compromise for the sake of anything. Never act out of fear.”
Shortly after the event I saw her at, I went through a very painful divorce. But instead of being in a place of fear, it’s a place of strength for me.
That fearlessness of life she had…it touched me. And she didn’t even really know.
Live Out Loud: That’s incredible. So she’s been more of a life coach for you thus far, wouldn’t you say?
Jodi: Most definitely. She’s really taught me 3 main lessons:
1) Be honest with yourself. Down to your core. Strip off everything, look at yourself in the mirror and be honest.
2) Define what is your core. What is your bottom line?
3) Live your bottom line.
After you do this, whatever you look at in the mirror will be beautiful.
Live Out Loud: It’s amazing how large of an impact someone can have on you with just a brief encounter.
Jodi: Absolutely. And this is exactly what I told her when I saw her again. The amazing thing I wanted her to know is that I know I’m not the only one. She needs to know how many people she really touches…and it’s not just people who sit at the Big Table. I told her, “You don’t even know how many millionaires you’ve made who have taken all of your books, resources, information, and made it.” Her impact is so much further than she can see.
Just about the only thing Jodi told me on that day that I got mad at was that she was happy with her 5-to-7 percent return rate … you all know I have a bottom line of 10 percent ROI!
Check out Jodi’s website here: https://theparentingplan.com/
Seriously though, it was amazing hearing Jodi’s story that had been two-and-a-half years in the making. It truly touched me. Stories like this make it all worth it.
So, my lesson for you all is to never quit. If you do, you’ll never know how many people you could’ve helped out.
Happy October & keep on keepin’ on!
Loral
