Advertise on podcast: Ambition Without Compromise

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this episode, Monique explores what happens when constant noise, content, and urgency make it harder to hear yourself clearly. After a conversation with a client who intentionally pulled back from podcasts and social media, Monique starts looking at her own relationship with noise, information, and the pressure to keep consuming. She names how easy it is to mistake constant input for learning, growth, or staying prepared, when sometimes it only leaves you more scattered.  Monique also shares the small ways she has been taking her quiet back, from blocking apps and changing her morning rhythm to walking, reading for pleasure, and choosing silence in the car. This episode is about slowing down long enough to notice what is actually yours and what the noise has made you think you need to chase. GEMS DROPPED “If ​you ​feel ​over-stimulated ​and ​surrounded ​and ​really ​impacted ​by ​the ​noise ​of ​the ​world, your ​first ​priority, ​the ​order ​of ​operations, ​​begins ​with ​reducing ​the ​noise. ​You've ​got ​to ​cut the ​noise ​out ​of your ​world. And the ​wisdom ​that ​you're ​waiting ​on ​is ​waiting ​dormant ​inside ​of ​you. ​And ​it's ​probably ​not ​even ​dormant. ​It's ​just ​stifled ​by ​all ​of ​this ​unnecessary ​information ​around ​you.” “All ​of ​this noise ​is ​stifling ​our ​inner ​worlds. ​And ​that's ​where ​our ​magic ​resides. ​​And ​we ​need ​each ​other's ​magic ​right ​now. We ​need ​each ​other's ​true ​magic. ​And ​I ​think ​that ​sometimes ​we ​might ​be ​​operating ​at ​a ​superficial ​level ​of ​what ​feels ​like ​a ​derivative ​of ​our ​magic, ​and ​it's ​not ​really at ​the ​core ​of ​what ​we ​are ​actually ​capable ​of, ​what ​we ​are ​actually ​purposed to ​do.” “​I ​always ​try ​to ​turn ​my ​strengths ​into ​my ​strategy ​because ​that's ​where ​my ​competitive ​advantage ​is, ​and ​that's ​where ​yours ​is ​as ​well. ​And ​your ​competitive ​advantage, ​your ​strengths ​are ​not ​going ​to ​be ​the ​same ​as ​mine. So ​recognizing ​that ​you are ​getting ​advisory ​and ​influence ​from ​all ​these ​different ​places and having ​a ​filtration ​moment ​where ​you ​can ​filter ​through what ​they're ​offering ​you ​through ​your ​lens ​of ​strengths.” “We ​cannot ​tolerate ​being ​taken ​out ​of ​ourselves ​and ​literally ​not ​being ​able ​to ​hear ​ourselves, our ​highest ​calling, ​our ​highest ​power.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this Dashboard Diaries episode, Monique reflects on wellness, and the kind of path that only becomes visible once you start naming what you really want. She shares how turning 43 has shifted the way she thinks about movement, energy, and what actually fits her life right now.  From there, Monique moves into a coaching conversation that stayed with her: a woman who had built an impressive career, but still felt the pull toward more freedom, creativity, and self-expression. It becomes a reflection on what happens when the “safe path” is no longer enough to hold the fullness of who you are.  This episode is for the woman who can feel another version of herself asking for room, even if the path toward her is not fully visible yet. GEMS DROPPED “That's ​the ​thing ​that ​we're ​talking ​about ​when ​we ​are ​​saying ​stuff ​like ​I ​want ​to ​feel ​more ​creatively ​expressed ​in ​my ​career. ​I ​have ​more ​talents ​​that ​are ​not ​being ​utilized, ​I ​want ​to ​live ​out ​my ​dreams. ​It's ​like ​it's ​not ​just ​the ​application ​of ​skills ​and ​talents ​and ​gifts. ​That's ​one ​big ​piece ​of ​it. But ​more ​so ​it ​is ​the ​freedom ​that ​we ​experience ​is ​that ​I ​get ​to ​be ​in ​an ​experience ​of ​myself ​that ​feels ​free ​because ​I ​am ​experiencing ​more ​of ​myself ​on ​a ​day ​to ​day ​basis.” “There ​is ​something ​about ​that ​collective ​energy ​of a community that ​when ​you ​say ​ ​I ​​think ​this ​is ​something ​that ​I ​want ​or ​I'm ​not ​totally ​sure ​where ​it ​is ​that ​I ​want ​and ​I ​get ​into ​it ​with ​you ​to ​help ​you ​identify​that ​A, ​you ​do ​know ​exactly ​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​want. ​And ​B, ​it ​sounds ​like ​it's ​this ​or ​this ​or ​this. That ​the ​head ​nods ​around ​the ​room, ​the ​emojis ​that ​pop ​up ​on ​the ​screen, ​the ​chat ​cheering ​you ​on ​or ​affirming ​you ​or ​saying, ​oh ​my ​gosh, ​me ​too. ​It snaps ​the ​path ​into ​place ​and ​it's ​like. ​It's ​almost ​like ​the ​path ​that ​was. ​That ​felt ​inaccessible ​or ​invisible ​or ​something ​before ​​all ​of ​a ​sudden ​becomes ​a ​lot ​more ​concrete, ​tangible ​and ​possible. ​​And ​there ​is ​just ​nothing ​like ​that collective ​​energy ​around something ​that ​felt ​again, ​immaterial ​to ​make ​it ​clear ​that ​this ​more ​expansive ​version ​of ​yourself ​has ​a ​place ​to ​land, ​has ​a ​path ​to ​walk.” “When ​we're ​in ​a ​stage ​of ​life ​and ​career ​​where ​we ​just ​keep ​feeling ​like, ​well, ​​I ​don't ​know. ​We ​constantly ​say ​things ​like, ​I ​don't ​know ​what ​it's ​going ​to ​look ​like. ​I'm ​not ​sure ​what ​it ​will ​look ​like. ​​And ​then ​we're ​able ​to ​show ​you. It's ​like, ​oh, ​my ​gosh, ​I ​didn't ​realize ​this. ​There's ​a ​whole ​feast ​in ​front ​of me ​and ​it's ​insane. ​It's ​sumptuous ​and ​delicious ​and ​gorgeous ​and ​​all ​of ​these ​things. ​So ​much ​more ​colorful ​and ​abundant ​than ​I ​could ​have ​ever ​dreamed ​of ​for ​myself. ​Like, ​that ​is ​what ​happens.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! After recent midpoint conversations with clients in her group coaching program, CLAIMED, Monique noticed a common thread: many women deeply want community, but still hesitate when it is time to post, reach out, ask for help, or let others know what they need. That hesitation is something Monique recognizes in herself. She shares how it surfaced after her grandmother’s passing, when even reaching out to a close friend felt tender and awkward. From there, she explores what it means to get used to being held, especially when you are used to being the one who holds everything and everyone else. Sometimes support is available, but people cannot tell how much you need it because you still sound capable, polished, and in control. This episode invites you to notice where you may be making support harder to access, imagine what being held could actually look like, and begin practicing the courage to name what you want out loud. GEMS DROPPED “We ​have ​to ​get ​used ​to the ​idea ​of ​being ​held. ​And ​that ​is ​actually a ​bigger ​barrier ​than ​any ​of ​the ​other ​challenges ​like ​not ​living ​close ​by or ​being ​in ​different ​time ​zones than family.” “You ​deserve ​to ​continue ​to ​stretch ​into and ​to ​​build ​this ​new ​muscle ​of ​learning ​to ​want ​what ​you ​want, ​to ​say ​what ​you ​want ​out ​loud, ​and ​to ​let ​people ​in ​to ​your ​neediness ​because ​it's ​natural ​to ​have ​the ​needs ​that ​you ​have.” “​I ​know ​what ​it ​feels ​like ​to not ​feel ​permission ​to ​access ​support ​that ​has ​been ​clearly ​granted ​to you, to not text ​or ​leave ​the ​audio ​message ​for ​the ​girlfriend ​when ​you are ​struggling.” “It's ​all ​of ​the ​little ​to ​medium ​sized ​things ​that ​can ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​and ​can ​create, ​a ​lot ​of ​distance ​between ​you ​and ​the ​potential ​for ​closeness ​that ​you ​desire ​with ​others.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this Dashboard Diaries episode, Monique talks about visibility and the false rules that make being seen feel harder than it has to be. While waiting in the car for her daughter at gymnastics, Monique shares a coaching conversation with a client who is stepping away from a full-time role and building something of her own. Her client wants growth, revenue, harmony, and a slower pace, but she is struggling to believe all of that can exist together. Monique questions the idea that business growth has to mean constant posting, pitching, and forcing yourself into a marketing strategy that feels heavy. Instead, she asks a better question: how do you actually like to be visible? This episode is for anyone building a brand, business, or body of work and feeling stuck because they think visibility has to look one specific way. Monique reminds listeners that their strengths can become the strategy, support is allowed, and being seen can be simpler than the rules we have been carrying. GEMS DROPPED “I ​think ​we ​want ​things ​to ​be ​hard ​so ​that ​we ​can ​feel ​like ​we ​are ​worthy of ​the ​result.” “If ​we ​erased ​the ​rules, ​if ​we ​erased ​the ​assumptions ​that, ​the ​way ​that ​I ​have ​to ​build ​this is in a ​way ​that feels ​icky ​and ​hard then ​I'm ​just ​not ​doing it. ​If ​we ​released ​the ​idea ​that ​that's ​how ​it ​had ​to ​be ​done, ​and ​we ​said, ​well, ​I ​can ​do ​this ​any ​way ​I ​wish? The ​goal ​is ​visibility so, ​how ​do I ​like ​to ​be ​visible? How ​do I ​like ​to ​share my ​ideas, my ​work? ​Where ​do I ​enjoy ​and ​in ​what ​ways ​do I ​find ​easeful ​or ​pleasurable ​to ​share?” “What ​if ​we ​aligned ​​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​are ​naturally ​good ​at ​and ​that ​you ​find ​enjoyment ​in ​with ​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​actually ​need ​to ​be ​doing? ​We ​can ​make ​that ​your ​strategy.. ​And ​I ​think ​it's ​actually ​important ​to ​make ​our ​strengths ​our ​strategy because ​it's ​more ​sustainable.” “We ​have ​to ​begin ​to ​sell ​ourselves ​the ​same ​way ​you ​sell ​before ​you ​build ​a ​lot ​of ​the ​times, ​and ​there's ​nothing ​wrong ​with ​that. ​I ​don't ​want ​y' ​all ​to ​get ​ready ​to ​be ​ready ​like ​you ​have ​it. ​ ​You ​have ​enough ​to ​begin ​to ​share. ​And ​right ​now, ​what ​we're ​even ​talking ​about ​is ​not ​asking ​people ​for ​millions ​of ​dollars. ​It's ​just, ​hey, ​want ​to ​learn ​something? ​Want ​to ​hear ​my ​story? ​​And ​some ​people ​will ​and ​some ​people ​won't. ​And ​all ​that ​matters ​is ​that ​you ​find ​the ​folks ​who ​are ​looking ​for ​you.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this episode, Monique shares a client story about an exciting opportunity that almost became real, then slipped away. Her client had already begun rearranging her life around the possibility. She was making plans, preparing her family, and feeling a kind of joy she had not felt in a long time. When the opportunity went to someone else, the disappointment was heavier than expected. Monique uses this story to explore what happens when a dream opens something in you, even if the door itself closes. Through the image of digging tunnels and a reflection on Harriet Tubman, she points listeners toward a deeper truth about freedom, possibility, and who we become when we dare to move toward something new. The outcome is not the whole story. Tune in to Tune in to hear what the pursuit may have revealed, and why what you found along the way may matter more than the opportunity itself. GEMS DROPPED “It's a reward ​that ​we're ​chasing ​at ​the ​end ​of ​this, ​of ​these ​tunnels ​that ​we're ​digging, ​the ​work ​that ​we're ​putting ​in. But ​consider ​​that ​maybe ​the ​opportunity ​was ​not ​the ​gift, ​but ​that ​rather ​the ​tunnels ​were.” “You ​have ​to ​imagine ​yourself, ​believe in yourself, ​know ​yourself ​to ​be ​free ​in ​order ​to ​create, ​to ​seek ​to ​be ​free,  ​to ​become ​free. Because ​you ​become ​a ​beacon ​of ​freedom ​when ​you ​behave ​as ​if ​you ​are ​free.” “Opportunities ​don't ​present ​themselves ​as ​gifts ​to ​us. ​They are co-created. It's ​​who ​you ​get ​to ​see that ​you're ​capable ​of ​being ​that ​becomes ​the ​gift.” “Who ​you're ​capable ​of ​being,​ ​is ​likely ​far ​beyond ​any ​of ​the ​fear, ​the ​doubt, ​the ​constraints, ​the ​things ​that ​feel ​biggest ​to ​you ​right ​now. ​You ​do ​have ​the ​opportunity ​to ​set ​them ​down ​and ​to ​remember ​who ​the ​f&*% ​you ​are.” MENTIONED Harriet Tubman Brené Brown The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this episode, Monique thinks through what it means to live, work, and lead in a time when the middle feels like it is disappearing. After reading an email titled “The Death of the Middle,” Monique reflects on her own questions around class, wealth, ambition, success, and what it means to want enough without chasing fame or extreme fortune. She talks honestly about the pressure many people are feeling as the economy shifts, AI changes the labor market, and the old promise of a stable middle-class life becomes harder to trust. Monique also names the instinct many ambitious women have in uncertain seasons: to go inward, get more tactical, and become even more self-reliant. But she challenges that instinct by reminding listeners that the real preparation is relational. Using the mycorrhizal networks of trees as a metaphor, Monique explains why deep connection, shared resources, and intentional community matter when the storm is here. This episode is a reminder that you do not have to hunker down alone. Depth, community, and the networks you build may be a key part of your way forward. GEMS DROPPED “The instinct is often to go inward and become more self-reliant, but the real preparation is always relational.” “Deep community is the actual asset that’s going to hold us when the ground moves.” “You don’t have to hunker down alone. Depth is likely a part of your way forward. And ​how ​you ​create, ​how ​you ​insist ​upon ​time ​and ​space ​to ​make ​that ​happen, is ​going ​to ​mean ​everything ​for ​the ​future.” “Time ​together forges ​bonds ​in ​space ​for ​real ​talk.” “The bar on comfort has gone up with inflation.” “The whole point is to be able to affect one another, to keep each other going alive, through stillness and depth.” MENTIONED Article: The Death of the Middle Creator post mentioned: Forming a Brain Trust  STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! This week, Monique walks us through how she designed her July slowdown and worked at 30% capacity on purpose. She shares why the pause was not about burnout, vacation, or checking out. It was about making room to think, create, rest, play, and reset before life and work became too full again. Monique also talks about the fears that can come up around rest, including the fear of losing money, momentum, reputation, or progress. She explains why pausing does not have to mean losing something and how planning ahead can make rest feel safer and more supported. As she breaks down how she planned the month, Monique shares the role of vision, clear expectations, blackout dates, boundaries, and choosing what truly belongs on the calendar. She also offers practical ways to decide what stays, what moves, and what can wait. This episode is a clear reminder that you do not need a perfect setup to design a pause. You can start by deciding what the space is for, protecting it with intention, and allowing yourself to make room for what your mind, body, and life are asking for. GEMS DROPPED “​We ​talk ​about ​giving ​ourselves ​permission ​to ​do ​things. ​And ​I ​think ​that ​the ​permission ​comes ​once ​we ​believe ​that ​we ​deserve ​it ​or ​that ​something ​is ​actually ​a ​necessity ​to ​us, ​and ​that ​we ​can ​have ​it.” “Pausing for me is not about just doing nothing. It’s just making room for what matters.” “You do need to start with a vision. Your vision, the vision you set for yourself is really the anchor, and it's what allows you to say no, without flinching. It's ​what ​allows ​you ​to move ​with ​a ​lot ​more ​confidence” “You ​can ​design ​whatever ​you ​want ​and ​need ​for ​yourself. You ​don't ​need ​a ​perfect ​setup. It's ​a ​generative ​exercise. ​It's ​about ​cultivating ​something ​important ​within ​yourself ​and ​in ​your ​life, ​and ​you ​can ​give ​yourself ​over ​to ​it ​and ​then ​decide ​what ​it's ​for ​for ​you ​and ​protect ​it.“​ STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! What happens when you stop pushing through and give yourself permission to pause, reflect, and reset? Reflecting on her recent journey, Monique shares how easy it is to take for granted the practices that support her mental well-being amid the daily demands of motherhood, work, and personal commitments. After recognizing her own tendency to hold tightly to control, she discusses how this summer has become a season of slowing down and creating space to reassess what she needs. Throughout the episode, Monique highlights the struggle many women face in balancing ambition with self-care. She honestly shares her own experiences with burnout and the importance of stepping back to reevaluate priorities. With practical insights, she encourages us to find our own versions of rest and challenge the expectations that keep us constantly pushing. Because true success does not come from constant productivity alone. It also requires the courage to pause, reflect, and care for ourselves. GEMS DROPPED “Sometimes things just feel okay or good because they are. Like, the things on the surface or on paper are looking good. So that means you should be good. You don't feel bad. So therefore, that means you're good. ​And ​it's ​like, ​no. ​Something more ​is ​here. ​Something ​that ​you ​can't ​even ​totally ​predict ​or ​comprehend ​is ​available ​to ​you, ​but ​you​ can't ​conceive ​of ​more ​than ​what ​you ​can ​conceive ​of ​while ​you're ​still ​in ​motion in ​the ​way ​that ​you ​are.” “We busy ourselves with stirring because it makes us feel important, it makes us feel active, it makes us feel like we're doing something. And ​that's ​because ​our ​ego ​needs ​to ​feel ​it, ​not ​because ​there's ​any ​use ​in ​it ​at ​all.” “Just because your identity and the value that you have sort of set an expectation around, just because thus far it has been that of almost unlimited availability and the person who is the fixer, the problem solver, the handler, doesn't mean that it has to remain that way.” “You can rest by design. You can. You can be intentional and shift this proactively, as opposed to reacting to exhaustion and waiting for exhaustion to take you down.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! This week, Monique shares one of her most personal episodes yet, offering an honest look at a season marked by anxiety, overwhelm, and the constant pressure to protect the people she loves. As worries about emergencies, business growth, social media, and motherhood began pulling her in every direction, she realized she had been sacrificing her own peace in an attempt to control the uncontrollable. Through deeply personal stories, Monique reflects on the hidden cost of living in a constant state of future-focused worry and the breakthrough conversations that helped her recognize the difference between productive preparation and anxiety-driven control. She shares how chasing safety was actually pulling her further away from the presence, connection, and peace she was longing for. If you've ever felt emotionally stretched too thin or found yourself carrying the weight of every possible "what if," this episode offers an honest reminder that peace isn't found by controlling more. It's cultivated by coming back to the present. GEMS DROPPED “I ​have ​been ​desperately ​seeking ​control and ​it ​has ​been ​under the ​delusion ​​that ​the ​more ​we ​do, the harder we ​push, ​if ​we ​can ​break ​off ​more ​pieces ​of ​ourself ​to ​tackle ​more ​fires ​and ​to ​run ​faster, ​that ​this ​will ​increase ​our ​control. ​And ​the ​thing ​that ​I ​was ​seeking ​was ​safety. And felt ​like the ​more ​I ​do ​these ​things, ​eventually ​I'll ​feel ​more ​safe.. ​And ​it ​couldn't ​be ​further ​from ​the ​truth.” “What ​I ​was ​losing ​in ​this ​constant ​pursuit ​of ​trying ​to ​control ​things ​and ​seeking ​safety ​was ​my ​peace ​and connection. ​You ​can't ​be ​present ​if ​you're ​always ​running ​out ​into ​the ​future.” “You ​are ​not ​alone, ​you ​are ​not ​broken,, ​you ​are ​not ​the ​only ​one. ​Because ​I ​know ​that's ​the ​thing ​that ​I ​can ​feel ​like, ​really ​lost and ​sometimes ​I'm ​like, ​it ​seems ​like ​everybody ​else ​is ​coping ​so ​well. ​Girl, ​everybody ​else ​is ​not ​coping ​so ​well. People ​who ​are ​interested ​in ​dysfunction, ​who ​have ​been ​operating ​out ​of ​dysfunction, ​they're ​going ​to ​be ​operating ​fine. But ​if ​that ​is ​not ​who ​you ​are ​at ​your ​core, ​you are not someone ​who ​​seeks ​dysfunction, ​who ​is ​interested ​in ​chaos, ​then ​you ​don't ​have ​to ​be ​fine. ​And ​you ​are ​definitely ​not ​alone. ​You ​are ​definitely ​not ​alone.” “So ​my ​work ​right ​now ​is ​opening ​up ​more ​capacity ​to ​stay ​present ​to ​my ​process, ​to ​be ​in ​the ​process ​of ​things ​​and ​to ​invite ​in ​more ​help.” “There's ​no ​arrival ​point ​for ​anything ​in ​life, ​including ​safety. ​You ​never ​get ​to ​a ​point ​where ​you're ​like, ​I ​am ​safe. ​​Not ​permanently. ​ ​That ​is ​an ​active ​​process ​of ​cultivating ​safety ​and ​​seeking ​out ​things ​that ​are healthy ​and ​nourishing such as relationships, ​spaces, ​work, ​communities.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! This week, Monique sits down with Dr. Kemi Doll, a gynecologic oncologist, surgeon, and debut author, for a conversation that is equal parts education, confession, and wake-up call. Dr. Doll's new book, A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing (Penguin Random House, May 2026), does what most medical books never do: it tells the truth in plain language, with warmth, and without talking down to you. In this episode, Monique shares how it changed her relationship to her own body, and Dr. Doll walks us through why so many Black women are bleeding too much, dismissed too quickly, and left to suffer in silence for far too long. They get into the real numbers behind heavy periods and anemia, what your bleeding is actually telling you, and why the medical system has been so slow to listen. Dr. Doll also opens up about her own reckoning, including missing her own endometriosis diagnosis until she was on the operating table. The conversation closes on the concept of womb sisterhood: the idea that healing this well-kept secret should not be a solo effort, and that the women in your life might be waiting for someone to simply ask. GUEST INFO Dr. Kemi Doll, physician, surgeon, advocate, career coach, and a double-board certified gynecologic oncologist and uterine cancer scientist |  Website | Book | Podcast |  Instagram GEMS DROPPED “I want women to have better gynecologic health. I don’t want us to continue thinking about gynecologic health as though, “as long as it’s not killing you, it’s probably fine.” - Dr. Kemi Doll “​I ​didn't ​realize  ​how ​much ​I ​saw ​myself ​as ​a ​site ​of ​production, until ​you ​taught ​me ​that ​the ​unpregnant ​womb ​had ​its ​own ​life ​and ​role ​to ​play. ​And ​that ​my ​bleeding ​spoke ​an ​intricate ​language and ​that ​​my ​well ​being  ​was ​a ​part ​of ​that ​language.”  - Monique R, Shields “There’s something very powerful about receiving the message so young that, “when you suffer, be quiet about it.” That message carries forward in a way that goes beyond gynecology and womb health. And that is what I want us to heal from.” - Dr. Kemi Doll “I invoke this concept of womb sisterhood, which means having one or two people in our lives we can share these things with so when you go to the doctor, you have someone who can come with you. you. ​There ​isn't ​embarrassment. ​There ​doesn't ​have ​to ​be ​silencing. ​These ​are ​such ​vulnerable appointments and having someone there who has your back can make a real difference. It also helps with accountability.” - Dr. Kemi Doll “Especially for those of us born with a womb or gendered as female, I believe this is one of the first ways we learn to silence our bodies and hide. We ​teach ​girls ​how ​to ​have ​a ​period ​that ​nobody ​knows ​about. ​​That's ​what ​we ​define ​as ​success.. ​This ​is ​how ​you ​hide ​it. ​This ​is ​how ​you ​very modestly ​go ​to ​the ​bathroom ​so ​nobody ​knows. ​And ​even ​when ​women ​talk ​about ​their ​most ​​embarrassing ​moments, ​it's ​always ​somebody ​basically ​found ​out ​I ​was ​on ​my ​period.” - Dr. Kemi Doll “This ​book ​has ​changed ​my ​relationship  ​to ​my ​body ​​entirely.” - Monique R. Shields STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! When a message about choosing your wholeness reaches 100,000 people, you stop and ask, why does this land so hard? Monique did exactly that, and this episode is her thinking out loud about what she found. She gets real about why so many high-capacity women are stuck waiting for an environment to change before they give themselves permission to shift, why visibility feels terrifying when your whole professional identity has been built around what you can endure, and why community is not a nice-to-have, it is the actual mechanism of change. GEMS DROPPED "There's no magic pill number thats like, hey girl, watch these, these three videos and now you will have a more holistic, whole self centered version of success. That's not really how this works. That's not how anything works in terms of creating a transformation in your life." “What I have found to be the single most important driver is what community that you are in, who is speaking into you, or who is not, and how you have had a chance to practice being different inside of community that is a lot more aligned to who it is that you wish to be." "We start to develop pride around our ability to endure. And then we start to develop our identity. Our whole person, our whole professional personality starts to get built around what we can endure. And we will talk about it loud and proud." "You are in control of what environment you choose to put yourself in. Even if the choice is hard. Even if it's like, oh, but this environment pays me a whole lot of money. Even though I am not emotionally safe here, I am choosing to be here. You can never forget that that is your choice." "Until you feel yourself behaving different, you will not become different." "The inner voices that we have — as far as I know, not a psychologist — that inner sabotage, those voices that come up from us, they are not ours. They're not ours." "If you really allowed yourself to fill the depths of what you were truly hungry for, the appetite that you really have for, satisfaction in your work, for feeling aligned more with your values, for feeling safe in meetings, to speak up and to be who it is that you naturally are being, you know, that you naturally want to be and who you actually are, to establish relationships with anybody along any level or whatever, you know, inside your organization, that was truly satisfied, the appetite is humongous." "My old pastor used to say this. He said, your blessings are locked up in other people. Every blessing you desire, hope for, pray for in this world is locked up in another person." LINKS YouTube channel  Join Monique’s Newsletter Join Monique’s CLAIMED Group Coaching Program Waitlist STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! Today’s episode is about finding real momentum. Recently, a few of my past clients reached out to share the incredible wins they are celebrating. It honestly blows me away to see the real-world impact of our work together, and I know their stories will hit home for you. Like a lot of women, I used to play small. But reading those messages right before recording this episode reminded me of what actually happens when you stop ignoring your gut and pursue the work you care about. Too many of us hide our talents because we think our work isn't perfect, or that we need another degree, or that nobody will care. Trust your experience. Stop waiting for outside permission to feel qualified. You are ready, you have earned this, and nothing is stopping you. You just have to take the first step. So if you’re holding onto a business idea or a creative project you keep putting off, just build it. Someone out there needs your exact perspective. GEMS DROPPED “If there is something that you know that you're just good at, or that you're just drawn to, it's like you have this creative inkling to go and put out into the world, someone is waiting on you. Someone is waiting on you…it's going to matter for someone in the end. You don't know how these things are going to take shape”. “I know that there is someone, there are a lot of us, who are sitting on our visions who are sitting on our talents, or we're just minimizing, the baddest, most exciting and dopest parts of ourselves” “It  doesn't have to look a certain way for you to get out. Take the thing that you know is in you and just give it like you mean it.” “No good ever comes from us thinking of ourselves as insignificant or not significant enough” “Don't wait to offer the most real, the most true, the most honest parts of who you are to the world. Don't wait for someone to tell you that it's time. Don't wait for someone to tell you that it's okay. Don't wait for someone to tell you that you're worthy”.    “Courage takes time, I think to build… time and testing.  You have to put yourself out there in small ways, and build and build and build until you can look back and see, oh, wow, look how much I've grown. Look how much I can offer. Look what I can do, right? Sometimes it just does take time to, see our magic”. “it doesn't actually take time to extract your magic, it's already there. Like, you don't need to package it, you don't need to do anything else with it, someone is waiting on it”. “The community that you've been waiting for, the community that you have desired and wanted. Actually, it's on the other side of you offering your most true and honest self”.  “There's a connection on the other side of you offering your, whatever your thing is. There is a community, there is a person, there is a human being who is waiting for your bat signal so they can be drawn to you so that you can connect for your purpose”.  “Doing what you were called to do, showing up as you're meant to show up in the world is not easy. It's going to force you to confront things that make you feel deeply uncomfortable, things that make you feel terrified. And it's not to minimize the fear, it's not to minimize the feelings of terror, those feelings can be real, those feelings are yours, and they are real. And you could give yourself permission to hold those feelings and to just do it messy”. MENTIONS Episode 07 | Being "Worthy" Of The Pivot STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this encore episode, Monique tackles the complex relationship between risk and ambition, especially for women of color. Through personal stories, she explores the emotions that come with pursuing dreams and why it’s important to acknowledge and work through those feelings. She also shares how self-awareness and creativity can help you face fear and find clarity when things seem chaotic. Join in to discover how to change your perspective on risk and make progress on your own terms. GEMS DROPPED “We ​will ​use ​the ​past ​to ​try ​to ​predict ​the ​future. ​Right. ​Because ​this ​is ​the ​thing ​with ​the ​women ​that ​I ​work ​with, ​they're ​not ​just ​saying, ‘​well, ​I'm ​scared ​of ​taking ​risks, ​so ​I ​don't ​even ​consider ​it’. You ​keep ​approaching ​the ​idea ​of ​taking ​those ​risks, ​but ​it's ​kind ​of ​torturing ​you ​because ​you ​keep ​approaching ​it, ​and ​then ​you ​keep ​hitting ​a ​wall. ​Everything ​feels ​too ​scary and ​so ​you're ​like, ​well, ​let ​me ​kind ​of ​think ​through my ​past–right? ​So ​there's ​this ​formula, ​and ​it ​feels ​like ​an ​airtight ​formula, ​and ​that's ​where ​we ​kind ​of ​get ​trapped, because if one or ​two ​of ​those ​variables ​feel ​off, you’re like ‘​ooh, ​the ​risk ​of ​failure ​is ​now ​high’. That ​automatically ​shuts ​us ​down.” “Where ​do ​you ​have ​space ​to ​actually ​stop ​and ​feel? ​​You ​typically ​don't. And ​things ​are ​often ​happening ​fast. ​So ​you're ​trying ​to ​react, ​you're ​trying ​to ​think. ​You ​haven't ​gotten ​yourself ​any ​space, ​any ​room ​to ​feel ​what ​you're ​actually ​feeling. ​And ​that ​is ​what's ​keeping ​you ​trapped ​in ​that ​merry ​go ​round. ​There's ​no ​creativity ​available ​to ​you ​in that ​space because ​you're ​just ​trapped ​in ​cyclical, ​fear ​based ​thinking.” “​I ​challenge ​you, if ​you're ​sitting ​with ​this ​kind ​of ​indecision, ​this ​fear ​around ​risk ​and ​this ​story, ​ ​to ​take ​a ​moment ​and ​see ​if ​you ​can, ​​which ​I ​know ​you ​can, ​​embrace ​the ​belief ​that ​I ​am ​someone ​who ​takes ​incredible ​risk ​​and ​finds ​success. ​I ​am ​the ​great ​I ​am. ​I ​am ​someone ​​who ​takes ​incredible ​risks ​and ​finds ​great ​success. ​ ​What ​would ​it ​be ​like ​to ​embrace ​that? ​​What ​are ​your ​earliest ​memories ​where ​that ​is ​true?” “Remembering the ​truth ​of ​our ​resources, ​remembering ​the ​truth ​of ​our ​history, ​of ​our ​strengths, ​of ​our ​access, ​of ​our ​instincts, ​ ​remembering ​​the ​fullness ​of ​that ​truth, ​it ​changes ​how ​we ​sit ​with ​things ​that ​feel ​like ​risk, ​that ​are ​important ​to ​us, ​that ​we ​want ​to ​move ​through, ​that ​we ​are ​tired ​of ​approaching ​​once ​a ​quarter ​and ​not ​knowing ​how ​to ​push ​ourselves ​through.” “You ​cannot ​access creativity ​if ​the conditions ​that ​you ​have ​created ​for ​yourself ​to ​be ​creative ​have ​not ​been ​set.” “Sometimes ​the ​way ​that ​we ​protect ​our ​imaginations is with our ​creativity, ​right? ​That's ​where ​it ​all ​flows ​from ​by ​allowing ​what ​is ​​arising ​in ​us that ​is ​keeping ​us ​stuck…​allowing ​it ​to ​flow ​through ​us ​and ​to ​inform ​us ​about ​any ​limitations ​that ​we're ​placing ​on ​ourselves, ​​any ​lies ​that ​we're ​telling ​ourselves, ​any ​old ​stories ​that ​are ​coming ​up ​and ​distorting how ​we ​believe, ​how ​we ​believe ​we ​can ​exist ​and ​what ​we ​believe ​that ​we ​can ​have. ​That's ​another ​way ​of ​protecting ​our ​imaginations.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! In this episode, Monique talks directly to women of color about how to stop just getting by and start actually moving forward. When everything feels messy and unpredictable, it is hard to find the headspace to think about growth. Monique gets real about why you need to know where you stand in your own healing and how to handle the nerves that pop up when you start betting on yourself.  Listen in for some real-world steps to help you plan for what is next and build the grit you need to handle whatever life throws at you. MENTIONED Tressi (Tressie McMillan Cottom) LINKS YouTube channel  Join Monique’s Newsletter GEMS DROPPED “The ​fact ​of ​the ​matter ​is ​that ​investing ​is ​a ​future ​oriented ​opportunity, ​A ​​future ​oriented ​exercise. ​You ​have ​to ​be ​focused ​on ​what ​is ​here ​and ​what ​is ​available ​to ​me ​going ​forward. ​If ​you ​are ​trapped ​in ​the ​never ​again, ​you ​can't ​properly ​assess ​and ​attach ​yourself ​to ​the ​return ​on ​a ​future ​investment. ​Like ​you ​won't ​take ​the ​time ​to ​plant ​the ​seeds ​because ​you ​are ​not ​familiar ​with ​or ​you're ​not ​engaging ​with ​the ​sweetness ​of ​that ​future ​fruit.” “The ​first ​thing ​I ​want ​to ​acknowledge ​is ​that ​​it's ​really ​hard ​to ​leap ​into ​a ​season ​of ​​thriving, ​a ​season ​of  ​acceleration. ​​It's ​hard ​to ​accelerate ​when ​you're ​still ​recovering. ​​And ​I ​think ​we ​have ​to ​be ​honest ​with ​ourselves ​about ​that ​because you ​can't ​shortcut a ​recovery ​process. ​​You ​can't ​skip ​past ​or ​circumvent ​a ​​wound ​that ​is ​still ​healing.” “It's ​still ​hard ​to ​believe ​ ​and ​rest ​in ​our ​​seasons ​of ​abundance ​when ​our ​hearts, ​our ​spirits ​are ​still ​trapped ​in the ​story ​of ​recovery ​or ​actual ​recovery.” “What we gained through our challenges is just as important as the pain we experienced. Both are true.”  STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields or YouTube and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique! Starting a business is often sold as an exciting path to success. But for many women of color, the reality of entrepreneurship is usually a lot messier. This week, Monique gets real about the unglamorous side of building a multi six-figure business and shares the personal experiences that helped her handle the hard parts of the journey. She also talks about the stuff that actually matters, like setting your prices, knowing what your work is worth, and how to deal with those feelings of being a "fraud" that show up when it is time to sell your services. Tune in to learn how to get into the right headspace, feel good about your pricing, and build the confidence you need to actually grow your business.  LINKS YouTube channel  Join Monique’s Newsletter GEMS DROPPED “To ​build ​a ​multi ​six ​figure ​business ​and ​to ​sell ​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​do ​for ​five ​and ​six ​figures ​sustainably, it ​is ​not ​magic, it ​is ​about ​having ​the ​patience ​to ​learn ​what ​your ​value ​is. ​It ​is ​about ​finding ​peace ​with ​the ​discomfort ​in ​the ​process ​and ​it ​is ​about ​releasing ​your ​attachment ​to ​asking ​reasonable ​questions. ​This ​is ​not ​a ​science, ​it's ​a ​practice.” “Just ​based ​on ​the ​research that shows as ​a ​woman, we ​deeply ​undersell ​ourselves ​or ​​discount ​ourselves, ​I ​think ​you ​should ​just ​lean ​towards ​overcharging ​because ​that's ​probably ​what's ​going ​to ​just ​even ​get ​you ​within ​the ​band ​of ​what's ​reasonable.” “Pricing ​and ​what ​people ​pay ​for ​things ​and ​buyer ​psychology ​is ​so ​subjective. ​​The ​longer ​that ​I ​have ​been ​running ​a ​business ​or ​I ​guess ​the ​more ​confidence ​I've ​grown ​in ​believing ​that ​you ​can ​charge ​anything ​for ​anything.” “​I ​also ​just ​generally ​think ​that ​entrepreneurial ​skills ​are ​beautiful ​life ​skills ​to ​build. ​I ​think ​I ​feel ​so ​much ​more ​connected ​to ​myself ​as ​someone ​who ​works ​for ​myself ​because ​soup ​to ​nuts, ​like, ​I ​have ​to ​imagine ​a ​future ​that ​I ​just ​create ​out ​of ​my ​head ​and ​then ​I've ​got ​to ​figure ​out ​how ​to ​make ​it ​happen. ​I ​think ​that ​that ​is ​an ​incredible ​skill ​set ​to ​have.” “I ​don't ​necessarily ​believe ​that ​we ​need ​to ​be ​doing ​free ​work ​all ​over ​the ​place. ​This ​is ​a ​capitalist ​society. ​And ​I ​think ​that ​if ​you're ​delivering ​value, ​even ​if ​you're ​new ​at ​doing ​a ​thing, ​value ​is ​value. ​So ​when ​there ​are ​opportunities ​for ​you ​to ​get ​paid, ​ask ​to ​be ​paid, ​and ​if ​somebody ​doesn't ​have ​the ​budget ​for ​it, ​then ​you ​can ​have ​that ​conversation.” STAY IN TOUCH Come and follow me on Instagram @moniquershields or YouTube and I would love your feedback so send an email to [email protected].