We were lucky to catch up with Rasheen Gadson, MSW recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rasheen , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
One thing ALL jobs taught me is how replaceable I was. No matter how great of a company I worked for…at the end of the day “it’s business” and the show must continue. The reason I wanted to highlight this lesson is because I used to be the employee that would never call out and dedicated my life to my position. Then I started to experience the lows of the work world….at the end, it really didn’t matter how good of an employee I was…if cuts needed to be made, if you had a snotty supervisor, or you got sick….you will be replaced if needed, This lesson humbled me and gave me the drive to put in the same energy I was giving my employer to myself. I had to start treating myself as a “business”. I needed to make sure my health was in order, that I did self-inventory to make sure I wasn’t robbing myself of peace in any capacity. This mindset helped me start my business or should I say…” take my business seriously”. I let go of the fear and realized that at any moment my job can let me go with little to no notice. I realized that the only thing that really mattered was my peace, my happiness, my health (of course my family and the betterment of society) but in reference to my personal life. I am not telling anyone to leave their job but what I am saying is to understand what really matters. To create pockets of joy and remember to smell the flowers along the way because before you know it…we lived 20 plus years with little to no enjoyment. Most of us will only be able to show a W-2 form (and I want to change that.) Life is to be experienced, to feel, to laugh, to enjoy. Too many of us are waking up day to day angry, zombie like or unsatisfied. This is your reminder to LIVE…remember, life is short, and death is long, enjoy it NOW! Fear is man-made and the truth is we can be or do anything we want. We have created these imaginary barriers that have kept us hostage within our own minds. Today, I give you the key and it is up to YOU to unlock it and please do not use age, financial status, education, etc. to defend why you can’t. We all know the saying…. where there is a will, there is a WAY!! so, create your WAY!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Hmmmm…. where can I begin. I don’t want to repeat what I said in the last interview, so let’s just say I was created to help others and motivate, inspire, love, encourage and uproot the magic within all of us. I have been mistreated, used, and talked down on a good portion of my life. I knew how it felt to feel low and I never wanted anyone to feel that way. Now, I am not perfect, and I have my flaws that I am still working through…but what really pushed me into my position as a Personal Development Coach was during my first year of graduate school at DePaul University. We had to do this family tree project and learn about our biases, trauma and anything that would affect our job as a social worker. Whew, that assignment revealed a lot of pain I never knew I had…. then it dawned on me. A lot of us are walking around as “functioning trauma.” The decisions we make daily, the relationships we keep, the clothes we wear, etc. are all a direct reflection of our trauma. Here, I was thinking I was fine, on my way to help others and I was broken myself and then I started to do the groundwork! I started to understand my past so I could write a new future and I wanted that for everyone. I wanted everyone to be “FREE” from their trauma! Now this does not mean their trauma, pain, or frustrations will go away but what it does mean is that people can begin to heal and really experience life. They’ll learn how to respond better to the situations in their life because they understand the WHY! and please note, I view trauma as ANYTHING that is hindering you from living life at your maximum potential. I created “Rasheen Motivates LLC” because it was my testimony and my way of doing “my part”. We all have gifts and talents that are unique, and that gift is needed for a specific reason and specific people. I truly think it is a great injustice when we don’t live up to our full potential. The riches place on this planet is a graveyard. So many dreams, ideas, break-through cancer research and so much more died with those who gave up! That is why I created the” Mid-Year Check In Extravaganza” that I host every June! It is a reminder and way to reassess our goals…too often people create New Year’s resolutions and get discourage if they fall off the wagon. This event was created to emphasize that we still have 6 amazing months left to change the trajectory of your life and/or keep the momentum going. Listen, I do not have all the answers, I am imperfect, but I always look through the lens of love! I know life can be challenging, bad things happen but good things can happen too, especially when we change our perspective and understand life is happening FOR US and not TO US!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
What I think helped build my reputation within my market is my transparency and remaining authentic. In today’s society, it is easy to get lost within social media and the influencer “protocol”. It is even easier to get consumed by the aesthetics of things that you neglect the mission. For me, I pride myself on keeping the mission at the forefront of everything. At the end, the other stuff will fade away but your spirit, your love, your message will outshine all of that. Also, I don’t know how to fake it…. if I am sad you will know. My message is this…there is no magical pill to success or your breakthrough, there are steps that you need to take that can transform your life but if you don’t leave the shore you’ll never sail. I don’t sell false hope, I “keep it real” by highlighting my own struggles and victories. I don’t hide who I am to sell a fairytale. I know it is hard sometimes when you see other people excelling and it’s their looks that sells…their ability to make nice reels and transitional videos but remember the goal is longevity…. with consistency and perfecting your craft, it will pay off, maybe not when we want it to but at the right moment. I think this is what separates the ones who really want it from the ones who are just doing it for the likes. Remember, the route may change but the destination remains the same (let that marinate a bit).
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
What I think is most helpful when it comes to success in my field is, consistency and being true to self. What do I mean by being true to self? Do not try to be like anyone else, or mimic someone’s style because it’s getting them more views. When you are true to yourself you attract the perfect people/partners for your brand, business, coaching program etc. When you try to be like others it creates a discord and now you are fighting to maintain something that you’re not. As for consistency, my mentor Fly of Boss Blend Coffee told me that consistency looks different for everyone. Maybe once a month is your consistency versus every day, but whatever your consistency looks like, you must stick to it because that is how your audience finds you. Also, when it comes down to your social media handles or your lifestyle overall, it should reflect what you are selling…my brand is Rasheen Motivates, my page and lifestyle reflects that. You can’t be a vegan online, but you are at the rib shack every weekend, unless your brand is “struggling vegan”. You see what I did there?? lol. Just mix consistency with authenticity and you’ll be fine—slow and steady always wins the race.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rasheenmotivates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rasheenmotivates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rasheenmotives