Dr. Stacey G. and Her Inspiring Journey to Redefining Education Standards

Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone and welcome to another episode of underdog. Today I have an amazing guest here with me today. Dr. Stacey, how are you?

Dr. Stacey G.
I am so good. And I’m so happy to be with you today. Pam, this is gonna be fun.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh my god, you’re such a rock star on so many fronts. I can’t wait to get into your story and all of your amazingness that you’re up to. And my opening question is always, you know. What inspired you on your journey to where you are today? loaded question. I know.

Dr. Stacey G.
It’s an important one, It’s an important one. Well, first of all, say that I love this idea of the underdog. And what does that really mean? Right? Like, what does it mean to be an underdog and I would say it’s people. Who have typically been underestimated and their life in some way, shape, or form. And for me that the moment that really sticks out for me, was when I was in high school. I was an average student, I wasn’t a great student or whatnot, I was pretty average, I remember thinking that my potential was pretty limited.

And that I just wasn’t going to really amount to much. I’ll give you an example. It took three years of typing classes. So first for my sophomore, my junior, and my senior now first of all, like. Who even has typing in maybe a semester-long class. So three years of clerical classes, many years of typing. And I was on this track to be a secretary essentially and that was what my experience in education was. How I felt my GPA was probably.

One of my best posts that I ever had on LinkedIn was my high school transcript. Where I show my high school transcripts and people are like, Oh my gosh, they’re like, you’re a doctor. But you have that. Yes. So that’s kind of where that inspired me to say, like. I can show people I’m more than I can be more than a secretary. That didn’t happen right away for me. But it certainly was in the back of my head that people underestimated.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, my God, that’s crazy, right? Because they look at you now she’s a doctor, like, there’s no way that she, you know. So in that moment, like, when you were feeling underestimated, you were just like. I’m just gonna go for it.

Dr. Stacey G.
If you could go back to your 19-year-old self. What would you say to your 19-year-old self? I don’t know that it was intentional or conscious. But to say I’m going to show you’ve underestimated me. Now I’m going to show you in some way, shape, or form. And sometimes it was maybe not in the best of most PC ways that I’m going to show you. Whatever that might have looked like. Even in my high school classes, there came a turning point for me, where I really got into this. I am going to push myself and test the limit of my intellect, where I feel like people had underestimated me.

Probably the reason why I ended up going into education. I started my career as an English teacher, I think it had to do with really wanting to show students and have a classroom environment. Where I knew how I felt in high school. And so I did not want kids to feel like that. Yeah, I can say that now looking back on my life and being like. That was really what it was about and I could see how I wanted to make that difference. But certainly, it’s been a journey right now.

Pamela Bardhi
Right? But I love that you went against the grain from day one. You’re like, you know what, I’m more than a secretary totally and you’re just like. I’m just going to keep plugging forward. And then to get into the educational space, I think is even more brave. Because you’re like, oh, that didn’t do so well here. So I’m just gonna become that then it’s like, you’re redefining those standards. Which I think is so cool.

Dr. Stacey G.
That’s a great way to frame that. Redefining those standards.

Pamela Bardhi
Totally right. Because of what you were taught. Maybe you learn differently, right? Like not everybody can sit in a classroom all day long and learn. Some people are visual, some people are audio, some people it’s better when they write. And that’s why the school, we can talk about all day about how the education system is broken and what. It’s like you can’t hold.

Everybody has the same standards. Like, for me standardized testing was murderous. I could study for days and weeks and years right for LSAT. It takes all the prep in the world, like after school sit for hours trying to train. And like no matter what I do. Whatever I did in high school for get ready for these shgs, I was scoring below average. What was reflected in my score and the SH T’s I should have had like a 2.0 GPA.

But I was almost a 4.0 kid. When I went to those tests, I just blocked out like, I was just anxiety. And I just tried to do different test methods and like all these things. But it just goes to show you that like, brilliance doesn’t come from one grade, right? Just like I tell people your weight is not defined by the scale. Because you have all this muscle you don’t almost always like. Yes, you feel good, okay, that matters, right?

And your value, your worth is not quantifiable, or your intelligence to some degree. That’s one number on one day, on one test and to reduce somebody down to that one super narrow way of thinking is just not fair. It’s not indicative of who we are as human beings. Right and that’s what drives me nuts. I like it that you can quantify to an extent, but not judge a person. Cuz some kids really get down on themselves when they’re not on straight A’s or whatever. And it’s like, you have a kid who probably a horrible straight D student in school. But then he can go out and go into the trades and just be like a master.

Perfect example of that is my brother, a kid who could not sit to school like he hated going to school. And he just barely tried. He just like, it didn’t flow to him. He’s a genius when he tries, right? But he was like, C’s, DS, whatever, then you put up. We put that kid through trade school and he was top of the class for everything. He goes into he’s, you know. Because it is very visual in the trades, he went in and he’s like top of the class with carpentry, plumbing. Like every single trade, he was at the top of the class, because he could see and you could do it.

Meanwhile, in standard school. He was considered a reject and I’m like, I could never do what he does. I can’t watch things be done like that. Like, no, no, I need a step-by-step analysis. But that’s my learning type. Right? So I just think it’s so cool. How you were, I’m just gonna do this my own way and redefine it. And I think it’s so amazing.

Dr. Stacey G.
Yeah, it really is, I mean, you got it. I graduated high school 1992. And our students today even write, those who are in their 20s 30s. That it’s a very different experience. I mean, the coolest thing I got, there’s no such thing as cell phones, there was none of that. This was so cool. When I was in high school, I got a landline in my own bedroom. Because at that time, we had landline phones. And so to get a landline at a set rate, because you hit the household phone and everybody finds two sisters, so of course. What are the girls do?

So I was the oldest and I got a landline phone. I mean, and now think about where we’re at. And just the level of change that I’ve seen in my lifetime, as a Gen X. Or people like us really have not had any significance on that map. And we were pretty the easy generation for the most part. Right? So I’m really lucky in the sense of I didn’t have those vital things. But the challenges that I had were all internal challenges that I had to overcome. I don’t know what’s harder, you know, feeling internally with yourself or dealing with stuff outside of you. But it was certainly an internal struggle for me to get to where I’m at now.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. And so, in your early years, like who or what was it that inspired you the most?

Dr. Stacey G. 
I’m really thankful for the women mentors I had throughout my life and career. I mean, obviously my mom, right by starting just from my mom, being a strong woman. She was a nurse for the end of her career, she started her own business. And I just watched her show up and do the hard and right to raise three kids. Then I was really lucky to have my first teaching job and nobody was hiring student teachers at that time. There was no teaching shortage. Like I was an English teacher. We were a dime a dozen. And I emailed personally, emailed and took a map.

This was before Google Maps. I mean, this is how crazy as I took a literal paper map, laid it out on my living room floor. Made a circle within about a 30 mile radius of my home thinking like how am I going to do this? And so what out 30 miles, I could drive and figure I could go 30 miles. I emailed every principal, I found every principal, every high school. Whether I called or wrote a letter or sent an email.

Because that was still back in the day where not everybody was really, really capitalising on email. And sent an email to this female principal, who eventually hired me that following year as every student. But like the clutch came in at the end, I got something for you. It was 20 minutes from my house and it was a higher poverty, minority student body. And the lessons I learned as a white woman. Who grew up with white privilege and not knowing what I didn’t know. For whatever reasons, that was very defining that changed me that means to me and shoot ways.

Pamela Bardhi
Can we talk about that a little bit? Like the biggest, like aha moments? Do you have inspiration?

Dr. Stacey G.
Yeah, I’ll never forget the student. His name was Richard Wright, a young black man and he would struggle and he was smart. I knew I could see the potential of the talent. The way he was writing, the way he could clearly articulate his thoughts. But he needed a little extra help because he missed the schoolroom and like you need to just stay after just stay. I will help you If you need more. One on one. Let’s uh, you have so much potential and I kept bugging him. Because I’m just thinking let’s just go let’s do it just yet. I’m gonna help you finally after like, the third time he’s like, Miss, I just can’t, I can’t stay. And I’m like, No, no, no, you’ll take the activity bus, I got it all planned out.

I’d probably even have driven them home. Like it back in those days. I’m willing to do anything for my students. And he’s like, Miss No, I can’t. The activity bus doesn’t drop us off where the real bus stop does every day. It’s just like a shortened route. And I have to walk home and it’s not safe for me from that bus stop to my home. Then I was like, Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Like, I’ve been owning you and bugging you to be at show up, show up. I’ll help you.

And then when I heard that, I was like, Oh, okay. Plan B, no problem and just helping this, students, just making that assumption that no. You just take this other button, it’ll be fine. Was so beyond my limited understanding that until I started hearing student stories and understanding the true struggle. That our students are facing really kind of changed the way in which I approach teaching and learning.

Pamela Bardhi
Wow. And that’s insane to think about right? That in this day and age, that’s still a concern for an innocent kid, who hasn’t done anything in this life. They still have to have that on their head and worry about it. Which like, breaks my heart still, because that still happens today and kills me. But sometimes just like you and I’ve had moments like that to where you know, you’re like, hey. You’re pushing someone, then you don’t realize what they’re going through internally? Or what’s going on with their family or you know, one of my most favorite quotes is, you know. Because you just don’t know who’s going through what struggle.

Dr. Stacey G.
You don’t know what battles they’re facing. Kindness costs us nothing. It costs you nothing to be kind to the person. Checking you out at the grocery store. It costs you nothing to wave at the car, who’s at the stop sign so they can go ahead of you. Those little things, they don’t cost you anything, but the return on that investment that you get because of that. You don’t do it because of that return. Right. The return is just the law of return, right. But that’s how we show up and operate and it really does, It really doesn’t make a huge difference, It totally, totally does

What Does She Want To Be When She Grow Up

Pamela Bardhi
And now I have to ask you, Dr. Stacy, what did you want to be when you grow up?

Dr. Stacey G.
I wanted to be a teacher. We played school, we played school. My dad was a building engineer for Chicago public schools. So he ran the boilers and the heater and all that stuff. And he gets all the junk because the building, the warehouse you get rid of stuff. So he gets all either the old books or the old like back in the day. They used to have like, these card boxes and all the stuff he brings home, like the little chairs and desks. We put it in the basement, and I just pretended I was a teacher.

My sisters and their friends, would be my students and I guess I’m one of those people that kind of knew. A+lthough I don’t define myself necessarily as a teacher as much. But I guess that’s really what I am, I teach people and it just As we speak today in the form of a podcast and tomorrow. It might be a clubhouse room, that might look different.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s so funny and every time I ask this question, it’s just hilarious how much it actually correlates with what they’re doing now. Like, it’s so insane. Almost every single person that I’ve interviewed and asked them, What do they want to be when they grew up? And somehow it translates to what they’re doing now. Which is bizarre, no matter the age, okay? Like, it’s Yeah, yeah and I’m like, this is so cool. But you see how life comes full circle and it’s new.

Dr. Stacey G.
You ever have those moments to remember? Like I remember in high school at one point sitting where you have to like, pick your classes and you have to like to plan, what are you going to do? What are you going to be? And I remember sitting with my mom and it must have been maybe around junior or senior year. I remember her saying to me, what do you want? Well, what do you want to be? What do you want to do? And I’m like, you mean asking a 16-year-old? Like, what do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know. That’s, that’s such a lofty, I mean, it’s such a rugby watch. It seems so heavy.

And I remember saying, well, I want to be an expert. This is I’m saying I want to be an expert and I want to dress up nice. I want to wear nice clothes and I want to talk to people. And never did I remember saying those things. But I didn’t remember thinking it would be teaching like and so I went into getting an English degree. Because I was good at reading and writing and I had a sophomore.

This is true, I had a sophomore English teacher. And I have the paper, who wrote on my paper might not say I wrote my sophomore year. But this is a college-level essay, you are a remarkable person. And those two things legit became the reason. I was able to pursue and think about going into English. Then switch it up and get my teaching certificate.

Pamela Bardhi
Isn’t that amazing? You know, it’s always those little cheerleaders in your life that really pushed you to the next level. And there’s something to be said about when somebody says to you. You can do this, but like genuinely mean it. And you’re just like, wait, what? I can?

Dr. Stacey G.
Because that’s the key here, what that teacher did so beautifully and profoundly. What he did not even recognize was that he validated the skill I write. Which was to write a college-level essay. I needed feedback, that I was good at something. That’s the first thing. But then he did the second step, which we can’t forget to do is he validated my humanity, that I’m a worthwhile person. And those two things in tandem help us become and grow and evolve.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, my God, you hit the nail right on the head. You know, we’re humans, we crave the human connection and to be validated and to be part of something that matters. And that’s like when those cheerleaders do that for you, it’s like. It just opens up a whole new direction. Like, what I can do this and once you have that confidence. You’re pretty much unstoppable for me, my cheerleader was my dad. You know, my dad was like, Pam, we’re like seven years old.

Now. I’m, like, 10 years old in the car with him. He’s doing pizza deliveries and he’s like you know. You’re gonna grow up, you’re gonna be super successful, you’re not gonna have to chase any man. They’re gonna chase you, you’re gonna be super successful. Like, you don’t need anybody. You know you’ll be independent. You’ll be a leader, you have like, all these things that house like, Yeah, yes. Like. My dad was my cheerleader. Like, and he still is.

So it’s like, but you don’t realize until like, years later and you’re like, holy cow, like that person, really lit this fire in me. And countless times that I’ve had those cheerleaders throughout my career too. It’s just like and most of them are teachers and mentors. They’re like the most coveted piece of society. I feel like teachers, truly and genuinely. Because they have the potential to help change and to help uplift. And not just educate but there’s all these other pieces to it. Teachers have a special place in my heart because they just give their whole souls. To this not just there just to teach you they’re there to like, illuminate you.

Dr. Stacey G.
It is truly everybody. Most people I would say 90% of teachers start out. Because they want to add value help people find meaning and make a difference. You hear that I want to make a difference. They have a higher calling, typically. And education is so important that we underestimate in the United States. To have what we thought compulsory. Like you are forced if you’re under the age of 16. You have to be in school like that is the law that is required, you know. It’s not like other countries where you can go and work on a farm or you could be in a field.

And it is a really important part of a democratic and just society to educate people. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have. But it’s also one of the most difficult things. Because it’s nebulous like your story, you weren’t good at class. But maybe that’s the thing that somebody else values or the narrative. We’ve been told that your brother is college for all, it’s not college for all. Education is there, after high school after when you need it. It can be accessed in different ways at different times. So it’s just there’s a lot of complexities to it, for sure.

Pamela Bardhi
There absolutely is. And I mean, your journey throughout education, sort of gives us a timeline, like. How did you start and sort of where did you start morphing into? Because I know you have quite an amazing journey throughout your education career.

Dr. Stacey G.
Yeah, so I started as an English teacher and, then I was always that person who wanted you showed me. Here’s how you can grow in leadership. Because I knew, I was the teacher leader with my English team and yada, yada. And I was really, really early on, into using technology in the classroom. So when my kids will get done, you know. That this was before the days, this is how I’m dating myself. We would have taken your classes through the computer lab because you couldn’t create an FDA.

You couldn’t type an essay, you couldn’t turn in an essay. We had to literally like or they were handwritten on paper style that was early on in my teaching career. And some kids were super fast typers and they were good writers. So I woke up three days in the computer lab and the lab time would take half an hour. We’d have two and a half more days, so I came up with creative things. That was when blogs were just starting Google Blogspot was starting websites and I’d have kids like to make websites. So I got into that and they asked me to be a tech like an Instructional Technology coach. And I was like, sure I can do that. Then I went and I went back to school and I got an administrative degree.

And I’m like, Well, I think I could be an administrator. So I did that, so then I was a building administrator and a high school, I supervised about 45 teachers. But the most interesting thing was how I got my doctorate. Because I never, ever, in a million years would have guessed, I would have gotten a doctorate. But I had a teacher in my master’s program that said. If you can take master’s classes, this level of class, you’re taking enough. You can get a doctorate and if you can write, you can get a doctorate, you have to write your dissertation. Well, I can do both those things. So I just thought why not? And I found a program around instructional technology in education, that interested me and I went for it.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, my gosh, I love that you asked that question. This is a very important question that I tell everybody. Why not? And most people can’t answer. Seriously, why not you?

Dr. Stacey G.
Why not you?

Pamela Bardhi
And I’m so glad that you said the same thing. You’re like, why not? I have it, somebody else has done it. Why not? And I love that you went into instructional technology because that is where our world is shifting to.

Dr. Stacey G.
2014 who knew that degree, would be so valuable.

Pamela Bardhi
It’s insane. And so it is sort of so since you got your doctorate. Have you sort of pivoted into that world and now especially with COVID, I’m sure you’ve pivoted. You know, it but not set pivot, right.

Dr. Stacey G.
I remember four years ago. So in my current role as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction. When I started about six years ago, I came into the district. I met about 8000 high school students. And I remember saying to my team of social studies, guys said, Listen, I know this can be done. We can do blended classes like our required government, our US history, like the things that kids have to give us some autonomy. They could take the class, but it’s during the fourth period. And maybe they only need to meet Monday, Wednesday, and then Tuesday, Thursday.

They can go to the library or stay home that day. Whatever that might look like, start late and leave early. And this was like, where I’m at people are like. What are you talking about? So I built a small group of teachers. I said, let’s just try it with some safety nets around us, and then we had built this program, the pandemic hit, we were ready. It was a beautiful thing. Yeah. The cool thing about where we’re at in Technology and Society is if you are good at recognizing patterns and seeing kinds of trends. You can point out that nobody has a crystal ball. But you can start to make sense of where you think we’re headed, right? And where you think we might be going and get in alignment with that. So that’s what I tried to do.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. So we started the program and then pretty much just everything went online.

Dr. Stacey G.
And ironically, I’m in Chicago and I had spent six months building an E-learning plan. Because we had been hit the past three years with horrible shutdown days, because of snow and cold, I mean, negative 45. I mean, cold, cold days, extreme cold and so I’d spent six months building out an entire plan. With the state, with the school board, with all the things that we would need. And when COVID came around and that mark seven teams were like, Well. We’ve got the evolving plan this will be great, right? Even if we need it for a week, I’ve built it out to the point where we can pretty much implement it. Then it was like, Oh, this is a little more than we might need to reassess our plan. Because I predicted, but not to that level of predictability by adding means.

Pamela Bardhi
I mean, that’s insane. And you know, what I always say is, I’m always curious now with all this virtual learning. I’m like, are kids ever gonna have a snow day again?

Dr. Stacey G. 
Never know, never, never don’t? That’s the burden our virtual days are seriously, overkill days.

Pamela Bardhi
And that’s, like, Oh, you called me old, but I had snow days.

Dr. Stacey G. 
Like, you know, what they used to do? The reason why we wanted to do this. Because I don’t know if you remember, you do the snow day and they tack it on in June. So your school year will go longer.

Pamela Bardhi
I went to private school, though. So they didn’t tack it on? And I was like, Yes, you got lucky. It’s so interesting to see how it sort of pivoted throughout the pandemic. But how has everything sort of shifted for you? Because now you’re in the clubhouse and you’ve got all this amazingness going on in your world. So I mean, what has sort of evolved throughout the pandemic for you in this space.

Dr. Stacey G.
I started a business in February of last year. Because I was doing a lot of consulting coaching just in the education space. I’m an educator at heart. I’m altruistic, I’m naive, and sometimes to a fault and so I was giving away all my time, effort, and energy because that’s what you do. I created this, I did this. Yes, we can meet all day on Saturday. Sure, no problem. And so I started a business in February, not really knowing what I was doing at all. Then the pandemic hit and I was like, oh, and then people started saying, can you help us with our eLearning program? Can you help us with the virtual remote, how are you building this? How are you doing that? And I was like, Well, actually, I guess I can help you.

Then kind of more from that helping with education to helping women. Because I have a really strong LinkedIn networking presence. So with my career in education and coaching, like as a leader. You’re always in that coaching mentoring role. I just kind of naturally shifted to being able to help and support people on LinkedIn. And it’s kind of just become my home base. That’s how we connected on LinkedIn.

Pamela Bardhi
Which is so exciting and I love that, you took something like education and made it your own, right. Because some people think about you guys’ education space. You’re kind of in this box, which is so not true. Right? Like, you literally created a business in the middle of a pandemic in the education space. So it’s like, it’s limitless, truly, even if it seems like it’s an industry that is very, like in the box or they say that education is not that innovative, you know?

Dr. Stacey G.
Well, it’s bureaucratic, too. I mean, there’s so much politics and bureaucracy.

Pamela Bardhi
I just love that you did that and so. What have been sort of your biggest challenges throughout your experience? And what advice would you give, based on those challenges,

Dr. Stacey G.
Personal challenges for me as a woman are as I’m moving in this space of business. I’m really good at what I know in education. I know how to live in that space, but talk about things like, what you do, being an entrepreneur, I’m like, I have no idea. It is like Ground Zero learning levels zero, like really getting in there. What is really cool about venturing into a new category and entrepreneurship is that being a little bit older and having an experience I can be like, okay. Here’s what we do in education and here’s how we run that through our organization. Okay, that’s what they’re talking about there.

We’ll just make that happen here. So building the learning comes quicker. That makes sense. But the challenges are still the challenges are imposter syndrome, frankly, like you and I do this. How do I do this? What if I’m not good enough, what if people don’t like it, what if people say bad things about me. I mean, all those things that are real like the doctor in front of my name. Doesn’t mean all those thoughts go away or you don’t have to face them anymore. That’s not true, actually have to pay some more. Because people think, oh, you’re a doctor, you should know this. Don’t sound stupid when you show up.

Pamela Bardhi
Right? No, say Same thing for me, as I expand into new territories, you know. Because now I’m being called from real estate to the empowerment role. And I’m like, digital marketing like I don’t know, it’s like, you’re slowly learning as you go. But you just gotta keep going. Like, you just gotta keep that confidence and keep going. And the same thing, who even though you just launched your business in February, keep rolling, like, deep down, you know what it is? You figure it out as you go. Most people think like, oh, I have to start a business and not at all. No, you don’t.

The best way to be is to be open-minded. And just like, soak it all in because then you really learn and how you can pivot and maneuver your business in a way that makes sense. Because how are you going to know otherwise? You know, what, if minded, you’re not going to be able to shift and thus your success level? So I just think it’s, it’s all correlated which is crazy. But yeah, imposter syndrome. I agree with you. Yeah. Because some people are like, yeah, Pam, your nine-figure real estate career. There’s days that I’m still like you, still question yourself. But then you have to train your mind to be like. You’ve done this, you’ve done this similarly before you’ve gone through challenges before.

Now you’re just gonna pick up and you’re just gonna get through this challenge again. Go and keep her human and that’s what I love is like. We’re always gonna go through things no matter what, right? So I love your honesty with that to be like, hey, just because I’m a doctor. Next to my name doesn’t mean anything. I’m still human. Right?

Dr. Stacey G.
We’re still human and I still have to say to myself. What’s the worst that could happen? Right, that question. I don’t know if you ever use that. But that question, what’s the worst that could happen today? Well, my internet goes out. Or I say something that isn’t great and you’re like, Oh, we added that or it’s okay. Your internet went out? Like, what’s the worst that could happen? And that tends to help reframe right and keep us and the other thing I’d say is meeting people and talking to people like you.

Finding others that you aspire to be like or you know they know something that you don’t know and being humble enough to ask. I mean, I know when you and I talk, what I appreciated about you. Can I ask the question like, sure, and you were just very open and transparent? And you were very willing to be open with me. I mean, you knew me from connecting and my content and your content. But that’s golden, you can’t replicate that, you can’t get that anywhere else. So I feel like just having a community of people that you can go to is really key. And what you’re doing is a beautiful thing here.

Pamela Bardhi
Thank you so much. This days. Yeah, I love it. And I mean, in your mission. What are you up to now in your world? Because there’s so many exciting things. And I know you’re only going to continue to elevate and keep crushing it with all your amazingness. So what’s new in Dr. Stacy’s world?

Dr. Stacey G.
Thank you. Well, this will be the first time that I’m announcing this. I’ve actually started a podcast, it’s called that add-up wedge as well. And I’m a little edgy, I don’t know if you’ve noticed that I’m a little edgy and that’s okay. Because we get to embrace who we are. So just really interested in similar to what we’re doing here, talking to thought leaders, right? Because thought leaders can be anybody. Everybody’s a learner and everybody, almost everybody has something to say about public education in the United States or learning in general, right. So to be able to have a space, to be able to talk to people about what they’re learning and how they’re growing is going to be really fun. I’m excited and looking forward to that.

Pamela Bardhi
Amazing. And then in the professional realm of your business, there are any new updates. Or new pivots that you’re sort of expanding into new worlds.

Dr. Stacey G.
I got LinkedIn, I got a clubhouse, I coached. Coach and consult with leaders who want to grow. So that’s super fun. I mean, most of my clients come from LinkedIn. And here’s what’s interesting to me. When you’re in that, what you’re calling, like transformation or empowerment. I don’t know what the words are for me, here’s what I know, when I meet with you, I know you and I can hear your heart and I can see what you can’t see. And I can see the gifts you have and the talent you have.

As a teacher, I can see where I need to chunk it for you. So it’s not too overwhelming, right? That’s the secret sauce. And so I’m working with some clients on just helping them grow. Whether you want to build some strategy for their organization or their own professional strategy. Their own personal brand. And then I’m starting really just a small group of connected women. So like the things we’re talking about right here, being able to say like I feel stuck today. Where I feel I’m channeling, we’re doing a book we meet on Sundays. It’s been all organic, It’s not been hugely like, I’m just taking action and trying things with what I feel is right in my heart.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that you’re so busy goddesses, you’re so amazing and now. Where can the world find you and your amazingness?

Dr. Stacey G.
So my main space is LinkedIn, so Dr. Stacy Gonzales, it’s been solace. But yeah, fine. You can find me on LinkedIn and clubhouse. I’m at Dr. Stacy, so those are my two main. I’ve got some Twitter and I got some other stuff. But all my social media stuff isn’t built out in any huge way. So that’s my main platform right now.

Pamela Bardhi
I love it. And then the last question, which is my favorite. What would your older self tell your younger self? You touched on it a wee bit in the beginning, but I was like, I want to save the best for last.

Dr. Stacey G.
Oh, that’s great, that’s the best question ever. I would tell her I would say to her Listen, it’s gonna be theory. And it’s okay. This fear won’t kill you. Rest into the fear. Stick with it. It won’t last, It won’t kill you. So go with it.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that, I love that just to be fearless and just keep going and just keep keeping that person who was like no, I’m better than a secretary. I’m beyond that. And look at you, doctor. You go, doctor.

Dr. Stacey G.
This is good. Thank you. So nice.

Pamela Bardhi
Thank you so much for being here today. Dr. Stacy, you’re such a gift that I’m so pumped to see. What else you bring to the world and how your business transforms and your podcast. How that’s gonna go and I’m just pumped for you. So thank you so much for being here today.