A Celebration of Women, Entrepreneurship, and Holidays

Ever ponder about the factors that shape our interests, abilities, and life paths?

We sure did! Join us for a fascinating discussion with our guest, Colleen, as we explore the significance of individual choices, our upbringing, and societal expectations. We delve into personal stories and observations, shedding light on the impact of these elements on our passions and pursuits. Encouraging self-reflection and empathy, we also put the spotlight on a worthy cause - the non-profit organization 'Live and Learn', which dedicates itself to empowering women mired in generational poverty through education and opportunities.

Support Live & Learn Today!

But that's not all! As we sail through the waves of profound discussions, we dock at the island of entrepreneurship. With Colleen at the helm, we navigate through her journey of helping women step into the spotlight, generate more income, and build a supportive network. Colleen, a beacon of inspiration, shares insights from her book and introduces us to her community, 'The Leap'. As the island of entrepreneurship fades into the horizon, we find ourselves amidst the warm glow of the holiday season. We end our voyage with delight, sharing our beloved Christmas traditions and activities. Connect with Colleen through her website and social media, and join us in celebrating her passion and encouragement for women.

Colleen Biggs

• Website: https://colleenbiggs.net/
• Email: colleen@colleenbiggs.net
• Tel: +1 480-648-5524
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-biggs/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenbiggs/

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Transcript

Voiceover: 0:03

Tales from the Wild, stories from the Heart A journey into the mind and soul of fired-up business professionals, where they share their vision for the future and hear from a different non-profit organization every month as they create awareness of their goals and their needs. Dive into a world of untamed passion. As we join our host, Shireen Botha, for this month's episode of Friends from Wild Places.

Shireen Botha: 0:37

I love that because that is so true. I think some people might want to say well, you know how do you explain? You know some people that are more academic and other people that are more sporty. You know the people that are on the field. They're in the swimming pool, they're practicing their sport where the other person is. No, I don't do sport. I'm quite happy with being in science class or reading books, or they get straight A's and it's a breeze for them, whereas someone that's a sporty person which, I have to say, that was me. I was the sporty person. I had to work my little booty off to try and get a C plus. You know no joking. So that's just, I think. Coming from that perspective, I think some people will be like, yeah, okay, but you do get some people that are more naturally inclined to a certain side of things.

Colleen Biggs: 1:39

You know I watch my grandkids and I'll use one. I'll use one family as an example. One of the babies was taught very, very young, was read to, was sat down with sight words. He was reading full books, like he could read and flip the page and read it at 18 months Because that was what was put in front of him constantly. The second one that came around there were a little bit more lax on and she can't read full books, you know, and she's four and he was doing it at 18 because they constantly had sight words and I've noticed they don't do that with her. She didn't have sight words in front of her. They didn't have, you know, it was a little bit busier, they were moving, they had other things going on in their life and they weren't as settled and spending just that one time with that one child. So I do believe that academically he will exceed and outpace her 100%. But I also watched their upbringing and saw the difference of what was put in front of them and I do believe if they would have spent that exact time and put that in front of her.

Colleen Biggs: 2:42

I also think there's this drive in the individual. You could look at sports for football you have Eli Manning and Peyton Manning. They also have another brother, by the way. Who is it, and I felt? Quarterback, retired, you know, who went to the Super Bowl. They all played sports. The dad played sports with all of them. Two of those boys took the love of what they were doing to the next level because they wanted it. They loved it. Their brother didn't. That's not what his thing was, it's not what he wanted. So I do believe that, based on what we want you wanted sports, you didn't want to be academically, you know spending your time over there I do think that there's a choice that we make and there's something that we, you know, choose as well.

Colleen Biggs: 3:26

My husband would would say exactly what you're saying, sherene, and he's like oh no, the kids have this blood and that's why they're more athletic. And I'm like your children are way more athletic than my children, because I never got out to play sports with them ever. You played sports from them from the time they could crawl to walk, and all you did every day was just throw balls in the backyard and teach them how to play a sport. There's so much more athletically inclined and now their children are because they teach them the sport. Well, I didn't raise my children that way, so they're more academically inclined, like their engineers and stuff. They're not, they weren't sports. So that just goes to show. And then we pass that down generation to generation. So but my husband would say the same thing no, they have this blood, you know.

Shireen Botha: 4:15

No, I absolutely love that, colleen. Thank you, I do. I see it from both perspectives, but I always like to put every type of perspective on the table so we can discuss all kinds of angles on it. So thank you for entertaining that. I appreciate it.

Colleen Biggs: 4:34

Yeah, we all have opinions and belief and I respect and honor everybody's opinions and beliefs and if we would do that, we wouldn't be in wars, we wouldn't be in any of the problems that we have today, if we could just respect and honor other people's opinions and and the way they feel and think.

Shireen Botha: 4:53

I agree To the T, Hit the nail on the head. Thank you. So to the listeners, friends from wild places, you know that we support a non-profit every month. This month we're going to be supporting Live and Learn. Colleen is going to just tell us a little bit about it, about the organization and how we can support it. So please go ahead, Colleen.

Colleen Biggs: 5:17

I'm so glad you said it that way, because that just goes to show how ridiculous English grammar is, because it's Live and Learn, but Live and Live is spelled exactly the same. How do you teach a child that's growing up that this is how you say the word? They're like, but why? And you're like? I have no idea. I think it's stupid too, but what do we do? I'm just, it's crazy. The stuff that you're like that doesn't even make sense. People are like that doesn't make sense, but I'm not sure what to say. Like how do we even teach English? We don't teach proper English. I don't think here in the States. It's probably taught somewhere else way better. But anyway, so Live and Learn.

Colleen Biggs: 6:01

I'll tell you why I love this organization. They've been around for about 15 years. They're a smaller organization. They take women that are in generational poverty, they give them a chance and they put them through a two-year program. Well, obviously you heard my story. I wish that that was available for me when I was 17, 18, when I was a single mom. I would have jumped into that in a heartbeat, because unless I was willing to do something or get connected with someone that was willing to change my future, I just would have been in this generational poverty from my parents to me, to my daughter, right at the time when I was a single mom. So they take them out, they help them finish their GEDs or graduate. They get them through certificates where they can make more money In that two years. They have to qualify and graduate from some degree or certificate. Many of them go on to get bachelor's degrees, phds, masters. You know the whole deal because now they're given a light and a path that I can do more.

Colleen Biggs: 7:05

The government in the Americas gives just enough for a family to survive if they're on government, not enough for them to actually move forward or get out of that. So this organization recognized that and they believe in what I believe you empower a woman and they will empower community. They'll empower their children and they'll empower other women. It's just who we are. So they chose to empower the woman, not the male.

Colleen Biggs: 7:32

In the relationship they empower the woman and most of the time they find that these women are abused somehow, you know, with the surveys that they take and they help them find housing. They help them, you know, get certificates to get better jobs. They help place them into jobs. So now they're making enough money that they don't need government assistance. The goal in two years to get them off government assistance, get them making their own money. And they have, you know, very stringent rules. And I love that because it's not a handout. You know, I love organizations that make you earn your way in a program and you're not just getting handed out money because, again, that's what the government does and it doesn't help anybody. So that's a live and learn. That's why I love them so much, because, again, I think empowering a woman makes the greatest impact on generations to come.

Shireen Botha: 8:25

Agreed. I love that, and you know listeners out there if you are woman business owners, entrepreneurs or just women out there that are comfortable. So what I mean by that is you're waking up in the morning, you're having your coffee, you're going to work, you're going to gym, you're having lunches with your female friends. You're good, your life is good. You have extra money to spend every month. What's making you not think about that? Maybe there's women out there that are not in the same situation as you right now that have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, have to worry about how they're gonna support their children. Imagine your life being like that. Imagine you having to not have that peace and comfort, knowing that you know your day is gonna be fantastic and there's nothing wrong with that.

Shireen Botha: 9:31

But if you knew that there's other women out there that don't have the luxuries that we all have, what makes you not want to help those women? So if you're hearing this message right now, live and Learn sounds like a fantastic way to give back. So you choose to do that. You get to choose that. Make that decision today and go to Live and Learn, which we will have the link in the show notes for you so you can go and donate and empower other women across the world. So thank you, colleen, for introducing that non-profit to us. We really appreciate it.

Colleen Biggs: 10:15

Absolutely.

Shireen Botha: 10:17

Right. So before we come on to a more lighthearted side of things, do we have any more questions for Colleen?

Tanya Scotece: 10:24

Tanya I would just say she sounds like just an amazing person and I just think the question I have is for people to initially get started with you. What would be one thing? Would it be attending a workshop? Would it be reading one of your books? Would it be? Where should they start?

Colleen Biggs: 10:44

Right. Yeah, I'm glad that you asked that. That's a really great question. Many people have read my book.

Colleen Biggs: 10:50

Step into the spotlight would be the first book that I would definitely offer. That's the main book that I wrote and brought in about nine other authors to really help me in the areas that they're strong in. So stepping in the spotlight, to expand your influence to attract the right client it's really how I teach women to be able to generate more income. As you've got to be seen everywhere. I brought in experts in Instagram. I brought in experts on stages. I brought in experts on creating that vision and women that could really compliment me in that book. I would start with the book. The other thing I would say and it's available on Amazon, it's pretty simple to find. The other thing I would say is I have a community where you can attend any of the events for free to get started, like all of them. So you could attend a networking event. We're having one this afternoon. You can attend a speed networking event. You can attend a mastermind where we come in for 90 minutes. You get free coaching for 90 minutes from us and the other members that are in there. So I say, attend something free online, because you're probably a female entrepreneur. If you own your own business, you're probably already networking. So come network with us. Come join one of our online events that we have. You can also do a free call. You can go on my website, easy callingbigsnet, and click on the very first page and book a call with me and I can understand a little bit more about what you're doing and where your struggles are, what your goals are, what you want to achieve.

Colleen Biggs: 12:31

I have women that come to me because they say you know, I'm getting older, I want to spend more time with my grandkids, but I want to be able to generate the same amount of money I'm generating now. So they're not looking to generate more. They just can't see how they can back off and still be able to do that. They're looking for someone to help them put a plan together. So I work with women for an hour for a day, for 90 days at a retreat.

Colleen Biggs: 12:56

You know I have several different things for women to be able to dive into, to get what they need at their pace, the way they like to do it. Some women love retreats, so they want to come and hang out with you and, you know, be at a retreat type feeling and atmosphere and learn from you there. And others just want to kind of get in on a workshop and other ladies want to hire me one-on-one and say let's just get this done in 90 days so I know what my path is and I'm good to go. So yeah, I would say there's a lot of options there for sure.

Tanya Scotece: 13:29

Awesome. And what about for those that do want to get published with their own book? Any suggestions, seeing that you've had a great you know time with that?

Colleen Biggs: 13:39

Yes, I would say that I am surrounded by women in my community that publish books. You know, I use one of the ladies in my community to publish my book. A lot of the other ladies do as well. So when you're looking for resources like, I need to get on more stages, I want to be on more podcasts, I want to publish a book, I want to be in someone's book. Maybe I don't want to publish my own, I just want to be a participant. I've done that with a lot of other authors.

Colleen Biggs: 14:08

It's a different way of being able to be published. That's when you need to start surrounding yourself and why I started this community. I literally started this community so women would have unlimited resources. And then it's not just limited to the women in the community. Those women know a ton of other people, so they know thousands of people they can introduce you to indoors, and it might not even be that person that you needed to meet. You needed to meet two other people that they were going to introduce you to. So I think that's an important piece for us to remember is that we need to start surrounding ourselves with people that create opportunity for us. So that's why I think the Leap community is a great. It's such a low price point for someone to be a member of a community and get so much from it. You know I did it on purpose so anyone could afford it, whether they had a job. And we're still in corporate America brand new as an entrepreneur or a seasoned entrepreneur yeah.

Tanya Scotece: 15:08

Awesome, thank you.

Shireen Botha: 15:10

Thank you, yes, I love that. So that's the Leap community. So 10 years, grand network of the year in my world.

Tanya Scotece: 15:19

So when I come, when I come, check it out. Colleen, I'd like to partake in. Yeah, I'm going to check it out.

Shireen Botha: 15:27

Thanks.

Tanya Scotece: 15:27

Tanya.

Shireen Botha: 15:28

I love this. I think this is fantastic, ladies, I think this is exactly what the space is for us women to come together and chat about these things. So thank you again for sharing so a little bit of last heart's atness. To end the podcast off today it's since it's the season, just the season, so I guess I need to ask you what is your favorite activity to do at Christmas time.

Tanya Scotece: 16:00

Tonya, you want to go ahead and start with you, yes, so I actually just like the Christmas holiday music of all different genres and my friend Colleen, who's like a sister to me. We spent a lot of time together over the holiday season and I just think just having those moments that just to celebrate our successes, trials and tribulations throughout the year, that's what I really look forward to. So incorporating music into those down moments for me is very special. And how about you, colleen?

Colleen Biggs: 16:36

Yeah, so every year I started this with my kids. Then, when I got married, I added my husband's kids and then now the grandkids. I produce you know, finding it online and creating it some type of ornament for every person in my family and that ornament is something very special that happened that year in their life. So maybe it's a grandchild who potty trained that year, maybe it was a grandchild who played sports for the first time on a team. I would get, you know, an ornament that had their same color hair, their number on their jersey, the name of you know, their team in the year, and that would be their ornament that they would get that year. And then they get to put those ornaments up on their tree.

Colleen Biggs: 17:24

And what it really does is every year, when the families get together and they decorate their tree, they get to go down this memory lane of oh, do you remember when I was one or two, or when they had braces or got the first keys to a new car or something like that. So it's just really fun. My husband and I decorate our tree the same way. It's the places that we've gone to, all of the places we visited, and we kind of go down memory lane of our life together through putting up this tree in our house. So I would say those are my favorite things to do at Christmas. I'm not a big sweets person so I don't really like look forward to. The only thing I look forward to in November is fall, is pumpkin pie. Other than that I'm not like a big sweets person around Christmas or anything, so I don't like candy canes or any of that kind of stuff. For me it's more about the thoughtfulness and the ornaments, for sure.

Tanya Scotece: 18:26

It's so funny when you mentioned about the ornaments. So my friend, colleen, like the sister, she has two girls and I have one daughter. So one holiday we decided we're gonna make ornaments. So we're sitting around the her dining room table and we had, like these clear balls and we're supposed to fill them and paint them and do everything. So everyone else's ornament came out beautiful. I mean, these are like showpieces Her two girls, colleen herself, is very you know just creative. My daughter, you know amazing Mine looked like something a three year old made. Okay, it was an explosion and everyone is just looking at it like, oh, like, but my daughter kept it and she puts it on her tree, like it looks like something that like made it through like a disaster. So I was like that's my creativity, so I just thought I'd share it with both of you. So it's funny.

Colleen Biggs: 19:19

That's what mine would look like if I made it with you.

Tanya Scotece: 19:21

I'm telling you but it's so funny. It's kind of like you know the places. I'm sure they have mountain Arizona. I don't know if they have a mountain in South Africa, shereen, but the places where you go and you paint like everyone does the same thing, I think mine would just be like a disaster, like I just I don't have that creative space in me. So too funny. And how about you, shereen? What do you like to do? What's your takeaway for the holiday season?

Shireen Botha: 19:45

I think my favorite part is the matching pajamas or the horrible looking matching Christmas jerseys and sweaters that you get. So I like to try and purchase a set for my family and then I like to wrap them up and gifts. And I have a little game where it's Alice in Wonderland's little keys but there's a little card that's attached to each one with a little bit of you know, a rhyme to show you and guide you to the next key and which will guide you to the next key which eventually gets you to the gift, and so they will unwrap that and it'll be some other design of a pajama or whatever. So I love doing things for others. I love just being able to do something that'll put a smile on my family's faces and just to make their day better, and I enjoy doing those things. That's my highlights is to see their reaction. So yeah, that's me.

Colleen Biggs: 20:48

I want to come to your house for Christmas. That sounds like a lot of fun.

Shireen Botha: 20:54

Yeah, they just know that Christmas fairy comes around and it looks like you know suddenly just got the whole house gets this Christmas. So I think they tolerate me to a certain extent, but I just can't help it Anyway. So thank you so much for joining us today and before we leave, I just want to say to Colleen you are a beautiful person inside and out and I am looking to also join the Leap community. I think not just your, it's just everything about you and everything you talk about. There's such a beauty and a passion that comes through what you talk about and you really do motivate and encourage women to keep going, and I really appreciate you for doing that and for what you do on a daily basis. So thank you for that.

Colleen Biggs: 21:53

Thank you so much.

Tanya Scotece: 21:54

Thank you We'll see you in the community. We're going to join it.

Shireen Botha: 21:58

Yeah, and for the listeners, would you mind, if there is a listener out there that might have connected with your story in any way, shape or form, Would you mind letting them know where they can find you to reach out and maybe ask you a question, or whatever the case, maybe.

Colleen Biggs: 22:16

Yeah, I think the easiest way is to go to my website, colleenbiggsnet. They can book a free call with me right from there. There's a contact page. You can send me a question. If you don't want to book a call, you can just send a question anonymously through the contact form and ask that question.

Colleen Biggs: 22:33

I also love to connect on social media. You know, I love Instagram, I love Facebook and LinkedIn. So if anyone wants to follow me there and then DM and private message me, I will answer those personally. I used to have a team do that, but I like to answer them personally. So reaching out to me and any of those forms really is the easiest way to get to me directly. And I am a real person. You do get to me directly and a lot of people are like yeah, but is your team? Well, if I'm out of town, my team is responding for me, but if I'm in town, I'm responding. I have just this thing I love to respond to my own emails and I always have. So send me an email at Colleen, at ColleenBiggsnet, or you can go to my website and fill out a form and then it'll just email it directly to me.

Shireen Botha: 23:23

So, yeah, Thank you, and what about yourself? Tanya?

Tanya Scotece: 23:29

Yes. So if anyone would like any information about any of the topics that I've shared. So I am the director of the mortuary program at Miami Dade College. So anybody that has an interest in becoming a funeral director or in bomber, that's one area. I also do senior placement, so I match people who can no longer live alone due to cognitive or physical disabilities, let's say in Florida. So I work for Sunshine senior placement. I'm a senior specialist and I also do litigation for funeral home and cemetery wrongdoing. So that's another area of expertise. So those three, they can find me. My biggest, I guess, playground is going to be LinkedIn. I don't have a TV, have a watch TV in almost 30 years, so I'm on LinkedIn quite a bit under Tanya Scotisi and that's S-C-O-T-E-C-E, so send me a message there. I would love to connect and share anything that I know that I can help somebody else out. So and you, sherene, where can they find you.

Shireen Botha: 24:31

Thank you. I call Tanya my angel because she really does angel work out there. So, yes, you can basically find this podcast on YouTube, Friends From Wild Places, but as well on all the music downloading platforms. Please go ahead to the website. It's friendsfromwildplacesbuzzsproutcom, that's friendsfromwildplacesbuzzsproutcom, and basically go on iTunes, go on Deezer and just search for us and we'll be there. So please go ahead and you know like comment, leave a review, Tell us what you think. It's always appreciated. And personally, while I'm the same as Tanya, you can find me on LinkedIn, Shireen Botha. That's probably the best place. Here is a safe space for you. So you are welcome and you are loved. So thanks so much for listening. Thank you, Kaleem, Thank you, Tanya for being here today and we'll see you next time. And remember you got this and stay wild. Bye, guys.

Tanya Scotece: 25:39

Thank you.

Voiceover: 25:41

You've been listening to Friends From Wild Places with Shireen Botha. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast from the links to catch every episode and unleash your passion.