Why Social Impact is the Currency of the Future with Michelle Jewsbury

0:02Who's ready to rock today, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire, the only daily show interviewing the world's top entrepreneurs seven days a week. Today, we'll be breaking down why social impact is the currency of the future. To drop these value bombs, I have brought to Michelle Jewsberry and to EO Fire Studios. Michelle is the CEO of Unsilenced Voices and is an internationally recognized speaker and coach transforming adversity into success. She empowers survivors to leverage their personal narratives for growth and healing. And today, Foundation, we'll talk about unsilenced voices.

0:38We'll talk about storytelling and how it plays a role in attracting donors. We'll also talk about how operating a for-profit and a nonprofit enhances the credibility of your mission and oh, so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Michelle and our sponsors. Over 41 ,000 businesses have future-proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at netsuite.com slash fire. Want to learn how to get booked and paid to speak?

1:16Great news. I've arranged direct access to my good friend Graham Baldwin's proven speaking business system from the Speaker Lab. Go to eofire.com slash speaker to grab your spot for our live training on May 28th and learn how to get booked and paid to speak. Michelle, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. What's up, Fire Nation? Super excited to be here. Hello, John. You know what's interesting is you recently did an interview with Eric Tivers and he talked a lot about burnout and the 80-hour work week. And the one thing that I really want to emphasize is it's okay to take a break, to step back in order to step back in, because oftentimes you get to see a different angle, a different goal, a different role that you can do just by stepping back.

2:13I actually love that phrase, stepping back to step back in. I don't think I've ever heard it before. So I'm going to use it the next two times. I'm going to give you credit, Michelle. Then it's mine forever. That's just how it works. So step back to step back in. And I actually try to do that twice every day. I take my dog on a walk at 5.30 a.m. every morning. And that's just my way of just relaxing, being outside in the Caribbean. And I do the exact same thing at 4.30 p.m. every evening. I'm back out at the end of the day. It's just a reset, having the sun and the blue sky and just having that ability to step back so I can step back in.

2:49So thank you for sharing that. I love it. And today, Fire Nation, we'll talk about why. why social impact is the currency of the future. And your story is powerful. I mean, we got to meet in person a few weeks back at PodFest, and it was a cool experience for me because I got to hear a little bit about you and your story with unsilenced voices, which is why you're here today. So tell the rest of Fire Nation the story that led you to creating unsilenced voices. Yeah, so back in 2012, I ended up meeting somebody who I thought was my Prince Charming. And lo and behold, it turned out to be a very, very violent relationship.

3:29Now, when you meet me in person, you don't assume that I went through a domestic violence relationship. I'm a very strong, independent woman. Thank you. And I did not grow up with any type of abuse in the household. When I met my guy at that time, he courted me and sent me gifts and flowers and I fell head over heels. And then about four months into that relationship is when the physical violence started and escalated for four years. After I escaped that situation, I felt called to do something even more with my story because it's not about what we go through. It's about how we respond to what we go through.

4:10And I felt God call me to do something huge. And in 2017, I founded the nonprofit organization Unsilenced Voices. We began in West Africa. Sierra Leone is where the bulk of our programming still exists. and we have done a lot of work in the United States and looking to expand. So it's an incredible story, an incredible journey, but it's important for your listeners to know that no matter what it is that you go through, you can make a huge impact and use your story to help other people. Well, you can tell Fire Nation that there's a reason why Michelle is an internationally recognized speaker. I mean, she tells her story very well with passion and with conciseness, which a lot of people aren't able to do.

4:56So I really appreciate that. And Michelle, you have empowered many survivors through your coaching and advocacy work. Share a real world example of this. Yeah, definitely. So I run a for-profit and a non-profit organization. And with my for-profit, for example, we do a book collaboration every year, and it's called Breaking the Silence, Voices of Survivors. So I encourage 20 authors to tell their story to help other people overcome ailments such as disease or chronic fatigue or depression, anxiety, domestic violence situations, sexual assaults, you name it, all kinds of different adversities that we faced.

5:42So I also teach a program called Legacy Camp where I get to teach people how to tell their stories through public speaking, publishing books of your own and creating courses and content. And of course, with our advocacy work, we have monthly sensitization meetings. We have open forum discussions and counseling with unsilenced voices. So it's a lot that we get to do. And I am just honored to be able to coach and encourage those people to break free from what it is that they've gone through. I'm such a big fan of stories. I try to bring them into every single interview that I do, because to me, they resonate with people so deeply.

6:21That's why history is his story, her story. I mean, we just go way back. We love sitting around campfires and telling stories. We resonate with that so much. So in your opinion, what role does storytelling play in attracting donors specifically to unsilenced voices? No matter if you're running a for-profit or a non-profit organization, people will buy into what you do because they like and they trust you. See, when you tell stories, when you talk authenticity and transparency, when you tell your story in a genuine way and portray that you are a real human, that you are down to earth, that you are not one of these people that walk in front of the camera and say one thing and then walk off the camera and say something else, then people will be attracted to what it is that you're doing.

7:14So storytelling is essential in attracting donors and attracting clients in order to grow. And with your story, people will trust you. And that means that they will buy into what you do and be able to donate and help and really kind of move your cause and your mission forward, no matter where it is that you're going. Fire Nation, I hope you understand the power of what Michelle is sharing and how you can implement that into your life, into your business. You know, whether it be a non-for-profit or a for-profit, it's such a powerful story. It's such a powerful strategy as well because that know, like, and trust, that openness, that honesty, that transparency, I mean, that's what's going to allow people to connect with you on a meaningful level.

8:01And wow, do we have a lot more to talk about around this topic when we get back from thinking hours. Sponsors, speaking from stage is one of the most impactful ways I found to share my message and grow my business. But if you've never done it before, it can seem intimidating. How do you get booked and paid to speak if you've never done it before? Great question. And to answer it, I've arranged direct access to my good friend Grant Baldwin's proven speaking business system from the Speaker Lab. This is a live training where you'll learn the proven five-step process that led Grant to over 500 paid gigs.

8:36Current paid speaking opportunities you can pursue right now, plus the number one marketing tool that's working for his students in 2025. The Speaker Lab is committed to helping 1 ,000 new speakers land paid gigs this year, and I'd love for you to be one of them. This live training is going down May 28th, and there are limited spots available. So head over to eofire.com slash speaker to grab your spot on this live training where you can ask questions and get them answered, plus learn how to get booked and paid to speak. That's eofire.com slash speaker. It would be really nice if we could predict what the future holds for our business.

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9:46If our business needed this type of software, I'd use NetSuite in a heartbeat because whether your company is earning millions or even hundreds of millions, NetSuite helps you respond to immediate challenges and seize your biggest opportunities. Speaking of opportunity, download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at nestsuite.com slash fire. The guide is free for you at nestsuite.com slash fire, nestsuite.com slash fire. Michelle, we're back and I love personally hearing unique strategies. So share with us an innovative way that you've engaged with donors to support unsilenced voices. So I think it's really important that donors and their sponsees are able to communicate.

10:28So one of the ways that we engage our donors is we have a flagship program called Sponsor a Survivor. And I'm going to tell you just a brief little story about this. Back in 2017, maybe 18, I flew to Sierra Leone and one of my managers said, I want to take you to a bar. And I was like, why do we want to go to a bar? But he said, just trust me. So we went and sat down and he said, look around. And I saw a lot of young, young girls. And I didn't realize that they were selling themselves for a dollar, maybe two dollars. And he said, this is where I want to help. And I said, OK, what do we want to do?

11:11And he said, let's enroll these young girls into vocational training. And we can help them get off of the streets. They can start their own businesses. So we started a program called Sponsor a Survivor. Our first young girl, her name was Matilda. She was a firecracker. Amazing, amazing young girl. The teachers would WhatsApp me all the time and say, she is off the chains. I don't know how to handle her. It was crazy because she was just spunky. But, you know, she worked real hard. She wanted to get off the streets. And she was encouraging to other young girls as well. Unfortunately, Matilda had contracted HIV and she ended up passing away from AIDS later that year in her village.

12:00So we decided to name our flagship program after Matilda's, Matilda's program. So you can go to sponsorasurvivor.org, get more information about the program. It's only$100 a month and you are able to pay for a young girl to go through vocational training. their training materials, a monthly stipend, counseling, and medical. So super, super important to be able to engage. We also have been able to incorporate Web3 technology in crypto. So we take crypto. We did an NFT art competition in Sierra Leone not too long ago. So you can purchase NFTs on the blockchain that were actually created by young girls in Sierra Leone.

12:42I love what you're doing. I mean, you're going cutting edge with what's out there right now in the crypto world and just really having these innovative strategies that are going to just make an impact is such a powerful way to operate. And speaking of operating, I mean, how does operating a for-profit and a nonprofit enhance the credibility specifically of your mission? Operating both has been, I should say, definitely a lot of work, right? But it represents two donors and to clients that there's something even more. See, social impact is the currency of the future. And in order to attract people, as we've discussed in the past questions, people have to like and trust you.

13:30So in order for them to like and trust you, they want to know that you are bigger than just your brand, right? They want to know that you have something even larger going on. And when you run both a for-profit and a non-profit, your clients, your supporters can see that you have a mission. You've got something huge that you are accomplishing, that you are doing to give back to society. Now, it doesn't have to be a huge non-profit organization, but your social impact is what's so key and important. If you care for animals, do something for animals. If you care about the planet, do something, just take action.

14:08There are so many people out there who don't put a foot forward and they run their daily lives day in and day out, go to work, come back, play with their kids, maybe watch some TV and do it all over again. We are meant to do something even more with what it is that we've gone through and use our stories and use our wants, our desires to be able to give back in a larger way. Significance is such a powerful word. In fact, I just love the phrase going from success to significance because a lot of people listening right now, they're very successful, but something's missing and they know it. And what's missing for a lot of successful entrepreneurs is significance, really making a meaningful impact in this world on something that they care about.

14:56Michelle, I want you to share with us the significance of integrating social impact while helping others. See, our lives are not just about us. It is all about the people around us. At the time of this recording, there's roughly 8 billion people on this planet. Significance is that we get to work together. We get to end a lot of injustices on this planet and create a world worth living in. We have generations to come behind us. Our children, young adults that are growing up in this world and it is up to us to show them that we care about making their life even better and when we have that significance of integrating social impact to help others then people then like trust us then people will follow us then they know that the world that we're leaving behind will be a better place for them and our children to live in.

16:01Michelle, you're a great storyteller. Take a step back. Tell us a story. It could be any story. Whatever story is just bubbling up to the surface right now for any reason. It doesn't matter why. But tell us that story that you think just makes sense for our listeners to hear right now. I actually was just sent a WhatsApp last night about one of our young girls who went through vocational training a few years ago. Her name was Hawa. Hawa ended up going through our program, and she ended up becoming pregnant, so she had to step back. When she gave birth, she gave birth to a little boy, and that little boy she named after my dad, which was a huge, huge honor.

16:43So his name is William. But I just received, and you can tell I'm emotional about this, but I just received information that because of her training and her going back to vocational school because of our help with Unsilenced Voices, she now just opened her own shop in tailoring, and she is helping other women do the same thing, and she is making money and being able to support William and herself. It was wonderful to see her smiling face, and our team made a cute little video of that, so you can visit our social media to find that out. but it was, it's just encouraging that I'm doing the right thing because of the impact that we're making for other people.

17:28What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing that one. Very powerful. Now, if you want Fire Nation to walk away with one thing, like if they were to be talking later today and they're saying, man, I heard this interview with JLD and Michelle and they were talking and it was inspiring and, you know, this happened and that happens, what would that one takeaway you would really want our listeners to have from our conversation today? So there's a movie that I'm sure most of your listeners have watched called Finding Nemo. And in Finding Nemo, there is a fish. Her name is Dory, right? Ellen DeGeneres, I think, does her voice.

18:05And she swims around and she has about a 10 second memory. But the one thing that she sings to herself is just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. I love this analogy because if you're going through something in life and it's inhibiting you, it's haltering you from moving forward. Remember, God can't steer a parked car. So just keep swimming. Just keep moving in a direction despite what it is that you're going through and know that God's got your back. I love that. And I actually love combining that idea of just keep moving, just keep swimming with this too shall pass. And the reason why that's a powerful phrase for me is because it works on both sides.

18:51Like sometimes things are just going so well in this world and you're crushing it. And a lot of people, unfortunately, think it's going to last forever. Well, it's not. And so they're often crushed when it stops lasting forever because this too shall pass. And that's when things are going great, but it's also, of course, when things are going horribly, this too shall pass. Like, especially when you surround yourself with the right people, listen to the right content, which of course, everybody listening today, Fire Nation is doing. So congratulations on that. And Michelle, I know a lot of people are being impacted by what you're saying here today.

19:22They want to learn more. They want to connect with you. You mentioned social media and they could even like maybe watch that video that you were talking about. What is your call to action for our listeners today? All right. So for your listeners in the United States, if you text UV, as in unsilenced voices, UV to 26786, again, the number is 26786. You can get more information about unsilenced voices, stay in our database. If you're outside of the United States, you can also visit unsilencedvoices.org and or michellejewsbury.com. Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

20:05You've been hanging out with MJ and JLD today, so keep up that heat. For links to everything we talked about, visit eofire.com. Just type Michelle in the search bar. The show notes page will pop right up. One more time, if you just text UV to 26786, you'll get some great information coming your way. Michelle, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation. for that we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side thanks jld hey fire nation a huge thank you to our sponsors and michelle for sponsoring today's episode and fire nation are you ready to rock your very own podcast check out our free podcasting course where i will teach you how to create and launch your podcast for free free podcast course.com i'll catch you there or on the flip side over 41 000 businesses have future-proofed their business with net suite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform.

21:04Download the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning for free at netsuite.com slash fire. Want to learn how to get booked and paid to speak? Great news. I've arranged direct access to my good friend, Graham Baldwin's proven speaking business system from the speaker lab. Go to eofire.com slash speaker to grab your spot for our live training on May 28th and learn how to get booked and paid to speak.