Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Harris.
Monica, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The short version is I was a mom who lost herself in motherhood. One day, I felt this pull to do something outside of the home, so I started a journey of rediscovering myself. You know what? I really like who I have grown into. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the paths I have taken. Although some of those paths were hard to navigate, I can look back at them and see the value in the lessons I learned through each hill I had to climb. I am grateful for those moments, no matter how hard they were because they refined me into I am today.
To maintain my sanity as a mother, I decided I needed to make it a priority to do something for myself. It took a while to figure out what that “thing” would be, but eventually, I combined my love for hearing other’s stories and podcasts. I created the Creation Refined Podcast for women to share moments in their lives that have shaped and refined them into who they are today. My hope for this podcast is that these stories will help women to not feel alone, to spark hope in that they too can get through their moments of refinement, and that it will create a community where women feel seen and valued for who they are.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been smooth, it’s actually been unexpectedly difficult. Besides not knowing how to begin to create a podcast and not being tech-savvy, I really had to overcome my mindset on failure. I used to believe that failure meant that I was unworthy or inadequate. It’s unfortunate that I allowed this fear to rule my life for so long, as I am sure I have missed out on some incredible opportunities. But, since starting the podcast, I have failed many times. I did a whole interview without ever pressing record. Fortunately, the guest was very gracious and we were able to record again. You know what? I haven’t made that mistake again. I had to reschedule an interview because we couldn’t figure out why the guest couldn’t hear me – I had forgotten to unmute my mic. These are just a few of the failures I have experienced, but they have been great lessons on how to do things better, and they have built up my confidence in my abilities and who I am. I still fear failure, but it no longer prevents me from trying something new and pursuing big audacious dreams.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am the founder and host of the Creation Refined Podcast. I chat with women about our life experiences and how they have shaped and refined us into who we are today. There is a lot of podcasts out there with a similar format, but what sets me apart from the others is my genuine interest in these women’s stories. I value their vulnerability and courage to share their lives in a public format. I have the unique gift where people naturally feel comfortable with me, and because of that they often share things with me that they may not have shared otherwise. I am so proud of each woman who shares her journey. It’s not easy to be vulnerable and I am grateful that each of them has allowed my podcast to be the means through which they share. I am also proud of the community this podcast is creating. We have a wonderful Facebook group where women laugh, share, encourage and inspire each other. These are adult women from different backgrounds who may not agree on everything but are still kind, respectful and gracious with one another.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
There are two qualities that have been most important to my success, my belief in myself and my genuine interest in others. I have to believe that I am capable of doing difficult things and that whatever arises, I can figure it out. Of equal importance is my genuine interest and ability to see the value in each woman’s story. Without that, my guests wouldn’t bother sharing their experience, or wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to be truly open, and that opportunity to help so many other women would be lost.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creationrefined.com
- Email: monica@creationrefined.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationrefined/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creationrefinedpodcast/
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creation-refined-podcast/id1451458801
Image Credit:
Clair Greek of Clairity Photo
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