Girlfriend Pep Talk on Legacy with Ericka Jones
Episode Summary:
Get ready for a giggle because this week’s episode of the podcast features one of my long time colleagues turned friends, Ericka Jones. She is such an advocate for change and I’ve always been so inspired by her because everything she touches turns to gold. In our conversation we’re debunking the overnight success and sharing how to change your mindset around this topic. This episode will hopefully be a relief for you if you’re in a season where you’re lacking clarity and need to tap back into your bigger picture goals. Life is so survival mode sometimes that we forget about our why, about our legacy, about what matters. Let Ericka light you up this week!
Topics Discussed:
Why it’s important to look beyond niching to really know your value and what you can contribute
Unpacking the idea of joy and what it really means for women
Why Ericka is making time for building things that last forever and why people are at the forefront of everything she does
Using the analogy of good soil when it comes to staying focused and growing your own business
Learning to not compare your own blessings with those of others and defining what success is to you
About Ericka
After exploring the world of Higher Education, Ericka was drawn into the landscape of city building where she volunteers for various civic entities.
Connect with Ericka:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher
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Anna Rapp (00:02):
Hello my friends. I'm so excited to chat with you today with a longtime friend, amazing inspirational woman, Ericka Jones. Welcome to the show,
Ericka Jones (00:12):
Friend. I'm so excited to be here. <laugh>. When you asked me to come, I was like, this is my moment. I, I'm gonna be on Anna's podcast and I'm so excited.
Anna Rapp (00:25):
<laugh>, I'm so excited to talk with you because I mean, I have so many questions to ask you. Ericka is such a change leader and community movement leader in Redding, California where I used to live, but also we have a past together. We used to work at the same place, and I just feel like it's gonna be such a fun conversation. A lot of the women I work with go through lots of different life seasons where maybe they're working for a corporation, then they quit, and then they have their own business. Then they are a stay at home mom and like, and then they go. And I just think like, I would love to have a conversation with you, Ericka, around like our identity as women, maybe even, and like our purpose and how, like, what I've seen in you that I admire so much is through so many different jobs and careers and businesses, it seems like to me you've had this like overarching like purpose and passion. And I just think like for a lot of women that can be freeing, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> to know that we can have who we are, be impactful through different seasons. So that's the long and short of it. Do you have four hours?
Ericka Jones (01:24):
That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me, <laugh>. I mean, I feel like that in itself, you just don't ever stop and think about how other people perceive what you might feel like is your own personal rollercoaster of doom or success. I mean, it's like you just never know how much you're impacting or even influencing other people who may not say anything to you but are watching from afar or, uh, yeah. So thank you. That makes me feel really good about all the highs and all the lows. <laugh>
Anna Rapp (01:58):
So many of them. Right? Um, okay. My first question for you is, okay, if the place we worked together, right? Like, let's just even start there. You did different roles like through Yeah. Through our time there, right? But what seemed interesting to me about you is it seemed like no matter what role you did, you always kind of did the same thing. And I can let you unpack that. Like you, you were the same person and made the same impact. And I think that's so helpful because most of my audience is business owners, right? And I think we obsess over like, what's the perfect business? What's the perfect niche? What's the perfect offer? And the reason I like that so much is for me, it was such a lesson of like, doesn't matter so much. Like stop obsessing and like get into action and get into impact. What are your thoughts at all that
Ericka Jones (02:42):
I I actually can define this because the idea of identity rooted in like a niche I think is so romantic. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and, and some people find it, some people are like, oh, I am passionate about this one thing and it's what I dedicate my life around. And you look at that and you hold it on this pedestal of like, well, what's my one thing? And I have discovered that my value for what I bring to the table doesn't look like an expertise in a niche necessarily. I have found that I'm obsessed with problem solving <laugh>. And so my value isn't necessarily the product that I'm selling or the, or the organization that I'm working for or the role that I'm carrying or the, the, I mean, honestly, whatever, whatever area or industry or moment in time I find myself in my value is the amount of problems that I can solve that bring lasting change or right, or contribute to where other people down the road can have a better experience or an easier experience or a solution has been brought to the table. So I think for me, that's why my life story keeps like ending up on repeat, where I'm like, how do I end up here? And this is random. Like I started this other job with a totally different, but here I land yet again with the same core drive, which is how do you solve problems really? Well, I love it. I think it's fascinating.
Anna Rapp (04:18):
I love that. And I think too, what it does is like, you're right, I think it is so romanticized, right? Like whether it's like, whether it's a corporate woman and she's like, I need to find the perfect corporate career job, right? Or the perfect business need, instead of like, Hey, how do I like what I see you do? So where, or Ericka is whatever, like God has placed you in, you just like try to crush whatever you're in, right? Whether it's a business or a job or like, and I just think for me, I think honestly that's been a lot of my success too, is worrying less about, like, honestly, it sounds wild, but like <laugh>, I feel like if, you know, God told me tomorrow, like, Anna, you can't do business anymore. You have to go back and get a day job, right? Like for a lot of women that be crushing, I mean, it would be lightly for me, but like, I think I would figure out and do it, right?
Anna Rapp (05:03):
Because at the end of the day, like I am able to find a way to find fulfillment and purpose and joy in con and you do this too, not just with problem solving, but like in, in serving people and caring about the humans, right? And I just think when we focus more on like, how do we show up and enjoy our day-to-day life and find purpose there, versus this again, romantic idea of the perfect thing. Like that's where I think we actually excel faster as women. And I just feel like the conversation isn't had very much.
Ericka Jones (05:32):
I completely agree. And even like the idea of joy, I think that's another thing we have to unpack as women, like, we're just expected to be like, I don't know, maybe expected the is the wrong word, but, um, there's a general sense of, well, if you have, if you could just get happy with where you're at, then you're cr then you're doing do great. Just get happy. And you're like, I don't wanna get happy. I am not happy. And I, I actually think that joy, like truly down at its ethos is a resting, it's almost like a resting knowing, like a, a, a peaceful knowing that regardless of circumstance, your value transcends. Right? <laugh>, like, my value is not based on my circumstance. My circumstance is gonna change my job might change my money, income might change, right? Like my, even my ability to solve problems might change, right?
Ericka Jones (06:26):
But the joy comes not from a forcing <laugh>, like a forcing of myself to be really happy with a really crappy situation or when the problems are too, are the solution isn't coming quickly, or I really don't like the people I work with, or I really don't like where we're headed with this product or my products. I mean, like, you name it, right? The joy comes from a rooted piece in an, in an inner knowing that my life and my story is, is not just my own to write, but that I am, I get to walk at celebrating the places that I do get to eat, make impact regardless of it's, if it brings in like monetary value like that, that brings me so much peace. So problems as big or small as they come my way, I s they're weight is the same. Mm-hmm. It's like, oh, that's a big problem.
Ericka Jones (07:20):
Okay, that was a big one today. But that's a little problem. Okay, there's a little problem. It doesn't, I don't know the, the, the, we, uh, what is it? The rollercoaster of emotion that can sabotage our perception of joy versus like a deep inner knowing of like, I'm gonna be okay. Not only am I gonna be okay, I get to have fun while I tackle these giant problems or little problems or endless needs of children. <laugh>. I think that's the hardest place for me to find joy is the endless needs of children. I'm like, I am a cool person, <laugh>, I am a good mom. People like me, <laugh>, why don't these little people like me, I don't, they're like a nut I cannot crack. I have yet to crack the nut of my kids, but we're gonna get there. I someday they will be fine, wonderful adults, but it's not today.
Anna Rapp (08:09):
And that's okay. Right. I love that. I love what you were saying about joy and, um, what, when you think about some of the harder, because, and I think like you've overcome like a lot of hard and challenging things personally and in organizations and what are some maybe like one personal hard thing you've overcome and one like organizational hard thing you've overcome and like maybe share with us some practical ways of like how you found joy in it, in case anyone's listening. Like, yeah, Ericka, that's great. But also, yeah, yeah. I'm doing, dealing with this hard thing right now.
Ericka Jones (08:41):
<laugh>. Okay. So one of my, one of my pet projects right now, I had, I just, I ha I have this fascination with building things that last forever. I mean, how often can you say like, I built something that will never expire, right? Whether it's an idea or like a foundational concept, which really our entire, like our lives are built on the ideas that the people before us either discovered or built upon, right? And there's gonna be, there are gonna be issues that we don't have the answer for our generation because we don't have the tools yet, or the technology hasn't been discovered, or like all of the unknowns that are continuing to emerge. I mean, we can't imagine that we are unable to solve all the problems in the world, but it's true. So I I have been, um, compelled recently to insert myself <laugh> in places where building things that last forever and making the biggest impact I can.
Ericka Jones (09:40):
So that to me looks like local city government right now. So I'll give you an organizational per, uh, problem that we just ca really, uh, it took about three years, four years for, uh, me to see any movement in this area. So we had a, a park here in our city called South City Park in Redding. And it was, I'm gonna kindly say it was neglected. Like, not neglected, like, oh, they just didn't take out the trashes like, like ruthlessly just, we just dropped the ball. Okay? I'm not gonna point fingers cause that doesn't help, but we'll just say as a community as a whole, we didn't go to the park. They didn't take care of the park. It got overrun by just all kinds of nefarious activity. It was, okay, this park is historical, right? It is one of our first parks in all of Shasta County.
Ericka Jones (10:29):
It was the entrance to, it's the gateway to our city. So a couple of friends and I got together and we, uh, decided that we were gonna swing for the hills. The city asked people to, uh, fill out a, what we call an R F P, which is a request for proposal. And the idea was that they were asking for the community to see if, can anyone run this park better than us? And I was like, well, listen, are you asking me to solve a problem? Because yes, okay, I think I can. I you're doing nothing. So something is better than nothing. So let me give this a go. So I got together with one of my friends, Mel, she's an architect here locally, and she builds parks all over the United States. So she's like an expert park builder, okay? And then my friend Heather, who lives in the neighborhood near the park, whose children were, would be the ones that would be going to the park.
Ericka Jones (11:17):
And we just dreamed like, real hard. We were like, what do we wanna see happen here? What? And we walked the space and we pulled together a proposal. It was like 11 pages long. It was beautiful. And we submitted the proposal to the city. I think this is where my, the, the organizational problem emerged is that n first of all, government is painfully slow, okay? We think business is painfully slow. Oh my gosh. Like painfully slow. And second, it's political. And I had experienced the pol politics before, but this was like another level of politics that I did not understand. And because of whate, whatever may be our proposal, never saw the light of day. And that really upset me. <laugh>, it upset me because I had so much buy-in, in this park, number one. Number two, I thought we had a really good idea, but most importantly I saw that we had no voice.
Ericka Jones (12:18):
And if we did, if the city, if at that time, if they asked us for our opinion, and we spent time building a thought and building a solution, it should see the light today. That's just good government. They sit with the wrong moment. Yes. I was like, oh, this is it. This is this Now that, now I can't unsee this. I can't unsee it. I gotta go, okay, well, you know, here I go. So <laugh>. So I became, I became a squeaky wheel, right? Because once you discover an issue, you're like, I, I understand that this is what we may have al this is how it's May has, al may have always been, but it's not good enough <laugh>, it's not good enough for me. It's not good enough for a city, and I would like to see this done differently. Okay. So I joined, I shouldn't say I joined the city council.
Ericka Jones (13:04):
I went before them a couple of times, and I just like let them know this is what I experienced. And out of that they made, uh, they asked me to be a city commissioner. And basically what that means is that was a very loud, squeaky wheel <laugh>. And they were like, let's give this girl a job, <laugh>, and a title and a gavel, and that might do the trick, right? <laugh>. So I became chair, uh, I've been sitting on this city commission now for a couple years. I was chair this last year and I've just been lying in, wait, okay. So what that looks like is time passes, projects come and go. We are, the Community services advisory commission sits over basically all of the external forward facing city assets, all parks and playgrounds, tourism. I mean, it's a really fun commission to watch, be developed and to see all the, the things that are coming through and benefits.
Ericka Jones (14:00):
But, but South City Park was always in the back of my mind, right? And I knew the time would come, I just didn't know when. I just didn't know when. So this last year, the opportunity presented itself. The city had funding from some covid money. The, um, there were grants available that were specific to low income areas. I mean, we're talking around 6,000,001. Once it was all said and done, so I became alive again, <laugh>, and emerged. The timing was right. The position was right, the passion was there, and we, we rallied the troops. And, um, there was some opposition by city, by city council, but also just some local entities who wanted to see their own dreams put forth. Um, which is totally understandable. It becomes about who, who, you know, it's a vote at the end of the day. It's a city council vote.
Ericka Jones (14:58):
So I went into like full government lobbying mode, and we made a website and we rallied the community, and we did surveys, and we did meetings. And, uh, 250 members of the community emailed independently city council. And we showed up in force and we got our votes. And we will see South City Park transformed into the most beautiful destination playground <laugh> that Redding has ever seen. We received the green light to go after all the grant funding we received, or it will all said and done about 6 million. I think we're gonna need about nine, but I have so much hope that we're gonna get there. So that, to sum, summarize this very long story, the point is, I, I think, I mean, it was a long wait, Anna, it was a long wait. And it was a lot of sacrificing. I I, it's a volunteer position.
Ericka Jones (15:53):
I just had to keep showing up even when it looked like it was never gonna happen. This is years later, right? But my, my eyes were never off the price, even though it looked like it was, I it could have never gone anywhere, right? It could have just been something that developed 10, 15 years down the road. I don't know. Thankfully, I got to see, and I will see the end of this story, and I know that it will be not just for my kids, not just for me, not just for my kids, but for my children's children. They will tell the story of how South City Park was edified and re redefined by the community. And we will see a total block transformation of this space. And that is like, gets me, I mean, that, that's building things that last forever. That's how you build and shape a city, a story of a city. Okay? Anyways, that's just what I do. Like on a Tuesday, you know,
Anna Rapp (16:55):
I, I love it so much. Number one, I cannot wait to next time I visit Redding to take my kids to the park when it's finished, know, or when's the estimated finish date.
Ericka Jones (17:04):
Um, they're gonna, I mean, they're doing bids right now. We have to go. I mean, I would say it'll probably take another two years. What? I mean, construction, all of that. Of course we'll see movement in two years for sure.
Anna Rapp (17:14):
How I cannot wait to visit it and honor you for doing so much work. And I love just like that tenacity, like, I think that was present. Like obviously like, you know, we don't live in the same city anymore. We don't chat as much anymore, but even when we worked in the same organization together, like I saw that same tenacity, you know what I mean? And I think you call it problem solving, which like, yes, I get that, but also I think it's so much more than that. I think it's resilience, I think it's vision. I think it's tenacity. I also think this key piece that you totally underrate yourself on is your ability to your people skills. Like your, your ability to, you're, it's so natural to you, right? I think you're like blah, blah, blah. But like, you really have always, like even the epic parties that I've attended that you've thrown, you know what I mean? Like Ericka's like random party is like this huge coordinated situation with like, it's like a wedding. You know, like your ability to, and even you're talking about the story about you drew Drew in, the mom and the architect and the like, it's not just you, but your leadership and your ability to pull in the right people at the right time, um, I think is one of your superpowers too. For sure.
Ericka Jones (18:22):
Kind. Thank you. I mean, I don't wanna do it alone because I think if you do things alone, they don't last. It's like when you do things together and you're unified, there's so much power in unity. I actually think it demands a blessing. Like if you consider unity in any, in any like shape, right? You're unified for good or you're unified for, I'm not gonna say bad or maliciousness or whatever it may be. It just has this like effect, this momentum, this strange impact where you just can't help but see movement. So I find that when I do step into leadership positions, if I don't have some sort of unified approach, then there's a red flag to me. If I'm the only one charging for something, that shows me that it's not something that, as, that it may not be something that is truly a need or a want for the organization or the community as a whole.
Anna Rapp (19:22):
Yeah. Okay. Talk to me. I love that. Talk to me too about, I love this example so much, right? But for women that are like in their business or in a corporate position where they are rallying for a cause, right? They have a purpose, they have a vision, and they need to get people behind that vision, whether it's their team, maybe they just have like two VAs, right? Or maybe they have a bigger team or, um, what advice would you give women as looking to lead and unify people maybe working for them or employed for them?
Ericka Jones (19:59):
My experience has been that you get what you get back, whatever you put in. Okay? And I mean this, like, our job as leaders has so much less to do with directing. I mean, it is okay, don't get, don't get me wrong. You are directing, you are checking in, you have accountability that you have to run through. But really our job is to tend the soil <laugh>, and I'm gonna use soil as a metaphor here, is to tend the soil of our team, right? And hard ground does not produce anything. You can force some growth to come out of hard ground, but it's not, it's not gonna be lasting. It's not gonna be something that has deep roots that when things get really tough, it will sustain itself. Right? Or that it will be able to find what it needs to continue pushing forward. It's not something that you can walk away from for a little bit.
Ericka Jones (20:56):
Like you have to be, I mean, it's like these things are really need to be shallow relationships that we build or these, uh, these shallow ideas that don't have a lot of context or deep vision. And we're not talking about just vision for tomorrow. We're not talking about just vision for while you're there. We're talking about vision for what it's gonna be like after you're gone. Who's gonna, what's gonna, what is it gonna look like for the person next to you next, you know, underneath you to come in and assume your role. If you're building your role around yourself or what you can bring to the table and aren't grooming someone, and that will be able to do it better than you honestly, or even, um, carry your vision that goes beyond what you are capable of or what your belief is. That's, that's shallow grant that will not last.
Ericka Jones (21:42):
That is not something that can stand the test of time. And I know some things don't apply to this mindset, but it's how I personally choose to invest in my team and the people around me, right? So I also look at good ground and I think, okay, so good ground does not discriminate. You could put, you could put tomatoes in it, you could put an apple tree in it. You could put, I don't know, drugs, who cares. Like you could put whatever you put in that soil and it's designed to spout out an flourishing like tree or plant or bush or fu like it's designed to push out whatever you put in and multiply it. And really good soil, really good ground in it. Like, what did you say? Say that again. I missed it. It has a lot of crap in it. Oh, yes, yes, yes.
Ericka Jones (22:35):
Like it's just, that's the best kind. Yes. It's like you're not trying to remove all the stuff that you think stinks or isn't good or what you would consider to be waste, right? You're at, it's a part of what makes it so rich and full of nutrients. It's like this perfect harmony where perfection is not a thing <laugh>, right? And it's just thick with real nutrients. It's thick with trust, it's thick with, with, um, loyalty. It's thick, with problem solving. It's thick with conflict resolution. It's thick with it stick with being with people who, when they walk through their ups and downs, it's just so dynamic. Good soil is so dynamic and it has like a, I mean, farmers spend, there's an entire science on the perfect pH of soil for different things. Okay? So I know that was a real big tangent, but it's what I would quantify as why people are so important in my process and why I do spend so much time and why it is at the forefront of everything that I do. I will always deal with the person and or love the person or, uh, champion the person over the problem.
Ericka Jones (23:56):
They're just a part of my solution. And it, it will come, they will come, uh, we will come around the solution or the problem is not going anywhere. Most likely <laugh>, you know, but the people, they're just, we're just a flash in the pan here. Yeah. Like, we're just like, maybe we've got 80 years of quality investment in this world. Yeah. And the story that people tell about me and what I brought to the table, I want it to be, wow, she really got things done, but she really, really cared along the way and she made an impact because she was there for me, or, or she listened to me or she heard what I was gonna say. Anyway. So that would be my, that is my secret sauce is I think about the soil a lot and I think about, and I don't let the things that I feel like are imperfections or things that I might consider to be messy Right. Or embarrassing even. Or other people's problems. <laugh>. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like 99% of the time as leaders, we're dealing with other people's problems, right? Yeah. But that is what makes, that is what makes what we push out what we, what we put in is what we get out. Yeah. And I want my soil to be so tended to and so ready to go that whatever I put in there, it, the eagerness of it to like push something good out is right there
Anna Rapp (25:24):
In the analogy. Are you the soil or are you
Ericka Jones (25:27):
Like, tell me. Yeah. I think it could be anyone. I mean, yes. Like personally my own heart and like where I Yes. Absolutely. And even my organization, right?
Anna Rapp (25:38):
Yeah,
Ericka Jones (25:39):
Yeah, yeah. The people around me, my team,
Anna Rapp (25:41):
Like kind of the culture, either like the culture of your heart, the like, no matter what we're solving, right? If you put like the environment, right.
Ericka Jones (25:50):
Environment, my personal heart, the people that I'm with. Even even the culture. Yeah. The culture that you're in. If you gotta like a really toxic culture, what are you gonna get out of what you put in?
Anna Rapp (26:01):
Yeah. Yeah.
Ericka Jones (26:03):
You know, it's like you can see the effects. You might be successful. I'm not saying you're not gonna get something out of it, it's just is it gonna be the highest invest?
Anna Rapp (26:14):
Yes.
Ericka Jones (26:15):
Yeah. Is it gonna be something that lasts and sus and sustains
Anna Rapp (26:20):
Yeah.
Ericka Jones (26:21):
Not just yourself, but others who come underneath you, who are raised up behind you who have to carry your mantle when you're gone. Yeah. All of that. I mean, it's just compelling. I'm compelled by it. It's my life source.
Anna Rapp (26:38):
I love that so much too, because I think a lot of, a lot of my clients will like, you know, look around in the online space, right? I deal with a lot of like online business owners, right? So they'll look in the online space only see other online businesses that like, seem like they're doing well. They're like taking off overnight or like seem really flashy and then like a year later will crash and burn, right? But in the moment they'll be like, what's wrong with me that my business isn't doing? But like a lot of times we don't see other people's soil, right? And so I just think it's so useful. Uh, for me, the reason I love that analogy so much is it's almost like this internal barometer. Yeah. Only we know what's going on under there. But like, when you have good soil and you're doing good work and you're having good integrity and you're caring about your people and you're doing the right thing when Noahs what, like that's what actually lasts long term and no one else really notices it until you have like this big giant, beautiful oak tree. Right? But I think like, we know, and so it can be so tempting to, like, we don't really know the condition of other people's soil cuz we're not behind the scenes of their life. Right. But I love that analogy because it's like, what culture are you creating for yourself, for your business, for your team, for your family right? For your friends. Like, and really resisting the urge to judge other people's fruits, right? Because I mean, sometimes it's telling, but sometimes it's not. Like we just don't know. And especially initially in the short term, right?
Ericka Jones (27:58):
And Anna, it takes so much pressure off of production because it's not actually, you're like, oh, I, I've done the preparation, I've done the work, I know I'm prepared, I'm, I am educated, I'm, I'm at rest. I know who I am outside of my of success. So when you do push something in, when you do say, oh, I'm gonna do this, it's like it, the pressure to perform is off because you know, you've got what everything that it takes. Yeah. It might grow slower, like you said. Yeah, it might. But what's gonna come out of you?
Anna Rapp (28:32):
Yes. What's gonna
Ericka Jones (28:33):
From you Yes. What you're gonna do when other people experience you, it's gonna be unlike Yeah. What you experience other places. Yes.
Anna Rapp (28:41):
It's so like, what, what came up for me as like when the sea drops in, like if you have fertile soil and if you're working the soil, tilling the soil and doing trauma therapy, <laugh>,
Ericka Jones (28:50):
<laugh> literally
Anna Rapp (28:51):
Yes. Like when you're doing the work, right? Yes. That's where I think people actually have like, overnight success, right. And it's like, oh my gosh. But it's like, no, for 20 years they've been doing the work. And so of course when the right sea dropped in it like shot up like a beanstalk. Right. But like, what they don't see is, and I think like that's where, I mean this is, I don't, I would be interested in your thoughts too, but like, I think there's some unquantifiable parts about our life where like, yes, our life is within our control in that. Like we can show up, we can do the work, we can work hard. But I think also like, there's this magical part of like being at the right time at the right place. Right? And like, and so I think like that's where like, I feel like, to use your analogy, my job is to like be the fertile soil and to show up and for whatever seeds God does drop in my soil to show up for them, right?
Anna Rapp (29:36):
Yeah. Whether it is a career or a bus. Like I honestly feel like, and I don't talk about this much on the podcast, but part of the reason I started my business was because I was in a desperate place and that like, I needed to make money with freedom so that I could protect my kids, right? Yeah. And so I, yes, I wanted to start a business, but also like that was a seed that God dropped in my lap was like boo business, right? And it took off because I feel like I had fertile soil, right? Yeah. And same thing like, but if God would've said like, boop, organizational, you know, manager, that would've take like, so I think like we look at other women and we say like, Ooh, that thing took off. But we don't see that like anything that you do will take off, you know, any seed if you are doing that inner work. Right. What are your thoughts on that?
Ericka Jones (30:25):
I work so hard at not comparing other people's blessings with the blessings that God is gonna give me. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Like what if I believed, what if I could live from the belief in knowing that other people's story has zero to do with God's story for me? Yeah. And that is applies to business and it applies to success. It applies. I really had to define what success was to me. I really had to define it because is success what, what is success? I mean, I think like there's the practical side of success of making money, but then there's also like, what, what does it mean for me to say you've been successful? I know people who make so much money and they're like, I hate my
Anna Rapp (31:12):
Life. Yes.
Ericka Jones (31:13):
Successful. Yes. Successful. I don't, you know, so like, really defining what is success and then practicing the art of landing in peace and joy, landing in joy, landing in joy. That looks like a knowing right? A knowing, a calm, knowing that, um, my story is still unfolding.
Anna Rapp (31:36):
Yeah.
Ericka Jones (31:36):
Right. And that even in that I will have highs, I will have highs, I will have wins, and I will have lows. I will have silent, I will have quiet times, and I will have very loud times. I will have very, uh, people forward times or I don't know how else to say it. High impact times. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Um, I want to, in those low quiet times, I want to be able to be with myself and in the season recognizing that it might just be my winter or it might just be my recharge moment for what is to come without feeling like something's wrong with what I'm doing. Like there's nothing wrong with what I'm doing or what I'm giving. There is necessary seasons of rest for every person and every human and every soul. And in those times of rest, we get what we need.
Ericka Jones (32:35):
We ac we acquire our new tools, we, we dig into the things that we go our next step. We go a little higher, we get more creative. We like, it pushes us into a new level of thinking, or it pushes us into panic. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it pushes us into, well, this must not be right because ooh, I'm not, you know, I that is a true, that is a art. I have not nailed it. <laugh>, let me just preface this thing. I have not nailed it, but I really try to identify when those seasons are so that I don't miss out on the opportunity for the new growth or the next that's headed my way. I, Anna, you are true. You are right. You are a force to be reckon with. Um, you <laugh> you have always been the most efficient, organized contr. Like you have always brought so much, um, cr like you've always contributed, right? So heavily to every conversation. That was my favorite time. Whenever we would have meetings together and you would come in the room and I'd be like, oh my gosh, well, we're gonna go somewhere today. Like just an
Anna Rapp (33:45):
Excuse. Like in corporate, right?
Ericka Jones (33:47):
It's like this meeting's not gonna be useless. This is <laugh>.
Anna Rapp (33:53):
Yes.
Ericka Jones (33:53):
Right? And I mean, you've always been serving others. Like that's just who you are. That is what you carry. You've always been living on others. I mean, your degree in therapy has been like, that's at the forefront of everything you do is helping people unpack and bringing them again to their highest and best good. And that's just who you've always been. I can't think of a better role for you than this. Like the impact that you're making and the friends that I know that use you and watching them crush it, uh, it's so exciting. I hope that we can continue to grow in our womanhood, you know, as we, and share to other women what it looks like to truly champion each other in our moments of success and what we're like, what to do.
Anna Rapp (34:36):
You know? I love that. I love it. It's so true. I know you have to go in a second. Um, but why don't we end with some, like, maybe some reflection questions that people can think through as they wrap. Like, same came up for me as you were like saying those like brilliant points is number one, like, what can I do to nurture my soil? Right? So when we think about, like, I love Ericka's analogy for like the soil, right? What can I do to nurture my soil? And that's gonna be different for everyone, but really saying like, what do, what do I need? Like maybe I need more exercise. Maybe I need less exercise, right? Maybe I need more quiet time. Maybe I need more community, right? Like, what is my soil need? Um, the other question that came up for me as I love that, like what, what season is my soil in?
Anna Rapp (35:22):
Is it in like a winter season where it's just still and I need to let it be? Is it in a growth? Another question is like, what are the seeds that have, and this is like up to you and like what you believe about like God or the universe, but like, I do believe you can like go out there and like grab some seeds out of the farmer's pocket and put it in your soil. But honestly, most of the seeds in my life were planted without me really asking them to be planted. Right? Like, sometimes life just like happens and you're like, okay, this is the seed. Okay, I have two kids in my soil. Right? They're not going anywhere. How do I nurture those seeds? Okay, I have a business, I have this person. Right? So those are how can I nurture and show up with integrity and grace for the seeds that have been plopped in my soil? Um, what are some other questions that you think might be useful for people to think through?
Ericka Jones (36:10):
I always ask myself if I'm being shortsighted
Anna Rapp (36:13):
Hmm.
Ericka Jones (36:14):
In my decision making. So is this something that's gonna, that future, Ericka is gonna thank me for <laugh>.
Anna Rapp (36:21):
Wow.
Ericka Jones (36:23):
Tell me that she's gonna be like, wow, sister. Did you really have to have that entire Chipotle burrito in one sitting? Like, those are the things <laugh>, but like truly even in, even my, even in my, when I make contributions, like even if it means sacrificing immediate Yes. Um, like what is it gratification?
Anna Rapp (36:42):
Yes.
Ericka Jones (36:43):
Okay. So even if it means sacrificing immediate return on investment.
Anna Rapp (36:48):
Yes.
Ericka Jones (36:48):
Even if it means taking a little risk, right? Yes. I I have to ask myself, am I being shortsighted or can I thank long game?
Anna Rapp (36:59):
Oh man,
Ericka Jones (36:59):
Right.
Anna Rapp (37:00):
<laugh>, which is so hard when we're like mamas in survival mode. It is hard to pull out of that. But I think that's such a good question. Especially like in business, everything can feel so reactive, right? But like the big picture version of me is gonna love that I took the risk. It's gonna love that. I waited it out, it's gonna love that I was uncomfortable. It's gonna love that I was, yeah. That it wasn't always like happy every minute, right?
Ericka Jones (37:24):
Yeah. And the investments that you make are gonna multiply. Yeah. Because time multiplies. Time multiplies. It's a compounding type of investment, right? You put money in the bank and you leave it alone and you come back and ideally there's more <laugh>, right? If you invest in something, that's the goal, right? And if that would look like though sacrificing a little bit of your margin for what you have now, because you know, in the future the the need is gonna be there, not the want, right? Yes. The need be there. So I might want to have all my, all my ducks in a row. I might want to have, I, there's so many things that I might want to have, but my ne my future need is calling to me and my future need looks like Ericka, what you contribute to your community and to the world and is gonna be so much more meaningful to you than what your current wants are. That will be a flash in the pan today.
Anna Rapp (38:18):
Yes. Any parting words for us?
Ericka Jones (38:22):
Um, I adore you. You are amazing. <laugh>. You too. When you, the podcasts are my favorite. I could do this all day. I love this surf. I bought a special microphone for the, okay, I love it. In all honesty, I'm so proud of you, Anna. Keep doing you. And I love you so
Anna Rapp (38:43):
Much. And also, here's just a great word. If you're in the middle of corporate and you're thinking about quitting is you can still hang out with your coworkers, right? You just have 'em on your podcast. Like, there's just like such a good reminder that like,
Ericka Jones (38:53):
This is an example of things that last forever. I'm like, Anna, we don't have to be at the same job to be friends. We've tended some soil girl, we got some, we've got some history there we're, we've got, we got some stuff in there. We got <laugh>. We do. I love it. I love
Anna Rapp (39:08):
It. If people wanna follow along with your adventures, especially if they live in Redding, California and want to tune into the changes you're making in the city, how do they continue chatting with you, Ericka?
Ericka Jones (39:16):
Well, I put my life on blast on Instagram if you just wanna follow what I consider to be the hot mess express, but also literally I'm just swinging for the hills. I am, I am committed to putting myself out there. I want, I want the world to see that we can do things differently and that it can look, it can look like, it can look authentic <laugh> and it can look a little crazy and it can look like a mom with three boys showing up, sometimes wearing sweats, sometimes wearing sequin, I don't know. Whatever my fancy is for the day. So they can absolutely follow along at my, on my Instagram team Jones.
Anna Rapp (39:54):
I will link you and if anyone listens to this, feel free to tag us and let us know what your biggest takeaway was from today's episode. I know a lot of truth bombs around, it's just like real talk, right? Like life is not always perfect and clean and um, I just love that you bring that to the table. Ericka.
Ericka Jones (40:08):
Thank you friend. Yay.
Anna Rapp (40:10):
Okay. Thank you.
Ericka Jones (40:12):
Have a great day. You too.
Anna Rapp (40:14):
Can
Ericka Jones (40:15):
We just hang up? That's what we do.
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