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Stand Tall & Own It
Something shifted. You can feel it. You just can't name it yet.
Stand Tall & Own It is for women in the second half of life who are high-functioning on the outside and quietly disoriented on the inside. You built your life inside systems you trusted completely — until you realized you couldn't tell what was actually yours from what you'd just learned to navigate well.
Host Andrea Johnson doesn't offer formulas. She offers honest thinking, sharp observation, and the kind of conversation that makes you pull over and sit in your driveway.
This is where the real work starts.
Stand Tall & Own It
24. Learn to Trust Yourself - Kamille Thomas
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After 25 years in a male dominated service component in the Air Force, Kamille Thomas wanted to pick a new career that would fulfill her desire to mentor and teach. She had been teaching in Air Force Leadership schools, annual training, and in individual organizations and senior leaders summits. She is a Certified Master Resilience Trainer, and a certified John Maxwell Team Speaker, Trainer and Coach. She now shares her wisdom and experience on all the platforms God provides.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Getting still - reflecting - “hear an outside inner voice”
- Why not me?
- Learning from and making the most of your circumstances.
- Master Resilience Training
- Speaker, Trainer and Coach the John Maxwell Team
Leadership Principle
- Lead from your strengths
Habit
- Prayer - being still
- Read
Now what?
- Discover your strengths.
- Be willing to ask “Why NOT me?”
- Find your own mentor.
- Be the role model you need.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Empowering Girls Anthology
Resilience Training: The Resilience Toolkit
Where to find Kamille:
Facebook: Kamille Stephanson Thomas | Facebook
Instagram: @KamilleYvonne
Facebook Live Recorded Podcasts:
*Sanity Check | Facebook
*Lioness Lair | Facebook
John Maxwell:Kamille Thomas - John Maxwell Team
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You are listening to Inconventional Unconventional Leaders, where you'll find inspiration, learn to discover and develop your own strength, and fearful inspiring women just like you who are making a difference in their community. Who knows? You just might find yourself stepping up as the next unconventional leader right where you are. I'm your host, Andrea Johnson, the original intentional optimist. Well, hello there and welcome to episode 24. Do you trust yourself? I mean, really. Do you trust your ideas, your ability to figure things out, and to move forward with things that just light you up? I admit there are days that I do and days that I don't. I'm not immune to the periodic crisis of confidence. And I don't mean years ago, folks, I mean right now. My friend Camille Thomas seems to have worked through that problem. She has the confidence to figure out what she needs to do next, and she helps others do the same. As a matter of fact, she started mentoring young women when she too was a young mother in the Air Force. But I'll let her tell that part of her story. Meet Camille Thomas. Hello, Camille. Welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me on. I'm excited.
SPEAKER_02Me too. Um, we are new friends, and we met through my Facebook group. You came through as somebody who was invited by a mutual friend, and then all of a sudden you started getting involved. I'm like, who is this woman? So I went and looked at your stuff and I thought, oh, I need to know her. I need to know her. So I will have just given you, I've just given a um a brief bio on you um in my introduction. But why don't you go ahead and in your words tell us a little bit more about your background? You know, why why did I reach out to you and and why now and and what you're doing that's unconventional in your leadership?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. So I am, you know, in my bio, I'm sure it says my name, but I'm Camille Thomas and I'm active duty Air Force. And um, you know, I started a couple of years ago. I went through a little transition. Um I was going to retire a couple of years ago. And uh so right before that time, it was before my 40th birthday, I said, you know, what do I want to be when I grow up? You know, and I was in, isn't it? Absolutely, you know, 25 years, the Air Force had been my life, and I didn't have to think about uh what to be. They told me what I was supposed to be, and I just kind of aimed towards that. But I knew that there was a close coming to that chapter of my life. And so um at that point I said, you know, I need to pick a career choice. I could very well go into my um the career I'm in, which is aircraft maintenance, but I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be able to, you know, do my nails and my hair and put on makeup and stuff.
SPEAKER_02Wait a minute. In aircraft maintenance, you can't have big long nails.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely not. So, you know, I had to kind of quiet my spirit and sit still. And I said, okay, God, you know, I need you to show me uh who I am, who you created me to be, uh, what direction I'm supposed to go in. And so I kind of got these visions of things that I was supposed to be doing. And uh what also came to me was really um, what am I good at? You know, because I'm a person that I have a lot of different gifts and little things, but uh I wasn't sure, you know, you look at that one person and you go, Oh my gosh, I'm supposed to be a speaker or I'm supposed to be a doctor, or you know, they have this life path that you think that is on. And I wasn't quite there. I had all these little things, you know, jack of all trades, master of none type thing. And so um I got still and uh look back, I did some reflection. Uh, what had I been doing in my Air Force career that was outside of my career field? I started asking my questions when you're my friends' questions, when you see me, uh, when am I at my my peak? You know, what am I doing? Uh, that I'm really, really good at that may not be related to my job. And so all of them told me that I was uh very inspirational. I knew how to motivate people, I knew how to get them to work. Um, I gave good sound leadership advice. So I said, okay, well, how do I package all of this? You know, and what kind of career is that? Didn't necessarily want to be a motivational speaker or anything. And so uh with that, you know, I just had to, I asked my mom and she's like, you know, Camille, you're so good at this. And I'm like, but that's not what I really want to do. She goes, Well, why not you? And I said, Well, why not me? You know, and she was like, You have these skills, people come to you, why not you? And I said, you know?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay. Well, let me back you up just a second, because you've used a phrase here that um you don't hear a lot. Um, you actually said, I got real still. So explain to me and to other people who I I I am not still. I am still but you know, I am good at reflecting, and so maybe I do still and I'm not, I don't know. I could do it. But tell us kind of what that looked like for you. Um, because you know, you're in a very, I don't know, action-oriented field in airplane maintenance or you know, flight maintenance. I mean, that's extremely detail-oriented and it's very hands-on and tactile. So, what does it mean to get still?
SPEAKER_00I really had to take time. I said, okay, I really needed to hear uh myself. I needed to hear God, if you will. I needed to hear um an outside inner voice, if that makes sense to you. An outside inner voice, okay. Yes, an outside inner voice. Um still small voice, that's yeah. Uh-huh. Still a small voice, yes. And so I would come home and literally turn everything off. And I didn't have a TV on, and I would lay in my bed and I would literally think about, okay, what are the things that I'm good at? You know, and I would say, you know, for me, I'm like, God, I need for you to help me, show me, give me something, some direction that makes it um that I can I can relate to or I can really connect with to let me know. And so I started to write down the things that I was good at. And I took a lot of quiet time to myself without any distraction, without the distraction of TV, of people. I would uh tell my daughter I needed this time to myself so that I can really kind of just feel. And then I had to do it without judgment. Oftentimes we sit and um, you know, these things, and I'm like, oh, I'm not good at that, or I never saw my doing it. And you would just immediately cross that out. And I had to force myself to just allow the ideas to come to um allow me to say and be okay with saying, Yes, I'm good at that. That's something that I can possibly do, and write that down. And then I started to say, okay, I see all of these things. All right, God, help me to put them together and see how they all connect and what I would really be good at. And so I started doing that, but I stopped looking at uh career fields in a conventional way. Um, like it wasn't just a doctor. I knew that I was good at uh teaching and that I connected with people. How can I do this? Teach and connect with people outside of a brick and mortar type setting. You know, I've been in the military, so I have some skills there. Um, I was a master resilience trainer. I still am a master resilience trainer. I had uh personality uh certifications for four lenses, disc, etc. And um, how does that look outside of a traditional school? Um, because when I went back and I said, okay, what did I want to be when I was younger? You know, and it was really a teacher. And uh, but I didn't want to teach in a traditional setting. So when I got still, I literally um cut off all the distractions around me, forced myself to sit in my thoughts, to force myself to listen to myself and to trust that the things that were coming to me that um I actually was good at. And sometimes, you know, we when people say we're good at something because I asked for that outside uh uh perspective, we'll go, oh no, that's just nothing. I'm not really good at it. Oh, I just do this. And I had to stop myself from rejecting that and say, okay, well, if they're saying it, then it might be something to it. And so I got still with it and sat on it and reflected. And what was I doing when I did this? Or they said this impacted me. And so I just really sat in reflection time. So I really got still.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, and what I am hearing too is that this is this is happening after you are a master resilience trainer, which in isn't in itself sounds amazing. Um, I don't know how you're not booked solid right now. Um, and uh, because boy do we need it? And um, but what I I wrote down is there's a lot of self-awareness there already. And you somehow had the ability to know how to cut off those thoughts of, you know, do it without judgment. Um, the rest of us who are doing this process, not quite in that still environment, um, you know, I've been, I've been two years out there as the intentional optimist, and I'm finally coming to the place where I say, oh, I'm, you know, I'm really good at these things. People tell me I'm good at these things, I know I'm good at these things. Why am I telling myself I'm not good at these things? And, you know, so to see the confidence and the awareness there is so inspiring and so beautiful because, you know, I don't think that we all have different inner voices, right? And we all have things that we've experienced in our past that cause us to think certain ways. And not everyone has my thought process, um, but not everyone has your thought process. But the more we talk about how we do it, and the more we talk about the way we arrive at the decisions and the choices that we make, the more we relate to the women out there. And every, you know, maybe today three different women will get an idea of oh, I could do that. And it may not be the same thing you do, but it may be how you've gone about getting to that place. Um so, you know, you even said I think outside the box. That's one of my little descriptors is I'm an outside of the box thinker. And so when you said unconventional, I'm like, whoop, she's in my, she's in my language there. Um, so when you um you took, let's go back through to or back rewind just a little bit to the master resilience trainer, because that was the first training that you got to do some teaching. Was that where you started with um with figuring out how to do that kind of thing?
SPEAKER_00Well, actually, I had um it started very young, but I didn't recognize it. So I had a supervisor who we didn't see eye to eye. Um, and so she would do things, uh, as crazy as it sounds. I'm so grateful for her. She was the best and worst supervisor ever because the things that she thought supervisor.
SPEAKER_02I don't want to hear somebody say that. I'm like, I don't want to be the worst supervisor. Go ahead. I'm sorry. It's all about me, right? Okay.
SPEAKER_00Right. But you know, I had to become a supervisor too. So there's some things that my troops didn't enjoy either, but you know, um, but really she she would do things to um as kind of a punishment or to make my my life a little bit hard, but she didn't realize that she was setting me up for my future. And at the time, I didn't realize it. But everything I I learned uh organization, meticulousness, um, you know, how to create and to brief and things like that, because she would put me in front of as a one-striper, you know, very young in the Air Force, in front of the general, which was her job, and I would have to brief them, you know. But she was giving me the confidence.
SPEAKER_02True. Well, I mean, it's like, I can't imagine doing that. She must in my mind, I'm like, why wouldn't she want that glory? Now, okay, just so that the rest of us who are not military people, a one-striper is a one-stripe sergeant. So it's an e an e2 enlisted. An enlisted, okay. Airmen, yes. Enlisted airmen. Okay. So because yeah, I don't know what all the yeah, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00I forget.
SPEAKER_02You know what the stars are and but and some of the other things, but I don't know all of it. So um forgive my ignorance, but I'm pretty sure there's a lot of us out there who don't also know that. So um sure. So is this like your earliest leadership memories?
SPEAKER_00It is. Um, I really well, let me go back a little bit. So my my life uh it hasn't been the easiest. And when I joined the Air Force, shortly after I got to my first base, um, I have my I got pregnant with my daughter. And so I got married very young and you know, all that stuff. Well, I was the first having my my daughter, but my mother had taught me a lot of life skills, like regular life skills, how to open up a bank account. She was the type of mother that says, drop me off in front of the bank and says, Okay, get out and go open a bank account. And I go, Well, well, what am I supposed to do? She goes, Well, that's why there's an attendant in there. Go into the bank, stand in the line, tell them what they want, what you want when they ask you, and they will uh give you an attendant that'll help you do that. She goes, That's what they get paid for. So go ask him. And I'm like, so I would sit there and she would not leave until I did what I was supposed to, or she was the type of parent that dropped me off at the bus stop and says, Um, sit right behind the the bus driver, tell him what you want to do. Here's money for a transfer because you're gonna need it. Listen to what he says, ask him to remind you when your stop is coming. And she goes, and I'll meet you at the destination. Why wouldn't you just take me? No, because you need to learn these skills. Your mom is awesome. I'm like making notes. I didn't think so at the time.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna do this for my son. Ask Camille about all the parenting skills from her mama.
SPEAKER_00Yes, my mother was amazing. I didn't see then how it would serve me, but it did.
SPEAKER_02What is your mother's name? We're gonna call these.
SPEAKER_00What's her name is her name is Jackie.
SPEAKER_02We're gonna call these Jackieisms.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and I have a lot of them.
SPEAKER_01Oh awesome.
SPEAKER_00But um, with that being said, when I got to my first base, because I had so much experience, my mother had, you know, really made us figure it out. And she was there to support us, but she really didn't like know you're gonna learn how to do this on your own. Uh, she she helped us to critically think and all that stuff. You know, it was don't take my word for it, look in a dictionary. And I'm like, why can't you just tell me what that means? She goes, Because there's so many other meetings that you need to pick the one that's appropriate for. So I'm like, oh my gosh, she's she is, but you know, long story short, as I got to my base, I realized how many people didn't have those skills. And so because I did, I was taking people to open up bank accounts, I was helping them open P.O. boxes, I was taking them to do regular life skills, showing them those things. I had my daughter young, um, and then a lot of the other girls I worked with had gotten pregnant. So I had to help them with their babies and how to do it. So I think that my leadership emerged in the life skill area first. Yep. And then as I learned my job and became proficient, I became the youngest trainer and I became uh the go-to person. I was leading my own shift as a two-striper, which is an E3 airman in the Air Force. Um, and so they trusted me to do that and to lead the other people because I would I was very methodical in my process and helping them go through each thing. So those are my earliest uh memories of really kind of being a leader, but at the same time, simultaneously, that supervisor was also pushing me outside of my comfort zone uh as a way that, like I said, punish me. But she was really kind of refining me, she was shaping me, she was teaching me things, and um I did them without reservation because um I didn't want her to speak to me. So I said, okay, well, I'm gonna do it. And I I wanted to do it the best I could so she could never say anything to me. Now I do do you think she was trying to grow you, or do you think she was just being mean? So she was being mean. Um, and we've I I ran into her years later, and there was a there's a long history, and I don't want to, you know, battery, but um, she was being mean, and um she then turned around years later when I made tech sergeant, which is a non-commissioned officer, you know, sergeant in the Air Force, and she apologized for the meanness. But she said she had been watching me and she was very proud of the the woman I had become despite all the stuff that had happened and that she done. And so um there were other people who didn't take it so well, but my mother is Jackie Dozier, and um, you know, uh my mom taught me some things, and so you take the good with the bad, you know, get rid of the bad, and you you make whatever work, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, and it sounds too like from a very young age, you were taught resilience, like like you just it sounds a little bit like maybe getting your master resilience training was uh kind of like putting a label on what you might have already had. Um, because even even just the little things like teaching you how to figure things out, right? It just that is a skill that we don't realize we need. And um, when we can't figure things out, we we get stuck immediately. Um I just recorded a podcast yesterday and it was referring to Marie Forleo's book called Everything Is Figure Outtable. And while some people may hate the title of that book because it's her own made-up word, she had a mom that had a similar sensibility to Jackie. She said, You are gonna learn to figure things out. It's like that's just how it works, and that's a huge part of resilience and a huge part of what makes us work. Um so it sounds like these early memories definitely shaped your mindset.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. It was um my grandmother used to say, every problem um has a solution, you just have to find it. Right. And so my mother was like that. And so I'm the type of person I think because of my my upgrip bringing as well as the military, you know, you just can't go in there and say, no, I don't know. It's like, okay, well, what can you do? And you need to figure it out. Right. Um, that I I'm one of those people that if I feel like I'm kind of boxed in or back up against the wall, I'll bust the wall out. I that's just how I that's just how I am. Get out of the way. I I will. I will like, I will, you know, I have to have options, you know, and it's it's figuring it out, figuring out a different way. It may not look the same for everybody, but um, they really did shape that. So I think that because of that, it did build a sense of resilience in me. And I, you know, back then it was just, you know, you have great coping skills, you have great coping skills.
SPEAKER_02And I we didn't call it that back then.
SPEAKER_00No, we didn't. And um, I went through a lot in my life, and so a lot of people were just like, Man, you know, how how are you still smiling, you know? And um, so when the resilience came around, um, I went to resilience training assistant course, and so I started there, but within one week, they sent me to the master resilience training course to say that nope, you have what it takes.
SPEAKER_02And so they were just putting a label on it, that's all they were doing.
SPEAKER_00They're putting a label on it, and um, you know, it was funny. I just was saw one of the guys I was in class with, and he was like, you know, you just were killing it. We were all like, what are we gonna do? You know, but I said I've been through some things in my life, you know. Yeah, kind of figured out how to continue to to grow um despite the adversity that I was going through. So yeah, you know, yeah. So that's kind of how it came about.
SPEAKER_02Looking back as a mentor, because it sounds like when you said I started taking people to get bank accounts and post office boxes, and um did you consider yourself a mentor at that time? Did you consider yourself a leader then?
SPEAKER_00Back then I didn't. I just considered myself a friend. I just had some skills that people needed, and you know, I saw somebody in a need in need, and um, so I would just try to help them fill fill the need. Now, the difference between me and Jackie Dozier was that my mother would stay out in the car. I actually went in with them. We all have different skills, yeah. So I was just a I thought I was just being a friend.
SPEAKER_02But that's a great definition of a mentor, isn't it? Just a friend, right? I mean, that's what we need. So um, when you when you went through this resiliency training, was that when you kind of realized, hey, I really there may be something to this. I could really be, what was your realization moment that I really could be a leader in this area?
SPEAKER_00So it it probably was about that. It was a little bit earlier, uh, before I actually went to the course, people kept telling me, and which is how I was introduced to that, to go to the original course, the training assistant course. Um, but throughout my career, people always say, you know, you're the go-to. I would have like commanders or chiefs or other people say, Hey, I need you to mentor this person, or they're going through some difficult times. Can you kind of take them under your wing and give them some of that positivity that you have? And so when the opportunity came for the course, uh somebody reached out and said, Hey, we're having a course and we think that you would be great for it. Um, I had been facilitating different courses up to that point. Like I still would aircraft maintenance is my main job, but as additional duties, I would do like violence prevention. Or I would teach how to uh um write the enlisted performance reports or finances or you know, whatever I could teach, I would teach on my spare time, off-duty time, weekend, whatever it was.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00So for the rest of us.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so in because I was gonna ask, is that something like in in our jobs in um non-military jobs, we always have this thing at the very bottom that says and other duties as assigned? Um, because here's my job description, and then other duties as assigned. I was gonna say, is that other duties as assigned? But it sounds like it was off duty.
SPEAKER_00It was it was off duty, it was um on duty, but it was not other duties as assigned. It was just I did it in spare time, even when I was on. So if I had an opportunity to teach, you know, other military members, I would do it. But I did it while I was deployed, I would hold classes while I was deployed, leadership, resilience, whatever. Um, I did it off duty, like I said, on weekends. I would come in on weekends or I would take one-on-one. It's just, I guess, who I am. And so I just wanted to help people. I guess that's what the the underlying thing was. I just wanted to help people. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I'm sitting here thinking, why on earth did this woman need to sit and be quiet to figure out what she needed to do?
SPEAKER_00And it never crossed my mind, to be honest. Like that was never a thought. When I was very young, I wanted to be a teacher. Yeah, but I just for me, it was just about helping people get through. And I never ever thought that this would be a uh career field for me, or this would be something I would pursue in this manner. I just in the military, while I have the skills and the opportunity and people need it, I just was like, yeah, I have it, I can do it, you know, and so I did.
SPEAKER_02And well, I remember when I was first trying to figure out, you know, I did like the what color is your parachute and all this kind of different stuff. And I, you know, I came up through secretarial and administrative and grants management and all that kind of stuff ranks, but um, in university medical setting. But I remember thinking, really, this is you're gonna resonate with this. I just want to help people. I mean, I remember saying, I just want to help people, but I'm really not sure what that looks like. And I really don't know how to define that as a job description. So the more conversations we have like this, I think is really good because it's very possible that intentional optimists, unconventional leaders are just people who want to help people. And then now we're actually putting names and labels on this is how you help people. Because the reality is it's all servant leadership and it's all part of that. So thank you for continuing to help us put new labels on things because this one is is even different. I love it, it's just so fun to get all these different um stories. But um, so when you figured out that was your you were that was your passion, you're you're doing all that. Um, so at what point did you realize, all right, this is definitely what I'm gonna do? Or is this when you got quiet? Is this what I'm gonna do? And I am going to retire from the military.
SPEAKER_00That was about three years ago. So I initially tried to um retire three years ago, and uh my retirement got rejected three times. So how does that work? I've never heard of that before, actually.
SPEAKER_02I mean, in my world, I put in the I'm going to leave my job, and they're like, oh, please don't go, but they can't stop me. You know, I mean, they can't.
SPEAKER_00I figured I was over 20 years at that point, like there was no stopping me, but it was like uh the date wasn't right. I'm like, yes, it is. The date is right. I have over 20 years, I can retire. And then it was like the career field didn't release me. And then it was a the third time was um something about uh the number of months which was wrong. So I found out later. And here's the other thing. My friend said, Well, Camille, it's not time for you to go. I was gonna say, obviously, it wasn't time, but yeah, she said you have one more thing that you need to do, whatever it is. And I ended up getting promoted in that time. And then I went on to do some other things. So um, with that being said, um the our military system had a date that was incorrect in there that nobody could, it wasn't readily, you know, visible to everybody to just fix it. So it kept rejecting it because that date had to be corrected. So I didn't find out this till after.
SPEAKER_02So now I'm gonna prove to everybody we've actually had a conversation about what you actually do in in aircraft maintenance, but it sounds like you needed one of those ultrasound machines that you use on the aircraft. Tell us just a little tiny story about some of the work that you do. Because this is because you spent 25 years in a very male-dominated service line, right? I mean, is that what you call it? Um career field, yes. Career field, yes. So tell us, I've already put that ultrasound thing out there. Tell us some of the things that you do in the aircraft maintenance.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so short story. When I came into the Air Force, I came in what we call open general, which you choose your job once you already like are in basic training. So I put down everything medical because you know, I was like, oh, I could do medical stuff and ultrasounds and you know, look at babies and all this stuff. Well, I didn't realize that there was a parallel career field in maintenance that does the same thing. So radiography and ultrasound. So what I do, I got my I got my job, me and my girlfriends, we were like, we just we don't care what we we just want to do it together. So we put down all the same medical jobs. We all three of us got the same job, and we're like, hold on, wait, is this really medical? Because it says metal, you know? And so my goodness. So they said, Oh yeah, we do ultrasounds on planes. What? And we do uh radiography on planes, and I'm like, what? So uh what we do really is kind of like a quality job. So we use ultrasounds, so the sound waves go in and it'll tell us if there's a break in the metal. So if there's a you know, any kind of crack or something like that, we use uh X-rays. Basically, we take X-rays of the plane to see whatever's inside of it. So if there's foreign objects in there, if there's water in there, if there's breaks in there, if there's cracks, we can see them using uh radiography, as well as a lot of different um, you know, methods, techniques that we use to do that, to look inside the plane, inside the metal, uh, to make sure that it's safe for our pilots and our air crews to to fly on. So that's what I do. And we've we found some very interesting things like Fanta bottles in there, you know. Oh, you know, is it people leave stuff in the plane, you know, as they're working and things that should not be in there, but that's where we come in to make sure that that plane is safe for the pilots to fly. So yes, it's crazy. We found some really, really crazy stuff in there.
SPEAKER_02Well, I guess if you're gonna translate and crosswalk that into what you're doing, heading into doing now, some of that is just being willing to see inside, being willing to look for the details, be like you said, be meticulous. So tell me one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you is because you're in that interesting space of getting ready to retire and you've already got plans to pivot. You're not slowing down. No. Tell tell us now, tell us what you're doing now.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so now um I'm in this, you know, retirement mode. And uh I decided when I got still and in the last couple of years, two years, I said, okay, what am I supposed to be doing? Once I kind of figured that out, I started uh taking courses, you know, to really kind of grow myself because I knew that um I had to have certifications, you know, you you have to have something to lend credibility to who you are and what you know, right? It's one thing to give advice. Yeah, it's one thing to give advice, but you know, when you can say I've actually gone through these courses, I have the experience as well. It's a little bit different. But I learned so much and my awareness grew. And so the more that my awareness grew, the more I grew as a person, um, I started venturing out and I would listen to myself. And there were some crazy things like, you know, I was I heard that I was supposed to start this business back when I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. So I did. And I didn't know that, you know, two and a half years in the future, it was going to serve me well, that I needed to have that already established with some longevity to do what I do. And so um, then as I'm teaching all over and getting deployed and teaching, um someone else reached out to someone who was deployed and said, Hey, we have someone coming over there. I think that, you know, she can do some things for you. And so I started doing the leadership courses there. And then uh when I got back, somebody says, Hey, uh, they gave me your name and would you like to be a guest on a podcast? I said, Okay, that's fine. So we'll talk about resilience, which is you know, my wheelhouse. That's what I do. And so um I got on there and uh the response was overwhelming. And so he said, Hey, would you like to come back as a guest again next week? And I said, sure. And then people started asking, can she come back? Can she come back? And so finally he says, Hey, do you want to become a co-host on this podcast? And so I was able to start a co-host, I mean, you know, that podcast with him as a co-host. And um, so we've been going strong since May, and it's been amazing. And then now I'm launching out to do another podcast, which was, and and here's the thing that this was never in my you know, thought of ever doing either. So as I continue to operate in my gift, and um, you know, it's just the opportunities kept coming um to just do it because I guess I have um some information that people need, you know, to kind of help navigate life. And um I think because of a lot of my experiences, they can relate to that. And um with my formal kind of training as well, I can um give names to those feelings or those situations or those coping skills that we used to lump all together and to give specific um skills to get through, and then also using my own personal experience and how I did things like that. So um it just kind of all started coming together and not in a way that I had ever imagined, not in a way at all. So, you know, instead of going back into that brick and mortar or into the government sector, just kind of doing my own thing.
SPEAKER_02Well, and part of being open, you know, once you're open, things just it's it's amazing how when you open yourself up, opportunities present themselves. And let's put some names to some things. You you have your resiliency, uh, your master resilience trainer. Um, but when you talked about leadership training, you and I were both I said, are you a John Maxwell team person? So yes, you are certified speaker trainer coach with John Maxwell team. And um the and I I do want to say here too that I didn't realize this, but you keep calling it a podcast. I would call it something else. And um, because you live broadcast on Facebook and you record it and then you put it out on a podcasting platform. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00That is correct.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so it's almost like it's the it's the live, it's a live recording podcast, basically. Um very different from this. If this were live recording, we've already been cut off once, you know, it'd be like, oh, we'll start over. Um, so tell us the name of the name of the podcast that you're currently on is Sanity Check. Sanity Check.
SPEAKER_00Sanity Check with Seth and Camille, or I think it's Camille and Seth, but yes. Because we put sanity checks, it's KKS, like check checks. So it's sanity check Camille Seth is what that stands for. And that's how you find us on Facebook.
SPEAKER_02But okay. Um, and that's also on podcasting platforms, etc. Yes. Okay. Um, and that particular one covers just life skills topics.
SPEAKER_00Yes, we cover everything, like, you know, just going through and it's really reshaping the mind. Um, you know, what we call generational curses. Is it really generational curses or is it generational choices, those choices that we pass down, you know, the the things that we are conditioned to do that we teach our children? And so, you know, if you keep doing the same thing, the results are the same, right? And um, so we talked about like health in the same kind of um uh manner, you know, we does obesity and all these things really run in the family. Yes, there's some uh genetic, you know, connection there. However, we've also learned about epigenetics. And when you change the environment, you can also turn on and off those markers to change the outcome of those kids or those people. You change the food you eat, you know, you you become healthier. There are some things that you can't really get away from, but the majority of it is preventable, no matter even if it has run in your family before. We talk about grief, we talk about shame, we talk about fears, we talk about you name it. And so we just do all of that and incorporate those resilient skills into life situations so that people have a practical application that they can apply to their own life to help to get through. And then we have different perspectives because you know, we know that one size doesn't fit everybody.
SPEAKER_02And so, you know, and do you have guests that come on or do you do like research? Because I mean I know epigenetics because I spent 10 years in the cancer center at Johns Hopkins, but you know, not everybody knows what epigenetics is. But so are you researching those topics?
SPEAKER_00I do, I research those topics, you know. I like I said earlier, Jackie Doja is my mother, so she always told me, you know, that you have to really be prepared. And, you know, I don't just get on there and just never open up a book and it's just what I believe. So it's what I believe, what I learned coupled with the research that supports and contradicts both, because I like to see both sides of the argument um so that I can give people kind of a well-rounded view of what that is, and and and kind of come from that, you know, really educational piece as well as life experience. Okay. So I do a lot of research on every topic before we do it. Um so who is your main audience for this podcast? So the main audience is women um between the ages of 35 and 70. Okay. Uh, but we do have people from all over the country, I mean, all over the world. So we have people from different countries come on. We have some um around the 18, you know, to 20 something. Some younger, uh-huh. Some younger, uh, but the main audience is between 35 and 70. Okay. And uh we do have a lot of men on there as well, but the majority are women.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so that's the one that you're already doing, but you've got a new one that's coming out.
SPEAKER_00I do. I have a new one coming out with uh two other co-hosts, uh Crystal Coleman and uh Carrie Ann Thomas, who is not my sister, but uh, and so it's called the Linus Lair. And this one is women, you know, all about women by women. So um just to celebrate the beauty of who we are, to talk about our individual experiences, we all come from a different kind of background. You know, I've been married and divorced, and I have older kids. Uh, one is recently divorced with kind of teenagers, and some one is uh single with no children. And so we're just coming together talking about women's issues, you know, whether it's children or, you know, for me, raising adult children, what that looks like, which we talk about raising children, but uh we don't often talk about raising adult children that we still have a responsibility as parents to to parent, you know, in a sense.
SPEAKER_02Even if the child, even if the adult children don't want it, right?
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
unknownExactly.
SPEAKER_02I I only speak from the children's experience in that area because mine's only 12. But um so I'm I'm curious. Um, the lioness layer, where did that come from?
SPEAKER_00Because it sounds really powerful. And that's that's the the um you know the the hope that it really is. And we have three powerful, the other two ladies are dynamic as well. And um, so the sanity check actually, Seth has another podcast called The Lion's Den. Okay, and it was it was birthed out of uh five guys coming together, kind of a basement type thing, but it really evolved into the man cave. The man cave, right? The lion's den. I was fortunate to be uh a guest on there and then do sanity check with Seth. And so one of the um uh she's an audience member or a uh uh what do you call it, viewer. She was just like, you know, she was like, Camille, I just love you. So she contacted me with Seth and said, I have an idea, you know, I just want to do something with her. And um, I would like to call it since this is spin-off of the lion's den, the lioness lair. That's great, and so that's how that came about. So that's really cool.
SPEAKER_02So, in so you're looking at um in that one, I'm sure, also researching topics. And so absolutely you have now come full circle to be a real teacher, right? I mean, it's just you have a completely different classroom, a completely different stage. Um, so at the risk of throwing Jackie Dozier's name out there yet one more time, um she's gonna ask for royalties. Um so as I talk to leaders, I know that everybody has some kind of principle that they that they kind of live by. If you had to say there was one leadership principle that kind of helped you step into this new and bigger place, what what might that be?
SPEAKER_00So it's a little bit um, if I can use unconventional again, you know, it's not one of those things, but uh we were all created uniquely. And what I learned about leadership is that we all have our different styles. When we try to do it like somebody else, very rarely does it work. So we have to find our authentic strengths. So for me, you know, being in the military, it wasn't really frowned, especially in aircraft maintenance because it has it's so detail-oriented. Um, you have to be very meticulous in what you do, everything is step by step. Uh, they often rule with an iron fist. Well, people aren't just built like that. And so my leadership style is very different. And I lead with love and kindness and compassion and fairness and honesty. I'm gonna tell you about it, but I'm also gonna help you through the process so that you learn something instead of trying to hide from it. And so it was a little bit difficult transition with that because they didn't like that style. Um, but that's how I got people to work and motivate. And then they were like, How do you get them to work? Well, when people like John Maxwell, you know, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. And that's where I came in. Um, as one of the very few females and female leaders in my career field, um, I had a different type of impact. And it was, I started seeing that. And so I had to learn to be authentically me, capitalize on my strengths, leadership of a like we do a V VIA survey survey, which is values and action, and it'll tell you your top 24 character strengths. Um, a lot of people shied away from like leadership is 24 for me, or it was 24 for me, it kind of moves around. Um, and so people like, I would think the leadership was number one for you. And I said, No, it's usually spirituality, kindness, fairness, appreciation of uh beauty and excellence, and then a love of learning. And so I use all of those strengths that I have, and I I use that to supplement my leadership style. And so when you, as a leadership principal, when you learn what your strengths are and you operate in your strengths, um, you become a much more effective and better leader. And and you're authentic. And people they they see that they see, you know, leaders that are not authentic and they go, that doesn't even look right. That doesn't even feel right. So when you just embrace who you are, capitalize on your strengths, and you lead from that, you know, area, I mean golden.
SPEAKER_02Perfect. That's it. I mean, you know, it's exactly it. And I say we lead unconventionally by leading where from who we are, where we are, what strengths we have, yeah, just at any point at any time. And I think it's so important to have really strong women like you say things like, leadership is my number 24, right? Yeah, kindness is my number one. And look at me, I'm in this leadership position because I'm leading. Leading is not necessarily a character trait. I think that's what I'm trying to say. It's not a it's not, it is a it's a decision, it's an action, it's a willingness to serve. It has it, it can be a character trait, it can be part of our character, but it's not necessarily something like that.
SPEAKER_00Um you know, you have to you have to connect with people, you know. Uh, leadership is your ability to motivate people uh to do something that they may not want to do. However, how do you get them to motivate that? There has to be some sort of something behind that. You know, we have leaders that make good decisions, we have leaders that make bad decisions, right? You know, um, but when you take the strengths of who you are and you infuse them, you infuse them into your leadership style, then you know, you you go to different heights, you know. And so um I just learned to to to to lead being who I am. And then like my mom, you know, like what do you have to lose? I can always go back to my original, you know, if that didn't work out, but I tried it. I took the risk. And what if I succeed? You know, uh, how great would the reward be if I actually I guess took a leap of faith and just, you know, stopped looking at um, you know, if I didn't do something right as a failure, but as a as a learning lesson. And how do I do if I still want to do it? Okay, now I know what not to do. How do I do it differently and better the next time? And so I just kind of, you know, taking those those failures as they're not really failures and it's not a lose. Failing forward, right? Failing forward, failing forward. And I just I'm always like, what's there to lose? There's either you, you know, you win or you learn, right? Same thing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. That's right. So um I I kind of approach things like that, you know. Uh so what it what happens if I try it and it works? Instead of, oh my God, I don't want to fail. Okay, I'll learn something. Right. You know, at the end of the day.
SPEAKER_02So you only fail when you fail to act, right? I mean, we can throw all these. Like nice, nice little phrases out there, but the reality is to see them in action, to see them in motion in somebody else's life, in somebody else's story is really helpful. So um it also sounds like that maybe your big why, your big why is to learn, your big why is to actually serve and to to be um to be the kind and different kind of leader. Um, and I just I love that we can actually say to women, you don't have to be like a man to lead. Um gosh, yes. Did I just put you on a soapbox?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. That is like, especially in the career field that I'm in, you have so many young women who are trying to one figure out who they are, you know, they're coming from teenager mom's house into womanhood, and you're an in a responsible adult, then you're thrown into a male-dominated career field, which they already look at you like, why are you here? You know, you're not a mechanic, yeah. Still, it's many years. I hear it all the time. Women are not good mechanics, really? Like women in the military, still women in the military, they have no place in the military. And so, what women often do, I see a lot of young folks, they try to conform and they try to be one of the guys, and they have to cut. And I'm like, you know, you don't have to cuss like a sailor to fit in. Yeah, you don't have to, you know, like listen to these crude, rude joy jokes and not say anything just to fit in. You don't have to walk around spitting on everything, you know. And so I'm like, I would always mentor them. You can still be a woman in a man's world, you know, because it's coming a woman's world too. Um, but be who you are, yeah, don't change, you know, especially if it's not serving you. Don't change to fit in a mold that you don't belong in. You were not made for that mold, and you'll never ever be comfortable in it. Be who you are and let your strength shine through, and you will be good at your job, and people have to respect your work, you know. So concentrate on learning the craft and and being the best mechanic you can be, and you know, being technically proficient. And the rest of it, when they see that, you know, we have some women out there that just run circles around those men, and they're respected as a woman in a male career field that can, you know, she can hang with the best of them without becoming one of them. So be be a woman, you know. Yeah, be who you are, be who you are. Be you, you do you, girl.
SPEAKER_02Um so I'm listening to you, hearing all this methodical stuff. I am fairly certain you have some kind of a habit or a ritual or behavior that helps you stay present and on top, or just to get quiet every so often. If you had to pinpoint one habit that you would say has kind of carried you through all this, what might that be?
SPEAKER_00Can I do two? Yes, one is one is prayer. Um also always uh praying and kind of being still meditating, if you will, things like that, um, listening for that that you know inner guidance. Um, and then the second thing is I read, I read a lot. Um, there's so much knowledge in those books, you know. I I wasn't a reader, an avid reader before, but I realized I was reading the wrong material. And somebody had to point that out to me because I was like, I can't I hate this, you know. And uh when I started reading those things that connected with who I am, um, I can't put a book down. I have books everywhere. And as a matter of fact, and this is not a plug, but while I was deployed and I'm reading a lot, um somebody sent me something that says, Hey, do you want to write a book? And I actually did an anthology. It was just sitting here. Um, and it's called Empowering Our Girls, where I wrote a chapter in this anthology. Never ever had thought about being a published author, anything like that. But um, it came out of that. And it was literally sit down, be still. And it was like, I did it before I can even think about it. You know, that that voice as I sat there at my computer says, just do it. And it was like, what do you have to lose? You know, it's very little cost, whatever. So I just did it, and then I was like, oh God, what am I gonna write about? You know, tell your story. But I did it in an unconventional way that I I started to write my story. This is a true story very quickly. I started to write my story about who I was, you know, and something changed at the the day of the um the suspense to get my manuscript in. I was sitting at my desk and I almost like heard like, nope, that's not it. And I literally wrote the uh the um publisher and I said, I need another day because something just shifted. And I said, I'm gonna send you the second manuscript by tomorrow. Read it, let me know what you think. And so I sat down and I wrote it in that day, and it's not about my story, it was I completely scrapped the other one, which she loved, and I started over and I wrote it in that day. I sent it, and she says, Nope, this is the one, and it sets the tone for the theme that we have for the book, and so it became the very first chapter in that book. Oh my god, you know, my first thing, and it's just called Dear Daughters, and so it was life lessons, it's not necessarily um anything specifically related to me, but it's really about us being who we were created to be and realizing our worth and you know, on friends, on on passion, on purpose, on faith, on relationships, and so it was little nuggets, and so everybody calls me and goes, Who did you write this for? Because I feel like you were talking to me, you know, and people of all ages, but um, I knew when I sat down and I heard that that I had to start over, and it came to me so quickly. And then the editor wrote back and she says, you know, I I had to do very, very little editing. Like, are you a writer? And I go, No, never wrote a book before, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, I wasn't before today, but now I am right.
SPEAKER_00Right. So that that's kind of um, you know, in all of that, yeah. Um, really kind of getting still and just learning to listen to myself and to trust myself. I didn't trust myself before.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say, I think it's that trust piece because a lot of us can hear what's going on, but we don't trust what we hear.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02So just learning to trust what we hear. I can't believe I forgot to ask you about that book because I saw it. I I was scrolling through your Facebook feed and I'm like, what is this book thing? So because you didn't mention it. And um I did. So I'm I'm glad that um that it was just sitting on your desk there because um we're definitely going to link to that. Because part of my desire of creating a community of multi-demographic, global, um all ages is women mentoring and helping other women. And I keep saying we are the role models for the next generation, all of us, even me. I don't have a daughter, but I am still a role model for the next generation. And I'm a role model for my son to know what to expect for women and through women and by women, you know, it's like um, so all of those things are important. Um, you know, in the real world, a lot of times we talk about um, we talk about advice for daughters or advice for people. We talk about um things that are that that's a red flag. Don't go there, don't do that thing. But as the intentional optimist, you know, I'm always looking for let's let's turn that on its head into a positive opposite. If somebody, and I'm gonna ask you in two areas here, if somebody was listening and, you know, maybe they're a high school student, maybe, or maybe there's somebody who's just graduated from high school or just is young and and um they were kind of interested in a military career and or the leadership type space, the non-conventional, the unconventional type stuff. Um, what would be some green flags for people that they might look for in themselves to say, and whether or not you would recommend for a young girl to go into the military? Um, but could you give us maybe some green flags people might want to look for or ladies might want to look for in themselves to kind of follow in your footsteps a little bit?
SPEAKER_00Sure. If you're the person that you know your friends are always coming to that says, you know, hey, can I have some advice on this? Or, you know, they consider you the strong person. If you want to go into the military, we need strong women. You know, it can be a very um, you know, it the the job of the the military is to break you down and build you back up as a as a one, you know, or the soldier or airman or whatever you want to. Um, and if you have been through some things and you have some mental tough toughness, and it's something that you're passionate about doing, you want to go into the military, don't let nobody talk you out of it. You know, it's your life, your choices, and you have to be happy with the choices that you make. So, you know, we spend a lot of time um pursuing careers and things because other people want us to. It's time, energy wasted, money wasted. How many people have degrees in in a field that they never ever go into? Stop giving people power to dictate the course and the trajectory of your life. Trust yourself that if the idea or the feeling comes to you, it is for you, and you will figure out how to do it. You know, the military will give you all of the tools that you need to be successful, it's up to you to act on them and continue to do them. But if you feel strongly about it, follow your passion, follow, trust yourself that you have everything that it takes to be successful, so that we're fully resourced if I could. Yeah, absolutely. Carry that thing out. So that's what I would say about that. It's not about whether you're a woman or not. My mother was one of those the woman uh the the military is no place for a woman. My father, my grandfather, grandmother signed my papers for me because I was 17. Um, she thought I was not going to make it, but 25 years later, you know, here I am. Yeah, and uh so I I'm proud of the service that I had. And then in leadership, again, um, it doesn't mean that you have to be to be a good leader doesn't mean that you have like a good leadership skills in the sense of how it's um the definition, you know, the the the mechanics of it, but the mechanics of it, yeah, the technicalities of it. But if you know that you can motivate people to do things, um, if you know that you have an impact on people and something that you say resonates with a lot of people and they're constantly saying, Hey, I need your perspective on this, or you know, how do we go about this? We just want to know you have leadership qualities. And if you tap into that, along with all of the other things, you know, judgment and fairness is one of my top strengths, you know, and that's because I do look at all of I don't just take somebody's word for them. I'm like, no, hold on, wait a minute. I need to hear both sides. I need to do a little bit of research, I need to find out some of the things in between, and then I have a very good discerning spirit, thankfully. Um, but I can get to the bottom of things. And so um if you have those qualities and leadership is an area, again, that you are passionate about, that you want to do it. There's so much, so many books out there, you know, on leadership, whether it's military leadership, church leadership, uh, educational leadership, whatever it may be, uh, it is up to you to absorb the knowledge that you need that will help you on your journey to be what you're called to be.
SPEAKER_02And so please, Camille, tell them how old they need to be to start this.
SPEAKER_00There's no age limit.
SPEAKER_02Thank you.
SPEAKER_00There's no age limit.
SPEAKER_02Say it again.
SPEAKER_00There's no age limit.
SPEAKER_02They can be 10, right? I mean, it's like this is not an age-related thing.
SPEAKER_00It is not. My youngest daughter is 15 now. Um, I have a 23-year-old, 21, 20, and then 15. Um, my youngest daughter has tremendous leadership skills, and she's always possessed them since as far back as in her vocabulary was just so developed. Everybody's like, who is that talking to? Sounds like a grown woman, you know. Um, and she's a deep thinker. And so I had to recognize that, and even in in um parenting her, I cannot parent her the way that I parented my older children, you know. I cannot do the things with her that I did with them because she's on a totally different level. Not, you know, better, just different. She's different. And so she's different, and she's very much a leader. So I tried to instill those. Uh we have conversations, you know. A lot of people say, You let your uh I need to know what's going on with her, and I need to help shape that in a positive way. I need to give her some skills so that she leads in a in a good way and don't lead people down no rabbit because people will follow her, you know. Sure, they'll follow her anywhere, right? They will follow her anywhere. So um I had to to recognize that in my children as well, and to foster and develop those leadership skills in them. And so because she is has those leadership qualities, I try to capitalize on the time that we have, you know, give her some good sound advice. We talk back and forth. There's an open flow of communication. And so that when she is in a position where she has people that are really, really following her, you know, in a manner that uh may change some lives for the good or better, you know, in certain situations, that she'll be equipped to do that and understand how to think critically and outside of the box and to consider, you know, people and what they're going through, and that everything doesn't look the same because as a leader, there's no one size fits all. You cannot have a, you know, we have a standard, however, you have to look at everything individually because this person is not like the other one. This person may be able to withstand a whole lot, one thing might break this one. So you have to be able to really discern that and you have to be able to recognize that. So um, leadership, it does not matter. If you have that kid who's on the playground and all the kids are following them to do everything they want to do, you probably got a leader on your hands. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh, in in kindergarten, we were told, yeah, Nathan. Either um, whenever we do like group stuff at the table, he just kind of takes over.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it's just a feature. I'm like, and yes, what's the problem? Yes. Just give him a mama, baby. It's no problem. Um, so um, I am going to assume, or I'm gonna actually say that a lot of the green flag things that you put together there, a lot of that was some really solid advice on how to proceed and how to move forward. Is there any other advice that you might give? Because it's you've you've given us like a huge treasure trove here. No, don't don't you ever apologize. I should just cut that part out where you said I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02But do you have any other advice that you might want to share?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I would just say if you're struggling, um, because I did, I had to go through the process of um kind of dissecting who I was, you know, um, to really, because again, I'm I'm good at a lot of things, but what is it that I'm really passionate about, supposed to be doing, you know? And so when I put all those things together and my passions and my what gives me life and the things that I'm good at and all that, and I kind of did it, I looked at it in a different way. I didn't want it to, and in my mind, I was like, you know, those whole doctors, this and this and that, like those big um titles. I said, no, there's so many other things that we overlook in the process. Um, those teachers that, you know, are there in those not necessarily classrooms, but that give you the skills that you need to get through or things. So I started looking kind of out of the box. And so when I put all those things together, I said, okay, well, if I like to cook, which I do, I love to cook, I'm a good cook. And um, you know, how can I use that to teach people how to cook? You know what I mean? Um, you don't necessarily have to be uh, you know, whatever kind of teacher, but you can help other people. You can start programs in your neighborhood for children to learn how uh to teach them how to um, you know, farm or and take take the kind of farm the table type thing, you know, and teach them how to use those fresh vegetables and how to make quick meals or something like that. So I started doing that kind of thing, looking outside of the box. But I did get the um the help of other people where I was struggling. You help me to see what I'm good at, you know. Tell me when I'm alive. And then when they kind of brought it to my awareness, it was easier for me to see and accept it for myself. So um, and that's kind of crazy, kind of backwards almost. But no, no, no, no, no. Yeah, I would kind of do it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I would agree completely because a lot of times when we're looking in the mirror, um, you know, it's very different than when we see ourselves on camera. And um, when that's just a very physical definition. But when I look in the mirror, I see certain things. But when somebody takes a picture of me, I'm like, wow, I had no idea my teeth stuck out that much, or oh wow, I had no idea that my skin looks so much better than I thought it did. Or I mean, it's just different things. And I have joked that you know, we're in the middle of pandemic and I'll be out in in the town somewhere, you know, walking around with a mask on, and people will come up and say, Hey, Andrea. And I'll look at them and think, Who are you? You have a mask on. I can't tell who you are. And but they always know me. And part of that is because I am distinctly me. I have distinct hair, I have distinct eyes. You know, people see things in you that you may not see. And when they can hold up a mirror to you, sometimes bad that we need to learn, or sometimes hard. But when somebody's willing to do that for you, willing to hold up a mirror for you, that is a gift that you should never ever turn down.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Even me, they say my smile is very distinct, you know. Yeah, and um, I had a guy I hadn't seen since I was 11 years old. I was at an amusement park, walked up. He well, he was following us, and I was telling my girlfriend, oh my god, who is this following us? So, right before we leave, he goes, Um, excuse me, do I know you? And I'm like, No, you don't know me. I'm pretty sure he's like, No, I think I do. And then he goes, Camille, and I'm like, What? He goes, I'll never forget your smile. I hadn't seen him since I was 11. And it's the one feature that I absolutely hated, and it's the one feature that everybody always says that they love because I have an overbite, my smile is crooked, all these things. And they go, You have a beautiful smile, but I had to say, Okay, God, help me to learn to love this thing.
SPEAKER_02Y'all can't see my mouth is hanging open. She does have a gorgeous smile, she has beautiful teeth. I mean, eventually we may get this on YouTube, but um, she has a gorgeous smile. And um, I I never noticed the overbite. I'm sure you didn't notice that my two front teeth stick out either. So I didn't.
SPEAKER_00Um there we go.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I was once told, yeah, Maria Osman teeth. And I'm like, oh, well, I can never unsee that. But I actually wish my teeth were as nice as hers. But um okay, so as we wrap this up, this has been really, really great. And I know that you and I are gonna have other conversations, and I look forward to doing that. I look forward to sharing some other stuff with our community and with um our audience. So, really quick, we will put these things in the show notes, but where are the best places for people to find you? Because some people would just prefer to like go, oh, I heard that, and I'm gonna type it in.
SPEAKER_00Right. So I'm on Facebook. Um, I just have really my personal page. It's Camille Stevenson, S-T-E-P-H-A-N-S-O-N, Thomas. And then I have the sanity check page. Uh, Lioness Hilaire is up and coming, we'll be launching in 2021, but a page is out there. And then you can also find me on I G at Camille Ivan. So Y-V-O-N-N-E. And that's uh, I guess I should spell my first name's K-A-M-I-L-L-E. Y-V-O-N-N-E.
SPEAKER_02It is not the Camille that you think, it is the Camille with a K. Um, so um if they want to see the podcast, it's going to be on it's on the YouTube. I mean, excuse me, it's on the Facebook Live. It is. It's on Facebook Live, it's on the sanity check page. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00And they can also find me John Maxwell um group. So I'm a team member and you just johnmaxwell.com slash Camille Thomas.
SPEAKER_02So we'll put me there in the show notes for sure. Um and before we before we wrap it all up completely, um, I always ask people, and I try, I I have no idea ever what I'm going to get. So um, what is the one thing that you can always be optimistic about, even when others may think you're totally crazy?
SPEAKER_00I just I'm learning to trust myself. So no matter how crazy a um idea is, when it comes to me, I act on it. And a lot of people try to stop me and I go, Well, you know why it doesn't make sense to you? And they go, Why? I said, Because God didn't give it to you, He gave it to me. And so um, you know, I'm always optimistic that I am able to carry out everything that comes to me. And I'm I'm learning that, but the more I put it in action, um, the results are just crazy. I mean, like I keep going, oh God, God's gonna blow my mind, God's gonna blow my mind, and he does. And so um, I stopped rejecting um all of the things that uh, you know, I that come to me and say, Oh, well, I'm not ready for this, I can't do this. I just say, you know what, I'm gonna try it, and what will I learn? So um, I'm always trying to learn something new, even if that means putting myself out there. So I found recently that I know how to draw. I didn't know that either. So I started drawing. I love to cook, I love to do like all these artsy things, and I never knew that before until ideas would come and I just started acting on them. And I said, Well, we'll see how this turns out. And I'm like, Oh, who knew I knew how to do that? You know, so yeah, I'm always looking for new things.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and I don't think we ever tap into that full potential ever. Um, but what I'm hearing, I keep hearing over and over from you is that you trust yourself, that you trust that the ideas that you have are good. Um, we I mean, we trust how many people do we trust in our lives?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely for everything to cook our foods, to you know, give us good gas at the gas stations, to you know, give us steal our money, to give us a paycheck, to not throw us under the bus.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's just how many other people, just people, do we trust? And how often do we not trust ourselves? So that's one of the big things I'm walking away from this conversation with you. Um, so you're helping me to just trust myself.
SPEAKER_01Um trust yourself.
SPEAKER_02Because let me tell you, girl, ideas come in here like 10 miles a minute. And um it's just a matter of, wait a minute, which one? Where'd that go? I know they're feeling well. I'm gonna start trusting them. All the wacky crazy ideas. Camille told me to do it.
SPEAKER_00Um try it once, you know.
SPEAKER_02I will. Um, and moving forward, doing it. This is this today, we are actually recording this on New Year's Eve. So I can for sure say I will see you next year. And um, this has been a real treat. I look forward to all the things that you are gonna come out with and how we can learn from you, and how how you're gonna just follow all those things that are in your head and you're gonna trust them. And they're gonna be amazing things that we can all learn from. So thank you so much. I thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate you having me on here. It's been a blast, and like you said, it's not the last time. So I look forward to it.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Thanks so much. Thank you. Camille's drive to be and do better, to leave any situation better than she found it, inspires awe in me. She comes from a robust line of amazing, strong, and resilient women who have taught her well and continue to pour into her life today. Fortunately, Camille isn't shy about sharing all that wisdom with the rest of us, is she? So let's quickly look at how Camille lives the principles and values of intentional optimism and unconventional leadership. Her ability to adjust her perspective, to see hope in almost any situation, is pure evidence of her optimism. Of course, she's present, generous with her time, ideas, and knowledge, eager to befriend and mentor. She steps up to help whomever is right in front of her, no judgment, no questions, open and kind. Camille embodies the tenet of being energetic. She took every opportunity to teach anywhere, at any time, off duty or on. Clearly, teaching is her passion. She established her expertise, knowledge base, and experience long before she was ready to take the leap out of the Air Force and into entrepreneurship. Courageous? You bet she is. As a newbie in the Air Force, she befriended others, teaching them the same life skills she learned from her amazing mother Jackie. She took on an integral, yet little known career in the Air Force when it turned out to be very different from what she thought she was getting into. Then, having her request to retire turned down three times? This is all evidence of resilience, my friend. Camille is wise. Remember her practice of getting still, listening for that outer, inner voice? This demonstrates both a desire to understand and an understanding that she's part of a much bigger picture. Her work in the areas of resilience and diversity and inclusion training have compounded her ability to model and practice respect on all levels. And of course, Camille is very intentional. She has a plan built on a purpose of empowering others. But she's willing to bend with the wind when her path becomes a little more winding or maybe even longer than she expected. She's focused on the future and growing along the way. And Camille is unconventional in her leadership because her passion to teach others to grow and lead is reflected in her core values of growth, authenticity, and empowering others. She's a role model to those she mentors, or as she called it, just being a friend, as well as to all who watch and listen to her shows each week on Facebook. And Camille is very committed to personal growth. She both learns and reads and enables others to do the same. As she teaches, she also learns. My biggest takeaway from this amazing conversation was that it's both okay and good to learn how to trust myself. This is a specific and beautiful kind of confidence that stems from a real understanding of both who you're created to be, your strengths, your skills, and abilities, and how you fit into the bigger picture. Do you need to learn this too? Here's Camille's advice. Discover your strengths. You don't need to take a test or invest in a formal evaluation or assessment. Ask your friends, your family, your coworkers. They see you, my friend. They know what you're good at. Is there something they always come to you for? Pay attention. These are the things they recognize as your strengths. Be willing to ask, why not me? Flip the script on that small thinking idea that you can't do something because of, well, you name it. Get still and listen to the answer when you ask. It will come when you least expect it. Go find your own mentor. I can't tell you how many successful women I talk to say this over and over. And it doesn't need to be a formal arrangement. Camille just called it being a friend. There are women in your circle who have the wisdom and knowledge that you need to grow. Find them and join their journey. Then be the role model you need. As you learn, start sharing with others. Foster those same leadership qualities in them that you once needed and are now developing. Now the best places to find Camille are on Facebook and Instagram, and we've listed all of them in the show notes. But you definitely need to check out both of her live recorded podcasts, Sanity Check and Lioness Lair. They're both broadcast on Facebook each week. 2021 is the perfect opportunity to launch forward in ways you may never have expected. Are you ready to step into a role you've not considered before? What are you seeing right in front of you? How will you foster leadership qualities in those around you? If you want to grow but don't quite know where to start, you need to check out our Facebook community, Intentional Optimists. Jim Rohn famously said, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So we're spending time building a community with a culture that helps us all learn to think and live with intentional optimism. Intentional growth includes feeding your mind, so you're gonna want to check out our monthly book club focused on personal growth and development. Join us! The link is in the show notes. I've also listed a few free resources there to get you started in a practical sense. A disc communication cheat sheet and a list of my favorite planning and productivity tools. Think books, planners, and journals. These will all get you moving into 2021 with intention. It's not too late to start. Thank you so much for the gift of your time today. I know how valuable it is. Now go out and share this podcast with a friend. You know, that woman you thought of right smack in the middle of Camille's story. Someone came to mind who needs to hear it. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen. That way you won't miss an episode. Alrighty, as soon as this episode is over, go leave us a review and a rating right where you listen. It will help others find us, and you just might win a free 30-minute coaching consultation. So, share your opinion, girl. You might win a prize. Until next time. Hey, thanks for listening today. If you're an intentional optimist and you love this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review with a five-star rating. You can also snap a screenshot right where you're listening, share it to social media, and tag me. This helps others find us and you'll have an even bigger impact. If you're curious what it would be like to work more closely with me, or just to step up as an unconventional leader yourself, we invite you to schedule a free discovery session to talk with me in the morning. Just email me at Android at the intentionaloptimist.com. If you're looking for an encouraging and uplifting community on Facebook, run over and join the Intentional Optimist group. The community and email links are right here in the show description wherever you listen to the podcast. Until next time, email, you're the answer. You are the future of leadership and the role models for future generations.
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