In this week's Shine Influencer Series, we had time to ask Author & Writing Coach - Brandy M. Miller, a few questions that give us a bit of insight into her journey and her perspective on what it means to SHINE.
As we count down to the Shine Legacy Awards, we interview the amazing global influencers who are speaking and sharing their brilliance at the LEAP AND SHINE CONFERENCE 2020 coming up in London, UK on February 21-22. Enjoy!
1. When you think of the word SHINE what first comes to your mind? And what does "Shining" look like from your Point Of View (POV)?
When I think of the word SHINE, what first comes to mind is brilliance. We all have it but most of us either don't see our own brilliance or we aren't letting that brilliance be seen.
"Shining, from my point of view, is opening up and allowing that brilliance to radiate into the lives of all those around you. It's being unafraid of stepping up and sharing that brilliance with others." - Brandy M. Miller
2. What would you say is your Shine Factor?
My Shine Factor is my ability to find the brilliance in other people and to encourage them to find ways to step up and share it so that everyone benefits.
3. What are your thoughts about mentorship and Influence, do you think there is a connection?
Mentorship is about lighting the way for others with your brilliance and helping them find their way in the world. Influence is where mentorship begins. Influence comes when you let your personal brilliance shine into the lives of others so that it illuminates their darkness and brings them hope for a better life and a better future.
4. Mentorship is a two-way relationship between the Mentor and the Mentee. Can you share two qualities you think mentees should exhibit to get the best out of their mentors?
The first quality that mentees need to get the best out of their mentors is the willingness to own up to their weaknesses and their struggles. It may sound strange but a lot of times people seek mentors but then they let fear or pride or envy or vanity keep them from opening up about where they are failing and faltering so that the mentor can help them.
" Vulnerability is always scary, but until you're willing to be open and honest about where you are struggling and where your weaknesses are, no mentor will ever be able to help you past those things." - Brandy M.Miller
You shouldn't kid yourself, either. If your mentor is worth anything at all, they already know your weaknesses and they already see your struggles. They just need you to own those things and admit to them so they can help you get past them. Denying that they exist or that you need help doesn't make you look better, it makes you look foolish.
The second quality that a mentee needs to exhibit in order to get the most out of the relationship is patience.
"You aren't going to change overnight. The results you want will not come overnight. You need to be patient with yourself and patient with the process." - Brandy M. Miller
That's why trust is so important in this relationship - you need to trust that your mentor does know what they are doing and can help you.
5. Can you think of one specific moment in which you dulled your shine and how you got your lustre/sparkle back?
My early background in life taught me that shining was dangerous. Shining made you a target for other people's envy, anger, and greed, so I dulled my shine early.
"It took me years to realize that I was actually doing people more harm than good by not showing up and shining the way I was meant to, and then years beyond that to figure out how to regain that shine." - Brandy M. Miller
6. If you could BRAG about one particular Shine Moment in your career, or business what would it be?
One particular Shine Moment in my business would be attending this conference in 2018 out in L.A. I walk into this room surrounded by people who are far more successful than I am, who have far more money and assets than I do, and by the end of the conference, people are coming over to me. They are eager to give me their business cards and to sit at a table and have lunch with me because I let my brilliance be seen over the 4 days of that conference and they valued what they saw in me. It was that moment, more than anything else, that convinced me I had to quit kidding myself about what I was capable of doing and I had to step up and start sharing my light with others.
7. You are one of the Global Speakers at the February 2020 Leap and SHINE Conference in London. What should attendees expect from you at the conference?
People who attend the Leap and Shine Conference can expect to have me challenge them to step up and let their brilliance be seen. I used to kid myself that hiding my brilliance was preventing people from being disappointed or from getting hurt, but I know now that all it was doing was preventing the people who needed me most from finding me and getting the help that only I could offer. I will not let them make that same mistake if I can help it.
About Brandy M. Miller
Brandy M. Miller is a Globally recognized author, entrepreneur, writing coach, and business leadership strategist, who is also the founder of the Writing Problems Into Profits movement where she helps aspiring authors claim their power as thought leaders and innovators while building successful businesses, and the Turning Problems Into Profits campaign where she helps low-income earners find and monetize the unique value they offer the world and connects them to wealthy investors looking to gain both financial and emotional ROI by using their money to transform lives, empower families, and liberate communities trapped by economic hardships using free enterprise principles. Her signature program, Magnetic Leadership Training, helps organizations and individuals whose profitability and productivity is being negatively impacted by infighting and departmental divisions to use their common problems as tools to build bridges that turn adversaries into allies, end the infighting, and restore both productivity and profitability.
Connect with her at www.magneticleadershiptraining.com
About The Event
The Leap and Shine Conference which started in 2016 as a Virtual Summit is an initiative founded by Clara Rufai, The Shine Strategist offering Creative, Interactive and Transformational opportunities by bringing together global Thought-leaders and Influencers for paradigm-shifting, life-defining discussions with the aim to inspire, equip and empower individuals to break free from their prisons of limitation and take a ‘LEAP’ into their ‘SHINE ZONE’.
The two-day event promises enlightenment, education, entertainment, and networking with a line-up of successful global achievers. The theme for the conference is “Ready to Shine” and targeted at individuals and business leaders seeking to grow momentum and build a network of fruitful collaborations.
Tickets are already available on sale at www.LeapAndShineConference.com.