Today’s guest is a lady that I’ve admired from afar for what appeared to be such a diverse lifestyle, juggling a million balls in the air and successfully keeping it together while always looking amazing. Of course, there is a story behind each and every one of us and I wanted to know what makes her tick.

Danielle Paynter is a wife, mom, banker, DJ, community activist, and entrepreneur. Today she is chatting with us about her start as a young person and some experiences she had that helped to shape her personality and character that carried her into adulthood. We then discuss some of her basic philosophies and the growth mindset that she has as an adult entrepreneur, which really helps her to maintain and thrive in her life.  

One thing that always remains clear is that you must consciously create your tribe and be selective of the people that are closest to you, influencing you or providing input for your life. Those that we surround ourselves with greatly affect where we end up in life. Keep a positive circle of supportive friends and like-minded acquaintances. 

Coaching, education, and networking with like minds is invaluable. There is no better investment than the investment that you make into yourself. If there is something you want to achieve that requires a more advanced skill set than you currently possess, take that class, watch that webinar, research that course, listen to that podcast. Investing in yourself should be a priority for growth and self-fulfillment.

Remember that taking care of yourself is not selfish, it allows you to fill up your own cup so that you can give from a place of abundance. When you consistently try to give from an empty cup you drain yourself and have nothing left to sustain yourself. This is of no benefit to you or anyone else, so make yourself your first priority so that you are healthy and full to give positive energy to others. 

We had a very unique chat about balance or the inability for it to exist. Danielle is a firm believer that everything has its season when it requires your full focus, and that actually trying to balance in those moments is detrimental to what you are trying to achieve. Allow yourself that time to let other things take a backseat while you focus your energy on what is a priority at the time.

You can always go back and ‘level out’ on other things when it’s their time. Not everyone will agree with your choices of priority, but it’s not their job to agree, nor is it your job to take everyone’s advice. Make decisions according to what is best for you. 

We talk about having a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset. If you have never heard the terms that were coined by Dr. Carol Dweck, a fixed mindset is represented by a person who is devasted by the smallest of setbacks, while a growth mindset refers to a person that learns from challenges and gets smarter and stronger because of them.  Having a growth mindset is definitely an attribute that we all want to strive towards. 

We discuss the fear of failure, and Danielle said that her biggest fear is actually not one of failure but the fear of never reaching her full potential. This is the fear that drives her to always strive for her goals. For those with a fixed mindset, that fear alone could paralyze any positive movement or growth, while one with a growth mindset will use the fear to drive them to work harder and exert more effort to achieve the desired result. Danielle’s fear of not wanting to live a life filled with regret, helped her to strive even harder to build something for her community as well as for her family. 

In times of challenge, we often just need to pause, step back, and reassess the situation with fresh eyes. Reflect and reframe your perspective and shift your mindset to figure out a way forward. You have to be able to see the silver lining in every dark cloud. 

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