Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs, but thrives, you're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in? Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood atcchangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show. So adjust your earbuds and settle in.

It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites.

And today is episode 136 with the title, The Power of Persistence. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Sheena Yap Chan. Sheena is a keynote speaker and Wall Street Journal best selling author on leadership and confidence. When I asked Sheena to describe her superpower, she said, her superpower is being persistent in her mission. That has helped her push through so many challenges in her life. Hello, Sheena. Welcome to the show.

Hello, Joan. Thank you so much for having me here. Hope you're having a fantastic day.

I am. And, from what we're saying just now, you're in on the East Coast of Canada, just north of, of New York. Lovely part of the world. Dusheana, tell me more. The power of persistence.

Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of people don't realize, you know, in order to make things happen, you know, nothing happens overnight. Even though we see people who have so called overnight success, They don't realize behind the story they've been putting in the work day in and day out. You know, sometimes it could take years before they can see, you know, the light at the end of the tunnel. And when it comes to forging your own path, you know, we're gonna go through obstacles. We're gonna go through challenges and roadblocks, but it's how we move forward that matters the most. Right? I mean, I think the pandemic has been a great example of us persevering through one of the wildest times in in history, you know, being stuck at home, not knowing what was gonna happen, not knowing if we're gonna see the light of day, but we persisted. Right? We made it we made things work.

We learned how to pivot, you know, at every given moment during the pandemic, and so it's just always moving forward. Right? And I think that power of persistence really came from my great grandfather when he started his business, and one of his values is persistence. Right? You don't give up. We get better. We learn from our mistakes because we're always gonna make mistakes in our journey, and it's not a bad thing because sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest opportunities. I know it's weird to say that because when you go to school, when you make a mistake, you get punished for it. Right? Not realizing in the real world, sometimes those mistakes is how we can solve problems, create new businesses, create new opportunities for other people around the world. So for me, yeah, I just realized it's like sometimes life is tough, and it's okay to feel our feelings.

But we also have to learn to pick ourselves back up and keep moving forward if what we're doing is something that we're super passionate about, if it's in alignment with our values. Right? Of course, it's I think it's okay to quit things that doesn't align with you because we grow. We evolve as human beings. And so that's why we always have to look back and ask the right questions and say, is this the the path I'm supposed to be in, or is this the the purpose I'm supposed to be? If not, what is it? And so and we we will know because as human beings, you know, intuition is huge. And so, you know, it'll lead us to that moment even if it doesn't look like it. So, yeah, to me, persistence is just, you know, moving forward, always moving forward. Like, if you see people in the media, people of influence, celebrities, you know, they've all had to persist their way through to get to where they are. Right? I remember Lizzo talking about how she got started.