[00:00:00]
Alex: Yeah, that's exciting and well done for what you're doing.

[00:00:03]
Steve: Yeah, seriously. When I was reading your bio and looking you up online, I've gone, there is such a richness in how you've continued to grow, how you've pivoted throughout your life and the things that you've achieved. And I know it's just a reel that you put up and you're telling us because we don't see the hardships, but we understand some of the hardships because we've traveled a similar road. So I love that you've really connected with that and your messaging is so positive. And it really, if people read the information well, they can see that you have gone through so many different changes, but you've been able to be successful in all those changes. And that takes a lot of stamina. It takes a lot of courage. And so I just want to honor you and congratulate you. I know we did that on a podcast, but I just want to say that personally to you, what a wonder. So, you know, I see that and you're the real deal. Well done.

[00:01:02]
Genecia Alluora: Completed an interview with Alex and Steve of Leaderflow, sharing world-class leadership resources that will enable you to grow your influence and multiply your impact. Learn more about them at designedalliance.com.au. Enjoy today's episode.

[00:01:29]
Alex: G'day, Steve. How are you going?

[00:01:31]
Steve: G'day, Alex. I'm going really well. I'm pretty excited about today.

[00:01:35]
Alex: You're excited. My goodness me. I couldn't believe, you know, how we were chosen out of so many different podcasts that are out there to be honored by our special guest today, to have someone who is very, very special, very highly accomplished and very successful in her own right. And it's none other than the former, Ms. Singapore, who is now a founder and the CEO of Soul Rich Woman, the number one female entrepreneur network in Southeast Asia that connects with more than 200,000 women across the region in the Soul F membership program. Welcome to our podcast today, Genecia.

[00:02:21]
Genecia Alluora: Hey, thank you for having me on your show.

[00:02:25]
Alex: We are so blessed to have you. And we welcome you and we look forward to hearing so much about you. But before we kick that off.

[00:02:33]
Steve: Let me just unpack a little bit more here.

[00:02:35]
Alex: Do you want to unpack that? Because it's amazing. Amazing.

[00:02:37]
Steve: We want you to really get to get a bit of a sense of Genecia in what she's done in the past and the things that she's been involved with. So you mentioned about being former Ms. Singapore, which is also a cafe retail chain owner and Southeast Asian woman of the excellence in 2010. She was International Progressive Woman 2019. She was awarded by the Noble Queen, the most prominent woman empowerment in 2020. She's also a business coach and awarded as a Mentor of the Year in Powerhouse Global Limited. She's the founder of Soul Rich Woman, the number one female entrepreneur network in Southeast Asia.

[00:03:23]
Steve: And as you mentioned, 200,000 women. That's a fantastic audience. That is really being impacted by Genecia's life and work. And for the past 17 years, Genecia has coached celebrities, CEOs, and politicians to be seen as a leader on stage. And today, with the Soul Rich Woman Blueprint and the SRW Academy, she mentors thousands of women to bring their business and leadership brand online. Her vision is to support 1 million women to own and love the F-word. And no doubt, she'll unpack that as we go along.

[00:04:03]
Alex: I hope so. I hope so. Because our listeners have got sensitive ears, but I know it won't be what we're thinking. But please, go ahead.

[00:04:10]
Steve: So before establishing Soul Rich Woman, Genecia was then an owner of a cafe retail chain with a presence in three countries with 18 franchisees and licenses. That is successfully exited to a public listed company after four years. She's the winner of two, four awards in 2014, the Franchisee and Franchiser of the Year, runner-up by Franchise and Licensing Association in Singapore. That's no mean feat, ladies and gentlemen. That's incredible. For women who love the F-word, and here we go, being fabulous, having freedom, financial independence, and family, Genecia is a podcast host and producer since 2019 for her three podcasts. And they are, for Women Who Love the F-word, with listeners in 131 countries. A daily 10-minute marketing, 1,000-plus downloads every month, and also Make It Happen, Secrets to Go From Stuck to Unstoppable.

[00:05:19]
Steve: I absolutely love that concept. Without changing who you are, even if no one believes in you or stands by you. She is also the author of Personal Branding Secrets, and her new book, Make It Happen, Secrets to Go From Stuck to Unstoppable, Without Changing Who You Are. From as young as 14 years of age, Genecia had to support herself through school, through working a nine-to-five job as an occupational therapist, and then later becoming a serial entrepreneur. Genecia has gone through the highs and lows, as you can imagine, of being a business owner. Her epic journey from being in a six-figure debt to becoming a business owner, to becoming a millionaire in 2013, has fueled her passion to support women to do the same and to own the F word.

[00:06:13]
Steve: Genecia has been profiled in CNBC, Forbes, and China Daily. She's a thought leader and leading women's empowerment expert. She's regularly invited to speak on TV and radio, as well as conferences. And she has shared the stage with great minds like Gary Vaynerchuk, Mary Buffett, Kim Kiyosaki, and also Neil Patel. My goodness. Well, Genecia , thank you. And now on the Leaderflow and Transformation Station podcast.

[00:06:42]
Alex: Yeah, I'm just blown away. You know how impressed I am by all that you have done, Genecia? And you're only 21. Have a look. I mean, you look so young and radiant. I'm just amazed of how much you've done in such a short period of time. But you know what really impresses me the most? Is how... How much of a progression of growth, this continual growth and development that you have achieved throughout your life. You must be proud of your results and being recognized for those and awarded for all those achievements. Yeah?

[00:07:19]
Genecia Alluora: Yeah, I think at this time it's good, but always moving the goalpost. That's always a habit of leaders, right? We set the goal. And then as we get closer to it, we're kind of like, okay, I want to move it a little bit further. Yeah. Let's go 50 yards more. So that's a bad habit at the same time.

[00:07:38]
Alex: Yeah. Yeah. Because sometimes your team can't just keep up with you, can they? You know, I want to drill down into an area because I know that all of this success hasn't been handed to you. It hasn't been, you know, one morning you woke up and here you are, the successful entrepreneur, business owner, and, you know, former Miss Singapore. All these aren't things that have just... just happened overnight. It's taken a lot of work. Can you share with our listeners, please, Genecia, what was one of the biggest challenges that you have had to face in your career life? And then how did you overcome that?

[00:08:17]
Genecia Alluora: One of the biggest challenges that I faced was having a lot of procrastination in the things that I wanted to do, like you're a split mind, something that you want to do, and then, there are days that you just don't want to get out of bed, right? So I think this is something that a lot of us will face when we are going through our path. We set goals and then we can't really move and we're not going towards the direction. So the way I overcame procrastination is finding my big why. Always visiting. Why am I doing what I'm doing in every single milestone that I'm working towards? Sometimes there are ups, sometimes there are downs, but visiting the why helped me to see why I wanted to do the cafe retail chain, why I wanted to win Miss Singapore, why I wanted to do Soul Rich Woman.

[00:09:18]
Genecia Alluora: So the why comes from two ways. First, it's always to understand that spark within you. So sometimes the why cannot be phantomed or can't be described in words it's that energy, I will call that the momentum, that spark, that daredevil inside you that will get you spontaneously up, out of your bed and doing crazy stuff. So that is one way to find out what is the why because through that momentum, through that energy, you move yourself forward. The other way is to really understand that reason, the sole purpose that you're here on planet Earth. Why do you exist? Why do you exist as a person? I think through that bigger picture, then you can narrow down to that small or medium or extra large purpose that you're working on through your journey of yours.

[00:10:13]
Alex: That is fantastic. So really your why is your driving force and that's what's helped you push through. So if I can be so bold, why?

[00:10:28]
Genecia Alluora: My big why has always been my mom. And she is like a leader in the community. She has brought me up in a really good way because my family, financially, we were not sound. So at 14, I had to work and support myself through school. There are many obstacles that I faced in my growing up years. Like for example, I was often being bullied in school because I was poor. I couldn't change my shoes. My clothes were hand-me-down. My bags were like, you know, hand-me-down. So it was not beautiful. It was not pretty. So often being that, joke of the class or being, you know, cornered in one corner and, you know, there was one time I remembered I was being bullied so bad that I wanted to commit suicide.

[00:11:17]
Genecia Alluora: My mom was my driving force and kind of holding me together and said, turn your mess into your message. With that, I've moved my life forward. But it was not an easy path. Like I said. So even up to today, many years moving forward, like you said, I'm 21, forever 21. And at this point, she is still a leader in the community. And that inspires me because she's so generous. She's so giving. She's still leading. And that has never stopped. That spark within her was kind of moving and moving and moving and moving. So when I see that, I understood if I had that same spark within me, that same momentum, I could do so much more in my years to come. So that is why I said that she's my big why. And she's my spark, my energizer bunny that keeps me going every single time.

[00:12:17]
Alex: That is fabulous, isn't it, Steven? When you think about, as you were speaking, I had the whole leadership model. You just spoke the leadership model because we know leadership is not about saying, to someone, it's about showing someone. And your mother was the demonstrator for you. She demonstrated what you can do and what you can achieve. And you want to go out there and do even more and be able to help other people. And through that leadership of self and then leading of others is how we end up growing and developing and creating great, I'll say, I'll say very community minded. What's the word when you're creating hundreds of thousands of people, that are focused on the same thing? What's that? What's that? Transformation. It is transforming the community.

[00:13:09]
Steve: Transforming the community through example. Through example. And your mom's example helped transform you. Amazing. And if you're going to be transformational, first, you have to be transformed yourself. Right. And it sounds to me that's what happened to you, Genecia.
Genecia, how did you then go from being bullied in class to standing on the stage at Miss Singapore?

[00:13:32]
Genecia Alluora: That was pretty interesting. I couldn't believe it myself. But you see,
when you have the five people that you hang out with the most, the quality of friends, the peer support, I think that really makes a lot of difference. My friends enrolled me to the beauty pageant and encouraged me. They saw something that I didn't have within me. I think that was something that is pretty much I'm doing now here in Soul Rich Woman. A lot of, the women can't see what they have, but we see potential in them. So that was what happened to me many, many years ago. My friends saw the potential in me. They saw that ability to transform within me. And they gave me, lent me their courage to go and join the competition. So that was how I walked through the door and that transformed my life pretty much.

[00:14:29]
Steve: And I take it that, that's kind of like the heart of Soul Rich Woman, isn't it? You're lending others your courage. You're trying to engage them and envision them for what they can be.

[00:14:42]
Genecia Alluora: Yes, we see what they can't see. So it's always good to have that. And that's one of the things essentially we do in Soul Rich Woman. We kind of mentor the women and giving them that additional, I will say view site to move forward. Right? Or not even say it's foresight. We're just like, okay, a peak of what's possible for you in the future. And what can you do for yourself if you were to take the steps forward?

[00:15:12]
Steve: It takes courage, doesn't it, Alex, to take steps forward. And I know that you are interested to ask Genecia a question about having that courage to take steps forward, because there's been a few career changes we noticed there.

[00:15:25]
Alex: Goodness me. I know one. Again, I'm impressed not only of what you've done, but more so, Genecia, on how you've pivoted and how you've succeeded in each of those pivots. And it just blows me away. I've got to ask the question, though. How much do you think your results really hinged on your success in the beauty pageant world, in the Miss Singapore world? How much of your results do you think really hinged on that?

[00:16:00]
Genecia Alluora: I would say it opened the doors and it definitely gave me the foundation because first and foremost, I was not trained in, I would say, public speaking, department, networking, personal branding. I was not trained in all these things until the beauty pageant part. So that gave me a lot of training. And you see, when the doors open for you, you need to walk through it. That's one. Two, you need to continue your journey. So I'm not stuck in my past, right? So I use all these skill sets and continue to hone and work on those. So that really helped me to build my consultancy business when I was doing coaching with CEOs and directors of companies on their personal branding.

[00:16:44]
Genecia Alluora: So I think that really helped. And when I moved into the cafe retail chain business, that helped the branding as well as the marketing of the business. And then later on, when I did Soul Rich Woman, I think that gave my foundation pieces. I was, I am like a Doraemon. I don't know if you know this cartoon character, this blue color, very bare like looking cute cartoon from the Japanese comics. So I'm kind of like Doraemon, like picking out stuff from my toolkit and helping the people around me to succeed in the multiple experiences I've gone through. I love my life. And, and I feel that everything has stacked up over the years. So that's what I value a lot.

[00:17:33]
Alex: That's fantastic. And, you know, we've been, we've come across a bit of research recently that sort of really gives us, well, effectively the research says that there's going to be somewhere between 40 and 60% of people that will be looking at resigning from their jobs. And I think people are really itching or itching at being back in control of their lives. And they're looking at pivoting out of their nine to five grind. And, you know, the work environment has changed completely with COVID and all those sorts of things. But I'd like you to think about what you could share with our listeners, which will one, help them to make the decision to either stay where they are to go. And, and two, actually inspire them to take the action that they require to create a positive outcome.

[00:18:32]
Genecia Alluora: So I have had the honour to work with a lot of nine to five employees in my organisation. And one very common finding that we discovered was that they wanted to quit because they, of course, want to change environment, but the deep set innate need for their dreams. That means they had that in them for the longest time. But COVID was an excuse to kind of get out of that current situation to move into the next phase. So one thing I would say is to continuously work on your personal brand, because a leader without a title of your organisation, say if you're a director of a company, you can't carry that title with you because the moment you are out of the organisation, you are nobody. So build your personal brand outside of the organisation, do a podcast.

[00:19:33]
Genecia Alluora: Do something where people want to follow you, become a thought leader of a certain subject in your area of expertise. Even if you were to change to a different industry, that thought leadership follows you. So then you are no longer bound by the title of the organisation. You are bound by now what you call your own personal space, your own personal brand, your thought leadership. So that would be key.

[00:20:04]
Steve: I think that's really wise advice because I mean, in the past, it used to be that people would start working for a company and they would stay with that company for life. But now people realise that those companies, they don't stay with you for life. And there's a lot of people, there's lots of changes and people change roles regularly. And so that's very wise advice. This is why you can future proof yourself and potential income by actually having your own personal brand and leading others and becoming a thought leader in the areas that you shine in.

[00:20:37]
Alex: Absolutely. You know what? It's not just women either. I know your target audience is women and it's fabulous. But men suffer that greatly as well, where their identity is connected with their role and their job. And when they lose that job, so too do they lose their identity and their brand and who they are. And a lot of people, a lot of men will struggle through that process of change. And I've helped a number, and I've gone through the same process myself many, many years ago, as I've spoken about previously in my podcast. And it is a difficult process when you're not aware you're in it, so creating that identity that's really deeply and well entrenched in something greater than yourself and connected with your purpose, then you can move anywhere and be of greater value to people as opposed to just the job title.

[00:21:34]
Alex: That's a very, very good point, Genecia. I really appreciate that. You know, there's an old saying that says behind every great man, there's a great, even greater woman. And I can tell you that that's the case in my life with my wife, Jacqueline, and I don't know if she didn't do what she did with our six children or five children that we have at home and with our household and bits and pieces. And there's no way that I can get to have fun and enjoy doing things like this. In your life, how much has your husband been of a support to you?

[00:22:09]
Genecia Alluora: My partner has always been, I would say, not someone of in the limelight. He likes to be behind the scenes. We do all the multiple businesses together from the cafe retail chain to what I'm doing right now. So I think that understanding deep level of friendship that we have really helped to move that, I would say, that energy forward. The second piece will be knowing our own place, knowing our strength and what we are good at. So play the game together where we are best. Field us in the positions where we are the best. So when we work together in that partnership, I think that really helped to move it forward. Emotionally, he is always because we are 10 causes together as well. So we understand having a safe space or safe place for communication and discussion. And we come to a space where we say, okay, no judgment. This is something that I want to say. This is how I feel. I see what I feel. I see. And then because we are educated in that space of healing work, we are able to communicate freely when we have to or when we want to. So that really helped to balance out both the logic and the creative side.

[00:23:30]
Steve: And the creative. Yeah. That's wonderful. When you think about it, those relationships that are closest to us matter the most. And I know for me, when Ariana and I, for example, if we have an argument or whatever, my whole day is not the same. It's when things are going great. You know what I mean? It's just sort of, there's this cloud that just walks with me. And no matter how I try to shake it off, I can't. So tending to those relationships that are closest to us are really important. And it's something that as we are striving to lead well, as we are striving to do great things and to give to others, to remember to look after our own backyards and our own relationships first as a priority. And I've got to admit, there have been times in my life where even though I said in my head it was a priority, my actions didn't show that it was a priority.

[00:24:23]
Steve: And I've had to work on that because I usually love what I do. I love working with people and adding value to people and championing and building people up. But it's important for us to do that with our own families. Genecia, each country has its own culture. And across Asia, there's many countries of varying cultures and beliefs. And how have you been able to deal with the challenges of the stereotypical man as the breadwinner, for example? And has that been a challenge?

[00:25:00]
Genecia Alluora: Well, that has to be one of the big challenges. And it's still one of a challenge, I would say, especially when we are working with women who are stay-at-home moms. And they used to be in the corporate world, for example. Then they left their jobs for family, and then they want to do something. The husbands are always one of the deciding factors, whether they want to continue, let's say, their entrepreneurship journey, or whether they want to do more with their business. So that's one thing. I think the second part would be, even though it forms as a challenge, but sometimes the husband, like what you said, could be one of the supporting, I would say the supporting factor as well, to move them forward, because some of them are very encouraging.

[00:25:49]
Genecia Alluora: So I think it's just a double-edged sword on that one. But the notion where men are like the key breadwinners are pretty much true here in Asian culture. Very much true. And women should be married, you know, should have kids, and should be doing this and that. I think that still holds a lot. However, I would say in the last, I would say five years at least, the entrepreneurship scene here in Singapore, especially, have changed. Even Vietnam has started to change. They are starting to change. Even Malaysia. They have initiatives to help female entrepreneurs, women specifically, to get on board entrepreneurship. So there are schemes available, like a dollar to a dollar. If you do a startup here in Singapore, or if, that means if you put a dollar into the business, they will fund up to, I think, $50,000. I think there's one scheme that helps that.

[00:26:45]
Genecia Alluora: Like in Malaysia, if you're a female entrepreneur, you're starting a business, I think there's some help in that area as well. And in Vietnam, there is also an organization that helps female entrepreneurs as well to get going. So I feel that there is help and support along the way. You just need to know where to tap into those resources.

[00:27:06]
Steve: And that's a big part of what you do with Soul Rich Woman. And we just want to commend you for that. That's fantastic. Absolutely.

[00:27:16]
Alex: You mentioned earlier that your mother was the why in your life. Is there any other person you can think of right now that was a huge inspiration in your life to get you or keep you motivated or keep you on target?

[00:27:36]
Genecia Alluora: You know what? For me, because family is one of my value systems, family is like the top of the value chain. So these are my key motivational factors. Yeah, there could be bigger influences like the Gary Vaynerchuk and like Kim Kiyosaki and Mary Buffett. And then there are big names like Oprah Winfrey, for example. But overall, what's closest to home is the closest to heart. Where your heart is, that's where your treasure is. So for me, my mom and my partner, these two are, I would say, key anchors and influences. And of course, externally, I would say, like the names I've just mentioned, I think Gary Vee was one of the big influences for me in 2017 when I watched his videos about, you know, going on social, you need to be consistent, you need to be out there putting out videos, for example. So some of his strategies. And that got me going to tweak the way I put up my content in the online world. So that was one.

[00:28:45]
Genecia Alluora: I think the other piece I would say would be Kim Kiyosaki when she talks about investing. So when I met these two real person in real life, that to me was game changer. It was like, wow. Meeting the two, I would say, legends. One investing for women. One was talking about personal branding in the social media space.

[00:29:09]
Alex: Fantastic. That's really good.

[00:29:10]
Steve: Yeah. I like some of that. And I really love your quote that says, alone we are strong, together we are unstoppable. What do you think about that? Alone we are strong, together we are unstoppable.

[00:29:23]
Genecia Alluora: Well, no man is an island. For me? No, for me, I love that because I have never done things on my own because I've always been on a team with my mom. Whether is it her soul is with me, her spirit is with me, you know, always doing things together. And then the other one is I have a team, right? Right now I've grown to a team and no longer functioning on my own. And because of that, I saw that we can't do things on our own. We must be our own, only good at the things that we are good at, we are gifted at. So we need to come together as a team. Even a soccer game, a football game, you know, you need to be a team. Basketball game, you need to have a team. So that to me, you can move faster.

[00:30:13]
Steve: Someone once said that no great thing was ever done by one person. It always takes a team to do. But there's some real struggles in developing a team and keeping that team motivated and on track. What are some of the struggles that you've had in the past with that team development?

[00:30:33]
Genecia Alluora: Well, I think the first thing that I struggle with when developing a team, I think it's to build a culture. That culture I think is important because what we stand for, who you are, why you are working on a team, the work that you are delivering, who does it impact, you've got to educate them. So I think that culture part was something that needed to be done. Number two was communication. Do you thank them enough? Do you thank your team enough? Like even for me as a leader, I thank them regularly. In fact, I will say thank you for the work that you have done. Thank you for the effort, even though sometimes they will make mistakes and they will make mistakes. And you've got to just empower them, let them fall, right, and then thank them also for the effort.

[00:21:24]
Alex: Just even by making that mistake, they could be making it hard on themselves just by making that mistake. So by you saying, hey, thank you for trying, it takes some of that weight off their shoulders, doesn't it, of self-condemnation?

[00:31:39]
Genecia Alluora: Yeah. In fact, when you scold them, I don't know, I've just this, I learned this from someone. I can't remember who. But if you were to blame your team member when that situation happened, you literally transfer all the responsibility to them. But the organization don't belong to them.

[00:32:05]
Alex: Exactly. Yeah.

[00:32:06]
Genecia Alluora: But you as a leader have to bear the brunt. You need to carry that with you. Blaming them gives them the power to run away. But if you were to thank them for the effort and said, hey, I know you have tried your best and this is what you have done. It's okay. You made a mistake. Now here's the solution. You move your team from that space of distrust, space of self-blame, to a space where, oh, okay, I made a mistake. I'm sorry. They accept. And then they move. If not, they will be stuck at the problem. And that responsibility stays with them. And they have that, they will like quit or they will do something else or they would think otherwise. And you will not be as effective and efficient as organization.

[00:32:58]
Alex: Yeah, absolutely. And it's on the leader. It is actually on the leader. That to show them not only that they have made an error, but how to correct that error and the lesson that's involved in that process. Rather than just blaming that person for making a mistake and digging in and doing it themselves. So the leader should take that responsibility of continuing to mentor them and help them through that process so that they can learn from the mistake and move on to the next thing. So it's a very, very good point. You know what? I'd love to understand what was the impetus for you to create that quote?

[00:33:44]
Genecia Alluora: Wow. I think the main thing is always to have a few, I will say, like a push factor, like an overall umbrella that you, like a mantra, like to get your team focused. Because one of the things that I learned is that when you don't get people focusing on the same space, and the same bull's eye, you want to move them forward, it's not easy. And it's just like for women who love the F word, for example. The reason why I don't focus on the Soul Rich Woman, but rather on a tagline of for women who love the F word, being fabulous, having freedom, financial independence, and a happy family was because that success definition defines differently for everybody. So when you give someone the opportunity to visualize something that belongs to them, it's easy to move them forward.

[00:34:48]
Genecia Alluora: So when we come up with a narrative or a mantra, that is why we want to kind of give them the opportunity to see that bigger picture and then let them visualize what internally means for them. And then with that common goal, we move everybody forward.

[00:35:08]
Alex: Yeah, that's fabulous. That's really, really good.

[00:35:12]
Steve: So during the course of all that you've done, there have been some highs and lows that you've been through as a business owner. What keeps you going? How do you get out of a low?

[00:36:26]
Genecia Alluora: Wow, like I said, sometimes there is highs and lows. I mean, we always have that. I think the biggest thing is always to revisit the why. Always revisit the why. I cannot emphasize this enough. I know it sounds like I'm preaching this, but it is so true because sometimes we get lost. We get distracted by the shiny object syndrome. We get distracted by our family as well sometimes because family issues, we have this and that happening for us. It's always go back to the big why and steering that momentum forward. I think that is key. I think the other piece is to have someone else other than you on the team who is also leading. So we all lead in different departments in different areas. And when the few of us come together, we kind of become the member of the team that holds the fort for the other member when the member is away or is down. So I think that is also important. That's why alone you are strong and together we are unstoppable.

[00:36:32]
Alex: Yeah. And that just really goes into really in depth into one of our teachings around the inner circle and creating that strong connected inner circle of people that just can lift you and help you out of things and they can lead the team for you when you're not there. So it's creating that management team, that board of directors and whatever that is for your organization and for you. And you know what? In this current digital age that we're living in, and it's a fabulous space. I mean I've watched the development of it over my lifetime and I've loved it. But then the new COVID lifestyle that we've all had to live and that we're all living in now and need to in the future. Can I ask you, Genecia, is there anything in there that's happened over these last 18 months that you're really truly grateful for that are the result of the restrictions that we've had to endure?

[00:37:32]
Genecia Alluora: I'm glad I'm still alive. I think for me, my circumstances is that because I was an occupational therapist before in the healthcare industry and I went through SARS in 2003 and 2004 as an occupational therapist. I was working in a hospital. So that was already the first phase that I saw how life could be so short with a virus, with a disease, with something that happened. And hospitals. And now that it happened, to me, I'm glad to be alive. I think just pay attention to like, for example, if you need to wear a mask, just wear a mask. I mean, there are some logic behind certain things. But when whatever that noises or people are saying around you or whatever they've read, just be aware that it is real, it's relevant. And people around me have passed away. Because of COVID-19.

[00:38:32]
Genecia Alluora: My staff, my staff's family has passed away. I've got a lot. I've got my friend's auntie passed away. My friend's dad just passed away here in Singapore because of COVID-19. So it's really very real. And I'm so glad to be alive.

[00:38:51]
Alex: It's a fabulous thing to be grateful for, isn't it, Steve?

[00:38:56]
Steve: Yeah. When you're those close to us pass away from something like that, it's a big thing. And to try to keep focused on the value of life. And while we have life, to really value it. Because there's things that can come up in our environment that no one can plan for. And we have to kind of move through it. And it's not an easy thing. Genecia, I want to ask you about something that you're working on at the present, which you feel really create meaning to the world. And to your audience. What's happening at the moment that you're working on, that you're excited about? And you're like, yes, this is going to be awesome. I can't wait to share it.

[00:39:40]
Genecia Alluora: I think now I'm kind of re-pivoting the entire, I would say, the momentum of moving Soul Rich Woman forward. And we're working on how do we, I would say, because pre-COVID world, we are always talking about getting women to go from offline to online. So that was the key messaging. But now post-COVID world is that it's known that it's already like a truth that you must be online, right? There's just some truth that you must already be online. It's a new normal. Yeah, it's a new normal. It's no longer like the pre-COVID world where we need to educate, why you must still be online. So we totally skipped that whole phase of education and moving into the execution part.

[00:40:30]
Genecia Alluora: So we are actually redesigning how our process flow, a lot more working with the Soul F Academy where more women can get on board and how we are tweaking the value that we are giving in that to move them into the space. And we put in podcasting as one of the things that people must do now, live streaming or making impact through live videos. I think that would be another. Combining all these factors to build up their personal brands. So we're kind of tweaking that pieces right now. I will say the messaging right now.

[00:41:06]
Alex: Yeah. Yeah. And it's so important, isn't it? Yeah. Getting the right messaging. And you're right. You know, that can be one of the blessings, I guess, that came out of this whole COVID debacle, this pandemic that we're all suffering in around the world is that everyone has the ability to change and pivot very quickly and go from having, hundreds and thousands of people in a room, which is still lovely to do when you can do it. But you can do the same thing with thousands of people online and get the same, as long as you're able to connect and communicate effectively, get the same points across and really make a difference in people's lives. So there's got to be, you know, I'm really grateful for that in that in regard because the way how many people have really made such a massive change. You know, Genecia

[00:42:01]
Steve: It's a huge shift around the online space.

[00:42:03]
Alex: Absolutely. It would have been very isolating, wouldn't it? We would be back in, you know, really 1913, 1914, Spanish flu days.

[00:42:13]
Steve: You'd be curled up in a ball in the corner of your house.

[00:42:18]
Alex: That's right. Doing the old rocking away. Rocking backwards and forwards. Yeah. But it really has enabled us to really connect with everyone around the world. And feel their pain and be empathetic and help them through that process. You know, I know that each day brings a new thing and each day brings a new challenge. What's the next big thing for you, Genecia? What mountain are you looking at wanting to climb next?

[00:42:46]
Genecia Alluora: I think the next thing I want to climb is to continue to grow the numbers of the women we can reach out to. I think that is still something that we are looking for. And of course, that's why the messaging is, I would say, regenerating and looking at how to get the women to understand when you're online, everything boils down to, for example, leadership and personal branding. It's not just about social media accounts. I think that that's one thing that we are working on as well to help them to see that social media can just shut down for many hours. What happened just a few, I think, one, two weeks ago, Facebook, WhatsApp was down, Instagram was down. What do you do when all these social media are down? All your assets are literally gone for that many hours.

[00:43:36]
Alex: Yeah. Yep. And it could be a taste of what comes in the future as well. Because it's in the hands of other people that own the businesses. And if they choose to want to do whatever they want to do, obviously, Facebook wasn't a nefarious issue, but it was something, a technical issue, a minor technical issue. But that could happen anywhere. And look at how many people were affected. You know what? The question comes to mind for me is, I wonder how, I wonder what people did for that six hours that there was no social media. I know they all flooded to Twitter, but where did they go? What did they do?

[00:44:12]
Genecia Alluora: They go to Tiktok.

[00:44:18]
Steve: That's right. So, Genecia, just to round out our great conversation today with you, what would you like to leave with women in Asia? And what would be your message? And here in Australia, we're a part of Asia too. But what message would you love to leave women here in Australia and in your part of the world?

[00:44:46]
Genecia Alluora: Turn your mess into your message. Whatever you've gone through during COVID, whether you've lost your job, you are kind of struggling and you want to change up, your business, you want to do something different with your life. Turn your mess into your message. Don't think that it's not important, not relevant, but whatever you've done or doing, you're doing, it's stacking up. So yeah, turn your mess into a message.

[00:45:14]
Steve: Thank you so much. We've been so honored, Alex, for us to speak to you today. I've got to say, first time we've ever interviewed a former Miss Singapore on the show. Miss any other country. Not just that, but you know, you're, you're the CEO of Soul Rich Woman, the number one entrepreneur network network. Then you're the CEO of Soul Rich Woman, the number one female entrepreneur network in Southeast Asia. And you're connecting with over 200,000 women across the region and climbing. What an epic journey from going from six figures in debt to becoming a millionaire. But it's not about the money that, that impresses me. It's about who you've become. In the process and who you are becoming and the influence that you're having on women to own the F word to, you know.

[00:46:09]
Alex: I love that. I really do. I really love that.

[00:46:12]
Steve: You know, it's, it's about freedom, financial freedom. It's about family. And we're so grateful that you came on our show today and we are grateful for what you shared with us. And we'd love to have you come back again.

[00:46:29]
Alex: Would you come back again, Genecia? Would you, would you honor us again with your, your presence and empowerment of the women that we have connected with us in Australia?

[00:46:39]
Genecia Alluora: Of course. If you would like to have me back, just let me know.

[00:46:44]
Alex: We would, we would love to. Thank you so much.

[00:46:46]
Steve: That'd be fantastic. Genecia, tell us about your book, your website, some things that are going on for you that you can share with our audience.

[00:44:56]
Genecia Alluora: Well, if you enjoy today's episode, do connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram at Genecia Alluora. I have two free gifts for you. The first one is Secrets of Personal Branding, where I share how you can brand yourself. And then the other one will be how do you delegate 80% of your today's list to your assistant so that you can function in your zone of genius and make money online. And that's available at soulrichwoman.com.

[00:47:43]
Steve: And we have a special offer too that we can offer listeners. And that is that we have a free introduction to a mindset program. And we'd love for you to take advantage of that. And that'll be on the designedalliance.com.au website in our growth hub. And also we're having a partnership with Soul Rich Woman. And for the month of November, all of those connected with Genecia and the Soul Rich Woman Network and Podcasts. And we're talking about the podcast for women who love the F word, the podcast Soul Why, Secrets of the Soul Rich Woman Blueprint, and also the podcast Make It Happen, along with the Design Alliance Network and podcast Leader Flow and Transformation Station. We're giving you a 10% discount on two of our life-changing courses. The first course is Keystone Success Habits.

[00:48:41]
Steve: And this is about hacking your personal success by using the 11 Keystone Habits. And these habits will help you make small manageable, changes that will act as a catalyst for success in many areas of your life. So you can hack your life for success. And the second course is Developing Intelligent Leadership. And it's a masterclass series. And this is an exclusive masterclass series that will improve and leverage your leadership effectiveness using world-class leadership principles and practices so that you can truly lead and live out the F word. And the discount code for that is going to be SRWFAB10. SRWFAB, Soul Rich Woman Fabulous, obviously, and a 10% discount, SRWFAB10. But we'll send through promotional material and have it in our links on these shows.

[00:49:43]
Alex: Thank you, everyone. Much appreciate you listening in and really encourage you to look Genecia up. She's, we will have, we will have her connection points on our website and on our Facebook page also, and you can connect through there. But otherwise you can connect through. It's Genecia Alluora. Look her up. She's a fabulous woman. Thank you, Genecia, for joining us today. And we so look forward to hearing more from you in the future as we continue to help people lead in a much better way. Thank you and see you next time.

[00:50:24]
Steve: See you next time.
Alex: See you next time.