E220: Step into Your Magnetic Power Unapologetically with Shae McLeod

Today I’m excited to introduce you to, Realtor, Investor, Mindset Coach & Entrepreneur.

Shae McLeod’s dynamic personality and passion for helping others really shines through in this episode as she shares her story with us!

[00:45] Valerie LaVigne: Welcome back to The Women's Empowerment Podcast. I'm very thrilled to introduce you to our new guest today. This is Shae in the cloud and she and I have been getting to know each other. I think it's been a couple of months now.

But we actually met at exhale Pilates. And what I want to say before you get into your story and all the amazing things that you do is that when I first met you, you really took my breath away and I really view this as a compliment because you came in and you have this really lovely aura about you. You have this like competence and doing something new. So most of the time when I have new people coming to the studio who have never been on a reformer before, there's this cautious energy about them and they are excited, but they're really nervous and I feel I feel like when I met you, you came in and you're like, I'm ready for this change in this new thing and I'm excited and as I got to know you I kind of understand that a little bit more. You are someone who dirt bikes and you have this incredible team of empowered women and you know, just it starts to the pieces of the puzzle start to come together and you're like, okay, yes, this all makes sense now but at first, it was just a really incredible First meeting you gave me a great first impression. I loved our conversation. and so I'm thrilled to have you on the podcast today. So thank you so much for being here and welcome to the show.

[02:21] Shae McLeod: Thank you so much. This is honestly this is so exciting and I definitely you know I love that you picked up on like aura and just how excited I was to be there. I love living my life trying new things and just kind of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. and when I went into the studio, I was like, Oh my gosh, I have no idea what I'm doing but I was so excited to be there and you made the experience so pleasant so exciting for me so I am really happy to be here and I can't wait to dive a little bit deeper into my story with you guys.

VL: That's so great because I'm glad you said dive right in because you really do dive in with two feet. Jump in with two feet I've noticed. So take us behind the scenes into what you do and how you got to where you are and then let's dissect that a little bit more because I really think your story is something that people can really feel empowered by and inspired from. I know I certainly do so in your own words. Tell us about yourself.

SM: Thanks so much. Okay, so I will start with my name is Shae McLeod. I am an investor focus realtor, and I have a real estate team. We operate in multiple markets across Ontario. And we are called McLeod and Associates. We are a team of strong, successful female entrepreneurs who are really just trying to make a difference, kind of outside of the typical real estate team. You know, the vibe that a lot of teams put out and just show that we're great. We're great women, successful women doing honest business and really trying to change the lives of clients to the other side of the fat. I also have a professional fun hammer.

I grew up on a farm 100 acre hobby farm. I was a farm girl most people I still am most people don't think I am because they see me and my work outfits but I grew up on 100 acre hobby farm. I had cows chickens goats horses. To this day I still ride horses I dirt bike anything that has wheels that goes fast off road. I love to be on so as you said I loved her biking that's just like one of my guilty pleasures. That's one of the ways that I enjoy just taking it all in and just getting back to myself clearing my head but also having fun. On the side of that I also invest in real estate so I invest in short term rentals and multifamily investments across Ontario and Alberta. So I have 20 plus unit and building apartment building in Calgary and I also have some short term rentals outside of bath in Canmore, Alberta as well as I have STRS in Muskoka. So I think anybody who has actually spoken to me or follows me on social so that I have this very deep calling towards just being outdoors surrounded by water and trees. I've been like that since I was a kid.

I'm very intuitive and very empathic and so going up north and just being in nature, something that just recharges my soul. And so I spend a lot of time up there. As I think you saw I leave moving up there in about a week.

So yeah, it's pretty I definitely try to keep my life interesting on all ends. I'm never not doing something that I think that's just what makes my life, really.

I enjoy spending a lot of time with my family and you know, my girls on my team, they're a big part of my family as well as my clients. So I would say I'm a very well versed person, but I also enjoy, you know, taking time out to really enjoy life, whether it's traveling, writing before spending time and just relaxing. I really do try to push out the importance of just keeping your mindset in a very healthy place. And whether that's through you know, regular things like going to Pilates or just taking time to just be alone and just meditate. I really do encourage people to do that. That's kind of one of the ways that I live my life so that I can keep my energy in a very high peak state. and it's been working.

[06:32] VL: Yeah, it's definitely been working and I think what makes you so magnetic is that you invest in yourself and your hobbies and the things that you love and as much as your business is so successful and your team of these really is growing.

They obviously are attracted to to your aura into your energy as well. But it's like, because you are doing what you're doing. It gives people this permission to also step into their own power and into their own interests and be able to invest in them on them, their own selves and again, it magnifies and it just keeps listening, inspiring and igniting people to do the cool things and to, you know, not have to be stuck to one way of being and I really see this in your marketing and your socials. I've never seen a relative to be promoted.

Honestly, look like you're just like, wait, are these the new Spice Girls?

[07:47] SM: Oh, that's perfect. And you know what that was? A very big thing for me. I gotta be completely honest with you. When I created my real estate team, it was a very unorthodox approach. At the time. My business partner and I we had a renovation company and we were working on a lot of local projects in kW and surrounding areas. And we reached a point where we were working with realtors regularly whether it was for work or for our own personal investments, and things that we had on the go. And I had this horrific experience with the realtor and I think you know, for it was for a few reasons. I think one of them was the fact that we were really young. And I do think that sometimes, you know, millennials are underrepresented, especially in the real estate field. And so sometimes people don't take you as seriously or you don't get treated with the same amount of you know, customer service that you would expect You deserve.

To find it was happening too often until one day I got really frustrated and I said to myself, Okay, you know what, I'm gonna do this. I don't know I'm gonna do it better. And I I would definitely consider myself a fixer. If I see a problem. If I can't find something to help you do what I need help with, then I will create it and I will do business out of it. And so I've done that to my real estate team. I've done that through investing and I've also got my property management company that I hope to Muskoka and one of the big things for me when I got my real estate license was i i spent a lot of time really struggling with my identity and growing up and so when I say that I I grew up in Scarborough. I was born in Scarborough. I lived in Scarborough for about three years.

But I grew up in poverty. My mom she came here as an immigrant from Jamaica, and she was very young when she came, and she had myself she had two brothers and my cousin, as well as three other cousins. And we all live in a not so wonderful location in Scarborough. And we lived in a two bedroom and this was an apartment building. And so to have that many people in an apartment building, it was very it was very chaotic is what I would say there was always food on the table. My mom made sure that my brothers and I we always had a wonderful experience just like anybody else. But it was definitely very different. And then when there's three my mom reconnected with a love of her life from high school who had also emigrated to Canada, and he actually was living in the country. And so my mom packed all of us city kids up and was like, let's go and we're going to a farm. And it was very interesting, because at the time there weren't many black people. In this really small school community that we lived in. So it was a complete culture shock. And even at my high school, I think there was like one or certainly not in high school and public school there was like, I think there was one other kid who was the next kid who was also there. So again, it was a very big culture shock because I went from city life to living on a farm with responsibility with chores, you know, caring for animals being on 100 acres being in a place where, you know, we didn't have city buses that could pick you up, you know, and so it was very interesting for me because it taught me quite a bit about just how much a change like that can affect you in for you know, my teenage years. I really struggled with who I wanted to be. Did I want to be fancy che who gets up or hair was the next makeup and you know or do I want to be country rochet he just wants to sit back hang out with my animals in the field with no shoes on my feet. And it wasn't until my transition after high school where I decided I'm just going to be if I want to go and if I want to be rochet che that's where I'm going to be and if I want to you know decided that I want to be you know, this version of shame where I'm all decked out ready for work. i That's who I'm going to be as well. So basically kind of amalgamated both of my personalities into one and I started to embrace it. I embrace being different. I really just I really encourage people around me to do the same. I don't you know, I think that at the time society had really tried to make everybody so much alike. And I feel like when you can live your life in a way where you just stand out no matter what you stay true to you, that's when you really shine. So when I got my license and I was looking around real estate teams to become part of I really struggled because I didn't find a team that I felt represented me. And I had spent so many years of my life struggling with who I wanted to be and how I wanted to be and who I wanted to be known as that I didn't want to just align with any and every real estate team. I wanted one that spoke to who I was, but I also wanted one that really made me helps me to kind of continue my career whether that was in real estate or investing.

And I couldn't find one. So I said you know what? I had a conversation with my broker. A good friend of mine now and he had asked me to go on his team and I respectfully declined. and he said to me, che you got this crazy look in your eyes and I see it like, you're gonna go off and you're gonna be a real commitment. you're gonna make your own team. he's like, I can just see it. And that's exactly what I did.

So I went off for a year as a solo agent. I started putting together a business plan of what I wanted to look like.

A year later, it was a really crazy transition in my life where, you know, the perfect path that I had been on myself and my business partner's time, it kind of ruptured going quickly.

And I was definitely in a sink or swim kind of place. and I said, you know what, this sounds crazy because so many things are falling apart. that I really didn't want to put the time fall apart. But something in me, saying, Go girl, you got to put everything you have into this vision into this into this, you know, I had this vision of who I am now.

Back then when I was super young, I'm just kind of still living paycheck to paycheck or starting a new career. And I went to my team. I started reaching out to women that I know.

Back then when I was super young, I'm just kind of still living paycheck to paycheck or starting a new career. And when I went to my team, I started reaching out to women that I know And that in the past women that were just friends or in social circles, women that I knew who had been through some really crazy things, Things that be whatever through and have been able to come out of it to this wonderful version.

But an apologetic version of themselves. I joined forces with these women that I created. And so we get a lot. We get a lot of questions. about our marketing.

Super successful, beautiful young women and we're, you know, we have a very big dream. And people say to me, Do you only hire pretty people? I'm like, No. Like, what defines pretty like is for me pretty is more than just like your physical appearance. It's who you are inside and every single one of these women that I was so grateful to be in business today. They have a beautiful heart and they genuinely care about people and they've been through so much that I really do feel like it adds such a creative edge to our team. We're very diverse, which I also love and it's honestly been a big thing. I was able to take my experience and the things that I went through and to help these women build a career in a space that they love, while helping other clients who, honestly most of our clients, if not all turned into very good friends. It's been pretty cool. because you know the version of who I am now. I saw this version of me five years ago. I just had no idea how I was gonna get there, but I just knew This is my dream. This is my goal. I'm gonna get there. if I didn't give up. put the work in And here I am.

[16:14] VL: Oh, my goodness, I learned so many more things about you that I knew before this call. So wow, what an incredible journey that you've been on and I really do. Also recognize that fire in your eyes and I know that this is the success of associates and for yourself too as an individual. This is so exciting. Congratulations on all of this. Wow.

SM: It's a lot and it's interesting because I don't always tell my story because a lot of people are very quick to judge the book by its cover and you will meet me. They see the glamour side of che but they don't know that.

They don't know the things that I've been through in my life My family's been through. So to be able to take all those things and using as ammunition and fuel to just be determined to rise and be determined to be successful. And one of my biggest things is my mom has been she's been one of my biggest supporters. Since day one. I went to school twice. I have two very expensive pieces of paper. And I'm super grateful for it. But I reached at you know, my early 20s I was like I can't do this for 30 years and then just got a regular pension and work nine to five towards somebody else's dream and then be told I can only go on vacation for four weeks out of a year. I realized that I can't do this. And you know when I went to my mom and I'm like Nam, think I gotta go back to school. You know, like, this real estate thing is still on my conscious. Like I feel it. I gotta go for it. But I was so wrapped up in student debt. And I'm like, financially I have no idea how I'm gonna do this. And even though she's like you know what Third time's the charm. She said to me, honey, you know what, don't worry about it. You want to do this? I will support you and she had funded my she's given me a loan for me to get my real estate license and I promised her I said, Mom, I'm gonna pay you back. I'm going to pay you back with interest and I'm going to make the rest of your life the best of her life because truly, she my mom was very much like me where you know, she always would find a way to make things work for my brothers and I so we've never, we never realized we weren't you know, we were living at the poverty line because she did what she could so that you had the same experiences. And one of my greatest blessings about you know, my career is the things that I've been able to do for her the places that I've been able to take her and we can travel to together and even you know, one of my biggest goals I was writing down three years ago was I wanted to buy her a brand new car. So you know, when I got my real when I got my license, and I was really young, she bought me my very first car. And I said to myself, You know what? I don't know how much you know, we never know when our time on this earth is out but the last thing I'm gonna do, I'm gonna buy her a vehicle.

I was able to buy her a brand new Ford Bronco. And that to me was so exciting because she literally believed in my vision, and helped to find my vision until I can now pay her back and do the small things. to show her how much I appreciate it. so yeah, that's pretty cool.

[19:32] VL: Oh, my goodness, I have goosebumps. I'm teary. I was not prepared for this emotional rollercoaster that I'm on right now. What an incredible woman to have in your life. Which was, as you were saying, your story kind of answered a question that I had was this drive. I can see that a lot. If it does come from your story in your background. Now someone else?

A challenging upbringing or chaotic family situation as you described. What would you say to someone who has those big goals and dreams and is struggling with their environment or their resources or lack thereof? What would you say to that person?

[20:33] SM: Well, I would actually, I would remind them of a quote that one of my agents who's also a very close friend of mine, Taylor Mercado, said to me, There's this quote and it says, you know, the only way out is through.

And I think it resonates so deeply with me because there are hardships in every different aspect of her life. Every new version of you is going to come with some sort of Heartbreak. Or some sort of very hard, frustrating situation. And the best thing you need to do is when you're in those situations, you have to see it through. You have to recognize the situation for what it is. But at that point, you also have to plan your way out and you have to just keep going. That is I think a lot of people get super stuck with just a hard circumstance where they have why me and you know, and trust me, you're gonna go through those times in life where things feel impossible, but you can't give up on that life that you've pictured for yourself. You can't give up on your dreams. You can't give up on your goals. I'm very big and manifesting very big. When it comes to vision boards and creating your future. Every single agent on my team, they are into it as well because I kind of showed them like I showed them my vision boards. I've showed them my goals and things that I've manifested. And I think you know, a lot of people they just get so sidetracked thinking, this is going to be easy, but when you're working to the life of your dreams, it's going to be hard. But you're going to come out with so much stronger and if you give it and give up. You're always going to regret what if I just saw it through what if I just stayed the course. And so one of the things that I believe in is just recognizing where you're at. And when you're stuck waiting for a situation that's just not you know, you're not deserving or you're just in a place where you're really low. You got to see it for what it is. Take your time and heal through it. And keep going. Don't stop going. Like I said when I will side story. I have lots of side stories. But I remember when I was getting my real estate license, there was one course and I failed this course five times and like I was so frustrated because I was working a full time job. I was managing a renovation business, my business partner and I had and I was studying for a real estate license. Oh, and I was also working as a part time bridal stylist once and I wasn't focused, and I kept failing this exam. And every time I failed the exam my partner at the time he would be like don't worry, you caught this got this. And then I failed it.

You know they say third time's a charm. Well, that's a lie, because fourth time came when I failed it again. And then when I failed it my partner at the time said to me you know I don't really think that you're cut out for for this like, I don't think this is the right career for you because you just keep battling so maybe you don't have what it takes. And I just remember I was driving through the survey. Go on my way home. And I was so pissed because at the time that was my partner, you know, they're supposed to be pushing you up and encouraging you and basically this person was like, on the way out of the relationship. I kept failing with this test. And so one day I just got got so mad I was driving home and like you know what? I don't care if I have to write this stupid text 20 times. I don't get back to writing 100 times. I'm gonna keep writing it until I pass it because I'm gonna pass it and I'm gonna get my license. And it was at that moment. I saw in my head. Like I saw my mind's eye I would say, I saw this Shae. I saw Boss Shae i saw them women and the clients but people aren't going to help out. I'm like, okay, I'm doing this. I'm doing this come hell or high water and nobody's gonna stop me. And I feel like it was at that time I really started pursuing this career for me.

And I think that's another big thing is that whenever you're working towards a goal or a dream, it has to be about If you make it about somebody else, whether it's your parents, boyfriend, girlfriend, it's you're not going to get the same level of satisfaction. you're not going to be invested. When you make it a personal, personal thing that you have to have, you have a very different vibe in your eyes.

You know, it was that person that I had what it took that stood the back up and I'm like, Let's go cry, study and it was right after that. I passed that test!

[25:11] VL: Congratulations again. That's amazing. And I feel like you're answering my questions before I asked them but in the industry that you're in, but also just young, business owner, young entrepreneur, I mean, I hear it all the time too. You're too young for this or how do you know that or you need another 10 years of experience for this or whatever the criticism is, or it's not for you. And it comes from the industry. It comes from partners, it comes from people who aren't really your clients, but find you somehow and you share this story about that voice in your head that says No, I can do the hits. Are there other things that help you move through that criticism that helped you overcome the noise around you? What are some of the other things that support you in your journey?

SM: I would say you know, one of the big things I feel like everything kind of comes from somewhere. And so I'll never forget, you know, when I had recently started my team, I remember I had a very big client, a $3 million client and that's it's hard to find clients like that, especially when you're newer in the industry, especially when you're young. And this person believed in me, gave me a shot and I was not going to let them down. And you know, I remember pulling up meeting them for the first time and they were pulling up to a property and I pulled up with at the time I was driving a Mercedes at $90,000 car at the time. That was a lot of money for a nice car. And he said to me, Wow, nice car. Like, you know, you look really young. So like how are you? How are you driving this car and it was pretty incredible for me because I remember growing up as a kid.

We didn't get things handed to us. But you said very resentful during my rebellion years with my parents because we had chores before we got on the school bus for milking cows, and goats milking cows and we had a lot of chores and putting a lot of sweat on. Nothing was given to us for free.

They really instilled in me as I got older the value of hard work, the value of discipline, the value focused and just putting in the time because most people don't.

As I got older my business things that are trying to get people to stay focused on is just what you bring to the table.

One of the biggest, you know, one of the biggest roadblocks and I personally believe that a personal encounter in their life is their mind. Your mind will help you create your life. Your mind will help you get every single thing to dream or turn it around every single day. You know, I think it's Jim Rohn who says you need to stay on guard to your mind, that to me it's so powerful. Because you have to know you have to know why you're on this path to where you're going. You can't leave that up to anybody else. And I think that that's been one of my you know, I call it like you know, one of my secrets. That really helps me with my success when you know who you are. And I think it sounds so trite and like mundane, but there's a lot of people who are traveling around this world they don't even know who they are as a person and I say when you know who you are unapologetically, you know that you're made for more and you're meant to change the lives of others. That is a gift that I feel like you know, everybody comes to this world at a certain blueprint. And when you know what that is, your mission is to just spread that everywhere. And so I've become so I know who I am. I've spent so many years, you know, in healing and just discovering more.

So now, you know, that's one of my biggest assets is you know, I know who I am, where I'm going, the life I'm gonna live, the people I'm gonna surround myself with and the amazing things I'm going to accomplish for myself and others. And I say that because I'm not distracted by other people and their other concerns and thoughts and so yeah, like I think the biggest thing is just becoming you know, so in tune with who you are that the white noise in the background.

It doesn't even matter. It doesn't affect you. If somebody were to you know, one of the big things our team gets is wow, you first look so like stuck up like you're so serious and it's intimidating. And I'm like, Are we intimidating? Are you intimidated? Because if you take a second and you walk up to me, we will welcome you into our arms and we will talk to you like we are not we are very approachable people. And so, you know, it's one of those things where if somebody were to come and say, hey, you know what, Val, you're not a good person. Well, you know, that's not true because you are a wonderful person. You've created part of your life mission to help people and so it's just white noise It doesn't affect you because you are so unapologetically yourself that all that stuff that can't get in your you know, you're standing on guard to your mind and when you protect that at all costs, that's when you really elevating your life. And so, if I'm at a bomb in a place where you know, I have a lot on the go with work and you know, things are kind of going sideways. I'm really stressed out. I don't keep working. You can ask the girl the girls know, like, okay Shae’s off, I will catch me riding a horse, or hey Shae is going dirt biking. today. I really do take time to protect my energy to protect my mind. And when I'm tired, I rest I don't give up. I rest and then I keep going. And so yeah, I think honestly just being in tune with who you are and what you do, and I think a big part of my you know, healing journey honestly has been Pilates. This has been something that I've been interested in for over a year and I couldn't find that the right place and speaking with another contact who come a girlfriend in the same investment space, and they were like go to exhale. I'm like okay, it's like 45 minutes from me, but I'm going And I remember the first time my first session I had so much stress, Like I there's always stress that's going to be in your life as a realtor or as an entrepreneur.

To make matters even more interesting, I have ADHD and so I'm always going and I remember after my first class, I walked out of there, I was like, holy smokes, my mind felt relaxed. I felt so calm and at ease and it was you had switched up the movement so quickly that you know I didn't have ADHD brain where I was getting bored. like, there was always something that I was focusing on. and I was like, wow, I gotta go to more of these classes like this is terrible.

So yeah, I would say honestly, it's just protecting your mental health and protecting your energy. and just knowing apologetically who you are, and when you know you're here to do good, there's nobody else's opinion that can get to you. because, you know, in my world, people who are just kind of coming at you with negativity, it's because they're in a negative space. and I work so hard at keeping my energy in check, that whenever I feel that coming towards me I'm just like, backup, we're done.

[33:00] VL:Well, thank you so much for coming to exhale, because I'm so glad that we could meet that way. And speaking to that, you know, the story of people. Are they intimidated by you? Are you intimidating? I think that part of that aura is that you are so confident and sure on your own true self and you live authentically when someone isn't living authentically and they aren't expressing their true selves.

And so of course, they're gonna project and say, Oh, you're intimidating, actually. No, I'm whole and myself. And so that scares people who who don't have that same confidence.

SM: So yeah, and it wasn't really always that's the big thing. Those people who know me from high school and my public school and like even growing up I was very interesting person. I had a speech impediment that started very young. So I started are like really bad. And that took me years to get through that transition and I wasn't confident in my looks you know, I I got made fun of often because at the time like growing up I had a gap between what am I at like in between my friend tea but had a big nose. I had big lips and big boobs. And people were like, wow, like you're not this like cookie cutter. And honestly, I used to. I was so I would let those opinions get to me. And then one day, that was when I would say shade was born. I was like no more. I'm just gonna embrace this and whoever's gonna like it, they're gonna like it and who does it doesn't and that's okay. You know, I'm not everybody's cup of tea and vice versa, and you just have to surround yourself with the people who gravitate towards you that have that great energy, and the ones who don't, that's okay.

[34:58] VL: What were some of the things that you did help you tune into your own true self and know who you are? Because you are so many different things that make up you, right? Like we're not just our job. We're not just where we came from. We're not just our hobbies and interests. We're all of these things. So how are you able to tune into all of that and step into your own truth?

SM: I would say the biggest part has been my family.

Very close with my family, very close with my siblings, my nieces. And you know, these are people who see me, they've seen happy Shae, sad Shae, they've never judged me. They've always been there. They support me, and they're like my cheerleaders. And so I would say, you know, a really healthy relationship with your family is very important. That was number one. Number two was therapy. And I say this because I am the person that every single person in my friend group when things are going wrong. My phone's ringing, They're at my door. I'm the fixer. And I've been like that since I was a kid. I believe that my empathic and intuitive nature, which brings a lot of this to me, will naturally feel comfortable coming to me and opening up about things that they're going through.

And as much as I enjoy doing it, and I still love doing it, I didn't have my own element. And I had so many people who were coming to me about their problems all the time, that at times people didn't see things that I was going through. And when I finally decided to go and speak to somebody, it was very hard for me because I was a person who if somebody didn't see the value, I was just kind of struggling with Hey, do you believe this? And I met a phenomenal, phenomenal counselor and she is still in my life to this day. We have monthly check-ins and you know, sometimes they're literally just like a hey, how's it going? I always say cuz she sent me like, hey, Shay, like you don't need me anymore. And I'm like, No, Allison, like, we're friends now. You know too much about my life. And we have these like monthly touch bases. You know, I've helped her put together a woman's program that she's using to help change the lives of other women. I think the big thing is when you have a strong, competent personality and that you are that person.

We tend to keep a lot of things inside, which can overtime break us down. So if you're not looking for those healthy outlets to let those things out, have that space where you can just talk about the things that are going on in your head or how you're feeling judged or criticized and critiqued, I think it's so important and so there was a game changer for me.

So I would say, you know, I would say, you know, getting your Mental Health Check is huge. Because I think it's the strongest people and people who are there for everybody who sometimes need the extra help the most. And I think that it's okay to get that. I think people think, Hey, you got it. Something's wrong with you. but your mental health is all you have. So if it's not in check, it's very hard to be successful or maintain the level of success that's gonna keep you going. And so yeah, therapy was one.

And I would say the other transition was, you know, just owning who you are. I think we live in a generation where people are, you know, they're made to want to look like everybody else. Talk like everybody else. Act like everybody else has the same lifestyle. You know, get to school, get a great job, get married, have kids by the house.

And, you know, and I used to be one of those people. I was like, 25 years old, the guy I was dating at the time, I was like, you know, like, are you in this for the long run or what because don't waste my time. This is my last my 20s and they took that relationship falling apart for me to really realize like, you know, I'm not doing everything according to plan. I am taking the unbeaten path. I don't have a family. I don't have a spouse. I don't have kids, but I have so much more in my life that I'm grateful for that I didn't have and I know that my time is coming, I'm gonna get all those things. And so I just had to own who I was and my situation and just, you know, see the situation as it is, but don't see it as worse than it is and so, I feel like when you can look at you know, life in with that kind of mentality. And that mindset, it really does help. Because, again, I think every single morning, you know, there's all these battles that you have to fight and the biggest one I think is your mental health.

So one of the strategies that I've been doing SEO for the last seven years, is I wake up when you wake up, that is when you decide what your day is going to be like in either grab my phone, and I can look at my 50 Plus emails. or I can go on social media, and I can see, you know, positive things and negative things in the news.

I can open my gratitude journal, and I can write down five things I'm grateful for at that moment. And it's honestly such a powerful exercise. I would recommend anybody who would do this, go to the dollar store, get a book and write five things. and I write that as the first thing I do when I wake up. and that is the last thing I do.

So it can be something as you know, I love waking up to the sun.

So I always leave with the curtains open. When I wake up in the sun shining in I'm like Hello. Okay, let's get this day, like, I love it.

You know what I bet it can be something as grateful for as simple as you know. I work closely with every single feature on my team and I have conversations with all of them on a regular basis and it can be as simple as a simple conversation for something as simple as you know, last night I fell asleep holding my things, small things that just make her happy. Whatever it is that makes you feel sad from the inside out, Write it down. And it's been a wonderful practice that has really helped me do the other thing that I do every single day, and this before I start my workday or do any kind of cleaning call is my goal journal.

This one is actually on my computer because it's the fastest way that I can access it. So I sit down and I write down between, like, starting off as 10 goals.

And now it's at 30 Because I always know as you keep getting better and I started giving myself some really hard goals and like okay universe let's see if I can do this. We just put it down. And, you know, I keep rewriting these new goals and adding new goals until I achieve them. And when I achieve my goal, I celebrate it. I think people get so caught up with working Hustle Hustle all gas no brakes has been too like your body is basically breaking down.

I don't believe in that. I believe in treating yourself. I believe that we have one life to live and we're not meant to just sit here and work. And so when I achieve a goal, I will do things whether that's going out to take myself out. I'm one of those weird people I take myself out for dinner by myself. Just cut And or you know me taking a vacation or you know me by myself something special. I do take the time to spoil myself and treat myself, especially when I hit a goal because I think goals are massive. targets that when you achieve them, they deserve recognition. So, that will be another thing that I would recommend.

And I would say just keep your body active. This is one of the continuing goals that is still on my list that I'm still working on. And that's what brought me to you.

I do you know, I think staying fit is very important for you not just mentally but physically. And over the last two years I went through a crazy experience that really catapulted my health and mental health and my physical health. And I finally got to this place where I was like, okay, girl, Let's go. it's time to do something about this. So I went and joined another gym and got a new trainer. And that was amazing. it's still great. I enjoy going. I love my trainer. He's phenomenal. We want to have fun together.

But I was like I need something that's going to reset my mind. And so one of the things you know that I can say is I never really I didn't really practice yoga, but something about Pilates spoke to me and that has been huge when it comes to just keeping myself focused.

Yeah, I think it's very important to just have those specific outlets, as well as just having a group of what I call more people. These are people who are going to be there for you during the highs or the lows, people who you can really go to and you can just tell them how you're feeling. You can communicate with them, they support you, they give you ideas. To this day, you know, even when I'm making decisions I will call agents on my team individually be like, Hey, Taylor, like what do you think about this? Hey, Caitlin, what about this and they're like, they love that I trust their opinion, and I trust their judgment. and I'm just offering you know, looking for advice. and so I do think that people that you surround yourself with really do help.

That's probably one of the hardest transitions I would say as you build your business and as you start going with you know, your life and be more successful. There's a lot of people from my past who I genuinely love. They've been wonderful to me, but I do believe in friendship. Everything has a certain season in life.

[43:34] VL: Oh my goodness, you have. You have taught us so much about ourselves connected into who we are: confidence, energy, stepping into being unique and different. I mean, what happened? What happened to us today? This has been such an amazing conversation. I feel like I could talk to you for hours longer. But I also want to respect your time. So before we get into the very last segment of today's show, let us know where we can find you. where we can follow you and how we can support your business?

Instagram | @mcleodandassociates

Website | https://shaemcleod.ca/

RAPID FIRE ROUND:

1. What are you currently reading? OR Favourite book?

SM: Oh, okay. Wow, David Goggins. So you guys, I grew up in a very tough upbringing. My parents were old school Jamaicans So one of the recent authors and I've taken a great liking to David Goggins, It is mental health. here's his ability to stay strong. and to just keep pushing through any set like hard, you know, circumstances admirable so, his book never finished. I read this for the third time and read it again. it's his newest book. Oh, my it is amazing.

AMAZON: Never Finished by David Goggins

2. What does “empowerment” mean to you?

SM: Empowerment empowerment to me just means taking things that you have the natural ability to offer to other people and sharing it? Whether that's builders time, success, stories, motivation, opportunities, empowerment to me, it's just taking all of those things and if you see somebody who is struggling or who could use a little bit of what you have naturally is providing a to offer.

You know, there's a little African proverb that says if you want to go fast, If you want to go far go together. So I believe in helping whenever and wherever you can.

3. What is your longest standing habit?

SM: Dirt biking. I don't know. there's the thrill for me and just being on the back end.

4. What are you currently working toward?

SM: What are we currently working towards? Well, my coaching program. So this is something that I offer, you know, being a realtor and being an investor focus realtor. I've spent hours talking to my clients mindset, talking to them about just short term rental coaching or investments. in general. I believe that, you know, the fastest way to generational wealth and the most sustainable way to generational wealth is through investing in real estate. and I spent hours you know, offering this service free to my clients and I had reached out to shoot, why don't you start a coaching program like you do this naturally. You're so good at it and so that is something that I am working on

It’s not just Real estate if you're a person who's just looking, you know, if you're in a rut and you're stuck, you're like, I don't know where I'm going with my life. I don't know what I'm doing. you just need that extra hand up. This is the kind of service that my mindset coaching offers. It is called life by design, coaching and consulting. and so yeah, I'm super excited about it. it's something I'm very passionate about, and I just wanted to take everything that I learned along my journey and share it with as many people as I can because I do believe in helping out, you know, wherever you can. So, yeah.

[50:47] VL: I'm so excited for you and I can't wait for that to launch and I will share all of that, like I said in the show notes. Shae, thank you so much for spending time today for sharing your story so openly for sharing such incredible wisdom, and I mean you're so young.

You're so young and I know that there is so much more you're going to learn and share and teach others with so I'm very excited to get to know you and to be working with you. I can't wait for your bright future.

SM: Thank you. This is an amazing opportunity that you know, I genuinely love talking about and so I really, I'm so grateful to have met you and to have been you know led to to exhale because I definitely felt that instant connection. I'm like, I like her like I gotta be her lots. This is so much fun. This has been like I really can't. I can't even express to you what coming into Pilates and learning and even just meeting you and learning more about your story has done for my life. So likewise, I appreciate you and I appreciate this amazing opportunity to just share my story and I hope to empower you to know some of your listeners and just be very glad to be here. So I'm excited to see what the future has in store and know what's going to be great and I'm very excited to continue my relationship with you and getting to know you better and seeing both of us thrive in our businesses.

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!