003 Elevate Your Life - Host Interview
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J.E. Harrison: [00:00:00] Hey y'all. Hey, it's JE and today's episode is gonna be a little bit different since we are in season one of the Elevate Your Life [00:01:00] podcast.
We're gonna do an episode where you get to know me a little bit better, and my producer Joe is gonna throw some questions at me and I'm gonna answer 'em so you can get to know me. Much better.
Joe Woolworth: . /For people meeting you for the first time through this podcast, who is JE and what is Elevate with JE all about?/
J.E. Harrison: Wow. So JE Harrison is an entrepreneur, a professional, a minister of the gospel, a high achieving woman. All things about purpose and faith and community. Elevate with JE actually started as a vision about. Six or seven years ago when I was already working with a lot of high achieving women that were stuck in their purpose and they were trying to figure out how do I merge or find the synergy between all the different components.
That I am. And so after working with all of these women, I realized that there are other women that need a community like this to help them figure out, you don't just have to be [00:02:00] this, you can be this and you can be that. You don't have to compartmentalize your greatness or your purpose because all of them come together in the uniqueness that is you.
So helping women to be able to understand that, recognize that own that, walk in that, and to be unapologetic about it.
Joe Woolworth: Did you always know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur or was that kind of a surprise or a twist at some point in your journey?
J.E. Harrison: Wow. Interestingly enough, I think I've always had entrepreneurial tendencies, even as a child, but didn't recognize it.
So as a young adult, I'm the oldest of three, and so I would always get my siblings together and say, Hey, let's do this. Let's sell this. Let's. Start a mime group which we actually did and we were, Joe, you're laughing, but we were, we were highly sought after in Scotland, Robinson, and Richmond counties.
Okay. So we started, started. Did you have like the white gloves and everything? We did. We had the white [00:03:00] gloves. Did you ever do like the
Joe Woolworth: black light thing where we took the gloves? Just a bunch of floating hands.
J.E. Harrison: That is. Funny. Yeah, no, we had the white gloves, we had the face paint, we did all the things.
And we got invited to events, youth events, church related events, community wide events, and we were miming all over the place. And of course, you know, people were giving us offerings as a result of that. So it hasn't been one of those things that. Was foreign to me. I think just in my adult years is when I started to realize, hey, this is something that you're actually really good at.
So I also have another business called dainty Lady, where I sell clothing. I. Lap scarves. I've done that. I actually had an online boutique, so we're in the process of rebranding that now. So yes, I've always kind of had this entrepreneurial spirit, and so that's just one of those things that's always been kind of like a driving force to me, right.
Because of the freedoms, the flexibilities that [00:04:00] being an entrepreneur provides. You know individuals and when you are a creative, it's difficult to take all of those things and just put them into one box or just put them into a nine to five job, and then you feel drained because you have no additional outlet to be able to pour out that creativity.
Joe Woolworth: Yeah, for sure. I wanna dig in a little bit to like your current work, what you're doing at your job. Now. I got a bunch of questions for you 'cause I'm curious. Yeah. What kind of transformation do you help your clients achieve? Like what? What's it when you do this, you're like, man, I'm winning.
J.E. Harrison: Yeah. You know what?
I love that question. I have. So many testimonies of women that have come to me because they have been fully engaged in ministry, right? They've given their life, their time to ministry, but then being able to realize how do you take this ministry that they already have, they're already functioning in, and be able to.
In a lot of ways expand [00:05:00] and monetize it, right? Because what I learned is that a lot of women were feeling drained because they were like, okay, well I have to do this nine to five, but then after my nine to five, then I'm functioning in this and not realizing you can take what you really do, what you have a passion for, what you're good at, what you are anointed and gifted for, and you can also put a strategy and a business plan around that.
And use that to be able to fund your life so that you enjoy what you're doing right, where your purpose and your finances, they can all come from the same place. Just one testimony that just comes right off the top of my mind. I one of the young ladies that was a part of my last cohort of the elevated woman, you know, she was dealing with depression she was having a lot of health issues.
She was trying to pivot in her career just because it was just like very draining for her. And I actually saw her at an event a couple of weeks ago, and she came up to me. I did not, I did not even recognize her, Joe, because number one, [00:06:00] she had gotten in, gotten into the gym. She had a personal trainer. She looks absolutely amazing.
She's pivoted into doing her own business now. She's functioning in ministry and she doesn't feel drained because she's actually doing what she loves. So these are the type of transformations that I've been able to see with women and can I tell you what I love the most? Mm-hmm. Even though I tried to put a demographic on the women that I was working with, I'm realizing I have worked with women from their early twenties through women that are in their sixties.
Joe Woolworth: Wow.
J.E. Harrison: Yeah. And just to realize like, wow, it is never too late. To realize the way things are going is not what I want. It's not the trajectory that I wanna continue to operate in. So I can do something to change it. And sometimes you need someone on the outside to say, Hey, this is where you're stuck, so let's get beyond this stuck point so you can get beyond, get to your best point.
Joe Woolworth: I imagine with a lot of your, your [00:07:00] clients and the people that you coach and coming from a ministry background mm-hmm. That it might be challenging for them to hear the word like monetize. 'cause it has all these negative, it can have negative connotations. And sometimes, I remember I was, I was at a church conference thing once and oh man, what's the name of the pastor from World Overcomers in Durham?
He, he was speaking
J.E. Harrison: now, Joe, you know, I just moved to the area, so I don't know anybody yet. It's, it's a
Joe Woolworth: large church in Durham. Anybody that does, I think his name's Andy. Anybody that's listening that knows is gonna be his name, whatever, Joe. Okay. But him, and
he was talking and it was one of the most insightful things. He was, he was, it was talking to a group of pastors and he said, Hey. Let me ask you guys a question. How much money should your pastor make? And nobody wanted to answer the question and he said, I'll tell you the answer that most people have and we don't want to hear it.
But the answer most people have is, as long as you don't make more than me, I.
J.E. Harrison: Wow. You know what? I can't say that, that is surprising to me. My pastor, the honorable Bishop, SY younger he has been my pastor all of my [00:08:00] adult life. He's, I've often heard him say that your pastor should make the median of what the congregation brings in.
Okay. 'cause you don't want your pastor to be, you know, struggling and not able to put their focus on the things of God. But then you also, like you, you should want your pastor to be blessed, right? Yeah. It's like, according to the scripture, the blessing, the oil flows from the head down. I wanna see my pastor blessed.
I wanna see my pastor, you know, living in the best, driving in the best. But you know what that also comes with, when people can see that it's not just about the pastor having the best, but that the pastor also makes sure that there are resources and there are avenues available for people that do need support in and without the, the congregation.
Right? Yeah. So it's, it's sad that a lot of people have that mindset. But to circle back to your original question, the Bible lets us know that a [00:09:00] workman is worthy of their hire. Right. So to monetize your gift, of course. Absolutely. Anytime somebody comes and speaks. For example, I'm also a speaker. I've been privileged to speak on secular stages and Christ-centered stages, right?
When I go to secular stages, they never. Ever wonder, oh, are you gonna ask us for an honorarium or are you gonna ask us to pay you? I never get that question from them ever. But for Christ centered events, it's like, well, we can't, you know, necessarily afford this X, Y, Z. And I'm like, overall we have to do better, I think as believers is making sure that we're prepared when we're asking people to come in, when we're asking people to pour into our congregations or our leaders or whatever the case may be, prepare for them to come and don't just expect for them just to do it for free.
Right, right. Because my bills have to be paid too.
Joe Woolworth: Right. His name was Pastor [00:10:00] Andy, Andy Thompson. I looked it up. Okay. Okay.
J.E. Harrison: So do a lot of your clients, is that a mental roadblock for them? And how do you help them with that? Yes, it is a mental roadblock for them because we have been conditioned that, oh, if it's ministry, then we should just do it unto the Lord.
You absolutely should do it unto the Lord. You should do it unto the Lord in excellence. And a part of doing it unto the Lord in excellence is making sure that you're not stressed. About how your car note is gonna get paid after you get finished pouring into the people of God.
Joe Woolworth: Yeah. Two things can be true.
J.E. Harrison: Absolutely. Absolutely. And so because of that, helping them overcome that roadblock, I tell them like, listen, don't be out here asking for something that honestly. You haven't ascended to that place professionally yet, right? Like I would not go to a particular company and say, oh, you have to pay me a hundred thousand dollars for a 25 minute keynote.
I'm not there yet. I'm not John Maxwell. I'm not TD Jakes. I'm not at that [00:11:00] place yet. Right? So making sure whatever your price point is, be reasonable. Don't cheat yourself, but also. Don't be cocky about where you are professionally. And I help them with that. I have them to do research on people that are already doing what they want to do.
I have them to look into you know, like the secular arena. If they were asking them to come and speak for a certain amount, how much would that be? And then I also ask people, talk to the event coordinators. Ask them what their budget is, right? Yeah. We don't have to just blindly go for a number. Have a conversation, ask them what their budget is, what can they afford?
Because I'll be honest with you, there have been times that I have set a particular amount or honorarium, and they say, honestly, we can't meet that. Okay, that's fine. What can you do? Right? So always being open, open and being negotiable because that also leaves an open door for the next time and the next time [00:12:00] they might actually be able to meet your honorarium.
Joe Woolworth: there's many speakers that I've seen that just speak and there's, there's many coaches that I've met that just coach. Mm-hmm. But you offer strategy. A community and coaching is there, is there a magic sauce that comes together when all three of these come together?
J.E. Harrison: Yeah. You know what that magic sauce is? Being able to fully own who you are, without apologies. That's been the thing that I have been able to, number one, apply these things to my own life, right? So I'm not telling people or telling women something that I have not done myself. So being able to understand who you are.
Getting out of your head and not allowing that imposter syndrome to take over, to stop comparing yourself to other individuals to stop being overly critical of yourself. Like, oh, well, once I get my teeth fixed, once I lose this amount of weight, once I, you know, get the right outfit and the right makeup artist, like.[00:13:00]
Listen, all of those things are superficial and although you have a plethora of coaches and speakers, what they do not have is your uniqueness. Yeah. They do not have your unique point of view. They don't have your history, your background, your perspective. Right. They have not gone. Through all of the variables in life that have made you who you are, and that's what the secret sauce is.
I don't try to tell them to be like me or to emulate this person. No, you take all of your life experiences, you take your passion, you take your purpose, and you allow that to be cultivated. But one thing that I really love so much is that, listen, I'm not telling you, oh, well just do this and do that. I'm telling you to make sure that everything that you do is rooted in scripture.
Regardless of where I go, any sessions that I do, even if they are in secular arenas, I always let them know there is going to be a core that is based in scripture. [00:14:00] Now, I might not say found in Romans 12 one, but I might say you have to renew your mind. You know? Yeah. So there's always gonna be that core and that foundation for anything that I do, so, because that's what has worked for me.
Right? Yeah.
Joe Woolworth: Yeah, I think you gotta be authentic to, I mean, if you're doing, if you're talking about stuff, there's so many, I feel like there's so many coaches and I get, I get a lot of this 'cause I'm a business owner. Mm-hmm. And I don't know if your algorithm is filled up with like, I can get you 48, oh my goodness, blah, blah, blah.
All the time. And it's very frustrating because you want to be like. Are you in the trenches? Like, are you doing this or is, are you just selling lead gen? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Because I'm out here trying to make this work. you, you were talking about what makes people unique, that [00:15:00] differentiator for people.
Mm-hmm. You use the phrase a lot showing up as the version of you who gets it done.
J.E. Harrison: Yeah.
Joe Woolworth: What does that actually look like in real life? Is that, is that one of your big ideas?
J.E. Harrison: You know what? It is one of my big ideas. So right now I am kind of in this phase where I'm telling my family and my friends welcome to JE 4.0.
Okay. So I am constantly evolving, changing, learning, putting myself in spaces, in rooms. And what I mean when I say those things, I'm like, listen, get uncomfortable. When I find myself at a place to where I am too comfortable, I'm looking for ways to become uncomfortable. Because that's how you grow, right?
Yeah. This right now for me is uncomfortable. You know, like I think I mentioned even in the intro that this is something that I've been bouncing around for the last two, three, maybe even four years at this juncture. Yeah. And I finally decided, Jamia get uncomfortable
Joe Woolworth: to show up as the version of you who gets it done to gets.
J.E. Harrison: Said, done. And this is a prime example of what [00:16:00] it looks like to get it done, to show up, to book the appointment, to make the call, to go sit down to, to look at your finances and see what you need to do to see what you might need to cut out in order to afford or to. Fund the next phase of getting it done.
Yeah, getting a mentor. So that's what it looks like for me, right? We can put things on our vision board constantly. And then all you're doing is you're rolling them over from one year to the next year. To the next year, and I made a conscious decision. I am rolling nothing over from 2025 to 2026. I am going to get it done, Joe, even if I am uncomfortable, even if I am unsure.
And even if I am afraid.
Joe Woolworth: That's great. It brings to mind like all the, like the great quote from Disney, like the hardest part of anything is starting. Yeah. Or there's a, James Clear wrote a book, it's, it's a lot about brain science, but it's called atomic Habits, and he was talking about how important it is just to do the first thing.
Mm-hmm. If your problem is going to the gym. Do the first thing and you'll probably go to the [00:17:00] gym. So he is like, the first thing to go in the gym for me is put my shoes on. Yeah. So if I put my shoes on, I'm probably gonna go to the gym. Yeah. But yeah, you gotta get started for sure. Absolutely. Absolutely.
So as you continue to work with people and coach people, imagine fast forward and you've had a, you've had a great career, and if you could look back and be like, here's one thing that I did. What, what myth about entrepreneurship or personal growth do you wish that you could retire? Like it's just, oh
J.E. Harrison: wow.
That's a really good question. One myth about entrepreneurship that I wish I could retire is thinking that you are going to have all of the answers from the onset. Typically, in entrepreneurship, people feel like I have to have the perfect. Package. I have to have everything. The website has to be great. I have to show up perfectly.
I can't make a mistake. I have to have the pitch exactly down pat, like, no, you are going to perfect and evolve things as you grow sometimes and, and [00:18:00] it's crazy that I use it, but I say this often, sometimes you're gonna have to build the plane while you fly it. Mm-hmm. You, you just gonna have to figure it out.
And sometimes that's the best way to do, because truth be told, when will everything line up perfectly.
Joe Woolworth: Yeah.
J.E. Harrison: It's not gonna, it's not gonna happen. It, it's not going to happen. And also feeling like just because you have hit a roadblock very early on does not mean that's a sign to stop. So many people feel like, oh, I hit this roadblock.
Oh, this door didn't open. Oh, this funding didn't come through. So that's a sign that this isn't the right time, or this isn't the right opportunity. No, actually, maybe that's a sign that it's the complete opposite, that it is the right time, that it is the right opportunity, and that's why you're coming up against so much opposition.
Right. Especially as people of faith, we have to look at opposition as a conduit that we are headed in the right direction, right? Because the [00:19:00] enemy is not gonna say, oh, she's doing such a good job. She's knocking it out of the park. I'm gonna leave her alone. In this season? No. He was like, wait a minute.
She's finally discovering who she is. She's finally understanding who her God is. She finally has purpose. She finally can see clearly. She's finally spending time in prayer and in the word uhoh. Let me throw something in her way to deter her so I, so she doesn't get too far right? So understanding that hardship is not a sign to stop.
Hardship is sometimes a, a sign to go harder.
Joe Woolworth: Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. All right, so for, for people listening now, anybody listening who might feel stuck or unsure, what's, what's one small step that they can take today to move forward?
J.E. Harrison: One small step that they can take today is to understand and to realize that everything you want for you, God wants for you to.
I think when we realize that these [00:20:00] visions and the dreams that we have are not something that we just came up with. Because I know we like to thin, we think we are super intelligent and wow, we're just amazing and this idea came from me. No, God typically rides on the waves of our thoughts. So when you have these ideas, it's not necessarily, oh, I just came up with this.
No, maybe this is the idea and one of the plans that God has for you. So understanding that, and when you realize that like, no, I want this for myself. God wants this for me, so let me partner with God. Let me get in God's presence and allow him to give me a strategy that will catapult me and move me forward, and understanding that he really is with you.
He really does have a great plan and a great purpose for your life. That frustration that you feel is not just because there's something wrong with you. That frustration is God nudging you, that it's time to move in another [00:21:00] direction. It's him nudging you that it's time to do something different, that it's time for you to expand, that it's time to walk into whoever you are.
2.0 or 3.0 or 4.0 and not to say stuck in the same place and to get uncomfortable and trust that if he gave you the vision, he'll give you the plan and he will open the door.
Joe Woolworth: That's great. What's, what's coming next? What's on the horizon with Elevate with je?
J.E. Harrison: Oh man. You know what? This podcast is foundational to the expansion of Elevate Your Life and Elevate with je.
I have tons of things that I have before the Lord that we are bringing into fruition, and this is just the first step. So yeah, we're looking at doing some things in the fall. We also are launching toward the end of the summer, this. Elevate her one year coaching opportunity to work with me directly.
They'll definitely be hearing more information about that. I am taking this time and taking this space to almost in [00:22:00] call it my Esther year, if you will, that time where I'm pulling myself away, where I'm allowing the Lord to work on me, to press on me to get the best version of Jamia. Out so that I can go forth and do what he's called me to do.
Because could it be that we have been brought into the kingdom for such a time as this? And so understanding that this is the time. So people definitely wanna stay connected, stay on the lookout. Of course they can find me across social media at Elevate with Jade. E they can go onto the website@elevatewithje.com.
Hey, if you see me at an event, come and speak, I'm one of those people. I love to connect with people. I, I love to be able to engage with people, see how they are engaging with me, what they wanna see. But yeah, we have so many great things coming forth and I'm excited about it, Joe.
Joe Woolworth: If somebody wants to work with you or get involved in the community or, or take, take a step.
Maybe get coaching. Yeah. How, how do they, what's the next step?
J.E. Harrison: Yeah, the [00:23:00] next step, of course, you can go onto the website, elevate with je.com. I would recommend that you sign up for my free three day challenge. It's called the You Happen. E-course and throughout those three days, it's really gonna help you to understand and break down some of those barriers that you may have because all of the coaching in the world is not gonna help you if you are not willing to change and to grow and to overcome barriers that have hindered you in the past.
So go on the website, sign up for that. Three day challenge. And if I don't offend you too bad within the challenge, then come on over. We can work together a little closer. I tell people all the time, like, listen, I am not for everybody, but I am for somebody because I believe in you and I know the power of prayer, and I believe in all of the gifts.
All of the anointing and all of the talent that God has invested in you. And God wants a return on his investment. And so I'm partnering with God to help him get that return out of you. So yes, elevate with je.com. Sign up for that that e-course and you'll [00:24:00] also automatically be signed up to receive communications from me.
They go out every week, they elevate your life newsletter, where I'm providing tips, I'm providing strategies I'm giving you some sermon notes. I'm giving you all of these things that can help you continue to grow and elevate in your life. And as always, like I said, you could slide into my dms at Elevate with JE across all social media platforms, and that course
Joe Woolworth: is free.
J.E. Harrison: It's a free course. So what, what kind of stuff is in the course? Like if people sign up,
Joe Woolworth: what can they, what can they expect to hear?
J.E. Harrison: So when you get the, you happen video, e e-course, you are gonna get content that's first gonna have you to lay out a foundation of what has hindered you first. Because sometimes people don't understand what their hindrances have been.
So you're gonna be able to identify, yes, there are assignments within the e-course. You gotta do work people, you gotta do work. So within those videos, I am giving you some tidbits, some tips. I'm giving you some encouragement, but I'm also [00:25:00] giving you instruction and assignments that you will have to complete over those three days.
And once you get to the end of those. Three days, you're gonna see that guess what , it also helps me to be able to identify if you continue to work with me, where we need to start with you. Because some people already have a plan. They know what they need to do and they're ready to happen. They just don't know the next step.
And then there are some people they don't know, they're ready to happen. They've still got some work that they have to do within themselves, and so within that I may recommend, you know, going to therapy. I may recommend. Okay, well let's let, let's work on those barriers and that confidence piece with you because you're not ready yet.
So it helps me to also be able to understand where to start but it is just a great introduction to what it looks like to work with me.
Hey you guys. I pray you enjoyed this Get to Know Me episode. Thank you so much for listening. I'm looking forward to continuing to connect with you. Until next time, keep elevating. I love y'all.
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