Hi ladies! I’m Amanda Lauren. I’m a life coach, author, and founder of Reviving Radiance, and I’m so excited to meet all of you. I’m the woman ladies call when they’ve built a life that looks amazing on paper… but they’re starting to question whether it’s the life they actually want. I’m also the author of Rich in Self-Worth, Wealthy in Confidence, and through Reviving Radiance, I help women create the life and love they truly desire. I’m so excited to see you ladies at the conference in a couple of weeks! And please, if you see me, come say hi. Don’t just walk past me. 😂 Say, “Hey girl, what’s up?!”

What’s one mindset shift that’s helping you elevate this year?

A white man with a napkin idea gets funded faster than a Black woman with $100 billion in collective revenue. That’s not a funding gap. That’s a design. Rose Meta Morgan understood that. In the 1940s. She needed $40,000 to open her dream salon. Walked into a bank and asked for $25,000 — not even the full amount. Shrunk her own ask just to look “reasonable.” They still said no. So she did what Black women have always done. She found another way. She went to a banker she’d been quietly advising on Harlem real estate — for free — and leveraged that relationship into a loan. Then called on friends and family to close the gap. Not venture capital. Relationship capital. The only capital the system lets us use. She took that money and signed a lease on a rundown Harlem mansion so abandoned people called it a haunted house. On opening day, 10,000 people showed up. In the rain. Rose Meta Morgan’s House of Beauty. Three stories. 15,000 square feet. 25+ operators. Haircare. Facials. A charm school. A wig salon. The largest Black beauty salon in the world. But here’s what really matters: She didn’t just build a business. She built a payroll. Nearly 3,000 people over her career. Most of them Black women. She gave them jobs when corporate America wouldn’t give them an interview. A profession when the world said they were only worth domestic work. Then she did something that still makes people uncomfortable. She went from hair to capital. In 1965, Rose Morgan co-founded Freedom National Bank — New York City’s only Black-owned commercial bank. She invested her own money. Became a major shareholder. And every Thursday night, that bank held credit education sessions. Teaching Black families how to protect their credit. How to qualify for mortgages. How to become lendable in a system designed to exclude them. Not just “we’ll lend to you.” But “we’ll teach you how to never need to beg again.” From five dollars a week in a rented chair to co-founding a bank. And most people have never heard her name.

1. You’re going to act in alignment with your BELIEFS not your feelings. 2. You’re going to manage your emotions. 3. You’re going to keep your word even when it’s hard. I can’t tell you how many CEOs don’t keep their word. Their excuses lead them, NOT their commitments. 4. You’re going to work for as long as it takes to be great. Y’all, you’ll win if you just try in this season. And then go a step beyond average. 5. You’ll provide a great service. Create strong offers. 6. You’ll actually listen to the people you’ve entrusted to lead you, 7. Professional reputation matters so you’ll protect yours. Pay your bills on time. Be who you POST to be. Don’t make excuses, make a way. Now is not the time to be wishy washy. People won’t trust you. You can’t lead others when you can’t lead yourself so take care of you so you can lead well. 8. Nourish every relationship that matters and let go of people and things that don’t serve you. 2026 will be EPIC. There is literally nothing that can stop you when you’re focused.

I interviewed 13 of my Speak Your Way To Cash® Mastermind clients and then went to an in-person Bible study that I almost didn’t make. On the way, I listened to a lesson about the miracles of Jesus and the different types of miracles He performed. And He did it with ease because He was graced for it - built for it. I was sitting in the back of the car, eating a salad on the way to Bible study. I was devouring that kale salad, y’all. I told my driver that I was so sorry for being late and that I hated that I would get to Bible study late. He turned to me and said: “Ashley, ever since I’ve known you, you’ve worked hard. You have to give yourself grace. Eat your food and don’t worry about it. Anyone that knows you, knows you try your best.” Since I’ve moved to Atlanta he’s been my driver. In that moment, I realized why it’s important to have great people around you—people who can remind you that when you’re carrying a lot, you need to give yourself grace. My husband asked me why I did so many interviews in one day. And the answer is simple: I know what it feels like to invest with people, be brilliant, and they don’t share the mic. I also know what it feels like to have a coach that does share the mic—and who sees you. I much prefer the latter. I’m the coach that shares the mic. And I’m finally at the place where, even if I share my stage with someone and they don’t appreciate it, I still know I did the right thing by them. I’m the type of person that enjoys putting people on, lifting them up, and sharing where I’ve received great service. That won’t change. And I’m thankful that everyone on my business team and personal team is assigned to this mission—even my awesome driver. I’m also cognizant that I need a break, y’all. Like a real, long, solo break. And honestly, as a mom and wife, I still have a twinge of guilt about that. But despite that, after pulling back-to-back all-nighters, I booked a trip to Cabo to one of my favorite luxe resorts—just for me. I’ve been married since I was 22, and I’ve never taken a solo mini sabbatical. But I have to reignite my creative flow for Speak Your Way To Cash® Live. I need to see the water and ideate on my opening and the flow of this event—where 400 of you have already committed to coming!!!