DiversifyHER
DiversifyHER
EP 40: I'm back! Reflecting on DiversifyHER Growth
Listen as Raven Heyward, founder and host of DiversifyHER, reflects on her journey with the podcast thus far. In this heartfelt solo episode, Raven opens up about the challenges of balancing college life, internships, and hosting a platform dedicated to empowerment and inclusion. She shares how taking time to pause and reflect has helped her realign with her purpose, set intentional goals, and move toward the next level of growth. Tune in for an honest conversation about the ups and downs of juggling multiple commitments and the importance of giving yourself grace while pursuing your passions.
4o
Hello everyone and welcome back to Diversify Her. I'm your host, draven Hayward, and today's episode is a little different than normal. It's just me, no guest, no interviews, just a solo episode where I share some personal reflections and updates on where I've been. So, first of all, I want to thank you all for tuning in and sticking with Diversify Her.
Speaker 1:This platform has been a passion project of mine since the beginning. I started it actually the summer after my junior year in high school, because I took an AP research course where I wanted to know more about the effects of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, specifically on Black women in corporate America, and from a lot of those discussions I heard that, you know, the companies were making efforts. They did feel that there were spaces created, but they didn't think that the topics were talked more enough about and it just started with education. So that began me wanting to go on a journey of just learning more about it, and so I came upon the idea to start a podcast, and I've been involved in doing episodes. This will actually be my 40th episode, which is crazy to think. And so this platform, like I mentioned, it's been a passion project of mine since the beginning and it's something that I've always been proud of. But if I'm being honest, balancing everything college schoolwork, my extracurriculars and this podcast it's been a journey of its own. So let's dive in. I have not posted since July, so where have I been these past few months? They have been a whirlwind between being a junior at UNC, chapel Hill, interning, wanting to stay involved in leadership roles at my university and just managing life in general.
Speaker 1:It felt like there weren't enough hours in the day, if I'm being completely honest, and on top of that, trying to plan, record and edit the episodes while delivering meaningful conversations. It felt overwhelming at times. So I found myself in a cycle of over committing and trying to do it all and then feeling guilty when I couldn't meet my own expectations. So I had to step back for a moment, not because I was giving up on this platform, but because I wanted to give myself space to reflect. So that pause, it gave me time to think about why I started Diversify Her in the first place, and it was meant to empower and to educate and to inspire, and I realized that I needed to realign with that purpose myself, because it got to a point where I was just thinking okay, I need to push out an, because it got to a point where I was just Thinking, okay, I need to push out an episode, I need to push out an episode, but I didn't really give myself time To think, okay, what Is do I think would be a great episode right now, what do I think the world needs right now? And sometimes my episodes would be like that, and other times I would find an amazing guest. I would be excited that he or she agreed to be on the show, but I don't think I put my full effort into those episodes, sometimes because I was just so focused on wanting to get content out. So I also reflected on what I needed to do, not just as a podcast host, but as a college student and young professional trying to make an impact.
Speaker 1:So I've set goals for the new year and I'm moving forward with intention. That word intention it's really been guiding my guiding light lately, because you know, it's easy to get caught up in the chaos, but when you approach your work, your relationships and your passions with intention, it feels different and you're not just going through the motions, but you're setting yourself up for progress and for growth, and that's exactly what I wanted this podcast space to be so with my goals for the new year, one of my biggest goals is to take diversify her to the next level, and that means being consistent with my episodes, bringing on more impactful guests, potentially having some videos with some of my episodes. I know, typically I just give you guys audio, but I think, moving forward, I would love to have a visual component and also just making sure that the conversations that we have on here are ones that truly matter. But it's also about pacing myself. So another goal is to prioritize my own well-being, and that means being okay with saying no sometimes and taking breaks when I need to and celebrating my small wins along the way.
Speaker 1:And, lastly, I'm focused on setting up my long term vision. I don't just want to succeed in the moment. Of course, I want to celebrate those wins when I do succeed in the moment, but I also want to look ahead and I want to create something that lasts and has longevity, whether it's in my career or my podcast or the way I show up in the world. But I want to truly work on building a legacy. So I've set all my goals, but now is the real task of how I'm going to balance it all, because even listening to my past episodes with my guests, of course you know they talked about how it's not always where you end up, but it's the journey and learning to extend yourself grace. That's something that I continuously talk about and I won't lie, having to balance college and this podcast is still a challenge that I face myself, and some days are better than others.
Speaker 1:But one thing I've learned is that balance isn't about doing everything perfectly. It's about prioritizing. What matters most, and that's something that I found myself struggling with is being a perfectionist, or having an episode and not necessarily feeling like it's perfect, or even with an assignment, not feeling like it's perfect. And these goals that I set for myself, these expectations that I have sometimes, you know, I don't necessarily have them as a smart goal per se. So for anyone listening who's juggling multiple commitments, I see you, I get you, and it's hard, but it's also so rewarding when you want to give yourself grace and keep moving forward. So I've started breaking my goals into smaller, actionable steps. So, instead of just saying I want to grow my podcast, I ask myself okay, what can I do this week to make that progress, whether it's planning for another episode or reaching out to different guests or doing a poll on my podcast Instagram page just to see what my listeners, what you guys, may want to hear next. So just taking the time to rest as well, so I can show up as my best self and moving forward. So what's next for Diversifier, I'm really excited to bring you all some fresh content, more solo episodes like this one and guest speakers who align with our mission, and I want to be a space where we can grow together, where we talk about diversity, professional development, all the ups and downs and trying to make a difference in the world. I also want to continue to get more guests that are part of Generation Z.
Speaker 1:I go to a university with some amazing people, and I was even just telling my parents about this earlier. You know, college is one of the few times in your life you're gonna truly be surrounded by like-minded individuals and have such close access to everyone. Because we're all on campus, we all sometimes have similar schedules. You can easily just send an email or dm someone on instagram asking if they can get together and do something, and so I really want to take advantage, with these next three semesters that I have left as a junior, and this summer I'll be interning with visa on their consulting and analytics team. I'm super excited to be in in Atlanta this summer. I'm going to once again be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals that are doing amazing things out in the world, and I would just love to get the opportunity to talk to them. And if they could come up and share their journey and whether it's only helping me or just one listener out there, I think that it's going to be a lot of fun. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:That's incredible and that's something that I've gotten compliments on all the time with my episodes of how you know I don't do this for money. It's not like this is a job. It's truly a passion of mine and I really do love doing it. And I noticed that the period of time where I wasn't doing this last semester, I found myself kind of getting in a grunt. I found myself kind of getting in a grunt and I didn't necessarily know why. But now, once I did reflecting, I know it's because I missed doing my podcast. I missed being able to meet incredible guests and be able to edit the content and put it out and see how everyone engaged with it. And so if there's one thing that I want you to take away from this episode, it's this Growth is not linear, and it is okay to take your time. It's okay to take breaks to reflect and to come back stronger, and what matters is that you keep moving with intention, even if it's one small step at a time, and especially with this new year 2025,. I have my vision board that I've created for myself. My friends, they've all heard about my goals and my plans. I have a great support system, so I know that I'm definitely going to be able to accomplish my goals this year, but I also know that that does not come without work and sacrifices and, like I said before, knowing when to say no, and something that I think is really important, especially as a college student.
Speaker 1:This semester, that I'm practicing is just more discipline. I've been waking up early in the morning and going to the gym, and that just allows me to start my day off strong. My workout's already out the way, you know. I don't have to worry about working out for the rest of the day. So, once I go to class and I go to my meetings and I do my homework and I make myself dinner, it's not an afterthought of oh, I need to go work out, and it's also a great time for me to just clear my head and plan out my day.
Speaker 1:And another component of that as well is, you know, sometimes those hangouts I can't necessarily go to, or you know, even at certain times if there's an event going on but it might be past eight o'clock, I don't know if I'm gonna make it out, even if it is on the weekend. You know just having to really set boundaries and stay consistent with those boundaries and stay disciplined. And I saw a quote somewhere I cannot remember where I saw it, but it said that discipline is the highest level of self-respect. And that really stuck with me because it is so true. It's so easy to say that you want to do something and plan it out, but what really pushes you there and what really helps you accomplish your goals is how disciplined you are and how you stick to your plan, even on the hard days. And that's not saying that you can't instill in yourself grace or take moments to reflect or take small breaks, but in the end it really is about the consistency and knowing that at the end of the day it's going to be so much more worth it.
Speaker 1:So I want to thank you all for letting me share my heart with you today and to have a vulnerable moment. I know something that I struggle with is I always want to present the best of myself and always seem perfect, and no one's perfect. I know that that is not the case, but it's really hard to get on here and, you know, sometimes admit your faults or tell you guys, you know I have not tell you all that I have not posted, and you know, just take that moment to really sit in that self-reflection. So if this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. So please send me a message, share it with a friend, or even take a moment to reflect on what intention means for you in your own life. And, as always, thank you for being a part of the diversify her community. Until next time, stay inspired, stay and keep diversifying the world around you. Thank you so much. I'll catch you all next time on Diversify Her.