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Power Your Research w/ Dr. Sheena Howard
Welcome to Power Your Research w/ Dr. Sheena Howard, hosted by professor, author, TEDx speaker, ghostwriter, and academic brand expert Dr. Sheena Howard. On this podcast, you'll hear how to build a big brand, build a community, and leave a legacy, as well as the many failures and lessons Dr. Howard is learning on her path from building a 6-figure business to $1M in net worth.
Power Your Research w/ Dr. Sheena Howard
Staying Motivated
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Leverage your personal strengths and maximize your existing resources.
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@drsheenahoward | Power Your Research
Power Your Research With Sheena Howard
Speaker 1When you think about all the things that you do creativity , your intellectual capital , your passion . What drives all of that ?
Speaker 2Oh , I want to be successful .
Speaker 1Period , that's it . You know what you want , and that's it .
Speaker 2I know that I haven't reached my full potential . Yeah , and because of that , I need to reach my work . To be stuck behind an academic paywall . I want to leave a legacy , I want to reach my potential and I want to change lives . This podcast , power your Research , is my attempt to help the smartest people in the world do that very thing . My hope is that you use the lessons I share to make more money than what your higher ed job can ever pay you .
Speaker 1I've done it .
Speaker 2My clients have done it and so can you . My hope is that you'll apply what you learn here and one day join the Power , your Research program where you can work with me one on one .
Speaker 1Thank you for joining me on this episode of For Our Edification . I'm Eddie Francis , and so I have to tell you . First of all , I am not in my normal habitat right now . Usually I'm at home doing this thing , but I'm on a lovely campus of Xavier University of Louisiana All kinds of stuff happening today , so you're going to hear some foot traffic and some voices in the background . Don't worry , there's Xavier rights . They're harmless . So I am pleased to be joined by . Dr . Sheena Howard Got to tell you about this . Last year I had the opportunity to join an organization , a speaker bureau , called Greek University . A group of people got up told their stories . One of the people who stood out immediately was Sheena Howard , because it's the story that you have , Sheena . And then also it is the dogged determination that you have to really really get stuff done , if nothing else . And I really have a thing about personal leadership and I thought about you and I'm like , yeah , yeah , I think this sister is going to be able to give us some good stuff . So how are you doing ?
Speaker 2I'm great . Thank you so much . I really appreciate that . It means a lot .
Speaker 1I'm humbled because when I learned about where you had done a lot of interviews of course I've seen Breakfast Club and I was just like good , I feel legit now . So first of all , let me just start with this , because you have so many cool things that you do , talk about what it is that you do and why it's important to you , because the work that you do is very important to you . So tell us about it .
Speaker 2Yeah , so two things really . So I have a company called Nerdworks , which is really just my personal brand , but it's a image activism and diverse storytelling company where I write for celebrities , CEOs and I used to say social impact companies , but really it's just organizations that can reach a big population across the world . So under NerdWorks I've written for the New York State Department of Health , I've written for DMC from Run DMC , I've written for huge international nonprofits . And then I also have an academic branding company called Power your Research , which teaches people with PhDs how to build big brands and monetize and leave a legacy . All that good stuff .
Speaker 1I'm laughing because I used to do higher ed marcom , so I can only imagine how interesting that work is .
Speaker 2Yeah , and as the years go on , like you know , just PhDs have a lot of limiting self-beliefs , a lot of roadblocks and mindset and just a lot of really things that are actually you know , I don't know , they just have a lot of work to do . So those are the two primary things I do . So of course under NerdWorks there's just kind of a lot of different monetization avenues , but yeah .
Speaker 1And you're a professor .
Speaker 2Correct , yes , that's a day job .
Speaker 1Yeah , exactly . Why is it that what you do is so important to you ? Because when people take a look at your social media , they can tell that what you do is extremely important . So why is it so important to you ?
Speaker 2people see my content . I want them to see the content on the day that they are second guessing themselves or feeling like giving up , or feeling not showing up , or feeling like they don't feel like showing up to this podcast , that they feel like nobody is listening to .
Speaker 2And so if I can motivate somebody to keep going on the day that they want to give up , I feel like I'm doing all of us a service to the world , because I feel like a lot of people are unhappy because they are not pursuing the dreams and goals that they actually want to be pursuing , and so . I'm here to say that you can continue to pursue your goals , and you should , and here's why .
Speaker 1Yeah , and you know I I have to tell I have been personally touched by a lot of your content , because there are so many times when , after leaving my last nine to five over a year ago , and I've been out doing business on my own for the first time , starting a company , the whole deal it has been terrifying and there have been times .
Speaker 1I'll be going through Instagram and then I'll see that Sheena Howard post and I'm sitting there going huh . Ok , ok , all right , ok , let me . Let me make this next phone call , you know .
Speaker 2Exactly . Yes , that means I'm doing my job .
Speaker 1You are . You are really , really doing it . It makes a big difference . Now , the reason that I have been so impressed by you , though , is because , when I got a chance to meet you in the summer of 23 , and we met with Greek University and everybody was telling their stories . You told your stories , and one of the things that you talked about was having endured domestic abuse , and I was just like oh , okay , Okay , she is coming back from a lot .
Speaker 1I was just like oh , OK , OK she , she is coming back from a lot , doing a lot .
Speaker 2And you talked about it in a TED talk that you did in 2021 . How did you make it through that ? Yeah , so in that TED talk it's called Three Truths of Self-Empowerment that Will Set you Free , and those three truths are really how I made it out of it . And then everything that comes with leaving an abuser and some people . You know a lot of people have interactions with toxic people , right ? Whether it's actually being in a relationship with them or just being with a toxic coworker , and you just know how draining that is Right . So I think just I've reported to several .
Speaker 2Yes , Right , and it's like you know how it messes with your mind mentally , and so I think these three truths of self-empowerment are what I learned through coming through the situation , and I do think they're relatable to a lot of people . So it was just really me understanding that this is not the end of my story . I had to remind myself of that every day . Sometimes , when we're going through things , we just have this cloud over us and it seems like that cloud will never leave .
Speaker 2But if you can just wake up every day if you're going through something tough and be like this is not the end of the story , right ? That was super helpful and instructive to me , taking my power back by defining my own story . A lot of people have a lot of opinions and they say a lot of negative things to you in your lifetime and sometimes these things are impactful . Even negative things that strangers might say to you that catch you off guard can be something that lingers . And just the other truth of self-empowerment is defining your own story .
Speaker 2Nobody gets to define your stories , and so in the TED Talk I give an example of being on a date with this guy . I don't even know this dude and we're just doing the kind of hey , where are you from ? Questions and I mentioned that my mother raised me and my brother and he looks at me and says I don't date people from single parent households . And it caught me off guard because I was like 23 around that time and I just I never thought about the fact that I was from a single parent household , like it never was the thing .
Speaker 2It was just like I had a loving parent , a great childhood . I don't have a single parent story of lights being off or right . I was raised in a house , right it was . My childhood was great , and so the reason why that comment impacted me so much is because it was something different than what I like . Nobody ever had pointed out to me that this should be a problem at all .
Speaker 2So when you have something that makes you stop and think like what ? Like I never . That really sent me down a negative path , because it made me think about oh , is there something wrong with me ?
Speaker 1Yeah , right .
Speaker 2And then I started to pay attention to all of the messaging around , the way people talk about Some people talk about single parent households . So this is why defining your own story is so important , because one stranger's comment should have never made me question everything , right , but it was so foreign that it stood out . So it did , and I think that just comes down to boundaries , right ? Self-esteem boundaries , just boundaries period , even when you're in these social media streets you can't let the things people say impact you .
Speaker 2right , people have different lives , different stories , period . And then the other thing is being the hero of your own story , which this just means we're all going to go through things and we have to be the hero of whatever the things are that we go through , because the other choice is just to be the villain . So how do you want to deal with the adversity ? Do you want to be the villain or do you want to be the hero ? I think being the hero and empowering yourself to be the hero is the better option .
Speaker 1So that's an interesting point .
Navigating Ego and Creative Flow
Speaker 1How do you know the difference , though , between being the hero of your own story and believing your own hype ?
Speaker 2Oh well , I think you get to believe your hype when you have evidence that you are who you say you are .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2So nobody can tell me that I'm not a good writer .
Speaker 1Right .
Speaker 2Because I've written at the highest levels . I think you have to outwork your self-doubt and have evidence that you are who you say you are , and you do that by just showing up every day and doing the work .
Speaker 1Okay , okay , that makes sense Because , look , being from New Orleans , I always have this joke that in New Orleans we are the heroes of our own story . But a lot of times it's hype . It is like straight hype , with some folks Like therefore , I've had people tell me like Eddie , you walk in a room , you need to let them know you own the room . And I'm just like , okay , well , okay , that's cool , I don't have a problem with that . What does that mean ? And what it means a lot of times is people are just like you need to walk in and you need to tell people . And they really mean that I need to walk in and tell people something that's going to make them know that I own the room and I'm going .
Speaker 1But if I own the room , I shouldn't have to . I'm not going to have to tell anybody . That's going to come from me . So to me , that's the hero of my own story . But then to me , you believe in your own hype . When you have to actually tell people , you're the hero , and that's why I always wonder about that .
Speaker 2I'm like what is that fine line for folks , man ? I think if you're grounded , you can be grounded in confidence without being grounded in ego . Yes , yes , ego is not even going to allow you to collaborate with people in a healthy way .
Speaker 1Right .
Speaker 2Right , and so I think it is just not allowing ego to take over , because while I know I'm a good , here's the difference . While I know I'm a good writer and storyteller , I know that there's so much for me to learn , so nobody can tell me I'm not a good writer , or storyteller , but I also know , oh my goodness , I still have to study storytelling . I still got so much to learn . I still have so far to go and growing as a writer . So I think you need those two things .
Speaker 1Yeah , it's like . It's like one of my favorite Eric about do lyrics . The man who knows something knows he knows nothing at all .
Speaker 2Exactly Like it was just , you know , I meet . I used to make content for writers specifically and my page wasn't growing and I realized it's because , unfortunately , writers think they know everything , like if you , if they published a book , they think they know everything they need to know , even though he's only sold like a hundred books , right . And so I had to open up my content not to just them , cause I realized , like they're not , like like I'm , I still take writing classes .
Speaker 2I still take right , even right , and a lot of writers , they're not still investing in the education of it , and so for me , there's no ego here . Where I try , I don't let ego get in the way of things . Hey everyone , real quick . I don't run any ads on this podcast , so I have to rely on word of mouth . If this podcast has helped you in any way , please share it with a friend and follow me , dr Sheena Howard , on LinkedIn , where I give more free content on building your brand as an academic . If you tell me you came to my LinkedIn from the podcast , I'll make sure I accept your request .
Speaker 1So , with all of the things that you do , all of the creative work , because your creative output is just ridiculous . And so , with all the creative work , how do you keep yourself going ?
Speaker 2I think that I don't overwork myself .
Speaker 1That's interesting because it looks like you do . I think if people look at it that's because people think social media is reality .
Speaker 2Yep yep , and so I listen to these podcasts of these really successful people who talk about 12 hour work days , and I just listened to a podcast with Simon Cowell , who he was saying like he would just work into the middle of the night and wake up and work .
Speaker 1And one of the things that these type of people always say .
Speaker 2If you notice when they get older they'll say I wish I didn't work so much . People ask me all the time how I get so much done . It's because I get eight hours of sleep and I don't work . I try as hard as possible not to work after 5 pm . First , of all my brain shuts off after 5 . Like .
Speaker 2I can't do anything serious after 5 pm . I have a child . I want to spend that time with him . So if I work for six hours , it's six hours like in the flow state . I don't need to work for 12 , because the six hours I'm committed and focused and probably getting as much done of quality as you would get in 12 hours Right , and this is something that I've always been good at . If I got three hours of time , it's focused , dedicated , quality time , uninterrupted , and that's the difference .
Speaker 2It's just that people on social media don't get the benefit of me sharing a lot of my personal life , the tea time that I do , the playing board games with my son , because that's just not a part of my content .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah , yeah , you mentioned the flow state . Talk about the flow state .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's just when you're really in it and you lose track of time and you're in a flow state . You might not even stop to eat . You got to remind yourself to eat . So I'm in the flow state most days because I also have dedicated time that I can work because I'm a parent and so I don't my brain again . My brain just shuts off after 5 PM and so get into the flow state during the day is important .
Speaker 2I know the times of the day that I am the most creative and can get the most output . If you don't know your times a day , you're pushing a boulder up a mountain , like . My time to be most creative is 10 AM to 2 30 PM . If I try to write something at midnight , it's not going to work . I'm going to feel like I have creators blocking writers blocking all of those things that I don't ascribe to , because I don't get those things , because I have a creator user's manual that has all this stuff written down , so I'm not doing things that are preventing me from getting into that state of complete concentration .
Speaker 1And you know you , you remind me
Unlocking Potential Through Personal Strengths
Speaker 1of . I saw a keynote address , uh , from a guy named Andrew Davis , a marketing professional , and one of the things that he talked about was don't work so hard to think outside the box . Figure out how you can think inside the box .
Speaker 2So how do you ?
Speaker 1how do you maximize what you already have , the resources that you already have with you , resources that you already have With you ? One of the things I picked up from you is that time is an extraordinarily precious resource . Yeah , don't waste my time .
Speaker 2Also , I don't waste time , Eddie . I don't waste time and I don't like people wasting my time .
Speaker 1Right , right right .
Speaker 2And also some of the things . If people can lean into the things that are natural to them , that would be sacrifices to other people they would get really further ahead quicker . There are some things that are natural to you that I might think is a sacrifice , and so if you can lean into that thing and use that as leverage , then you can get really really far ahead . I can give you a couple of examples if you want , but I think that's really important .
Speaker 1I was going to bring up one of your Instagram posts . You talked about how much just a one-hour walk does for you . I'm just like huh she's working within her time and it makes her productive . I mean , is that one of your examples ?
Speaker 2For sure , because I can write a whole book in my head on a one hour walk . So when I come back from the walk all I'm doing is writing . I'm not thinking about what to write and I need to walk alone . So me going on walks with somebody else is annoying to me because I want to be alone , thinking that's not fun because now I got to talk .
Speaker 2If I'm walking with somebody else is annoying to me because I want to be alone . Thinking like that's not fun , because now I got to talk . If I'm walking with somebody else , I got to talk to them , so that's just me . But I know all of these things about me , so I do a lot of walking , miles , miles every day . I'm walking miles every day , yeah , because when I get to the computer it all comes out .
Speaker 1Yeah , because when I get to the stuff out and I'm just taking notes , or even if I'm watching a movie or listen to a podcast episode , I'm just like , ooh , something will pop up , and then I'll get my phone and just start getting notes in there , or something like that .
Speaker 2That's a good example . That's a good example of something you should leverage . Me getting on a plane is a sacrifice for me . I hate it . I will avoid flying at all costs . But if that's something that works for you , all right . So maximize flying and then maximize putting those headphones in so you can get the work done .
Speaker 1Yeah , right .
Speaker 2That's something that would be a sacrifice to me , but that is an area of strength that you can leverage for you .
Speaker 1And I really appreciate the fact that the way you frame it is what works for you is a sacrifice to somebody else . I think too many times , going back to social media , we will look at a social media post or we will look at some documentary and then we'll say , okay , that's what I got to do , not realizing that , well , that's what works for that person realizing that , well , that's what works for that person .
Speaker 2Exactly , yeah , exactly , and I feel like we try to replicate these other people's success plans and morning routines and like you got to create your own .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , yeah , like the people , like , if you're not up by 430 , you are a failure , and it's just like well , there are people who don't wake up at 430 , no matter what you do Exactly . My wife being one of them . Okay , that sister is not waking up at 430 to do anything .
Speaker 2Exactly so . You got to lean into your strengths .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah . Speaking of strengths , when you think about all the things that you do creativity , your intellectual capital , your passion , what drives all of that ?
Speaker 2Oh , I want to period .
Speaker 1You know what you want and that's it .
Speaker 2I know that I haven't reached my full potential and because of that , I need to reach my full potential . I don't want to not reach my full potential , and I know I'm nowhere near that , and so that keeps me going every day .
Speaker 1But then at the same time again , this is one of those things where you really have to kind of separate one thing from the other , because your version of success isn't somebody else's version of success .
Speaker 2Exactly .
Speaker 1And some people may not want necessarily success . They just say hey , you know what , I just want to be with my family and I just want that to be fun .
Speaker 2Yep .
Speaker 1And that's it . And if I can achieve that . I've achieved everything . Exactly Very important to create your own metrics of success . You know when you so , when you work with folks , especially when you work with PhDs . Are these the kinds of conversations you find yourself having with them Sometimes , when you say , hey , listen , whoa , whoa , you have your thing , let's work within your thing . Do you find that happening ?
Speaker 2The biggest part is mindset stuff for the people with PhDs . They don't feel like they have value outside of higher ed .
Speaker 2They're scared to ask for money . They're scared to charge what they're worth for speaking engagements . There's just a lot of fear because that's how the educational system trains you , and the longer you are in the educational system , the more you have to unlearn things if you want to go on this journey of doing things outside of higher ed and I don't say that as someone that doesn't believe in education , because obviously I have a PhD I absolutely believe in education , but I also believe in you doing the other education , of unlearning some of the things that the system is going to teach you , because I don't think they're helpful to you in terms of being a full human being .
Speaker 1Which is so ironic to me , because I mean , what less than 2% of the population has PhDs , and so you're talking about people with some of the most valuable intellectual resources and stuff that our society needs desperately , and yet they're sitting there going . Well , can I really do that ? And you're going ? Please do it .
Speaker 2Yeah , and this is getting a little more frustrating to me over time . I'm not going to lie . I've been running my Power your Research company for four years now and I am feeling a little fatigue around just constantly . You know every , every client that I work with is different , so they're all pretty much starting at the same point as the client I worked with before , but the , the , the , the levels of fear that they have are so significant and it bothers me because this is urgent , like we are in a time right now where , if you start your brand , you could really make it out here .
Speaker 2You can make more money than any university can ever pay you . The barriers of entry are so low . It's so much easier right now and it's just frustrating for me that I keep dealing with these PhDs , with these mindsets that are in the toilet because of higher ed , like I'm telling you , like I'm just like it's . It's very , it's very frustrating to y'all .
Speaker 1Not just . My wife has a PhD , so we have these conversations and I'm like you can do whatever you want . You really can .
Speaker 2They will come up with a bunch of reasons why they can't .
Speaker 1Yep , I have heard it . I have definitely heard it . So last question , this is something that I love to ask folks Um , and so let's say that , um , you are a sky writer .
Speaker 2Okay , and a sky writer .
Speaker 1Yeah , and you get to write a message in the sky for the edification of the nation . Whatever , whatever message you want . What would Dr Sheena Howard's message be ?
Speaker 2Be kind .
Speaker 1You're the second person who said that . That's pretty cool .
Embracing Kindness and Common Sense
Speaker 1I love the consistency among the folks I'm having on the podcast right now . That makes me feel special . That is awesome , isn't it so appropriate for where we are right now ? That makes me feel special , that that that .
Speaker 1That is awesome and um , isn't it so appropriate for where we are right now , like , yeah , just just be nice to somebody , act like you were raised right , just be kind yeah , and like um , I , I just , I even think just being kind is , we don't all have the same definition of that . True , true .
Speaker 2Or we're purposely not having the same . People are in such a dark place sometimes that they purposely create a different definition for something that is common sense .
Speaker 1Absolutely , Absolutely Well , Dr Sheen Howard , you know speaker , writer , author , culture critic , professor , all of that good stuff . Thank you so much for joining me for our edification . I really appreciate your time .
Speaker 2Thank you so much for having me you .