00:00:00 Sana: For many entrepreneurs, the outside world is just sees growth, revenue, profits, expansion. But behind the scenes, behind those curtains, there's often a quieter story in their listeners. Pressure. Sleepless nights. Extremely difficult decisions. And sometimes the feeling of losing yourself while trying to build something bigger than you. So today we are asking, what does success actually look like when the cameras are off? When the deal closes. When the applause, applause fades. And when we talk about business, honestly, listeners, not just the strategies and the wins, but the mindset, the resilience and human side of leadership that really gets discussed.

00:01:02 Sana: So welcome back listeners. I'm your host, Sana. And today's conversation is about something, you know, honestly, many, many professionals are wrestling with, how do I build a successful, scalable business without sacrificing my well-being, my identity or purpose along the way? And to help me with this, my guest today, she brings a very powerful perspective to this. She is a real estate entrepreneur, speaker, and a mental health advocate who has grown businesses across multiple states while staying deeply committed to purpose driven leadership. Beyond the numbers and transactions, she focuses on helping people build wealth, resilience, and emotional strength through entrepreneurship and her work blends business strategy with something often overlooked in high performance environment, mental wellness, and human sustainability. So today we are going to talk about exactly what this blend is for. So listeners, let's welcome our incredible guest, Doctor Shanita Malka. So doctor, welcome to the show. And I'm really, really looking forward.

00:02:17 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Most certainly. Good afternoon or good morning, wherever you're listening from. I am Doctor Schneider and I am excited to join you all today.

00:02:24 Sana: Amazing. It's amazing. Okay. Um, Doctor Shanita, to begin with, I mean, first of all, um, the core reason behind, you know, so many professionals, they look out for entrepreneurship or they would like to start businesses because they want freedom. You know, the coming out of that nine to five hustle, they do not want to just, uh, work for someone else. They, they want to work for themselves. And that's that's actually a very brilliant step. But then at the same time, it's quite a challenging journey in there because ironically, many end up feeling more trapped by their companies than liberated by them. So from your experience of this, I mean, across multiple states or growing companies, where do you think entrepreneurs most commonly lose themselves?

00:03:19 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: That's a very complex question. I think that we should break that down a little bit. So you first touched on something that was very, very important. And what does it look like to build success without breaking down and burning out? And I think that that really starts with evaluating yourself. I think you mentioned that some individuals look like starting businesses because it's a freedom move for them. It's a power move for them. But it also could be a trap. And I was just having this conversation last week, and actually earlier this week when I was setting up an event. And some people look at success, meaning freedom, running their own businesses, but they forget that you actually put in more time and energy managing your own business, building your own business, then you sometimes do in working for another. So the mindset initially, you know, when I started evaluating because I'm operating multiple businesses, I have stable management, which is a full service asset management, project management and property management firm. And we do full renovations and constructions here in the US and Maryland, DC, Virginia, and Georgia. I also have a real estate brokerage, Sable Edge Realty. I have Empowerment Essence, which is my non-profit organization where we deal with mental health advocacy, mental health, wellness, and then also helping individuals find that balance because I'm a suicide attempt survivor. So that burnout and that breakdown really stands out to me, which is why I wanted to break this down a little bit more. And then I also work in TV and film, and then I also manage clients. So I am managing a a world of different businesses, but they all blend together. And the way that I have only been able not to burn out more recently because in the initial beginning, I was burning out because I was pouring so much into it. I was working a full time job, using that income to pour back into my own business. I had to do the research for my business. I had to develop the team for the business, the business plans. So while so many individuals may look at starting a business as a freedom move, I want you to change your mindset. When you're starting that business and understand that you're going into an operating mode, you're not just receiving a check anymore, but now you're generating income.

00:05:34 Sana: That's a very, very strong point to start with you. Yeah, I think couldn't be more simpler than than this. And this is something, you know, one particular thing that, you know, kind of struck a chord with me is many of these entrepreneurs. You know, they are they are maybe in the daytime, they're working full time jobs nine to five. And the income from their they're putting into their own business, uh, maybe freelancing or, uh, you know, starting a business of their own. And I have actually seen a few of my ex-colleagues actually getting burned out because of that. It can be very challenging. I mean, not only just physically, but emotionally, mentally as well, coupled up with the current economic challenges, the instabilities we have. So I really appreciate that you put the point very strongly in there. And yeah, I mean, you are in a lot of businesses, so there couldn't be a better, better person, you know, to address this question. Um, so doctor Shanta, um, um, was there any specific moment in your journey where you realized that business growth was starting to come at a personal cost?

00:06:55 Speaker 3: Yes. So I had to evaluate clients.

00:06:57 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: So initially. So the property management and asset management firm, as well as the real estate brokerage that started in twenty nineteen, that's the that's the newest business. And so when I first started this business, as most entrepreneurs, when you start your business, you want the clients, right? You want to get excited. You got somebody that's ready to work with you and you're ready to say yes. I was saying yes to everybody. I was trying to serve everybody. And that burnt me out because what I had to do was I had to take the mask off and evaluate myself and say, okay, who are the clients that I want to serve? What type of clients do I want to serve? And then what is going to be the boundaries that I set in working with my clients? Can they call me twenty four seven? Do I have set office hours because I was still working a full time job before I started this? So those are some of the things that I had to really evaluate. Um, one of the things that I had to do was be very honest with myself and I had to become very specific in my niche and the clients that I wanted to serve. So what that looked like was sometimes offloading some clients, saying no to some clients that we couldn't be of service to those individuals. Because when you're first starting out, you know, you're paying for multiple things that you're not, you're not going to necessarily recruit right away. You're paying for your licensing, you're paying for your business name. You may do a trade name. You're doing dealing with different softwares. You're trying to evaluate what platforms you need to be able to operate your business. Some individuals may have products where you're actually having to have these things, you know, built and or made. And so you're having to pay a certain amount upfront to get the product to make sure it's getting out.

00:08:29 Speaker 3: So it's about a.

00:08:30 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Lot of trial and error. And I went through tremendous trial and error when I was starting out, trying to serve everybody and saying yes and stop saying yes to myself.

00:08:41 Speaker 4: MM HMM.

00:08:44 Sana: That's kind of a not exactly counterpoint, but kind of a very valid question because, you know, let's say if as a I'm a first time entrepreneur, I just want to start my own business, I do not have any idea. I mean, yeah, I know the category. I know maybe it's a, it's a tech product or maybe it's a service. Let's assume.

00:09:05 Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:09:06 Sana: Um, but then I do not know who's my ideal client. Um, I do not know. Maybe what's, what's the, you know, in industry level, the category level pricing in there. Who exactly can be my ideal client? What kind of timelines should I put up there? So maybe let's do a quick trial and error and see. So, uh, what kind of, you know, is it possible that, you know, we can have a balance in there because we just want to get an idea, let's say, you know, same kind of approach. If we want to, uh, check for social media platforms or maybe marketing. What are the ideal channels for me to market in there? So what is it possible that we can have a balance in there without burning out ourselves?

00:09:51 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: You can have balance, you can have boundaries and you do not have to have burnout. When we have burnout, we have chosen to put something else in front of us that is more important at that time to us than our mental health and well-being. But what I like to remind individuals all the time is that the way that you show up in your personal life is the way that you're going to show up in your business life. If you're burnt out in your personal life, then you're not going to be able to show up and really function and be more effective and efficient in your business life. Some individuals are high performing executives, so they believe in pushing themselves beyond the basic limits. Those one percenters. And that's okay. That's great for those individuals, but they also have a specific time frame in which they're trying to achieve certain goals and master certain things. I believe that more individuals, your everyday individuals that are starting your businesses. Yes, you can have boundaries and still have a successful business. Yes, you can actually operate your business and still not get burnt out. Yes, you can actually do some time management and evaluate how you move. So let's talk about what that looks like. So you have your entrepreneur. You're the first. It's your first business idea. First of all, congratulations to you because it is not easy to start a business. It is not easy. You always say people say your first five years are the most difficult. I'm going to say your first ten years are the most, you know, most difficult. You spoke about capital and wanting to have a business and it being you, I'm giving you freedom. Well, why don't you start your business? The income that you receive for that sometimes can make individuals a slave to their own dreams, because now you have to keep that income coming. Now you're going to evaluate which clients you're going to continue to serve. What are you going to be doing as far as budgeting, how you're going to grow your business and scale your business? When when you're first starting, you're saying, I have this idea, what am I going to do? How am I going to get this out there to the masses? So how do we go ahead and level this out and make sure that we're not getting burned out in this practice? The first thing I would recommend is to actually map some time out. So making sure that you give yourself some clear deadlines. So let's talk about some of your actual smart goals. What are some of the goals that you have for the business? Can we lay it out, get do it over a six month time frame and then set some specific goals and tasks that you achieve in each of those months or weeks or days so that you're not in a place of burnout. Can we set ourselves up so that we can enjoy the small measures of success every day, as opposed to just celebrating that big win at the end?

00:12:25 Speaker 4: HMM.

00:12:27 Sana: Makes sense. Absolutely makes sense. And yes, I mean, it's it's really good to know that yes, it is possible. Um, and, and another, because, you know, real estate. I mean, you you are in that business, you are in that industry. And it's one of the most competitive industries out there. I mean, it's fast paced. It's high pressure. I mean, often very transactional volatile. So you talk a lot about building a purpose driven brand, but then, um, in industries where results and numbers dominate, how realistic is, is it for entrepreneurs to lead with purpose without sacrificing competitiveness?

00:13:07 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Oh, I love that. So yes, it is possible for entrepreneurs to move forward and make sure that you don't sacrifice yourself when you're building your business. I love this question specifically because it's something that I pride myself on. After you've worked for multiple organizations and you start start your own business, you're going to evaluate some of the things that they did great. You're going to evaluate some of the things they did not do great. You want to think about yourself as an individual. How was it for you when you worked there? What would you like to have different. And what are you going to offer different to your team? That's the first thing I did. I had to really evaluate what did I want my business to look like? I am not focusing. I know that a lot of companies focus on the numbers. They focus on the numbers and consider that the success. They focus on the numbers and consider that the employees productivity. The numbers are a result of the employees dedication and their belief in your systems, the business, the products, the tools. It also is a result of how they see themselves in your business. Do they see themselves as being valuable? Are they. Do they see themselves as being seen? So in my business, in real estate, it's very, very much competitive where most individuals are just looking to have a deal closed, sell the clothes, the property, sell the property, lease the property, develop a property, move on to another. We look at community based. So I want to make sure that my business and my employees and my team members are actually feeling grounded in their business and also understand how much they add and the value they add to the business. So what that looks like are mental health days. My team gets mental health days. They get two each quarter. We also do different training and development activities and including breathing activities. So the individuals, because we're in real estate and we deal with such a high paced velocity of, you know, deals and numbers and working with a number of clients, whether it be owners, investors, our leaseholders that are renting from us, our clients that are buying or leasing from us because we're working with all these different individuals and it's so much energy that's coming in. Some individuals are more high demanding, and some are, you know, more passive aggressive, and some are just very calm. Some just want the education. So we have to make sure that we decompress each and every day and make sure that we're able to gear ourselves up to go back in so we're not burnt out. And so what that also looks like for my team and including myself is making sure that I do blackout moments. So I'm really big on time management and my mornings are my mornings, I believe, and this is a saying that one of my coaches told me if they don't pay your mortgage, they don't get your morning. So in the mornings, I must start with a balance. Because when we wake up each day, we're fresh and we're anew and we are balanced. And so now I want to go into my day setting the tone. And, you know, there's certain affirmations that I speak over myself, over my team, over my business, over our clients and those. That's how I set my day. So now as I'm going into my day and I'm dealing with all of the different persons, all of these different agencies, all of these different needs, I'm able to go ahead and compartmentalize certain projects and activities, prioritize those, and make sure that I schedule things. Time management is key in being an entrepreneur. It is key time management, being able to block off your times, set a specific goal, reach that goal. Take a moment, breathe before you go back in.

00:16:27 Sana: Absolutely, absolutely. And really love that clarity in that order because. if we talk about purpose, it's not about softening anything in your business. At least, you know, it's having that, that clarity that you know, you know what exactly you want. And when leaders know what they stand for. I mean, you know what you're standing for decisions. I believe often they become faster and more aligned as well.

00:16:56 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Most certainly. I believe purpose is the initial goal. So people say, start off with your why. Why are you here? Your why ties into your purpose. Why are you starting that business? What is the purpose of this business? What is the solution that it's going to solve? How it's going to help individuals? How is it going to help you? The reason that I started the real estate brokerage and then the well, I started the property management and asset management firm. First I started the real estate brokerage because I went through discrimination with some of my clients that I was trying to lease a home for, and they experienced a horrendous discrimination. So it made me want to change the face of real estate. And because real estate is such a male dominated world, having a woman step up to the plate and actually change the face and changing legislation and doing the advocacy and really setting operations, it's very different. So that was my purpose. So now every day that I operate, I operate from a, a place of purpose that I need everybody to be taken care of properly. I need my team members to be healthy. Um, I need my team members to know that they're not just working for today, but they're building for their future and their families tomorrow. I want them to know that they can still have businesses or follow their dreams outside of just working, you know, a full time job. There are so many different avenues to success for each person. The purpose really starts with the owner and the leader and making sure they identify the person, the purpose in each person that they have on their team. That's how you have that blended success and that when you understand your purpose, the purpose of each person on your team. That's when you have that blended success and there can be less and minimal burnouts.

00:18:37 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah.

00:18:38 Sana: And after all, you know, irrespective of any of the industry, you are working with humans, you know, whether they are your team members, your employees, your internal stakeholders, all your clients, your external stakeholders, you're working with humans. So that kind of clarity is definitely, definitely, definitely required at a leadership level. And one, one more thing that I, I must really appreciate in the doctor that you mentioned earlier is setting the right mindset in the morning itself, you know, because at that time you're balanced. And if you are, you are setting the right mindset from the beginning itself. I think the, the way you approach the unforeseen challenges throughout the day, or maybe those moments of anxiety or maybe, you know, a sudden, um, issue or a or challenge in there. You look at all those problems with a very different angle. Irrespective of whatever position you are in.

00:19:36 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Most certainly. I just want to remind everybody that, you know, the understanding of how to do something, the purpose of each person, again on the team setting those, those times in which you speak over yourselves. Because I have to not just do it in the morning. By the afternoon, I have to do it again. And by the evening time, I gotta decompress and do it again. Because you're going to go through challenges throughout the day, right? So you may, you know, encounter some things that are very much uncomfortable. And you're saying, why did I start this business? As many entrepreneurs say, I'm starting a business today. Many say I'm letting go of the business today. It's too much. Or I thought it was going to be faster income, or I thought I was going to be able to make people go into real estate because they say they want to make all these millions and billions of dollars, and then they get into real estate, they say, oh, on a current economy right now, my clients can barely afford to pay their current rent and they don't have a savings, and they're trying to evaluate how do I go from leaseholder to homeowner, or some are staying with family members, and they haven't had the financial literacy to be able to build themselves. I think that those are there's so many different things that come to entrepreneurship and things that we need to ask ourselves. So how do we maintain that balance without burning out? What boundaries are necessary? Again, going back to the beginning, what is your why and the purpose of you starting that business? If you know the why and the purpose of your life, then you it'll help you evaluate that. Um, I believe that it also ties into how you work with your employees and the mental stability that is necessary. So, you know, if you don't build on the emotional and mental and operational capacity to sustain your business, it will overwhelm you. If you don't have the tools, if you're not educating yourself, it will burn you out. If you can't understand that every opportunity, every day is a new learning opportunity. It will frustrate you. But what I will tell you is that the benefits from staying in, staying grounded, staying mentally well, taking the breaks, giving yourself a lot of grace will empower you to do more and serve more, and be able to better prepare yourself for the next ten to fifteen years. Because we're not just starting businesses today to have them close in five years. We made it through Covid and I'm thankful for that. Congratulations to all the entrepreneurs. I started my business right around Covid October seven, twenty nineteen. So many business folded. I thank God that I still have my business. That is the only reason I am still here and able to be successful. And I want every person that listens to this podcast, because I thank you for doing this for individuals, because they need to know the truth. We hear about the success and the joys, but we don't understand how to navigate some of those dark tunnels, or even how to get started and how to do maintain this without getting burnt out. So thank you for this, for this conversation. Hold on. Set the boundaries. Breathe. Breathe again and know that you are running a business for a purpose, on purpose. And please never quit.

00:22:49 Sana: That's so empowering. Oh, I mean, I hope more and more active, engaging, and effective conversations happen, especially around mental wellness, especially in entrepreneurship and leadership. And, um, of course, our listeners, they would like to connect with you. What's, what would be the best way?

00:23:12 Speaker 3: Sure. I would love to connect.

00:23:13 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: With you all. So you can connect with me on LinkedIn. It's doctor ASAP. You can visit Sable Edgecomb S a b l e e d g e. That's the real estate business, and I am on all social media platforms, from real estate to mental health. If you're needing help with setting up some boundaries, making sure your team is inspired to maintain wellness while they produce for you, please reach out to us. We do offer coaching and counseling and coaching, counseling and consulting for individuals that are starting, businesses, that are maintaining businesses, working with high executives to have high demands and are at that one percent. We want to make sure that you are here for the long haul and not just the basics. So please email me also at s m a l k I a at edu dot com.

00:24:08 Sana: Of course, that's not what I'll do is I'll have all the links mentioned in the show notes, uh, and the episode details. So just refer to them, find them attached along with this episode on whichever platform you are listening to this podcast right now. And honestly, listeners, you know, this conversation, I think it brings entrepreneurship back to something deeply, deeply human. I mean, behind every company, every brand, every deal, there is a person making decisions, sharing responsibility, trying to create something meaningful. And the truth is, building a successful business doesn't have to mean losing yourself in the process. I believe sometimes a real measure of success isn't just the scale or the valuation of the company you build, but the kind of person you remain while building it. So I must really, really thank you. This was such a passionate conversation. I really appreciate the insights that you shared from your life, from your journey, as well as for all of our entrepreneurs, all of all of our people out there. Thank you.

00:25:19 Dr. Shenetta Malkia: Oh, it's been such a pleasure. I thank you all for taking the time to listen. I want you to stay empowered. I want you to stay encouraged. I want your businesses to flourish. I speak life over your businesses right now. I thank God for opening up doors for you that you have not seen open. And if you need some more help in regards to real estate, please remember to grab my new book. It's on Amazon now. The resilient asset for those that are trying to start and work in real estate, and you need a foundation tap in. And we look forward to continuing seeing you rise.

00:25:51 Sana: Yes, I get get that added onto the show notes. Don't worry. And for everyone, if this conversation resonates with you, take a moment, take a pause, breathe. Take a pause to reflect on your own journey. What kind of success are you building and at what cost? And if you enjoy conversations like this, do follow this blend. Until next time. This is your host signing off. Thank you so much and take care of yourself.