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The Estherpreneur is a weekly chat about doing business and life God’s way. Join your host, Edna Harding as she offers biblical strategies and practical applications to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as she talks with guests on how to thrive in all areas of life. Edna is a Wife, Mother, Growth Strategist, Author, Minister, Certified Maxwell Business Consultant and Executive Coach, an accredited Master Mindset Coach, and Speaker whose message of hope, truth, and wisdom reaches people all around the world. FavorandWealth.com Estherpreneur.com
Edna Harding [00:00:03]:
Welcome to Estrepreneur, a podcast for entrepreneurs and leaders doing business and life, God's way. Each week, we discuss biblical and practical tips to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as I speak with special guests on how to thrive in all aspects of life. Hi, I'm Edna. Like many of you, I wear many hats. I'm a military wife, mother, author, certified John Maxwell business and executive coach, trainer, and founder of Favor and wealth, where we help the good guys win. So tune in as we bring on the light.
Edna Harding [00:00:46]:
Well, hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Estrepreneur podcast. My name is Edna Harding, and I'm nothing but a messenger of life, hope and truth in the marketplace. And so if you're new here, welcome. In this podcast, we talk about business and life, God's way. And if you're returning, welcome back. All right, so today we're going to dive into something that's really been in my spirit for a long time. I guess not for a long time, for a couple years with AI.
Edna Harding [00:01:14]:
I mean, you see all this advertisement about AI all over our feed, our media. And while this is great, I mean, it's really helped me a lot as far as streamlining things, especially with everything that's happening, the changes that's going on in business and leadership and culture. I mean, like, AI is truly changing the game. I want to talk about that fine line between Bethel and AI because that's where we really going to see the true growth, right? The growth that comes from heavenly places. And so I want to begin with Genesis chapter 12. And essentially you could go there, but In Genesis chapter 12, if you read it, it just talks about Abram who becomes Abraham, and he basically pitches his tent between Beth and AI. Now, I know you're probably thinking, well, like, what does this have to do with artificial intelligence? I know, but I just felt like when I was doing, I was doing this, I. And just so you guys know, a lot of times when I'm sharing stuff with you, it's because I'm doing my devotions.
Edna Harding [00:02:21]:
This is stuff that I learned during my time with the Lord. So I'm just sharing basically what I'm learning, the revelations I've been getting in my journey with y'. All. So Abraham or Abram puts his tent between Bethel and AI. And when you look at it initially, it just looks like this is just passing a geographical note, like, for example, Ur or Gomorrah, which, by the way, did you guys know. Anyway, I'm not going to go into detail, I had another revelation about Noah cursing Canaan, which then if you just follow the lines, Canaan is actually Gaza. Well, Gaza. Yeah.
Edna Harding [00:03:02]:
Is that right? Gaza was Shem. Was it Shem? I don't remember. I'm not gonna. I'm not. I don't have it in my note in front of me. But it's just amazing how someone's words like Noah can really curse future generations ahead. That's a whole nother teaching in itself. Get back on track.
Edna Harding [00:03:18]:
Holy Spirit is like, get back on track, Edna. Okay? But it's not just about the name of a place. It's actually what those names represent. And I want to share that with you today. I hope this is appealing to you already. But when you understand what those names represent, you're going to see that the entire passage is a lot deeper than you think. So Bethel basically means house of God. And it represents presence, it represents intimacy, it represents worship, it represents vision.
Edna Harding [00:03:49]:
Right? It. It basically represents eternal impact. Okay. Or. Or what you would call legacy, right? What's going to happen after you leave? And AI actually means heap of ruins. Okay. Heap of ruins is a picture of what happens when we build on self reliance, human strategy or disobedience. Okay, now what is happening right now? What is AI doing right now to people? What do you think? I had this talk with a client not too long ago and essentially we talk about AI, how a lot of people are now hiding behind artificial intelligence instead of building genuine connections for their audience or building genuine connections with people.
Edna Harding [00:04:38]:
So they're good behind a computer, they're good behind the screens. But when it comes in person, they don't really know how to build relationships. They don't really know how to build genuine connections. And then on top of that you see a lot of business owners or even individuals who are basically relying on AI to do the work instead of a human. But the challenge with that is, let me just give you an example. So I know there was a specific instance where I was hearing where a lot of people aren't getting jobs or getting collected because I guess the AI technology would like screen to resumes. And they will, they will. Because it wasn't saying certain things, it automatically dismisses individual when in reality that person could be the right person for that particular job.
Edna Harding [00:05:37]:
So what's happening is instead of. Or another example could be. Okay, well instead of going to a real counselor, like for example a therapist or even a doctor were I remember so funny, fun fact or not fun fact, fun story. Because it's really related. So just. Just humor me. Is we. I remember when I was a new mom and my mom was there, and I'm like, she's giving me advice, and I'm Googling it, right? I'm Googling it.
Edna Harding [00:06:08]:
I'm like, well, I don't think that's right. So here I am depending on Google for how to, you know, do what to do for my newborn.
Edna Harding [00:06:15]:
Right?
Edna Harding [00:06:16]:
Instead of relying on wisdom from human beings who actually been there, done that, we're relying on technology to tell us what to do instead of learning from timeless wisdom. Right? Timeless people. So why am I saying this? Sorry, guys. My. My thing came out. I'm saying this because. I don't know, my screen came out. But that's all right.
Edna Harding [00:06:41]:
Get it back on here. Just bear with me, y'.
Edna Harding [00:06:44]:
All.
Edna Harding [00:06:47]:
Okay, let's try again. Here I am. Okay. And so this is what's happening, right? Instead of relying on the older generation or the generation that's gone before us for wisdom, we're relying on tech to teach us things. And we wonder why the state of society is the way it is. Yeah, I said it. Okay? We're depending on robots or artificial intelligence that basically scrapes the whole entire Internet, which, you know, is not always truthful and has a lot of data that is inaccurate to tell us or give us advice. Instead of asking human beings or asking God, first of all, like, I can't tell you how many times I would correct my clients and be like, hey, I know you're depending on AI for this business idea or this business plan or the market campaign, but I want you to.
Edna Harding [00:07:39]:
Before you go into AI, I want you to spend time with the Holy Spirit to download some strategies from him on what he wants. What he wants us to look like. Okay, so I love this part where it says, abram set up camp between the two. He set up his tent between both Bethel and AI and so he's not camped in Bethel, nor is he living in AI. He's in between. And in that place, he builds an altar. That's where he worshiped, that's where he listens, and that's where he prepares for legacy. But isn't that exactly what many of us are doing today? We're leading in a world full of AI.
Edna Harding [00:08:23]:
I mean, technically, both AI to city and AI to technology. Okay, meaning like self reliance as far as the metaphor, and AI technology as far as the tech. Right. It's easy to. It's easy for us to default into what's the latest and greatest. And I'm I'm a. I know. And this is one of my weaknesses, honestly, is like, I tend to buy.
Edna Harding [00:08:46]:
Like, if I don't know something about something, I'll just buy a course or I'll buy some program to it. So I just bought, what is it called? Content Creator, Some course that teaches you how to use AI, basically to make your videos look better, which obviously I'm not using it today. This is. This is the problem with me. I have all these courses, all these programs that I bought that I purchased, and I learn about it and I don't implement it because I'm like, oh, this is too complicated. I like to keep it simple. So you're talking to a simple Edna. Okay.
Edna Harding [00:09:19]:
All right. So back to what I was saying. So it's easy for us to default to what's trending, what's fast, what's automated. And hear me, my friends, AI is not bad. In fact, I'm a big proponent of AI. In fact, I use a lot of AI software. I give AI software to my clients. Access, right? Access to my AI software for sales and marketing campaigns.
Edna Harding [00:09:43]:
I have all of that. But the problem is, is, is I don't let AI lead, okay? I use it, I leverage it. But it's Edna that's leading. Okay. And actually who's leading Edna? It's the Holy Spirit. Because what happens is when we're building from a tool instead of from truth, we risk building something that may grow quickly, okay? But then there's no soul, there's no foundation, there's no roots and no eternal impact. It's kind of like when you, when you get overnight success, people. It's funny thing, this thought actually came to my mind earlier today when I was getting dressed.
Edna Harding [00:10:21]:
It's like you have people who get, let's say they become an overnight success, but they didn't have the character or the wisdom to handle the little success. And so that overnight success doesn't last. Right? And you could tell just by talking, even though they look good on paper financially, when you talk with them individually and you just hear them conversate, like they can't have a good conversation. Like they're. There's a lot. Like, it's very shallow. It's not deeply rooted. And I hope I'm making sense.
Edna Harding [00:10:52]:
My friends and I pray, Holy Spirit, that if I'm not, you will help me and you will help them on the other side. Hear what I'm saying. And so the real question that I want to ask you today, and this is going to be a Short one, because I am going to Florida tomorrow for a funeral. Yeah, that's another. That's another thing. But what are you building on? Right? What are you building on? Are you starting with presence? Are you starting with God's time with the Lord, or are you starting with pressure? Like, I have to keep up. I have to do this, I have to do that. I have to make it.
Edna Harding [00:11:28]:
And sometimes looking back at my life, sometimes they were from presence, and sometimes they were from pressure, okay? And the ones from pressure never really worked out, to be honest. It was a waste of money. But the ones that the Lord told me to do. And mind you, I got to say this, because I do this all the time. I'm like, okay, God, I'm going to get this. So if this is not your will, please let me know. And then you just like, kind of make a decision, right, Based off a feeling or hear a knowing. You're like, you hear God say, yes, go get it.
Edna Harding [00:11:56]:
When in reality, it wasn't God, it was your flesh, right? So I say this. That really taking the time to. What do you call it? Not deliver yourself, but just isolate yourself from the world, from the noise, from the pressure to really hear his voice. That's really going to help you identify what are you building on. Also, are you building from revelation or you're building from replication? This is really huge, my friends, because it's so easy for us to copy the person next door who is doing great, and we're like, okay, well, that worked for her. Or that worked for him. Let me go ahead and do that. But in reality, it doesn't usually work either, because, remember, we don't.
Edna Harding [00:12:42]:
We don't want to go play on level fields, right? The enemy is not going to come against those that are part of his team, right? Like, he wants them to win. You, on the other hand, he. He does not. So if you're copying someone that built something based off of revelation from the enemy, right? Or lies from the enemy, you're. You're. It's not going to work, okay? You can't. You can't replicate, and it goes vice versa to people who are trying to mimic those who are anointed. God gave them that idea, and then that other competitors are trying to steal it from them or, you know, whatever.
Edna Harding [00:13:24]:
Take duplicate it, or. So it's still not going to be anointed. It's not going to be favored because the idea was given to the child of God. Does that make sense? So it works both ways. And here's what I Know my friends, people aren't just looking for products. They're looking for clarity. Okay? So a lot of times we're thinking we're making a product as great as the latest, but they really want to know what exactly what do we need to do? They just keep it simple. They're looking for clarity.
Edna Harding [00:13:50]:
Okay? What is their problem, what is the solution and how can you do it? Okay. And they're not just buying programs either. They're also buying trust, right? I purposely don't do hard sales. I do soft sales. Okay? Meaning I give you a taste of what it can look like and I tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. Because most of the time when you are. When you are selling, when you're selling something, a lot of times you only talk about the good stuff, right? You never talk about the bad stuff because you want to play with their emotions, right? Get them the whole dopamine hit. But for me, just based on scriptures, God always told the truth with the hard stuff, right? With the, with the challenges.
Edna Harding [00:14:40]:
So, like the good, the promises and the hard stuff. So for example, I think it was. I don't remember. Don't quote me at this. Was it Abraham or Moses? I think it was Abraham. Yeah, it was Abraham. When God sent him to the mountain, he said, look outside, look at your, you know, there's the sea, the sands in the sea or sands by the sea. This is your inheritance.
Edna Harding [00:15:02]:
That is, this is how much people that's going to come from you. Then he talked about, he told him to look at the stars. What do you see? And he's basically promising Abraham that he's going to bless his people. But then in the scriptures, if you really read it, he even talks about like the hardships and they're going to be enslaved in Egypt and basically how they're going to be oppressed. And so God never only told. Didn't only. God didn't only tell the promises. He actually talked about the storms, right? And so this is really important.
Edna Harding [00:15:36]:
I think when you really see this, like, wow, so that's real sales. Sales is educating your client what the result they can get, but also the process that it takes, okay? That is true sales, okay? And that is not what's happening in the world today. A lot of times people, when you, when you, when you listen to sales folks or sales people pitching something, they always talk. They. They always talk about the good stuff. They never talk about the bad stuff. And that's probably why I don't get as much sales as I do, because I I literally paint the cost for my audience. I let them know, hey, it's going to be a heavy price, because once you go all in for Jesus, all hell breaks loose.
Edna Harding [00:16:21]:
You hear me say this all the time. And if you're my client, you know, I say this to you. In fact, I tell you guys, are you sure this is the road you want to take? In fact, that's why on my group growth mentoring program, I have applications. Application. I don't just take anybody and everybody because I realize that not everybody's paying the price. And mind you, my program isn't that expensive, but I still take applications because I want them to know that this is not an easy thing. This is truly a challenging thing. Does that make sense? Okay.
Edna Harding [00:16:49]:
And so. So, yeah. So they don't just buy programs. They're buying trust. And they don't just want fast. They want favor. And that's one thing that I can tell you with me is that I don't just get you there fast and quickly, which I probably could if I use the techniques of the world and everything. But I don't want to do that.
Edna Harding [00:17:10]:
I want you to have favor with God and favor with man, which means we're building this thing solid so that no matter what happens in economy, no matter who's the president, no matter what happens, you know, around you, whatever circumstances, it still can outlast the storms. It still will stand because you're building your business based on the foundation, which is the rock, which is the word of God. Okay? And my friends, I want to say that favor starts at the altar. It starts between Bethel and AI. Bethel was all religion, right? Was worship this and that. AI is. I'm sorry. Bethel was like comfort, right? My brain just go blank.
Edna Harding [00:17:51]:
Yeah. House of God. So comfort. Look, a lot of times, what you'll find. Thank you, Holy Spirit. And I was like, what am I. Where was I going with this? A lot of times what you'll find is people just want to stay in the church. They don't want to.
Edna Harding [00:18:04]:
They. They pray, they worship. They do all these things, but then they don't. They don't do anything with the revelation. They don't do anything with the ideas God give them. They just stay stagnant. They just sit there and wait on God. When reality, God wants you to step out in faith, and I promise you, when you step out of faith, it's not going to be easy.
Edna Harding [00:18:24]:
But when you do that, what happens is God can move in miraculous ways because you are a willing vessel. You said, here, I Send me and God will truly send you. And if he sends you, guess what, my friends? He will equip you. All right? So if this message starts something in you and you're in between that place, trying to grow your business without losing your soul, trying to start something based on biblical principles, start like you're, you're, you're following every single trend. It comes, like if you have some, you have so many, you have two parts move, like, pulling you, right? Like, I want to be faithful to God. I want to worship, worship, worship. God's giving me an idea, but I'm so scared I'm just going to stay here. And you had the other side, where I'm like, I'm going to go for this, but I'm not going to depend on God.
Edna Harding [00:19:13]:
I'm going to depend on whatever. Okay? I want you to know this, my friends, and if this really helps you, I hope it really does. But you're not behind, you're not late, but God is inviting you to build differently. Differently. Okay. Maybe the reason why you're not getting the results you want is because you're building the wrong way. You're building your kingdom instead of his. And, and let me, let me get this, Let me, let, let me just go ahead and what do you call it? Call out the elephant.
Edna Harding [00:19:48]:
Is that right in the room? Building the kingdom does not mean building churches. Building the kingdom means, hear me, is you're, you're building God's agenda. You're building what he wants to do on the earth. And what does he want to do in the earth? Right. He wants to bring heaven on earth, on earth as it is in heaven. What does that mean? There's no sickness, there's no pain, there's no shame, there's no tears, there's no strife. Everyone's in unity, everyone's loving people. What are you doing to create that environment? What are you doing to create the environment of heaven and bring it on the earth realm? What are you doing? How are you personally responsible for something that is contributing to God's kingdom? All right, so build differently.
Edna Harding [00:20:38]:
You could build with strategy, you could build with simplicity, and you could build with favorite. And all of that basically means you're building what actually lasts. Building what actually lasts. And you can do that on your own time, utilizing biblical wisdom, utilizing tech, maybe utilizing courses, doing the old school way. Or you could also take this invitation I'm giving you now. Yes, this. Is this the reason? Thank you, Holy Spirit. I have an assignment from the Lord that I have to do within the next two years.
Edna Harding [00:21:10]:
And so I'm not playing around. I know I am the solution that you've been praying for. And so I ask you wholeheartedly, if you are stuck in between this place where you want to step out in faith or you're following the latest and greatest and you're still not getting results, I want you to really pray about joining my program, Business Unlimited. Because in this program, we build differently, we build a solid foundation. And this is not fast, even though it technically could be fast, it could be 16 weeks. But the problem is what happens is when opposition happens, you stop and you give up. And I can't promise a good outcome if you give up and you quit. That's the problem, right? And if for me, if I gave up and I tried, goodness.
Edna Harding [00:21:56]:
Thank you, God, for the Holy Spirit. I almost gave up like so many times. Sorry guys, my back is hurting. I almost gave up so many times. But because of the Holy Spirit, I kept moving. And that's why I was able to build this whole program. But I know this program, all that, all the time that I paid to build this, all the sacrifices I made, all the troubles and challenges I made to build this was for you, so that you don't have to do that. And so there is a shortcut.
Edna Harding [00:22:24]:
There really is a shortcut, even though it's not really a shortcut. It's not like an instant thing. But can I see God move? Yes, I could see God move because he's done it time and time again. For other clients, myself, it took a little bit longer because my character had to be able to handle the opposition that I'm going to be facing because I'm going against the Babylonian system. And I'm glad it took me long. I'm glad it took me all these years to build this because now I'm, I feel like I am ready now. I don't know everything, but I'm ready to have those conversations with the highest level and the lowest level as far as like income wise for people because I get both ends and I understand both mindsets and the Lord has been equipping me and preparing me for such a time as this. So if you're ready for support in building what actually lasts, something that's going to line up with your values, your faith, your assignment, reach out.
Edna Harding [00:23:20]:
I'd love to connect. You could find me on favorandwealth.com, you could message me there or you could find me on LinkedIn. Until next time, stay bold, stay grounded and keep building. What matters Remember, my friends, this is Edna Harding and I am nothing but your sister in Christ. Your sister speaking life into your situation, praying for you daily. Yes, I pray for the nations daily. If you're in a nation, I'm praying for you. Okay? I'm praying for the body of Christ, the sons and daughters.
Edna Harding [00:23:47]:
The sons and daughters to rise up who are who the earth is waiting for them to manifest and be all God called them to be. God bless you, my friends, and I'll talk to you guys soon. Thanks for listening to me talk about my stories and just reflecting and I pray that this bless you today. Have a good one, my friends. Take care. Bye bye.
Speaker C [00:24:10]:
Thanks for joining us this week on Estrepreneur. Make sure to visit our website, favorandwealth.com for more information on our services. While you're at it, if you found value in this show, we'd appreciate a rating on itunes. Or if you simply tell a friend about the show, that would help me out, too.
Edna Harding [00:24:27]:
Also, check out my book, the Ugly.
Speaker C [00:24:29]:
Side of Sales, available on Amazon, where I share seven of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.