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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. Well, hello everyone.
Edna Harding [00:00:47]:
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the estherpreneur podcast. My name is Edna Harding, and I am so excited that you'll be joining us today. Please let me know where you guys are tuned, tuning in from. Message me on LinkedIn. Message me on my podcast, shoot me an email, go to my website, estherpreneur.com, let me know where you're at. And I love seeing the stats. I love seeing all the different cities and countries that are listening to me from all over the world. I.
Edna Harding [00:01:19]:
I'm, like, shocked because some of these cities I've never heard of. So. Hello, hello, hello. I'm so glad that you guys are joining me in by way of the spirit. And so let's just open up in prayer. Father God, we just thank you for this time. We thank you that you are worthy of our praise. May you be glorified.
Edna Harding [00:01:40]:
May you be honored in our conversation today in Jesus mighty name, Amen. All right, so today's episode, we're going to be focusing on five secrets to knowing the Father's heart. But before we go into that, I want to kind of paint a scenario and let me know if this is something you've ever dealt with. Okay. I remember numerous times where I would be having a discovery call or having a ending coaching contract call with clients, right? So potential prospects or clients that decided that they decided to go elsewhere and do coaching through a different route, maybe they just, they, I didn't like my style. It could be maybe my style took a little bit longer because for those of you guys who have never worked for me, I focus more on soul work before business work. And the reason why is because I truly believe in the principle that you are soul prosper. You are so you will prosper just as your soul prospers.
Edna Harding [00:02:48]:
And so a lot of times when I bring up soul issues during coaching calls, a lot of people don't really like that. And so they, in their mind are like, what does this have to do with, you know, Being profitable in business. What does this have to do with growing your business? And that's. And I expected that. I expected that. And they would go elsewhere. And sometimes I would, you know, cry about it, cry about it to the Father. I'm like, I don't understand God.
Edna Harding [00:03:17]:
This. I'm. I'm sharing with them what you're telling me to share. And they don't like it, or they don't embrace the process. And, you know, it's really hard because my heart is in the right place. I know it can produce results. And maybe it's not quick results, but it's lasting results. And I remember every time when I go to the Holy Spirit and I asked the Father for just, you know, like, consultation to kind of help me, like, navigate through this, they would always tell me, you know, this isn't rejection, it's redirection.
Edna Harding [00:03:53]:
And they would always tell me, you're still my favorite. And I know everyone probably says that to all their children. You're my favorite. But I do believe that I'm God's favorite. And that always encourages me when, whenever, like a door closes, like, okay, if this person is not it, then. Then God will send me, you know, someone else. And it's during those times, I think, that built my confidence level to where it is right now to help me have tough skin. So that if someone says, hey, I.
Edna Harding [00:04:27]:
I'm deciding to go elsewhere, or I'm deciding that no, it's just not worth the money, or I'm deciding and so forth. I don't feel bad about it because I am just doing what the Lord told me to do. And he told me there's a specific blueprint, specific strategies on how to grow people's business that comes from the Bible. And a lot of people might not believe it. They might not see, like, how can you grow Is from the Bible, but there's a lot of strategies there. And I say all this to say that this is really important when you are knowing the Father's heart. And I believe that if I share these five secrets, it's really going to help you and encourage you in your walk, in your journey, especially if you deal with a lot of rejection. So the first secret is the Father sees your potential, not just your performance.
Edna Harding [00:05:18]:
You know, we live in a what have you done for me lately? World. Correct? So it's all about, you know, your numbers, your followers, your roi, like, what are you doing for me? And like, like, what are you. How are you adding value to me? But, you know, the Father, he's different. He's not scoreboard watching, right? He's not saying, oh, you get 10 points for doing this, 100 points for doing that. Like, he's not like that. In fact, Jesus called Simon Peter Rock before he acted like, anything close to stable, right? And that's the difference between our God and human beings. God sees the seed and he calls out the forest, okay? God sees the seed and calls out the forest. So in business, God sees your capacity, not just your current level.
Edna Harding [00:06:07]:
You know, he. He typically calls you on your next and not condemn your now. Okay? And this is why I think knowing the Father's heart is so important for me. Because a lot of times when I work with struggling businesses, they look at them like, well, I'm broke. I'm this, I'm that. I don't have this. I have this, I have that. But when I see them, I see them, wow, they're rich.
Edna Harding [00:06:32]:
They're highly favored. Wow, they're blessed. Wow. God is. God is showing me the influence you're going to have. And I'm not just saying it for the sake of saying it. That's really what I see because I've learned the Father's heart. Remember that the Father already factored in your mistakes.
Edna Harding [00:06:51]:
He knows you're not going to always get it right. And yet, because you are his child, he still said, yes, you're the one I choose. You're the one I pick. And so the first thing I want to encourage you with it today is I want you to ask yourself this question. What does the Father see that I don't? Perspective matters. I can't emphasize this enough. And I'm so glad that over the years, I've learned to see things as the Father sees, because I know his character more and more and more. Because, like I said, I seek him wholeheartedly every day.
Edna Harding [00:07:38]:
And so as I look at individuals, I don't look at the external things. I look at their soul. I look at their hearts. You know, God and I don't always share everything that I see because I don't want to push them away. The Holy Spirit doesn't want to be released. But a lot of times when I look at individuals, I see the wounds, I see the challenges that they need to deal with in order for them to achieve the bountiful outcome that he wants to do. But a lot of people don't want to take the time to do soul work. That's the biggest challenge.
Edna Harding [00:08:11]:
And the ones that I see succeed are the ones willing to confront their issues and not Masquerade or they're not Band aid it with quick wins, right? They're willing to embrace the process. And I know from a business coach, from business strategist like that, hearing that from business coach, you probably don't want to hear that. You're like, so you're taking me, it's going to take me forever. No, I'm not telling you it's going to take you forever. What I'm telling you, if you want guaranteed success, you have to follow this protocol. Take care of your soul, then you will prosper. All right, so the second secret that I want to share is that the Father delights in your uniqueness. Stop trying to fit a mold you were never made for.
Edna Harding [00:08:55]:
If you think about it, when Jesus picked the disciples, what did he pick? A tax collector? A zealot? A doubter? A loudmouth fisherman? Right? Can you imagine? Would you think these people would have passed a corporate background check? No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. But they basically flipped the world upside down. Because what the Holy Spirit wants, what Jesus and the Father wants is uniqueness. He doesn't want uniformity. He wants Edna to be Edna. He wants John to be John. He wants Sean to be Sean.
Edna Harding [00:09:33]:
He wants Lisa to be Lisa. He wants Sarah to be Sarah. Right? He wants Tiffany to be Tiffany. He doesn't want Tiffany to be like Edna. He doesn't want you to be anybody else. But you remember that in business, if you really want to stand out, your weirdness is actually a weapon. The fact, you know, my husband calls me an alien all the time. He's like, you're so different.
Edna Harding [00:09:57]:
You're so weird, wired, you know, they're like, you're special. And I used to take that as an offense, but now I'm like, you know what? I am glad I'm special. I'm glad I'm a weirdo. I'm glad people think I'm crazy because that's what makes me stand out. That is my secret weapon, my uniqueness. Because no one else can coach you like I do. Because the way God wired me, my personality type, my sense of humor, you know, my no nonsense, let's get this done type of drive, you know, my technical side, my creative side. Like everything that I am, that God created me makes me the incredible coach that I am.
Edna Harding [00:10:37]:
Does that make sense? All right, so remember that, that your weirdness is your weapon. Your background is your asset. Like whatever background you may come from. You know, I didn't come from a wealthy family. I came from an average middle income family. Grew up In Hawaii island. People, you know, My dad was an engineer. My mom was a teacher.
Edna Harding [00:11:00]:
We. You know, my. My. My parents worked hard. I remember my mom's. If I could remember. We were younger, before she became a teacher. She worked at the gas station.
Edna Harding [00:11:10]:
She. She worked at night shifts so my dad could work and she could be at home with us. And then during the day, my. At night, my dad would stay home. And so my parents made a lot of sacrifice, and I never take what they do for me for granted. And that's the upbringing. So regardless whether you had a good background, a bad background, you know, all of that was handpicked by God to be who you are. And that makes your brand and your business even more unique, your background.
Edna Harding [00:11:44]:
So embrace all that good, bad, and ugly. Mind you, my background from my family side was excellent. But my personal side, my friendships, my past relationships. Yeah, those were horrible. Okay. All right. And remember that your voice was never meant to be a copy. Speak like yourself.
Edna Harding [00:12:02]:
Don't pretend to sound like me. Don't pretend to sound like anybody else but you. Right? And. And I think that's why a lot of people struggle, business owners, is they think that they have to talk like Russell Brunson. They have to talk like Eileen Wilder. They have to talk like all these individuals in reality. Embrace your unique self and embrace your voice, because there are a certain group of people that will only listen to you and not me. Does that make sense? So I want you, as a challenge, to take one thing that you've been tempted to tone down, and I want you to turn it up.
Edna Harding [00:12:40]:
Turn it up nice and loud. Be unapologetically you in every aspect. Be yourself. And I promise you, you're going to see the gates of heaven open. Okay? Because you're being who God created you to be. All right? Secret number three. The father isn't surprised by your struggles. Okay? You might be shocked by the delay.
Edna Harding [00:13:06]:
You might be shocked by the drop in sales. You might be shocked by the dry season. You might be shocked of losing everything but God, he has never shocked. He's not even faced. Okay? Peter denied Jesus. Paul persecuted a church. David fell into adultery and murder. Yet they were still called, they were still used, and they were still favored.
Edna Harding [00:13:30]:
So in business, I want you to think about this in this way. Your failure isn't fatal. It's not the end of you. Okay? Whatever that may look like. You know, crappy launch, not enough students for your program. Only five people show up to your speaking engagement. I don't know. Social media gets hijacked that's all happened to me, by the way.
Edna Harding [00:13:58]:
Not even a fictional story like that all happened to me. That did not kill my business or my identity or my purpose. Because if God sent you, nothing can stop you. No external demon, no external entity, no external thing can stop you. As long as you don't quit and you don't give up. And as long as God is guiding you, you're. You're going to win. You're going to overcome, you're going to overtake.
Edna Harding [00:14:27]:
Okay? It's guaranteed. Your fear doesn't cancel your calling either. I know you could be afraid. I can't tell you how many times I've done things afraid. I remember when I was spe at these speaking engagements. I, I mean, mind you, I practice, I prepared. Like, right before I get on that stage, I'm, like, shaking, quivering. I'm, like, freaking out.
Edna Harding [00:14:50]:
Like, what in the world? Like, my hands are sweaty. I'm calling my mom, all my parents, like, pray for me, pray for me, pray for me. And, you know, my stomach are in knots. Like, I'm like, seriously, like, nervous galore. Even before I meet with client meetings, and mind you, these are existing clients. Even my group growth mentoring, I still get nervous. Okay, before I come on. Because I, I, I don't take this lightly.
Edna Harding [00:15:18]:
I don't take this assignment lightly. And it's not because I want to please people. It's because I want to make God look good. And I know that's so prideful for me to think that I will make God look good, but it was one of those things, like, I didn't want to let him down. Does that make sense? So being fearful is okay? Like, step into your calling. Fearful. I do it all the time. It's part of the norm.
Edna Harding [00:15:42]:
I remember ask my husband every single time when I have a new client meeting. And mind you, this isn't like my first rodeo. I've been doing this for over 10 years. I've been doing so much good work in the community for every state I've lived in, and so much good work for the kingdom. And I still get nervous. I get nervous all the time. It never ends. And I wouldn't, I hope it never ends because that means I'm too cocky.
Edna Harding [00:16:10]:
Like, I like that nervousness because I know that in my weaknesses, strength is made perfect. And last one, your fatigue is not a flaw. Okay? When you're exhausted, when you're burnt out, that's a time for you to be like, okay, God, what am I doing that I'm not supposed to be doing this works like a charm all the time. It gives me feedback on what I need to focus on and what I don't. So I want you to reframe your question. Don't say, why me? And then instead I want you to ask, what is this particular thing preparing me for? Because everything that happened in your life, everything that concerns you is preparing you for something. Now, for me, it's been interesting because I have a lot of prophetic words, prophetic promises that the Lord has spoken over my life. And to me, some of them are, like, not even related, right? So one of the prophetic words was like, I was going to be a mother to people in the fashion industry.
Edna Harding [00:17:07]:
Like, wow. But the other person said I was going to be a news anchor for, like, kind of like a news anchor type. And that actually kind of happened where I'm interviewing people. Someone said I was a speaker. Someone said I was a pastor. Someone said they see me. Oh, marketplace, apostles, another one. And someone sees me going to hospitals, raising people from dead.
Edna Harding [00:17:27]:
From the dead. Like, these are so many. Like. Like I'm like, just hearing just me say all these things. I know it sounds so crazy, but I wrote it all down. And I. And I believe all those. And I'm like, how's this going to happen? I have no idea.
Edna Harding [00:17:43]:
But what am I saying? Everything that happened in my life, I truly believe that is preparing me for all those things that God is about to do through me. Does that make sense? Right? And I. And someone also said I had a logistics company. Like, they see my face all over trucks. And then another person prophesied over me that. That I was. I was. Had a CEO of corporation.
Edna Harding [00:18:12]:
I was training people from all over the world in my. In my training room. What else? Someone also prophesied over me that I was going to have some sort of hairline, like. Like shampoo and products for hair, for mixed people's hair for my kids, like, that kind of stuff. And I'm just saying, why am I sharing this? I'm being vulnerable to share with you. There's all these words that were spoken over me by what I believe. Real prophets, true prophets. And I write it all down.
Edna Harding [00:18:43]:
And does my life look like that? Some parts, but not to that extent. But what, but, but why am I okay with the process? Why am I okay with everything that happened to me and through me? Why am I okay with the challenges? Because I realized that this isn't the end zone. Like, this is just part of my journey, and this is not the end of my story. Like, there, this is just a tiny challeng chapter in my book and that the rest of my chapters are still there for me to walk through by the grace of God. Does that make sense? I hope, I hope. I'm, I'm encouraging you. I'm giving you real examples on how this could apply to you, right? Because I don't know what kind of words, I don't know what kind of promises you're holding on to, but I can guarantee you that every single word will come to fruition. But you have to embrace his timing.
Edna Harding [00:19:33]:
You can't. Thank you, Holy Spirit. You can't make it happen for yourself. He has to do it for you. And yes, he is going to give you instructions. He's going to tell you what to do. But I notice that every time when I try to intervene and try to help God, it never works out the way I want it. So I'm just trying to save you guys a headache and telling you guys, hey, maybe just get your hands off of the pot and let him do the cooking.
Edna Harding [00:19:58]:
Does that make sense? All right. And the secret number four you have is the Father measures success differently. You know, in, in, in today's society, it's all about revenue equals success, followers equals influence, speed equals proof of favor. But in the kingdom of God, it's different. And let me tell you why. Jesus, for example, Jesus praised the widow's small gift, not the rich man's surplus, right? The Bible celebrates the faithful servants, not the flashy one. Because in business, obedience is greater than optics, right? Faithfulness is greater than fame, and eternal impact is greater than likes. So if you're feeling kind of down because you're in your mind, you're feeling like, I'm not successful, this is not, you know what I like, I'm a failure.
Edna Harding [00:20:57]:
The Father measure success differently. And maybe it's time for you to audit your definition of success based on what the Bible says success is. What are you chasing that God never told you to measure? Why do you care about accolades? Why do you care about, you know, awards? Why do you care about the number of followers you have? Why do you care about all these things? Because all of those things will not define you at any point, at any point in time. That could all be taken away for whatever reason. Emergency crisis, you know, World War 3, like, none of that stuff matters. You know, the thing that really matters is your soul, the condition of your soul. Is your heart right with God? Is your heart right with your loved ones that God sent you to steward well, right. Are you making time for the things that matters to God, which is his people, which is your family, right? Which is the people that God called you to stop chasing things that don't matter.
Edna Harding [00:22:09]:
I learned that over the past 10 years, 12 years. It's. The things that I thought made me who I am were really nothing but a tiny drop in the bucket. What made me who I am was. Is my heart. Was my heart. Is my heart, my spirit man, my mind, who God created me to be outside of the four walls, Right? Am I His hands and feet in a world that desperately needs his tangible love, his tangible power, and his tangible presence? And I. I just.
Edna Harding [00:22:49]:
I feel like by way of this spirit, you're feeling that right now. You're feeling that overwhelming love. And some of you are even crying right now. Yeah, that's normal. Do you know that I cry every day? Every morning when I. Well, not every day. Almost every day when I seek the Lord with all of my heart, and he just, like, showers me when I shower. Like, it's more like a waterfall, like, overtakes me with his love.
Edna Harding [00:23:20]:
You just. You can't handle his love. His love is just so beautiful. It's, like, perfect. It's like the perfect love. It has no hidden agenda, just pure love. Imagine experiencing that every single minute of the day, every single second of the day. How would you live? How would you.
Edna Harding [00:23:41]:
Would you even think about all the things that are going on around you if you knew how loved you are? I wish I could say I'm there, but I'm not there yet. But I'm getting there, all right? And secret number five, the father is your business partner. You know, we treat God like he's an emergency contact when he really, truly wants to be our CEO. You are God's workmanship, created for good works he prepared in advance. This includes your next product, your next launch, your next pivot, your group coaching program, your podcasts, your book, whatever it is in your business. I challenge you to start your strategy with God. Not just your team, not just your advisors. Start it with God, okay? Consult him before Canva, consult him before ChatGPT.
Edna Harding [00:24:32]:
Consult him before Cloud AI. Right? Consult him before me. If you're my client right now, consult him first. And last thing I wanted to say is, don't just ask him to bless it. Ask him to build it with you. I can honestly say. And it just makes me just. Just gives me so much joy knowing that Business Unlimited, everything you see in my program, from the systems to the workbooks to the content to the worksheets, to the declarations, everything was built with the Holy Spirit.
Edna Harding [00:25:14]:
And it's such a beautiful. It's not even me. It's a beautiful product that I co created with the Holy Spirit. And I know, I know it's going to change people's lives. My Business Unlimited program is going to change people's lives because it's not me, it's him through me that built that. And I hope you would really take the time to pray and ask the Lord. If you've been struggling in growing your business, if you've been struggling and launching that idea, if you've been struggling with just making the right decision and you need wise counsel, I unapologetically recommend Business Unlimited, my group growth mentoring program, because everything you see there came from just pearls from the lessons learned through all the good, the bad, and the ugly. But out of the ashes came the beauty of this amazing program that truly blends timeless wisdom and timely methods.
Edna Harding [00:26:28]:
Remember, my friends, he's not distant. He's very deeply invested in your success. But he wants you to partner with him. He wants you to invite him in. You know, when you know the father's heart, you lead like a son, you lead like a daughter. You don't lead like a performer. You build from rest, not from stress, not from hustle, not from striving. But you build from rest.
Edna Harding [00:26:58]:
Or you don't feel rushed because you have the peace that passes all understanding. You stop over proving yourself and you start overflowing like out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The reason why I could love people is because I am filled with so much love by him. Remember that your biggest breakthrough is not your branding. It's actually your being. So this week, I challenge you, stop chasing clients to validate your worth and start. Start leading like someone who's already loved. Okay? And I want you to ask this question and journal this I do this time and time again, I ask the Lord, how do you see me right now, Father? How do you see me right now, Jesus? What? Show me the good, the bad and ugly.
Edna Harding [00:27:46]:
Teach me. What is it that you want me to do? You want to change? You want to mold in me so I could be a better steward of the business you have given me? I promise you that answer. Whatever you write down, that will change your business more than any funnel ever will. Now, if this episode shifted something in your heart, please share it, guys, please post it. Please direct message it. You know, please send it to the one friend who's secretly drowning in performance pressure. And if, if this one of the secrets like just hit home for you, I want to know. Message me.
Edna Harding [00:28:27]:
You can email me at my website, edna favorandwealth.com or you can go to my estrepreneur.com website. I think there's a way for you to send me messages or connect with me on LinkedIn. Edna Lynn Harding. That's how you can find me. Also my Instagram on the Estrepreneur. That's a great way for me to DM me, guys. I'm nobody special. I'm just someone who's just sharing my journey with you.
Edna Harding [00:28:52]:
And I hope that as I continue to share the things that the Lord reveals to me in my secret time with him, that you will be blessed, that you will be encouraged to go all in, all in for the Lord Jesus Christ, for his glory. All right, guys, God bless you and I'll see you guys next time. Take care. Bye bye. 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 [00:29:31]:
Also, check out my book, the Ugly 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.