When In Doubt, Ask Sharifah Hardie

Bob: [00:01:00] Welcome to another episode of Money You Should Ask. I’m your host, Bob Wheeler. And in this episode, we’re going to explore, question, examine, converse, dig deep, expose, laugh and cry about the money beliefs, money blocks, and life challenges of our next guest. Turn up the volume, listen, learn and laugh.

Well, I am super excited today. Our next guest Sharifah  Hardie is a business consultant, author, talk show host, producer at busy girl productions, candidate for 2024, California state Senate District 33, President of the Black Chamber of Commerce Long Beach area and an influencer. She is the host of Ask Sharifah video cast and podcast, as well as the round table talk show, which I was recently a guest on.

It’s amazing. You should listen. She’s the author of Signs You Might Be An Entrepreneur: How to Discover the Entrepreneur in You and the ebook, Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Marketing. She was also a Long Beach City Council Candidate in the 2020 March 3rd primary election and is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Expert.

Sharifah. It’s such a pleasure to have you on the show.

Sharifah: [00:01:02] Thank you for the opportunity, Bob, I’m excited.

Bob: [00:01:06] Well, well, I was so taken with your round table and the conversations that come up and, and, and the information that you put out in the world being an influencer. And so that’s just. Yeah, I just really had to have you on and I want to know, does this, what you wanted to do when you were five years old?

Was this what you envisioned?

Sharifah: [00:01:26] I always answer that in a yes and no, it’s not what I envisioned, but I never, I was never one of those people who knew what I wanted to do. I was always a little envious of people who always knew they wanted to be a doctor, always knew they wanted to be a librarian. Whatever it is lawyer, but I have a cousin I always talk about, who’s a news reporter on channel two or channel five, one of those stations in Columbus, Ohio now.

But when he was a little kid, he would walk around the house with a spoon and interview everyone. So we always knew that’s what Carrie wanted to do, but me, I had no idea and I really wanted to know, I’m like, oh my God, what am I saying? Supposed to do, but it’s so interesting that now I am a talk show host, but as a child, I was that child that never stopped talking at all.

You know, I just drove my poor mother crazy. Cause I was always like my favorite question was why. And so why mom? Why is he doing that? Why does those men have those glasses on why is he not in his head? Why? And my mom was like, if, you do not stop talking. So I feel like it was there. That that’s what I was meant to be, but I just didn’t understand it and know it at that time.

Bob: [00:02:35] That’s awesome. And when you were growing up, did you grow up with a lot of money? Did you grow up with, like, how was it economically for you and how did that impact your thinking?

Sharifah: [00:02:47] Interesting. I’ve never been asked that question because people tend to assume certain people grew up in poverty or grew up in the hood and different things like that.

I was raised in, I was born in Washington, DC, but I left when I was two and I was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and the house that I grew up, with, in, if it would have been in California would have taken up an entire block, city block in California because it was a house that was just surrounded by trees on every side.

So it really wasn’t until I was older that even had any type of idea about money. You know, my parents love them to death. They’re still around. They just took care of everything. So I never worried about money. I was never one of those kids who had to figure out how to. Grind or be an entrepreneur in order to get lunch money.

I was just a very spool kid who always got whatever I wanted.

Bob: [00:03:37] So you didn’t have to ask why I can’t have this because it was coming.

Sharifah: [00:03:42] No, that would never have happened because it’s funny. I tell people, you know, there were three of us. My brother’s a year older than I am. My sister’s a year younger than I am.

And my brother was always the smart one who did whatever he wanted. My sister, you know, she was out having fun and I never asked my parents for anything. So whenever I asked being the middle child, they always gave it to me.

Bob: [00:04:06] But that’s awesome. And did you get an allowance? Did your parents talk to you about money? Did you have any awareness of saving, those kinds of things?

Sharifah: [00:04:17] I didn’t have any awareness of savings or anything like that. We didn’t really talk about money. My father was an entrepreneur. My father has his own business to this day. He’s been in business for it, with Jordan’s Rooter and Plumbing, since 1985 in California.

So he instilled that entrepreneurial spirit in me. I did have an allowance. When in high school, my allowance was $2 a day. You know, for lunch, but lunch was somewhere around $5 a day and always had them figure out, okay, what do I want to eat? You know, I have friends who, to a certain extent took care of me and made sure I never went hungry, but we never really had these discussions about money or savings or anything of that nature.

Bob: And do you know or have any beliefs or negative beliefs that you might’ve carried into adulthood from childhood? Do you, were there any moments of lack of, or undeserving or anything that you brought forward that you later said? Oh, I can’t believe I brought that.

Yes, absolutely. And it’s funny. I was actually telling the story on the round table talk show the other day, cause it might’ve been your show. I don’t know, but we were talking about some of our beliefs as far as money and one of the things that I grew up with and I didn’t even realize it. My family always had this idea of you save money. You have to save money and no matter what you wanted, you had to figure out a way to save money.

And I had to get that out of my mind. Cause I had, I gave the example of like my aunt and I grew up my aunt she’s 10 years older than I am. She was always around. And I was visiting with her the other day. This happened a couple of months ago and near her house there’s a really nice restaurant where they serve ox tails.

And I wanted these oxtail. So I was like, oh, I’m gonna go get me some oxtails. So she says, well, how much are the oxtails. And so there’s $13 for the dinner. She’s like, no, that’s too much. You’re spending too much money. You don’t need to spend that money. I’m like, no, I want to buy these oxtails. It’s like, that’s too much money.

You’re just wasting money. Again, that phrase you’re wasting money. You can, you can cook that yourself. I’m like, I want… , no. You can make it yourself. So I’m like, okay, this is my aunt. I have to listen. You know, I’m a grown woman, who’s forced to eat with someone else wants me to eat for dinner. So I said, okay.

So I go to the grocery store. I wind up buying all the ingredients for these oxtails, but bought the oxtails themselves. Bob, any idea how much money are wound up spinning for this dinner?

Bob: [00:06:42] Probably 50, a 100 bucks. I don’t know.

Sharifah: [00:06:45] Your close Bob. It was 40 something dollars. So I wound up spending $40 in order to save from spending $13.

And I said, oh my God, this is a mindset. Cause we’re always like, oh, well you can do that yourself. You can save, you can save, but sometimes you wind up spending so much more in an effort to just say.

Bob: [00:07:06] Yeah, that’s, I love making homemade ice cream, but it costs about $30. I could just buy it for $5 at the store.

I’m like, Hmm. Something wrong with this equation. And so do you do you now, like, do you have a budget? Do you look at your money once a month? Do you just go after there’s money in the account? Like what’s your money mindset currently? Well,

Sharifah: [00:07:33] I, I, one thing that I do that I’m very proud of is that I diversify, I have money in different accounts so that I don’t just drain every account.

And there’s always a rainy day. I made sure I have a savings. I have my personal account, which is for me, I have my business account, which is for the company. So. Because I’m able to take a look at the different accounts and match, you know, my spending to each account. I don’t overspend. I know what I’ve allocated for my company.

I know what I’ve allocated for myself. And so since I’m making certain allocations, I don’t just like binge shop or just, you know, go out and buy like crazy. I’m very, and it’s funny because I actually went to college to be an accountant. So I have the understanding, I just prefer to talk and I hate cubicles.

Bob: [00:08:22] Cubicles are not fun. And you know, so you, you sort of found your way into talk, show hosting and, and all these other things that you do running for public office and things like that. What was the inspiration? Like what is, besides like people get to hear your voice? Right. But what was the underlying hope in bringing people together and sharing their stories and you getting to share yours.

Sharifah: [00:08:50] It actually started in 1994 when I built my first website. And so if I would’ve known, then how far ahead of my time I was, I would have taken more advantage of it, but, I did, the one thing I did know was that when I did something, like I built my website there where people say, oh, you got a website.

I want a website. So I started doing website design. Then once I started marketing my website, their where people said, oh, I want you to market my website. So I started marketing their websites. And because again, it was very new, many people had questions. And so I would start to receive referrals where people will call and say, you know what .

I’m not sure what you do. I’m not sure. Sure specifically, but Bob said as Sharifa. So that’s what launched the Ask Sharifah brand. People just started asking me questions and I decided to launch in 2009 Ask Sharifah radio, which is my first step at a radio show. And it was just simply the answer, a lot of the questions.

So instead of spending all day answering everybody’s question, as I say, you know what, I’ll discuss that on the show tomorrow. It’s just how I built that brand. And one of the things I learned and why I love it. And I talk about the shows is that so often I do these shows for selfish reasons and, and, you know, we hear the words.

Selfish. And then we look at it as a negative, but I’m like, no, this isn’t my best self-interest because where else can I sit down and ask questions from the experts and the influencers and the powers that be,  the CEOs and executives of these companies. And I can learn and ask, okay, well, What did you do to become successful?

And then I can utilize that information in my business, or maybe I have a guest that has an incredible journey and they never give up and I’m speaking to a potential client and that client sells Sharifah. I can’t do it because, and you know, I have this issue or that issue, or I don’t have enough money or I don’t have enough time.

And I said, let me show you Bob Wheeler, look at his interview and what he did to be successful, despite life’s challenges. So that’s how I utilize the shows.

Bob: [00:10:56] That’s awesome. And I want to just point to the fact that it’s called Ask Sharifah, why is it important to ask questions?

Sharifah: [00:11:05] Because for me, one of the things that I talk about is that I not only help people to make money online, I help people to save money online.

So often when you’re starting out in unchartered territory, you have absolutely no idea what to do or what not to do. And then other people come in and they say, oh, well, you got to get website hosts. And give me $500 a month and I’ll host your company for you. I’m like, well, you know, you could have went over here and got website hosting for $5, you know, but people don’t know.

So I always say, do not face the unknown alone, Ask Sharifah. I have over 25 years of experience in this industry.

Bob: [00:11:42] Yeah, I know so many people are afraid to ask questions because if I ask a question, people might think I’m stupid or people might go, oh, he’s not, they’re not as smart as I thought they were. All right.

And so how do, how do you encourage people, your listeners that maybe aren’t so eager to ask the question? How do you encourage them to ask questions?

Sharifah: [00:12:05] I think a lot of times people don’t know that they have a question. They don’t know what they don’t know. So by offering them a platform to have a conversation and to have a discussion when they realize there’s an aspect.

Oh, I didn’t know that. Oh, how did that work? How did you do that then the questions I believe just naturally come.

Bob: [00:12:23] Yeah, absolutely. And what sparked. My question is what sparked you going into politics? Like it’s one thing to talk to people, get information, help people get a website, all that kind of stuff.

Going into politics is probably pretty thank less. And here you are saying, I want to, I want to be, I want to participate.

Sharifah: [00:12:49] Well, there were two reasons. One is when I ran for Long Beach City Council was the idea of a dear friend of mine, Mrs. Sally Martin, who I just, she’s incredible. I love her. She will actually be 100 years old this year, 100 on December 14th.

And I had just, before I ran for city council, I had just completed helping a company do an IPO, the initial public offering to raise the initial funds, round of funding for the company. And so we had raised $6 million and it was time for me to go onto my next journey. And Mrs. Martin said to me, she says, Sharifah, I think you should do for the community, what you did for businesses.

And I was like, Ooh, what do you mean? She was like, I think you should go into politics, help the businesses, help the people, help the community. And I said, okay, I’ll do that. But then even when I was campaigning and a lot of people, especially in my circle were surprised and shocked. It’s like Sharifah, politics?

Cause I never discussed politics, thought about politics. But for me, I always say it’s not politics. It’s people. And that’s always been my driving passion is to find ways to help people.

Bob: [00:13:58] Yeah, I think that’s so important. And in your own journey, in your own financial journey, what are the things that have helped move you forward?

Like, do you have a, this moment I’m so proud of this was a financial success an epic, you know, an epic win.

Sharifah: [00:14:19] Oh yes. Where I am right now is an epic win because after, during the process of the IPO between 2013 and 2016, we act, we wrote the plan and then we went public. So for three years, I wasn’t receiving any income.

I was an Uber driver. I was receiving sweat equity in the company, but not actually a check. So I sacrificed a lot. I wound up living at the studio on my clothes or in the car. I still wasn’t receiving funding my car wound up being repossessed. I wound up homeless living in a hotel and I was like, oh my God, what am I going to do?

And then I actually focus more on structuring my income and making sure that I’d had enough to maintain myself as opposed to just kind of, to a certain extent living for the day. And that’s really what I started to focus on. Really just being more structured. So now when I look back in 2021 and how far I’ve come, I’m like, oh my God, like, this is amazing.

And 2021 has been an incredible year. Now, 2020 has been horrible for all of us and, you know, sorry for all the loss that we’ve received. But I also know, especially with the round table talk show, had it not been for this global pandemic there, I would never have had five guests a day. Five shows per week, where people set on zoom and had a conversation. Prior to that, you know, a lot of people would say, oh, I don’t do the internet.

I don’t do Zoom. You know, I only meet in person. I only network in person. So there was this type of boundary where people say, no, I don’t want to go into that unchartered territory. And then the world has this apocalypse and everybody’s forced to, to be on Zoom. So I was able to meet so many more people.

And this year has been a lot more successful than probably the last 10 years.

Bob: [00:16:08] That’s so awesome. When you talked about the place where you were homeless, where you were, you know, working on this this big transaction, was it being naive or was it trust or maybe a combination of both that you were willing to like, oh, there goes my car.

Oh, there it goes by, like, there had to be a little bit of like, oh my goodness. Like this I hope like that I trust that it’s going to come through. Like, what was that experience like emotionally and do yourself, you know, to your, your mindset.

Sharifah: [00:16:43] It was very emotional. It was very tough. It was very difficult, but I didn’t really look at it as trust.

A lot of times, this is how I look at my life. When people ask me what movie or what show would really define your life. And it’s weird, but if you’ve ever, have you ever seen the show Quantum Leap?

Bob: [00:17:02] No, no. Yeah,

Sharifah: [00:17:06] but the whole point of Quantum Leap is this guy who leapt into the past and he wants to get back to his own life.

But in the process of getting back to his own life, he has to help people. And when he attempts to help them, then he’s able to make this leap. But what always happens is he thinks he’s there to solve one problem. And then he’s like, I solved the problem. Where’s my leap? And the leap doesn’t come. And so it’s like, he has to really figure out, okay, I’m here for a different reason then.

And so he then figures out the reason, it’s the correct reason. And then he makes the leap to a different outcome. And so for me, I always have this feeling, that whatever process I’m in, like what I’m doing, I’m there for a reason. And as soon as I complete that reason, then I’ll move on to something else.

And if I’m still there in that process, there’s something left for me to learn. There’s something left for me to do. So. yes, I sacrifice and it wasn’t just a trust in the company and in them, in the CEO of the company, It was knowing that what I was doing at that moment was right where I was supposed to be.

No, don’t ask me how I knew, what, but it was where I was supposed to be at that moment. And looking back years later, I, I have learned so much even when I became the President of the Black Chamber of Commerce, they had an opening on their website. I spoke to the gentlemen on a, contacted them on a Saturday.

Sunday, he sent me a message and said, well, call me on Monday. I called him on Monday. He drove about an hour. We sat down and had lunch and he’s the whole time he’s telling me, okay, you’re going to be the president and everything. So when I get home, I’m sitting there going, wow, that was too easy. Like why was it so easy?

It was just like, he just gave me this position. Now later after talking to a few friends, because they contacted me. I found out that the gentleman had contacted them for references, and he had heard about me. So he already knew who I was. So it was really because of the IPO and had I not had that

experience this door would not have opened up for me. So too often, we believe that is the financial reward that we will receive from that company. And sometimes it’s just the experience that will open up other doors and better doors that will give us new opportunities for success, which will eventually turn into finances. But it doesn’t always start that way.

Bob: [00:19:36] Absolutely. Do you have any financial regrets or any financial, wished I’d done a little bit differently?

Sharifah: [00:19:44] Not really. No. You know, because I think so many people, we don’t take risks, you know? Well, we sit back and if it’s not a guarantee, we don’t want to take that chance and that step, and that’s what successful entrepreneurs.

That’s what it is. It’s a risk, no matter how much money they have in the bank, it’s not about the dollar amount, it’s about the risk amount. And so they’re risking something in order to be able to start that business. So I always knew that there were going to be costs to being successful, because if it was that easy, everyone would do it.

Bob: [00:20:16] Yeah, absolutely. And what gave you the and what gave you the motivation to end up writing your book, and your ebook? Like, again, you’ve got all these things going on. Oh, let me stop and write a book. Cause that’ll take five minutes.

Sharifah: [00:20:29] Right. No. When I move it’s usually because somebody presented me with a problem and it’s really starting to bother me.

And so I was having certain conversations, speaking engagements, and I would talk to people about entrepreneurship and they would say was Sharifah, I know this is for me because I hate my boss and I’m like, okay. Or they say, I know I’m an entrepreneur because I hate to work. I was like, no, that’s not it.

You know? So I compiled a lot of the misinformation into signs you might be an entrepreneur if this is a calling, right. Usually entrepreneurs. One thing that I see for certain is whatever their calling is, whatever their mission is, is usually something that they have done on again, off again that they know.

Oh, my God, I was born to do this. And then they get to a certain point, and they go, you know what, let me go get that day job. And then they go and get the day job. And then two years later, they come back to it. They usually, I see that they’ve come back to it, you know, not, it’s not something that they can just

step away from it’s something that they’re meant to do. And entrepreneurs are the, some of the hardest working people you will ever meet, you know. Nine to five people they’re watching the clock. Oh my God, Bob, we got to go because it’s almost five o’clock. Entrepreneurs will sit there with you for two, three days trying to solve a problem in order to help the world.

And so I wanted to focus more on that than just people who said, well, I don’t want to work for anybody else. So that definitely means I’m an entrepreneur.

Bob: [00:21:59] Yeah. And I think one of the things that’s hard about being entrepreneur, some people like to be in the creative part. All right. And making it happen, like you mentioned your dad’s had his company for many, many, many years and

we have to, I mean, sometimes we have to find a way to make it feel fresh or new because a lot of times, for what I’ve seen in small businesses, you create an idea, you create a product and then there’s the boring thing of now having to do monthly sales. Now having to supervise the staff. Now having to blah, blah, blah.

And it’s not quite as fun and sexy as the part of creating and innovation. Do you find that sometimes people get blocked after they’ve created something? And it starts just becoming now it’s a thing.

Sharifah: [00:22:49] That is so common. That that is so common because what happens is we kind of fall in love, whatever that passion is, and our hobby becomes the business that we create.

And then when we begin to realize that it is a business, you know, I always tell people if nothing else, please take some bookkeeping courses, please. Because if you don’t understand your books, you cannot understand your business. Period. Right? So when people have to get into those other aspects, like you mentioned, the sales and the customer service and the day-to-day aspects, it can be very boring.

But when people ask me because what we’re looking for is that get rich quick solution. They’ll say, well, Sharifah, what is the one business that is guaranteed to make money that everybody makes money and that’s the business I want to do. And always tell them that’s the business that you’re willing to do day in and day out.

That’s the business that’s guaranteed to be successful. It’s not about the product. It’s not about the service. It’s the business that you will do every day. And this is like a marriage, right? There are good days. There are bad days. Theres days when you’re there. When the sun is shining, there are days when the rain is out, but if you’re not willing to go through, you know, to the death do us part then you’re not going to be successful in business because it’s easy to do it when it’s fun.

That’s what I consider the hobbyist. That’s the hobbyist level. It’s fun. It’s exciting. I always love knitting. So I think I’m going to teach people how to knit. Okay. But how do you find people who want to knit. How do you find people who want to learn how to knit? How do you market to them? How do you come up with new products and services that you’re offering the knitting community?

Who’s answering the emails for the community of people who knit? There are so many different aspects of it, but if you’re not in it to win it for the entire part, then I, you know, and I, I mean, no disrespect to anyone. Just go get a day job.

Bob: [00:24:42] Yeah, absolutely. What’s the heart, what would you say is the most common obstacle for entrepreneurs?

Sharifah: [00:24:50] Belief! The belief in themselves and the belief of people around them. You know, that’s the hardest aspect, because again, in 1994, when I built my first website, most people didn’t even have computers in their homes. So what I was trying to do, I was ahead of my time and people around me told me I was lazy.

I didn’t want to work. Because I wanted to stay at home, you know, and all I wanted to do was to be a stay-at-home mom. So back then it was unheard of. So, the people who love me wanting to protect me, so they say, oh, you know, that’s when people say, well, you can go do this, go, you know, get you a secure job.

You know, I was like, but this is what I want to do. So, so often people who love us and try to protect us and like, well, why don’t you just go be a nurse? There always be jobs for nurses. Okay. But do I want to just go get a job because it’s safe and it’s secure. So you have to believe in yourself, believe in the vision that God gave you.

I always say, God, didn’t give them your vision. He gave it to you. They can’t see it. It’s not for them to see. So when we get that idea, that calling or that vision, or that passion that we want to do, too often we don’t take the next steps, you know, take the initiative to make this come to fruition. Or, or we have this wonderful idea, but there were cemeteries full of multi-million dollar ideas, which means people take those ideas to the grave.

They don’t do anything with it. So, the most difficult aspect is to take that first step step out on faith and to launch your business.

Bob: [00:26:21] And as, so if there’s an entrepreneur that’s out there that happens to be female that might even be a person of color. What are some of the roadblocks that they need to be aware of?

Because it’s not always an even playing field and you’re a big, yeah.

Sharifah: [00:26:41] I don’t believe, I believe that it’s not always an even playing field, but I remember I recall one interview the idea when I was campaigning and a gentleman asked me if I was a big fan of Shirley Chisholm and I had, if I kind of followed her model of getting a seat at the table and my response was, yes, I I’ve always been a huge fan of Shirley Chisholm.

I love what she had to do. I’m proud of all of her accomplishments. She kicked open doors for so many people, black women, women in general, but my stance has always been, no, I do not want to see that the table, I want my own table. So by creating my table, I don’t even think about, you know, the, the, the playing field being level is my table.

You know what I mean?

Bob: [00:27:30] You know, I love that. I was talking to a guy, one time I was doing this workshop and a guy was telling me he wanted to be the CEO of one of the top public companies. And that when he talked to his. Professor the Professor said, well, I hate to break it to you, but you’re from India.

And most of the top CEOs tend to be white males of a certain height and certain profile. You’re never going to make it. And so he said, okay, great. I’ll go out and create my own company and get bought out by a public company. And he created his own table. Just like what you’re talking about. You don’t need to have a seat at somebody else’s table.

Go build your own table.

Sharifah: [00:28:13] Right.

Bob: [00:28:14] I believe that I love it. I love it. I think that’s an, a great piece of advice. Go build your table. Then you can sit wherever you want at that table and invite.

Sharifah: [00:28:24] Not only can you sit wherever you want, but I tell people, this is my table. So if the meeting started at 3 and I get there at 3.20 , I don’t care. Nobody better be sitting there in my seat at my table. It doesn’t matter. That’s my seat at my table.

Bob: [00:28:38] I love it. Well, we are getting close to the end here. So I’m going to shift to our fast five. And these are just going to be some quick questions and I’m going to go I’m I’m building my table.

Are you a saver or spender?

Sharifah: [00:28:51] Spender.

Bob: [00:28:54] If, are there any vegetables that you don’t like to eat?

Sharifah: [00:28:57] The only vegetable I love to eat is greens. My mom did that cause I won’t eat vegetables. So she figured out I love greens.

Bob: [00:29:05] So greens are a good one to eat. They are. What’s thing. What is one thing besides taxes that you hate spending money on?

Sharifah: [00:29:13] The one thing besides taxes that I hate spending money on. I don’t know. I love to spend.. I love to spend on just about everything.  I got to circulate the money. You got to circulate.

Bob: [00:29:24] Circulate it. That’s right. What would you rather have 10 hobbies or one passion?

Sharifah: [00:29:29] One passion.

Bob: [00:29:31] And if you were president of the United States, what is the first change you would make?

Sharifah: [00:29:36] I would require everyone to love each other.

Bob: [00:29:39] That would be a good thing. That would be a good thing. This planet needs a little bit of healing.

Sharifah:  Definitely does. Yes.

Bob: So now we’re at our M and M moment, our sweet spot, our money and motivation. And I’m wondering if you could give the listeners a practical financial tip or some wealth wisdom that has served you.

Sharifah: [00:32:31] Bob. Excellent question. But I I’m the wrong person to ask that question because I try to help people really figure out what they want. Our society and our upbringing has really taught us this mentality that, oh, you only get what you need. You only get what you need. And my philosophy is you should have what you want.

The caveat for me is that if you have worked. and  earn an honest living, as long as you’re earning an honest living, then you should be able to have what you want. I don’t think we put in all these hours and do all this hard work just to be able to afford toothpaste. We know we need toothpaste, but what is it that you really want?

What is your heart’s desire? And that’s what I get people to focus on. Cause I tell people when I get to a certain point in my life, I am going to buy a tiger and people are going to say Sharifah, you do not need a tiger. And I’m saying, I know, I know, but I want a tiger. So the whole moral is you should have not, you should have what you need, but you work so that you can have what you want.

Bob: [00:33:30] Yeah, I think that’s awesome. And I think that speaks to the power of delayed gratification putting in the work and being able to reap the benefits. And, and I think that’s an important thing. It’s not about how many dollars you have in your bank account. It’s about the quality of life that you have and you know, and the relationships and experiences.

Sharifah: [00:33:50] Absolutely.

Bob: Well, you know, it’s, it’s so, you know, I really enjoy talking to you. I’ve really enjoyed what you’re bringing. I love this piece about following your passion.

And doing what you want, not what you should do. Recognizing that people are doing it out of love that are trying to protect us, but that you have to actually trust what’s in your heart, what you feel like you want to bring to your table, not anybody else’s table. And that, to just keep asking questions, like if we don’t ask, we don’t know.

And so like, to just trust that it’s okay to ask questions because other people might’ve already been down that road. People might have that little piece of information that helps you pivot to the next level of success.

Sharifah: [00:30:29] Absolutely.

Bob: [00:30:31] And where can people find you on social media and online?

Sharifah: [00:30:35] I’m one of the easiest people in the world to find just if you Google me, I’m on a million different platforms, but it’s either Ask Sharifah or Sharifah Hardie, and you can definitely contact me on my website asksharifah.com

Bob: [00:30:50] and where can people find your book?

Sharifah: [00:30:52] On amazon and on asksharifah.com .

Bob: [00:30:56] All right. And can people already start contributing to your political campaign?

Sharifah: [00:31:01] Absolutely. I would love all the contributions. You can go to asksharifah.com, click on the menu link where it says Senate, and that’ll take you, and there’s a button that says contribution.

Bob: [00:31:13] Well, that is awesome. If I lived in Long Beach, I would I’d be giving you a vote.

Sharifah: [00:31:17] Thank you. I would appreciate that vote.

Bob: [00:31:19] So pleasure to have you here. I have to say out to our listeners, please don’t forget to share the love, like follow and share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram search for Money You Should Ask, all one word. Subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast player, or visit Apple Podcasts and search for Money You Should Ask or click on the link in the description. If you’re watching this episode on YouTube, don’t forget to like comment and subscribe. For further tips tools on how to have  healthy relationship with money, go to themoneynerve.com That’s nerve, not nerd.

 Sharifa. It’s been such a pleasure having you. I so appreciate what you’re doing and I wish you well in all of your successes.

Sharifah: [00:31:56] Thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate you, Bob.