Kimberly Spencer (00:00:00) - This past year, our podcast has exploded with new listeners from all around the world. I am so honored and excited to have literally tens of thousands of more listeners from around the world, and it brings me such joy to provide, on occasion, some encore episodes. Because sometimes when you start a podcast and you get into it, there is all the podcasts that came before it and some are some extraordinary guests, like our guest this week, Leah Valencia Qi. This month we are focusing on highlighting the amazing black owned, female owned businesses for Black History Month, and Leah just blows me away. She is a dear friend. She is the greatest light and cheerleader that you always wish that you wanted in your back pocket. To bring you emojis of love and sparkles and yellow and just brightness and light. She is a beautiful light in this world and I am so excited for all our new listeners to be able to listen to this episode recorded in 2020, since recording this episode back in 2020. Leah Valencia Qi's business, Valencia Jewelry, has blown up, making her a QVC mogul, so much so that she has gone on to create hand beaded in Ghana African handbags that are just gorgeous and they go back to supporting Ghana communities and artisans.
Kimberly Spencer (00:01:43) - She is a phenomenal speaker. She has gone to keynote and mic around the world as a speaker, spreading her joy and her light. I am so honored to bring back Leah Valencia Key for this encore episode to kick off Black History Month. Welcome to the Crown Yourself podcast, where together we build your empire and transform your subconscious stories about what's possible for your business, body and life. I'm your host, Kimberly Spencer, founder of Crown Yourself. Com and I'm a master mindset coach, best selling author, TEDx speaker known to my clients as a game changer. Each week you get the conscious leadership strategies you need to help you reign with courage, clarity and confidence so that you too can make the income and impact you deserve. Imagine this podcast as your royal invitation to step into your full potential and rein in your divine purpose. Your sovereignty starts here and your reign is now. Man oh man, do I have a queen in the house tonight? Raised in an impoverished like I have to read this like the the serious movie story that it is.
Kimberly Spencer (00:03:06) - You know, Leo Valencia. His bio is like, unbelievable. So I'm going to read it like a movie trailer rather than an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood. Leah Valencia, qui lived in a homeless shelter with her mother, sister and brother in a room that she describes was the size of a broom closet. My mom told me my predicament did not determine my destiny, she said. She believed that she had a light inside that she should share and never dim. She encouraged Leah to never leave the house without wearing her sparkling earrings, because they would serve as a reminder of the light that she held within herself. Leah went on to rise above her challenges and attained a master's degree, became a licensed cosmetologist and stylist, and she learned that all dreams are possible. Her mother's words inspired her to choose joy and to radiate light. Those keys to happiness are the messages that she spreads through Valencia. Her extraordinary jewelry line. The mission of jewelry is for all wearers to not only choose joy and light, but to also shine and reflect that light outwardly as to positively, positively affect all of those around them.
Kimberly Spencer (00:04:22) - The resonating message of Valencia Key Jewelry is if I can, you can, and the ethos of the brand which love that you got, your ethos and your mission statement. That is my name, and it represents a philosophy that joy and gratitude are keys to happiness, and it is a center of the design and life philosophy. And here's where it gets really, really transformative. Leah went from homeless to add 150 million homes because now she is out on Cubic Valencia. Key jewelry is light, has just been recognized to win. QVC is bake buying competition, which launched on QVC on February 24th, 2020, and the link is in the description of the show so you can buy her jewelry off of QVC. I have a pair of earrings that are literally in the mail right now coming to me. So when I went home, oh my.
Lia Valencia Key (00:05:16) - God, you couldn't have said that. No more and more joy and more blessings and more honor. And from my heart, thank you for having me on your beautiful show.
Lia Valencia Key (00:05:29) - It is such an honor. Um, my heart is to give and my heart is to spread and inspire. So thank you for allowing me to touch your people and your love to spread and inspire love.
Kimberly Spencer (00:05:41) - Oh my gosh you are! You are such an inspiring light to me and a light of what is possible. Um, so let's let's dive in. Like, when did you decide that jewelry was the way to go?
Lia Valencia Key (00:05:55) - Okay, so jewelry, like in the Bible and always. Then my love and my joy because I just I always resonated to me what my mother said. Like, Leah, wear your earring. They they they are your sparkle of your light. They are a symbol. And so that was my click on. Like I would go back in the house if I didn't have the earrings on. And not for a visual thing, but for a, I got this thing like, yeah, this is my representation. So as I started to live my life through my journey to career, I would I was blessed to work with amazing founders of awesome beauty brands.
Lia Valencia Key (00:06:36) - And what I would notice is also like the last thing before they do amazing things is like, what jewelry am I going to put on? But what is that last finishing? Click on a confidence that allows you to step into your the world fully and boldly symbolizing something of greatness. And so I knew what I had to do. And uh, through just being inspired by beautiful women, I just said, okay, guys, I'm gonna walk out on it. I'm just. On a job and do it. And so I jumped. And one thing I want to tell everyone is it's still important to whatever your heart is whispering. Do it. Just start. Something starts somewhere. I don't live a life of pressure, so I don't put goals or years and dates on my dream, but I just do. I do little things, I sketch. That was the first beginning was sketchy.
Kimberly Spencer (00:07:32) - Really? Is that how you moved from cosmetology into jewelry design?
Lia Valencia Key (00:07:37) - Yeah, so I always so I consider myself an artist.
Lia Valencia Key (00:07:42) - I'm a self-proclaimed artist and so I'll never leave my cosmetology, my makeup, in my hair. It's anything that I can create this essence of all the greatness inside of us externally. Because I feel like they both work hand in hand right when my inside is feeling great, my outside has to match that. Hell yes, right? Right. So when you felt right, you want to look great. But also it's so true that when you don't feel great, there's some power in looking, right? Right? There's some power and putting on some beautiful pieces that say whisper great things to you so it can whisper inside and lift you up. So I take that beauty everywhere. And just through my journey I was always sketching, always sketching joy. Always deciding just, oh, that would be beautiful and just creating. So I have a sketchbook and jewelry. And then I decided, okay, well, let's see if we can actually make this jewelry that we're sketching and let's see if we can bring beauty into the world.
Lia Valencia Key (00:08:49) - The jewelry is the symbol. Uh, it's it's what I want to give to the world to say we can do it. It's a tangible symbol to say we got. It's a tangible symbol that they everything possible. And I just love.
Kimberly Spencer (00:09:04) - That we live our lives by are so powerful. Yeah.
Lia Valencia Key (00:09:08) - Don't you realize how powerful symbols are? Like symbols are all over this life, right? And we all use symbols. We look at them, stop signs like whatever we see are symbolic to us. But how beautiful is it to have encouraging people, right. And vibrant world?
Kimberly Spencer (00:09:28) - Yes. And having those, those triggers as symbols, those like there's a reason why you click on that confidence. And I love the fact that you said that because that that click on of that confidence is that last little oomph to just push you forward, that allows you to remember who you really are inside, even if sometimes you don't 100% feel like it.
Lia Valencia Key (00:09:54) - Yeah. If you need support, like there's nothing we can do in this world alone and be without support.
Lia Valencia Key (00:10:03) - And support comes in all facets. It comes with beautiful angel people, but it also comes with tangible symbols like that's support to say. If there are so many other lovely women out here wearing these symbols, persevering, living their life, and I'm gonna click that on two and it's gonna give me that extra support. I need to say I'm not alone on this journey. And I literally got this. Someone, um, a beautiful person who wears my jewelry said, every time I put your jewelry on in the morning, I put it on and say, okay, world, whatever you're about to bring to me, I got it. And not only do I have it, I'm going to do it in joy.
Kimberly Spencer (00:10:47) - I know that is extraordinary. I mean, so I would love to know, like with the symbol of the key. What does that mean for you? What did you have to unlock inside of yourself in order to become the you that you are today?
Lia Valencia Key (00:11:05) - Oh, so I share this story because it's so powerful to me.
Lia Valencia Key (00:11:11) - So the funny thing is, my last name is cute, right? But I never wanted. And that was a beautiful guy thing. Um, but I know we're not going to use the key just as some random thing. It it had to have purpose. Because as I say, this is my gift to the world. This is my gift to you. And so it had to mean something. And what it means is my mother through my hardest environment. I was in fifth grade and I was following my environment. I was following the negative darkness and cesspool of just challenges and I was failing. I was going down the drain of what I was in and my mother was so amazing. She would look me in my eyes one day when I came home from school and she said, Lucy, you want to be a follower or do you want to be a leader? Oh, right now you're following your empire. You're following right down to the predicament we're in. But you can choose to lead at any moment.
Lia Valencia Key (00:12:17) - You can choose to lead your life. And that was so powerful. That was my key. That was my key to unlock the light. When I looked around and said, wow, I can choose. I can choose to lead my life. Wherever I decide I can. I can choose to be in the midst of darkness and shine like a light, like I can choose to literally close my eyes and see myself outside of this environment, in that whole trajectory to where I want to be. And so I chose from that moment I chose, and that unlocked my light. So when I designed the key logo. So if you noticed there's a star in back for these, I sketched for me that made a star, and I placed the key right in the center, because that represents the key to unlocking a life of light. And so my light may look different than your light. Your light may look different than someone else's light, but there's some power and light. It will move you farther than your mind can ever think.
Lia Valencia Key (00:13:25) - And so that is that's what I want to bring to everyone who wears it.
Kimberly Spencer (00:13:29) - Oh, I love I love the symbolism of how much you put into every single bit, as not only like the story that led you into designing jewelry, but like everything that your brand represents and the fact that you took such powerful ownership of your choices and your circumstances, and you chose to lean into a better life for yourself and to lead that life. Though along the way. What were some of the keys that you also had to unlock? When you face those challenges to unlock those parts of yourself that that rise into that greatness.
Lia Valencia Key (00:14:10) - Oh, I love it. It felt good because as I evolved like, I want to do this, I want to really connect the jewelry with what are these keys that unlock and and the first key and to me, a very powerful, maybe the most important key is gratitude. Yes. Uh, and that's why I titled my bracelet gratitude. Because when you can be grateful for your surroundings and your predicament that you're in right now.
Lia Valencia Key (00:14:42) - Then you can pay honor to it and then be able to decide, where do I want to go from here? Maybe you're not looking outside of where you are and saying, oh, I made my environment. Oh, this is horrible. I want to be where someone else is. It's like, no, I am grateful for this. I am grateful for this moment. I am grateful for this time. And through that gratitude, I can push myself forward to another moment in life. And when people feel your love and your gratitude, they are inclined. They have a passion to help you further because they know your heart is pure and is not coming from a place of greed, is coming from a place of, um, contentment and humbleness, but longing to know that there's more growth beyond where you are. So gratitude, number one, perseverance is another key.
Kimberly Spencer (00:15:40) - Hell yes, that is a ski crown.
Lia Valencia Key (00:15:44) - Okay, back then, they're all huge because life is hard. I don't care where you are.
Lia Valencia Key (00:15:50) - I don't care if you started impoverished like me or you started with millions of dollars. Life is challenging and life is going to just innately bring hurdles. But do you choose to persevere? Do you choose to get back up and try again? Do you decide that I know where I'm going? Like, I don't know how a real cool thing, the way I think is a key is I don't know how, but I definitely know what you don't know what you'll get through the how, like the how will start to come because you know exactly what you're going toward. And that's the key to persevere knowing your what and keep falling and getting back up to your what. Probably you get back up there. What?
Kimberly Spencer (00:16:38) - And I love the the what's in me that symbolizes like the vision that I think that we have. Because I do believe with a strong enough vision you can conquer any how, when you know exactly the what and the why you want that what's so badly you can you can go through anyhow. However, there's a multitude of possibilities.
Kimberly Spencer (00:17:00) - So what's what's the third key if there isn't there.
Lia Valencia Key (00:17:04) - Oh, I love it. So the third key. Leaving. Leaving security. There are so many keys we can go on and on in the morning. Are there so many.
Kimberly Spencer (00:17:14) - Keys I love that.
Lia Valencia Key (00:17:16) - Are leading with purity? So what I mean is your heart, your mission, your vision, your what has to come from a core of purity. Meaning you're not looking to be someone else. You're not looking to try to do what the world wants to do. You are looking right here, right in this heart, right in this core, right in your soul and listening. I call God. But whatever we call it, your higher being, listening to what the whispers are for you and following it authentically through you. Because what happens as we start getting distracted with the weight of the world? Everyone's going ahead, and yet everyone's going to have a decision how we should be. The way you can overcome is listening right here, listening right here, and literally following your heart and moving to which our heart says, hey, there's so many things where I was, um, I had gone through cosmetology school and finally got a job teaching and a cosmetology school, and at the same time, I got another freelance job physically doing my my artistry.
Lia Valencia Key (00:18:36) - Right. And that teacher's job was amazing. But it was going to give me a salary, but it wasn't allow me to do my full artistry.
Kimberly Spencer (00:18:47) - Right. Yeah.
Lia Valencia Key (00:18:48) - So anytime the freelance that comes up, that is. On constant. There's no guarantee. There's no guaranteed money. But my joy was over there, right? And so I literally had to listen to my heart and say, am I going to follow the money or am I gonna follow my joy? That's kind of the world's purest place. And I jumped and I followed my joy with uncertainties, with inconsistent finances. I follow the joy and the joy led me here. So I'm telling you all, please listen to your heart come from pure joy and everything through the challenges will unfold to greatness, I promise.
Kimberly Spencer (00:19:34) - And let's talk about greatness going into QVC. Like. Enormous and enormous. So who did you have to become in in the months leading up to that big epic? Um, lots of pressure. Environment to lots of pressure to to sell and really take your brand to the whole, like a whole next level.
Kimberly Spencer (00:20:07) - Which is why I'm so glad I got you on here, because you're going to be so booked eventually. Like, it's going to be crazy. So I'm really glad I got you on now.
Lia Valencia Key (00:20:16) - Uh. So. Well, I think I'm going to tell you about this. Right. Everyone who's listening. See what you want. See it clearly. One of my mentors, Vicki Thijs, said, close your eye and found her passes in there. So close your eyes. See it? What are you wearing? What are you doing? Where you're walking like? Visualize what you desire. Visualize your drawing so clearly. Then it becomes reality and everything in your life starts to pull you towards that dream, right? So that's my first thing, but we're totally seeing it clear. Like I remember saying, people are like, oh, you sure you're gonna get on this? I'm like, no, no, I have to get on QVC because it's the place where I can tell my story, is the place where I can share the gifts and the dreams and the keys to overcome life.
Lia Valencia Key (00:21:14) - Because this is just not a jewelry brand. It's a wearable symbol that we can live our lives to our fullest potential. And the only place that I can do that is on QVC. So I knew that's where I had to meet. And so I lived in that. Now, finally, you say it to everyone. You say you're the only no one, I don't care, I don't care who it is. The person on the corner, the supermarket person, anyone who walks by you. You might start sounding crazy. But when you speak these words into the atmosphere and into the world, the world starts to transpire and collectively move together to get you to your goal. I promise. At work, we as humans have a heart to help, right? And so when you share your dreams to people unconsciously, they are starting to conspire to help you to your dreams, even if they can't do it right now. So what happened was I was telling everyone, I want to keep busy. I gotta be on music.
Lia Valencia Key (00:22:19) - QVC sent out a big fine competition I didn't hear about. Two people text and emailed me. Leah, QVC is having a big fine competition and you have to submit your jewelry. You see how the world can conspires together to make your dreams come true. I didn't hear about the competition well, because I told it to so many people, it was resonating in the back of their heart. So when a trigger came that they could help, they sent it to me.
Kimberly Spencer (00:22:52) - Magical logic. I love that.
Lia Valencia Key (00:22:55) - Magic. Tell everybody I'll tell you three. So then you get these dreams. You go through these, you go now. Now when you dream and when you have visions. Right? It's so true that nothing's easy. We gotta be honest. Whatever you dream, they are are obstacles. There are challenges. That is life.
Kimberly Spencer (00:23:16) - And they're supposed to be there like they're supposed to be there.
Lia Valencia Key (00:23:21) - They have to be there to make you stronger, to make you learn. Because if everything was easy, you wouldn't learn right?
Kimberly Spencer (00:23:30) - Or hate it when you got it.
Lia Valencia Key (00:23:32) - You wouldn't appreciate it. You couldn't have that true gratitude that we're talking about if you didn't really have to work for it. So this is, um, it was it is challenging just in the sense that. It's a lot to build up to. Meaning you have to make sure all of your things are right. All of your your orders in line. Everything that is required of you has to come through you. And it's just me. Like I'm a one woman band here. What I have earned angel friends that just see my dreams and they're like, well, yeah, how can I help? Can I help you pack boxes? Can I help you with this? Can I help you take pictures? Cannot. Cannot lift you up. Can I support you? So having a beautiful connection of support system. That's what I love about Valencia Jewelry is it's connecting awesome women together. Because when you see beautiful women dreaming big and we can just shine our lights on them, which go ahead and shine their lights on me and we can shine it on like I can shine it on you can.
Lia Valencia Key (00:24:39) - And then whoever else is wearing I can shine it on them. We're able to lift each other up in such a magnitude way. So the journey has been real. It's been a lot of work, but it's been priceless. And to get there on Monday, I really felt like a cry. Women. It was there because.
Kimberly Spencer (00:25:05) - I loved it, I watched that, but I was like, girl, you crushed it. You were so.
Lia Valencia Key (00:25:11) - Amazing right before, right? Yeah. A couple of days beforehand, and that was just an honor to have, um, my other mentor, Jamie Lima, founder, IT cosmetics. Just know my love, know my light, know my heart, and just spread it to the stage of, uh, was that the Brandon Bouchard?
Kimberly Spencer (00:25:36) - Yeah. High performance experience. It was.
Lia Valencia Key (00:25:38) - Oh my gosh. It was just amazing that to have so much love and love lifts it all up. Like, I feel as though I was able to stand there with my shoulders back on Monday and my head high because I had so much love in that building, so much love around the world, you know? I couldn't really feel it through the camera.
Lia Valencia Key (00:26:00) - Like I felt people saying, it's okay, you got this, it's okay. Share with the world. And so I just thank all of you for just radiating your love to me.
Kimberly Spencer (00:26:12) - Ah, it was it was extraordinary, I love. I love that you lead with love and this like generosity of spirit. And I would love to know. As you have evolved because your story. Um, a lot of times along the entrepreneurial the entrepreneur journey, like the mindset around growth at around money can can definitely come into play, especially growing up where you did. So how has your belief or concepts or or of money and wealth changed as you've grown and developed this business?
Lia Valencia Key (00:26:53) - Yeah, this is so okay. I love this question. I pray I answer, um, the way I really because I've been, I've been thinking about this as as blessings. So too much is given. Much is required. Yeah, yeah I've been I'm I'm being blessed moment by moment by opportunity. And my prayer is that I never let money and social and society cloud when I have to give to the world, you understand? Like I am gonna live a life that.
Lia Valencia Key (00:27:33) - I was just thinking this before we got, uh, on camera, that.
Kimberly Spencer (00:27:37) - Like destiny that I answered, that is through this question.
Lia Valencia Key (00:27:40) - And it's honestly destiny. And I'm getting emotional because, um, as you become seen, if you will, pressure happens. Yes. And I was resetting my brain right before we got on the set. You were here. Give Leah, you are here to spread love. You're here to spread joy. Leah, do not let the weight of the world. Do not let the weight of pressure to not let the demands of where you should be, what you should be doing professionally, how your website should look, how your Instagram should look. Pressure you and squeeze out a core purpose of what God has me to give. And so my answer to you to that is. All I want to do is be comfortable enough that I can continue to spread this message, that we keep joy as our core and that we keep pieces our core. And the only way I can do that is to always stay at peace, and a gratitude for what I'm able to give to you all.
Lia Valencia Key (00:28:43) - I want to stay in a moment of giving. I have to stay in the moment. Like, what can I give my where's what can I share with my wearers? How can I enhance their lives in the most positive manner? How much light can I get to the world and I am going to stay in that manner no matter what. So I'm numbers. That's fine. Money? That's fine as long as I can have a roof over my head, I'm grateful. As long as I can eat even just one meal a day, I'm fine. I'm not going to be pressured with money. I'm not going to be pressured with society's demands. I'm going to keep deciding how can I give you more so you can wear my jewelry in confidence and be poured into, and you can feel what I want you to feel when you wear it, and that you can live the brightest life that I pray that you all can live.
Kimberly Spencer (00:29:36) - Now. How long did it take you to tap into this, this light that you had, like when you first were back from back in that homeless shelter? How long did it take you to really open it up so that you were literally golden and light now?
Lia Valencia Key (00:29:54) - Ah, okay.
Lia Valencia Key (00:29:55) - I think. Here's the trick and thank. That he being able to see darkness. But see? Hear my mother's words. Honestly, it started to fit. Great. That's where the unlock happened. Like like right in that unlock moment. That was the moment where light poured from my spirit. Because. Because it told me I didn't have to follow people anymore. Like I didn't have to look around in my classmates and try to lead them. I could lead, I could lead from my own life. Like I could throw all these colors together. It was so funny. If you saw me in like, younger and middle school and high school, like, literally, I threw the whole entire rainbow of colors on my body because that's what I felt like. I never I no longer follow. And I feel like when you are not following it, external forces and they're leading your life from inside, that's where the light pours out. That's how I radiate and shine. Because when I walk in, you are.
Lia Valencia Key (00:31:02) - You are feeling 100%. Lia. Yeah. I mean, like. Yeah, that's all down.
Kimberly Spencer (00:31:11) - I don't know. So what does leadership then mean to you? What does what does that mean to have that be like plastered to mentor young women who are struggling with feeling like a follower, feeling like a fraud? Yeah. What? How would you then?
Lia Valencia Key (00:31:28) - That's a good question, sir, because. I interpret leadership as leading your life to your destiny and to your dreams, and in return. People see and start to be inspired by you. I think people think of leadership as you pointing and leading others. That's not true leadership to me. True leadership is learning who you are daily, right? Yeah. Developing herself daily. Getting quiet. I never get still. Quiet. But I literally go inside on myself. And I call this thing called joy check and peace checks. Like. Like if someone opened my mind and my body up constantly, I'm joy and peace checking like, Leah, is this gaming joy? Leah, are you at peace? Leah, do we need to reset? Leah are you allowing us to or to your feelings? I am constantly balancing myself back to the peace within me.
Lia Valencia Key (00:32:36) - So when I radiate out, I am leading my life. And when I leave my own life, then I can inspire people to come on and lead their own life. And hopefully that clicks and and allow someone to do a better decision or live a brighter life. But it starts right here. Lead yourself and people can follow along.
Kimberly Spencer (00:32:59) - Ah, I love that. And and I want everyone who's listening to to really pay attention to the questions in the joy check and the peace check of constantly. Yeah. Checking in. Is this bringing me more joy? Is this bringing me more peace? Because the more you have that awareness that the the more powerful you become to directing your life instead of being reactionary to the conditioning of your past programming or of past beliefs. We may yourself to have those checks like I love the joy check. I love the peace check.
Lia Valencia Key (00:33:33) - God too. And it's this. This is continuous, right? Anxiety check. Am I allowing? I believe I'm bringing fear along with me.
Lia Valencia Key (00:33:42) - This is another key. Oh, I believe that a lot of people say, oh, don't be scared. Oh, fear. Fear is power of full. If you funnel it and hone it in, in the right energy force. Right. Because everything is energy. Yes, there's positive and negative energies. And you can you can convert these energies however you want them to be. Right. And so initially fear comes in as this negative paralyzing thing. Yes. But if you convert that fear into a humble spirit, right. Because I feel that fear is humbling. Because if you have some sense of angst or some things of fear, that means you don't have it all by yourself, right? And so you're not thinking you are the end all, be all of life and of all things. So then you can reach to your higher power and said, please give me the guidance. Give me the desire. It's give me the needs. Give me the tools that I need to fill in the blank.
Lia Valencia Key (00:34:48) - Do what I need to do. So I say bring Sierra along with you. Yeah, fearful. Get scared, but do it anyway. Walk in fear when you say, oh God, I'm so scared of this. If you're not scared of it or if you're not fearful, whatever you want to titled it, then it's probably too easy for you to do so. Try to do something bigger, right? So beautiful thing about fear. If you're feeling fear, that means you're walking into some big dreams right now, right? If you're feeling nervous, that means you're about to tackle something that's bigger than you right now. So that's a beautiful thing. My prayer to you is don't let fear paralyze you. Do it anyway. Breathe. Breathe through. I think my grandma always used to say, she said, 15 minutes, I don't know, we have 15 minutes for that. But breathe and give. Get yourself some mental peace, she said. 15 minutes. I try to get some breath in when that angst comes in.
Lia Valencia Key (00:35:50) - Grief flew in and asked for higher power. I call it God. Please guide me, take me through it. Give me what I need to do this in this moment. Let the world conspire to lift me to my bigger palace. Because when it becomes bigger than you, then you can stay humble. Like when people say self-made, there's no such thing as self-made ever. They are some mighty and some things and something that has allowed to be where you are. And so I say inspire through living through that fear, because it's really a powerful great.
Kimberly Spencer (00:36:24) - Yeah, I love the fact that of a funneling and checking yourself with fear is is there and it's present because it's normal and it's natural. And when you feel fear, it's a sign that you care.
Lia Valencia Key (00:36:38) - Yeah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:36:39) - You care about something.
Lia Valencia Key (00:36:41) - Badly when you are like, oh, I got this. I'm good. That probably means you're not checking the things and dotting the i's and really looking in the detail. When I when I do my jewelry.
Lia Valencia Key (00:36:52) - So when we crack is when we hand hackers these boxes. I am I am in little arms because I am looking at the card. I am looking at the boxes, I am looking. I'm literally detailed checking because I care. Like I care when you get home. Because if you if I put care into this box when you open it up, but care is going to quarantine you. People need to feel the care. And that's where if we change our mindset about fear. I love what you said and we put it into who I am really caring right now. God, allow me to care and walk through this. It's amazing.
Kimberly Spencer (00:37:31) - I love the fact that you pour so much detail and care into the work that you do. And so how did you become absolutely obsessed with your customer? With what she needs?
Lia Valencia Key (00:37:46) - Well, because. When you're when you're creating something for the betterment of another human being. And it's not about the tangible object, it's about the soul. A soul and a heart and a human.
Lia Valencia Key (00:38:03) - Delicate, right. And so. Life is precious. And so I literally I'm thinking that I am I am pouring into a life right now. Right? It's like pouring into a baby. You can't. Right? You don't just throw anything. So I look at this bigger than the jewelry I look at it is I am pouring into a whole human soul, and that is bigger than anyone can ever imagine. And so everything I do mean something, because I know that I want to inspire and spark and elevate your life. And the only way I can do that is if I take every little detail, every little post, every I mean, even the back of my hair. And like.
Kimberly Spencer (00:38:56) - I was so excited to get my box. I get so excited.
Lia Valencia Key (00:39:00) - I think back to my earrings are their circles. I made them custom because I said she has to wear this to support. I need things to do with their lives to do so. You can live your life the way you want to live it.
Lia Valencia Key (00:39:14) - I had beautiful mentors, I must admit. Um, Vicky Sai from Pasha and Jamie Kalima from IT cosmetics and they care. It's a beautiful thing when. When powerful spirits take you under your wing. Yeah. When you can see someone else do some great things, you can embody that, right? And you can say, oh, that is magical. How much a person cares and how much every little detail matters. You know what I mean? Like Tasha, every little detail matters. With a box, it cosmetics, every little detail matters with the foundation. And those those are those become life changing. Like, that's what I saw. I said, I saw when you care about what you give to your loves, I call you all my loves. Then it was life changing. It doesn't become a thing. It becomes a life changing experience. And all I want to do. My purpose on life is to uplift souls and inspire hearts. And so I'm going to continuously Orlov into every little detail, every minute of my life, I promise.
Kimberly Spencer (00:40:33) - Oh, I love it. So looking at at being a woman and creating this, how has what is the lesson that that men could learn from being a female entrepreneur and how you do jewelry. Yeah. I mean new business.
Lia Valencia Key (00:40:50) - Enjoy it during the dreamer.
Kimberly Spencer (00:40:53) - I never got such a dreamer.
Lia Valencia Key (00:40:58) - Box. It's like it says for but for dreamers, believers and achievers.
Kimberly Spencer (00:41:03) - Well, yes.
Lia Valencia Key (00:41:05) - I have a powerful thing in training, I think. I think I'm sorry, I won't answer your question about that, but I do think that life limits dreams because we bought so many people. Where I come from in my impoverished environment, I was in a box right in my box that I could only do so much. And my boss said, I can't dream beyond what I saw. And so now I'm breaking my shell. And I'm saying dream as crazy as your mind can dream. So my one of my many dreams of this last time to the world is to bring men jewelry. Because men are amazing and men need this inspiration to.
Lia Valencia Key (00:41:50) - Men need that joy and men need that peace. Men need that reminder. And women we are. We are the cheerleader. We, we comfort, we support, we uplift. And I really, in my heart of hearts, are going to pour into a piece of men's jewelry. Maybe my vision is a bracelet, so a man can wear a bracelet and say, you know what, I have this too. And it's not a man or woman thing, right? I think we we can take gender out of it. We can. Amen of it. We can take who you are out of it. This is a human thing. Joy is a human thing. Love that you think possibility is a human thing. And so all that gender and all that classification, all of that goes to the wayside when a life is present. And so I have to get men's jewelry because I want to inspire all souls, not just one men souls, all souls.
Kimberly Spencer (00:42:47) - All souls, I love it. So what is one thing that we can celebrate that is different with men than than women? And how does that how do those differences set you apart in your field?
Lia Valencia Key (00:43:03) - Mhm.
Lia Valencia Key (00:43:04) - The difference between men and women. Well. This is my only thought and opinion, you know. But I do think I know women from what I feel is that we feel from the core. Now, there are men out there that feel from the core. I'm not quite like all men, but I know we are. We get emotional. We're emotional human being, right? We we get into the heart of a thing. Right. And so I feel it's so powerful. Me as a woman, bringing this to men that I can get into their hearts. Right. And then unlock this beauty and this emotion that maybe some men suppress. Right. Because I know a lot of men's society teaches that men are surreal, right? They think they're thinkers. They do black and white action. It's not even an emotion thing. It's like, yeah, what we're going to do, we're going to methodically think about it. Two plus two equals four, period. And we're like two plus two equals four.
Lia Valencia Key (00:44:08) - But if you put a little love in it, I'm gonna transpire to 2000. Right. So that's what I that's the unique part that can transcend into different, uh, genders is that, that emotional touch, experiential type, that heart connection types that I know men want and need. But I don't think society allows it to be as acceptable. You know, I want to give that to men and say they want to be in touch with their joy, you know, to be in touch with their love and to acceptable to your peace, you know, and that you've got this, too, like everybody thinks that I'm mad is okay because he has to be a man. No, men need encouragement. They're human. We're human. So I want them to wear a bracelet from Valencia King to encourage them that I'm in your team to. I'm supporting you. I'm praying for you just as much as I'm praying for my women. Love. You know.
Kimberly Spencer (00:45:10) - I love that so much. And I couldn't agree with you more that like, men need support too.
Kimberly Spencer (00:45:17) - And that unlocking, uh, of of the of the emotions, I mean, I'm raising I'm raising a man and he's, he's the most compassionate child. And if there is anything that I could leave, like, untainted, it would be his compassion, because he has the capacity to love the world. And I think. In past generations, that would be something that would be looked down upon. Yeah, I have a feeling that there's a reason why he chose me as his mom. Uh, because I see that compassion is such a skill set that that is so powerful and and palpable when you really put it into action, that's going to be.
Lia Valencia Key (00:45:59) - Your call to make his passion and his heart right? Because so so he can be able to lead with his passion and his heart and lead with his mind. And so he's the fun double, double force to the world, like laughing and methodically moving. How beautiful is that?
Kimberly Spencer (00:46:16) - Ah, I love it. And then he'll be wearing your bracelet.
Kimberly Spencer (00:46:19) - So I said, oh, I would love to jump into a little bit of a rapid fire to like, wrap this bad boy up. Oh darn it. Okay.
Lia Valencia Key (00:46:34) - Thank you.
Kimberly Spencer (00:46:35) - Yes. Oh, the last key.
Lia Valencia Key (00:46:39) - Episode is to always say yes. What happens in the lead comes your way of saying greatness happens with exposure and opportunity to be exposed to something bigger than where you want to be. And then when an opportunity presents itself, you say, yes, it doesn't matter if you're ready. It doesn't matter if you know how. It doesn't even matter if you don't even know what you're saying yes to. If you know it's positive and it's towards your dream, say yes and I promise you'll figure it out. Even if you epically fail in the letting, the yes, you will have learned something push you further towards your dream. Okay. I'm sorry.
Kimberly Spencer (00:47:23) - Oh, I love that because I actually that was my big yes to have you on. I was like my gut. It was like, Leo needs to be on this show.
Kimberly Spencer (00:47:30) - And like, you were just on Mel Robinson's show and like, QVC. And I was like, I'm gonna say yes. I'm gonna say yes and ask her. And then it was a yes. And you can hear that. It's awesome. So I'm I'm so grateful for you. So let's move into a little bit of rapid fire. So who is your favorite female character in a movie and why.
Lia Valencia Key (00:47:52) - Are Oprah her are from that era and I live for soul.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:01) - Hell yes. If you were Queen of the country, what would be your prime focus?
Lia Valencia Key (00:48:07) - Are Queen of a country are my prime. Focus with me. Joy and peace for all.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:14) - Are I love it. What would you consider to be your kingdom?
Lia Valencia Key (00:48:19) - Well. Explain that. What?
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:22) - Open ended my.
Lia Valencia Key (00:48:23) - Kingdom.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:23) - Yeah.
Lia Valencia Key (00:48:25) - Um. And then what? It looks like.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:27) - It can be what it looks like. It could be what it feels like. It could be who you're around yourself with. It could be who you allow in.
Kimberly Spencer (00:48:33) - It could be every single version of however you describe it to be at work. I could write for you.
Lia Valencia Key (00:48:39) - Okay, I love it, I like it. So my kingdom, uh, would look like Monday the 24th when I launched on Timothy y. Uh, the action of love pouring together uplifting spirits, my kingdom would be everyone inspiring each other, everyone lifting each other up, everyone pouring love in and out of one another. Everyone coming from a place of joy. No one tearing each other down. Everyone saying, you got this, go do it. No one crushing dreams. Everyone build their dreams.
Kimberly Spencer (00:49:16) - Oh, I love that. I want to, I want to be a part of your kingdom. Uh. We'll have a kingdom party. Uh, if your palace had a swear jar, how much money would you have to put in it? Daily? And how much would you charge yourself? That's really what it is.
Lia Valencia Key (00:49:30) - Oh, I don't swear often, so I will come up short.
Lia Valencia Key (00:49:35) - I try not to. I grew up in a home of a bunch of wearing. Now, when you get me really mad, I'd probably be putting a lot in. But I try to consciously curb that. I would charge myself probably $100, I swear. Uh, and so I'll try to collect that swear jar to make as much, uh, coins as possible. And, um, I probably I don't, I, you never know, swear much and be kind of I always thought, can I say that my grandmother is no longer with me and my mother is no longer with me, but I always like what I wear around my grandmother, what I wear my mother. And so if I wouldn't ban that, I want to be conscious of not giving out to the world unless it really is crazy. Like I thought my whole and I can't help it.
Kimberly Spencer (00:50:25) - So what woman would you want to trade places with just for a day?
Lia Valencia Key (00:50:31) - In with the weird question now what I am doing in Firefly and I don't I don't want to walk in anyone, I want to.
Lia Valencia Key (00:50:40) - I want to walk in my own shoes, and I want to learn from other people's shoes, but I don't. I don't think I want to trade a place that I'm so excited about my own journey.
Kimberly Spencer (00:50:50) - I love that I learned that if you had to have your success at twice the speed, what would you have done differently?
Lia Valencia Key (00:50:56) - 000 much? I do have a better website for sure. I read social media. I learned how to market. I don't know how to ask for help.
Kimberly Spencer (00:51:13) - Oh, I love it. I love your honesty too. And your authenticity of. Just like. This is what I need help with. Yeah. I love it. So what message do you want to share with the world? If you got to stand on your soapbox, what would be that big message that you would share?
Lia Valencia Key (00:51:30) - Hi, mom. Uh, to the world is. Live a life. Of joy from your inner core. Know that all things are possible. And lead with love.
Kimberly Spencer (00:51:47) - Amazing. And lastly, how do you crown yourself?
Lia Valencia Key (00:51:52) - Ooh.
Lia Valencia Key (00:51:54) - And that means, uh, like, uh.
Kimberly Spencer (00:51:56) - It's however you want it to mean. How do you handle.
Lia Valencia Key (00:51:59) - You think I'm a thinker? I'm like my hands and legs properly. Ah.
Kimberly Spencer (00:52:03) - There's no right or wrong answer.
Lia Valencia Key (00:52:05) - How do I cry in my, um. Ooh. I crown myself with being around uniform. Awesome. Loving all that is my crown. That is my joy. That is my celebration.
Kimberly Spencer (00:52:24) - Ah, I love it. Leah, tell us where we can find you. I know we will have the link to your QVC purchases so we can get your jewelry, um, from QVC in the description. But tell us where we can find you. How can we get your jewelry? How can we support your mission?
Lia Valencia Key (00:52:41) - Oh, thank you, thank you. Oh, thank you for this, because I need support. Please find me, uh, my jewelry of love and light on qvc.com. You can type in the link, the key or the fact that link, I don't know where it is and blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Lia Valencia Key (00:53:01) - Love and please support wearing Valencia jewelry. It'll be an honor and a joy to me. You can also find on Instagram Valencia Key Design. That is my jewelry Instagram where I will give you inspiration. I will give you travels from around the world and then how we can coexist and love and joy. Or Leah Valencia. If you want to see my crazy. I do a lot of videos of where I'm at and what I'm doing. That's where in.
Kimberly Spencer (00:53:36) - Oh, I would suggest following both because both are very entertaining.
Lia Valencia Key (00:53:41) - I love being on both sides. It's so funny that my friend Jill, uh, helped me and she's like, okay, Leah, on your Leah Valencia? Yes. When she was ready, I went up on Valencia. Joey, we are really gonna give the people what they want and show jewelry and go play with those pages. And finally, I'll give you a big thank you.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:04) - Oh my gosh. As always, my fellow princes in the mirrors on your throne. Mind your business.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:10) - Because your reign is now. Till next time. Thank you so much for tuning in today. If what you heard resonated with you. Be sure to subscribe and start creating a bigger impact now by sharing this with a friend.
Kimberly Spencer (00:54:22) - Just by doing that one simple act of kindness, you are creating a royal ripple to support more people in their sovereignty. And if you're not already following on social media, connect with me everywhere at Crown Yourself Now for more inspiration. I am so excited to connect with you in the next episode, and in the meantime, go out there and create a body, business and life that rules because today you crown yourself.
