Susan Hyatt:
Is there something that you wish you had the nerve to do? Welcome to You've Got Nerve, the podcast that teaches you how to conquer your fears, upgrade your mindset, and get the nerve to go after whatever you want. If you wish you had the guts to go all in on your goals, dreams, and desires, this show is for you. I am master certified life coach Susan Hyatt, and I'm so excited for you to join me on this journey.

Susan Hyatt:
Today's guest is Rachel Levine. So Rachel is a psychotherapist, a teacher and an attorney, and she wants to get up the nerve to do some fundraising for a foundation, and she also needs some coaching on visibility to promote her group program. And this really speaks to me because she's a woman trying to get up the courage to be visible enough to raise money to help improve people's lives post prison. And she's also trying to get up the nerve to be visible on social media to promote some of her programs. So I hope you enjoy being a little fly on the wall in my coaching session with Rachel. Enjoy this episode.

Susan Hyatt:
Welcome to the show, Rachel.

Rachel Levine:
Thanks, Susan. It's wonderful to be here.

Susan Hyatt:
I'm so delighted to have you here because my mission is to help impact the world by helping more powerful women get the nerve to do what it is they really want to do. And so talk to us a little bit about what you're trying to get up the nerve to do right now.

Rachel Levine:
What I'm trying to get up the nerve to do is start a fund or a foundation primarily for this nonprofit that I helped start called Community Passageways. And this fund would be dedicated to helping those that are getting out of detention or jail or prison with these things called legal fee obligations, or LFOs as they're called, that can occur when they're in jail.

Susan Hyatt:
Okay.

Rachel Levine:
And so, yeah.

Susan Hyatt:
So tell me a little bit about that. Your dream for people coming out of prison or detention or incarceration, they would be assisted how?

Rachel Levine:
They would be able to get help with paying off these legal fee obligations.

Susan Hyatt:
Well, tell me about what legal fee obligations do people rack up while they're in prison?

Rachel Levine:
Yeah, the short of it is that there's just different fees that get tacked on while they're locked up, and then they have hundreds or thousands of dollars in this bill when they get out, and they're already trying to find a job, they're trying to find housing, and the deck is stacked as it is. And these are just a huge financial hardship. And they can even lead to a further arrest if they're not paid timely. So it just becomes this cycle that's very difficult to get out of. And if there's one thing that we can do to help alleviate some of just this crushing hardship is let's help you pay these fees so you can then be able to support your family and put food on the table and find a place to live.

Susan Hyatt:
This almost sounds outrageous to me that, now listen, I have read some and watched a little bit, some documentaries on basically the travesty that is our prison system, but one point I was not aware of was that while you are in prison, you can rack up fees that are then owed when you get out. When you get out of prison, you don't have a job. And so is it, in your opinion, it sounds to me like it's just another way this whole system feeds itself, because if someone can't pay those fees, they come right back.

Rachel Levine:
Yes. Yeah, exactly.

Rachel Levine:
It's so difficult once you get in, it's so difficult without friends or family or some type of help to be able to get out and stay out. And that's one of the things I love about this nonprofit is that they are consistent and committed for the long haul so that their participants don't ever have to go back.

Susan Hyatt:
Right. And so this nonprofit raises money to help people coming out of prison pay their bills, get on their feet and be able to have an actual fresh start.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. There's so much that this nonprofit does, and they have even wraparound services as it's grown over the last couple years. They help the families too. These kids are graduating high school or getting their GED, they're getting business licenses and starting their own businesses. It is so exciting to see when people believe in you, the way that nurturance and community, one of the taglines we would say when we were first dreaming about this was community healing community. That's what we wanted.

Rachel Levine:
In the early days, I think it's probably still going on now, if the young person had go before a judge, there would be a dozen to 20 people from Community Passageways in the courtroom. So the judge would see that this youth has support and defense attorneys and judges were loving Community Passageways because they knew they could say, "Okay, let's squash this warrant." Or, "Let's not give you any more jail time because you have got people in your corner that aren't going to let you fall."

Susan Hyatt:
Wow. That's so amazing and is making me think about, I have a family friend who got a DUI and where I live, there is, for first time offenders, you can do a diversion type program, but it's a program where you pay a weekly fee to blow into a monitor. And to prove that you're not consuming alcohol. And what my friend came to understand was that the monitoring company, the president of the monitoring company that is charging exorbitant fees, is friends with the judge that gave this company an exclusive, basically monopoly on monitoring drug and alcohol offenders, if you want to call it that. And our local newspaper, a journalist won a huge award for writing an expose about how the stories of people who entered into this program, but couldn't keep up with the fees. And if you don't pay your bill, you get a probation violation.

Susan Hyatt:
And then they would basically make all this money off people, or similar to how you're saying, like these folks are coming out of jail with all of these bills that they can't afford to pay. And similarly, there are people trying to clean up their lives that if they miss a test or they miss a bill, the fees keep racking up, the late fees and that sort of thing. And so it's really, the more I learn about what actually goes on with our justice system and our prison system, it's outrageous. And so what rewarding work to be able to help these kids.

Susan Hyatt:
So what is it that is your dream for this? If we're talking about a dream scenario for what you want to create, what will happen?

Rachel Levine:
That's a great question. My dream scenario is that as many people as we can would be helped. And I guess what's happened in my life because, while I've never been incarcerated, there was a time when people showed up for me and when I had no way of paying them back.

Susan Hyatt:
Right.

Rachel Levine:
And so in some ways we just keep doing unto others. Just doing, so you receive it, you give it, because if you don't feel like you've received it, if you don't have it, it's very hard to really give it in a real, authentic, powerful way. And so for folks to come out of incarceration to know that people have been thinking about them. And for them then to be able to flourish.

Rachel Levine:
Because the people that are coming out, they have dreams, they have such skills and talents. And to be able to feel like they can throw the weight of these fees off of them and then run for their goal, they can open their business. They can help the people that are on their hearts to help. It just becomes this ripple effect.

Susan Hyatt:
Oh, it's so beautiful. So what needs to happen in order for that dream scenario to become real? You need to raise money, or what are you getting up the nerve to do here?

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. Finding somebody that knows all the ins and outs of starting a foundation. I am an attorney, but that's not what I do. But finding somebody that knows how to do that, and again, being willing to be seen and get out there asking people for money. Because this is a controversial topic. And really what it is I'll be stating an opinion, very evident one, and there's some people that have a differing opinion of let them pay their own fees or something like that. And so just being willing to receive any backlash, but have my vision front and center still.

Susan Hyatt:
So it's really twofold. It's twofold here. So it's the practical side of who can I approach that knows how to do this and get the answers that I need, but it's also getting up the nerve to become visible and ask for money and debate or have conversations with people who might not agree.

Rachel Levine:
Yes. Yes.

Susan Hyatt:
And so what goes through your mind in terms of being a woman who's visibly raising money for this mission?

Rachel Levine:
What comes to mind you said?

Susan Hyatt:
Yeah. In terms of it holds you back.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. Just any negative energy, I guess that would be coming towards me and this endeavor, and probably, maybe even the fear that somehow it could thwarted or yeah.

Susan Hyatt:
So negative energy directed at you because of what you're doing, and then also people squashing this dream.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah.

Susan Hyatt:
That's what worries you?

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. Yeah. Those are the ones that come to mind. That's very self focused.

Susan Hyatt:
Well, no, I'm giggling because what's interesting is that I think it's pretty common when we have a big goal, a big dream that low quality thinking can seep in and say, "Well, what if it doesn't work out?" Or yours is a little different in that people will squash it, intentionally squash it. And so I guess my next question is, how do we keep you from squashing it?

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. I need to tell on myself. I need accountability to tell people, the close people in my life and start making a plan. And even if it's a two or three year plan, because I'm still growing my own business, but keeping it at the forefront.

Susan Hyatt:
Yeah. And I think what's interesting is with your own business, you were mentioning to me before we started the recording, that you've got a program that you want to launch, a group program? And in your mind, it's a similar visibility issue?

Rachel Levine:
Yes. Yeah. It is. Yeah. I am a dinosaur when it comes to the Facebook and the social media.

Susan Hyatt:
The Facebook, I love calling it that.

Rachel Levine:
So do I, so do I. But what has just started turning for me is finding this wonderful encouraging community online and on social media. And once I finally got oh, why would I even be on Instagram? Or why would I even be on social media? Ah, I get it now. I'm like, okay, I'm in.

Susan Hyatt:
Right. There're nice pockets. There are nice corners of the internet where people are helpful.

Rachel Levine:
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So this group, this program in particular is for women who are tired of losing themselves in dating relationships and are ready to take decisive action to change this dating pattern and find the person of their dreams.

Susan Hyatt:
And so when you think about becoming visible online, on social media, for whether it's your program, which sounds delightful, or this foundation, what do you need to change in the way that you think about yourself in the spotlight?

Rachel Levine:
That's a really good question. What do I need to change how I think about myself? I forget if it was from you or somewhere else, but there's this idea of I need to become first.

Rachel Levine:
And I say that in the sense of how do I live on purpose, and what even is my purpose and my mission? That needs to rise above any fears of some heckle or troll or whatever on the internet. And yeah, so I feel like I need to elevate my view of myself to be honest.

Susan Hyatt:
Yeah. I think what's interesting is that we can really dull down and dim our light for fear that it will attract criticism or a troll or someone who disagrees with us when that's going to happen no matter what we do as women. But then secondly, it's helpful to actually focus on two part. Focus on the mission that the actual mission and the result and the impact that your work, whether it's for the foundation or for the women in your group program is bigger than a troll's opinion of you. And then also, your opinion of you that you are called.

Susan Hyatt:
There are so many people that I talk to about different dreams that they have every single day, and a lot of the entrepreneurs that I talk to have a similar dream in that they want to have a successful business, but by and large, people's cravings and dreams beyond just financial stability or partnership, that sort of thing, can be so interesting and unique to them.

Susan Hyatt:
And so I'm often like, listen, I've never talked to someone, Rachel, who has the dream of funding a foundation to help incarcerated youth come out and be able to be on their feet. I wish more people honestly, had a heart like that, but you wouldn't be drawn to that mission unless it was meant. You're the one. There are lots of people at the foundation doing it, but when we're talking about the world at large, you're the beacon, you're the lighthouse, you're the one. And so when you can think and settle into, okay, this wouldn't even be tugging at my essential self, unless it was supposed to be a thing. And if I'm just going to go ahead and accept the fact that this is a thing that I'm going to do, then let me stay ready. let me get ready and stay ready for whatever's going to come at me.

Susan Hyatt:
So I need to be ready in my mind and my heart and my spirit to champion this cause. And if people want to throw rocks online, those rocks will build my foundation because I am a woman who is going to create a legacy here. You're a legacy builder.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah.

Susan Hyatt:
So my next question is, are you open to the possibility that you're it? You, Rachel, attorney, coach for women, are the link from foundation to probably millions raised to help these folks.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah. And as you were talking, I was realizing, I've had this dream tucked away for years really. I think whenever we first started dreaming about the nonprofit and so yeah, I'm the one to do it.

Susan Hyatt:
Yeah. Okay. Give me a couple of reasons why you're the one to do it, why you're perfectly equipped to be the one to do it on the Facebook and beyond.

Rachel Levine:
I'm passionate about this, and there's a lot that I would love to see different about the incarceration system. And this is just one way that I can put that energy towards creating something and building something rather than putting my own negative energy about it. And so it means a lot to me. And I feel like if I carry it, I will continue to carry it. I will see it through. Because it's not really about me at all, but at the very least, it's not just about me. It'll be there to be able to help so many enrich their lives.

Susan Hyatt:
Absolutely. And what is it, let's say five years from now, what would you love to be able to report that has happened as a result of you just getting up the nerve to go for it and see it through?

Rachel Levine:
Five years from now, that we have helped at least 50 people with these LFOs, and they were able to fill in the blank. Buy a franchise, start their own something, go back to school, pursue their dreams.

Susan Hyatt:
Wow. And the impact of you just filling in the blank of education, businesses, families, generations healed as a result of this program. I guess my next question is, are you willing to get over your fear of visibility in order for that to happen for 50 folks?

Rachel Levine:
Yes. Because even coming on this podcast is part of that.

Susan Hyatt:
Yeah.

Rachel Levine:
Yeah, yeah. Really it is. At the beginning of the year, I do this, I did this last year too. what do I want to do? What do I want to have? What do I want to be? And I keep looking at it, and one of the things it says is be willing to be seen. And I'm like, that was before I had any clue that I would be getting visibility for anything. So it's like, okay, it's written.

Rachel Levine:
So yeah, we going to do this. It's time. It's time.

Susan Hyatt:
Ah, so you sound like a woman who's got nerves. So what's the next baby step on your visibility journey for this?

Rachel Levine:
I think my next visibility step really is to start is to... Well, I've created a couple of videos, but is to put them up on Instagram. I have an email list. And so I've started doing my weekly email newsletters and putting some of myself in these love letters, really to my ladies. They're called Ladies Rising, that's for my program. But at the same time, just getting comfortable or at least jumping into the pool and just feeling what it feels like to gain in traction. Because right now, there's not very many people that are aware of me online, but that will just grow.

Susan Hyatt:
Of course, of course. There's about to be a whole lot more aware of you online when this goes live. And so, okay, my challenge to you is to publish those videos, email your list, tag me in the comment so I can go love up on your video on Instagram, but will you report back what happens when you make these nervey, bold moves?

Rachel Levine:
I will.

Susan Hyatt:
I'm so excited about it. I really want to help. I really want to help with this passion foundation project of yours. So please keep me put me on your list.

Rachel Levine:
I will definitely. Yeah, I'll let you know. I'll let you know when I find the person that we start talking and figuring out how to put the paperwork together, I'll let you in on all the steps.

Susan Hyatt:
Well, I have a couple of contacts that I will put you in contact with who have started foundations. So if you need to pick someone's brain, I've got the perfect person.

Rachel Levine:
Thank you.

Susan Hyatt:
You're welcome.

Rachel Levine:
That would be awesome.

Susan Hyatt:
Thanks for coming on You've Got Nerve.

Rachel Levine:
Thanks, Susan. Really appreciate this.

Susan Hyatt:
Thank you for listening or viewing today's episode of You've Got Nerve. I hope it's inspired you to get the courage and the confidence to go after everything that you want. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening, reviewing. Your reviews mean the world to me, and when you review the podcast, we have the potential to reach more people who want to get up the nerve to create what they crave and become unstoppable.

Susan Hyatt:
Is there something that you need to get up the nerve to do? The first step is saying yes to yourself and yes to what you want and yes to whatever it is that you crave. Enrollment is open for my mastermind programs, and I would love to have you there. By joining one of my mastermind programs, you will be in a community devoted to helping you create the dollars and the delight that you want to see in your own life and in the world. So check out all the details mat susanhyatt.co. Excited for the next episode of You've Got Nerve, but don't want to wait a whole week? Listen, get in on the motivational text that I send people every Monday. It'll help you with courage and confidence. Just text me at 812-408-1823.

Susan Hyatt:
And Hey, if you've got a question for me, we're adding some special Q and A episodes of You've Got Nerve in the near future, and we're looking for listeners to participate. So you can send your voice message with your question by visiting YouveGotNervePodcast.com.

Susan Hyatt:
All right. That's all for today's episode of You've Got Nerve. Now it's time to go and get what you want. More confidence, more money, more energy, more pleasure, go after your goals like never before, because you've got the nerve.