The Secret Sauce to Resilience: Venchele’s Grit-Fueled Story

What if you could turn tiny, consistent actions into monumental changes in your life?

Join us on this inspiring episode of Electrifying 2% Solution as we interview Venchele St Dic, a resilient public health advocate and personal development coach. 

Venchele's remarkable journey from Haiti to the U.S. at 12 has shaped her determination and grounded her core values. Her experience growing up with dual cultures and transitioning from a dream of becoming a pediatrician to working in public health has given her valuable insights into habit formation, mental health, and positive psychology.

In our in-depth conversation, we discuss the crucial need for establishing trust systems in mental health care, drawing from her challenges in finding behavioral health therapists in Boston.

Vanchelle stresses the significance of engaging in productive community town halls, holding decision-makers accountable, and shedding light on the socio-cultural and historical factors that impact mental health organizations.

Through pathway coaching and advocacy writing, she amplifies the voices of underrepresented groups and promotes vulnerability, especially among men, to build a supportive community.

Lastly, we explore the transformative power of self-reflection and core values. Vanchelle shares her impactful experience in Senegal, where her work helped upgrade a small clinic to a hospital, significantly reducing maternal mortality rates.

As she looks to the future, with aspirations for a TED talk and a book, Vanchelle leaves us with a message to embrace change, trust the process, and see challenges as opportunities for growth.

This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone seeking to make meaningful changes in their life.

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Chapters

• 0:09 Finding Purpose Through Resilience and Values
• 14:21 Building Systems of Trust and Advocacy
• 21:26 Self-Reflection and Core Values
• 32:29 Navigating Future Aspirations and Impact

Transcript

Dai Manuel: 0:09

Welcome back to another Electrifying 2% Solution podcast episode. I'm Diamond Well, your friendly neighborhood lifestyle and fitness expert with over 30 years of love and life and helping others do the same. Today we've got a guest who's going to knock your socks off with her incredible journey and undefined. Meet

Dai Manuel: 0:30

Banchel St Dique

Dai Manuel: 0:32

, a powerhouse in public health and personal development. Her story is a rollercoaster of grit, determination and relentless advocacy. Imagine moving to the US at age 12 and practically raising yourself. Talk about resilience.

Dai Manuel: 0:50

Vanchelle is a freelance writer, author, editor and public health advocate who's also pursuing her doctorate. She has an amazing knack for blending her personal experiences with her professional know-how to uplift others through her company Pathway Coach Writing. We're diving deep into habit formation, mental health and the magic of positive psychology from her unique perspective. Get ready to be inspired and maybe even laugh a little as we uncover how tiny, consistent actions can lead to monumental changes. Tiny, consistent actions can lead to monumental changes. Vanchelle's going to dish out her wisdom on building trust systems, the importance of core values and how we can all make a big difference in our communities. Trust me, you don't want to miss this chat, so grab your favorite protein shake, green smoothie, get comfy, let's dive in, vanchelle welcome to the show.

Venchele Saint Dic: 1:47

Thank you so much for having me here, Di Well, I've been looking forward to this.

Dai Manuel: 1:51

We had such a wonderful meet and greet a couple months ago. I was counting down the days. Oh yeah, we get to talk today. And also you sent an amazing resource, which we'll talk about a little bit later because it's something that the audience will have access to, especially around value about a little bit later, because it's something that the audience will have access to, especially around value and and all that. You've got been going through your own reassessment of your own values and and I need to let too much shit in the bag right now, but we'll get into that.

Dai Manuel: 2:12

But you know, where I want to start with you today was. You know you've got a very unique story, especially because I always like to go back to people's earliest experience. That was barely significant, because there's often seeds of who we've become based on that experience. So I know you moved to the US at age 12. And I was curious how did that shape your determination of resilience? Where did you move from? Maybe you could just talk about this sort of dual culture upbringing, because I think it obviously has set some foundational pieces for you.

Venchele Saint Dic: 2:48

Absolutely so. Yes, I moved to the States at the age of 12, you know, from Haiti. It's a very small island in the Caribbean. Its neighbor is the Dominican Republic.

Venchele Saint Dic: 2:58

I spent most of my formative years in Haiti and I think it definitely shaped me in the sense that it grounded me in my own history, and that's what differentiates, I think, the school system in Haiti because I went to a private school versus the school system in the US, is that at a very early age becauseI started school at the age of three they start talking to you about your history, and I think the reason why they do that is because they want you to know where you're from and then, if you ever get lost along the way, to remember you know where you started, where you are now and where you're going.

Venchele Saint Dic: 3:36

And that definitely is something that continues to shape my life, because I think that when we're talking about growth and development, you know sometimes we you know, not all of us, but sometimes I think some of us would want to skip steps, and I think growth and development is not supposed to be something that's always sexy.

Venchele Saint Dic: 3:56

You know, there are growing pains and I think that, even as I'm going through my own growing pain. I'm realizing that in that like this is the moment to really be still and to really listen to yourself and listen to what matters to you, and I think that's what my upbringing in Haiti gave to me. It's like this deep sense of self, but also not to get over my head, to have a big ego, and realizing that there are going to be times where I need to take a sit. I need to sit down with myself and really think through how I'm feeling, checking in with myself, trying to figure out if am I on the right path, and if I had a mission statement before revise it to see do I still feel the same way? And so that's what I would say that my upbringing in Haiti definitely, at least in terms of how it shaped my life and continues to do so.

Dai Manuel: 4:51

Yeah, I think you sort of touched on there, because I've had guests that are dual culture or dual upbringings, two different opposing views sometimes right Like two very opposing views and trying to reconcile that, especially as a 12-year-old coming to a new country and the United States is a really big country compared to Haiti.

Venchele Saint Dic: 5:06

It is.

Dai Manuel: 5:07

You know a lot of different shifts and I know that you're really driven to explore a career in public health. Where did that come from? Like, why public health? From a 12-year-old moving from Haiti to the US to now pursuing that, and I know you also referenced? You know you're going through another growth moment which I'd like to touch on as well, but maybe you could just talk about where did that foundational piece, because I believe that takes a lot of resilience, especially to apply our lives to a singular focus and then really lean into that.

Venchele Saint Dic: 5:44

So go ahead. You know I want to hear your story. So what people don't know is that when I was little, I wanted to become a pediatrician. I wanted to work with children and then, when I came to the States, I was living with a host family because my family had to make the painful decision of leaving me behind. There was civil unrest in Haiti. My father was getting a doctorate at the time, my mother was working in Haiti and so, because of the civil unrest, they both made the decision that I had to stay behind. And so during that time I would say even before I came to the States because I lived in abject poverty I didn't grow up poor, but because I lived around it I felt compelled to do something. It bothered me that people did not have access to care and, for whatever reason in my mind, I connected that need to access to care with becoming a pediatrician.

Venchele Saint Dic: 6:32

Until I started taking the classes, until I started dabbling in some internships and I realized, you know what? I don't think that I'm interested in doing case management work. I would much rather focus on population health. And then that's where I made the transition, I believe during my sophomore year in college, from taking those pre-med courses to diving in into public health. So that's how I stumbled on public health. As a matter of fact, I probably should thank my advisor, because she was the one who told me. She said I don't think you're very happy in the classes that you're taking. You're doing what you're supposed to be doing, but I don't see the fire. You know, which brings us back to what we're talking about today. You know, when we talk about core values, it has to match whatever you're doing. It has to give you a fire in your belly. Well, it wasn't giving me any fire in my belly, and so that's why I ended up in public health, and ever since then, my career just took a different turn, for the better, for sure.

Dai Manuel: 7:35

Ah, I love this and I know you're pursuing your own doctorate.

Venchele Saint Dic: 7:38

Yes.

Dai Manuel: 7:39

That is amazing. Well, I just say, you know, you mentioned your dad at the time when you left Haiti. He was pursuing his doctorate. It's like you are your father's daughter. Clearly, you know and talk about legacy and I think that's just says a lot about those values. Yes, and I know that's a big part of what we'll talk about as we sort of continue to dive into your story. But for the audience, if this is the first time they're hearing about this concept of values, or core values more specifically, how would you describe those or what would be the best way to sort of introduce this idea to them?

Venchele Saint Dic: 8:10

I think for me, when I think about core values, I really am looking into, like the set of beliefs that can guide an individual's behavior and decision-making process, and at the same time as I'm introducing it this way, I want to be cognizant of your audience's. You know cultural backgrounds, because maybe their core values are directly related to their religious beliefs or to another set of I don't even know thought processes that maybe you and I are not able to cover, because I'm looking at core values based on my frame of reference, right, and not giving you a general idea, because I believe in tailored messages and so I just want to keep that in mind. But yes, typically for me, core values relate to set of beliefs or principles. It also helps you, it provides some sort of guidance in your life choices. Core values sometimes can also be a source of motivation and purpose that help you set and achieve goals. And then also, just like studies have shown, core values can lead to an improvement of well-being, which is directly linked to improvement to health and well-being, for sure.

Dai Manuel: 9:24

I can see. That's where that whole public health direction and drive, especially when we're talking about larger population, because you can start to see trends. But it's also interesting because you did touch on that cultural relative, which is very important A bit of nature and a bit of nurture, aren't we? And that often influences our belief systems and how we perceive the world, but also our role in it. Right, you speak a lot to positive psychology and habit.

Dai Manuel: 9:50

For me and I was curious, you know, because if we're going to dive into sort of this conversation around mental health and public health especially and then one thing I'm loving is that the conversation is becoming more normalized, which I think is important it's still not there yet. Of course, there's a lot of stigmas, we're still fighting, but it's getting there because of conversations like we're having today and I was wondering if you could dive into why is this so important? What are you noticing as you continue your studies and your support? What are some of the trends that you've noticed and where do you think we need to make some changes as we start to lean into more of this idea of positive psychology, habit formation, but especially around this bubble of mental health?

Venchele Saint Dic: 10:33

I think in the bubble of mental health, when we talk about mental health, habit formation and positive psychology, I think that we need to do a better job in focusing on what's working. No-transcript myself sometimes, because I also have to say okay, if you're gonna judge a system, if you're gonna judge a person, let's look at the totality of this, let's look at the bigger picture, and I think that's where asking the right questions and not being afraid to have these tough conversations in service of that relationship can really help you uncover, like, what really matters to people. And I think sometimes what I've noticed is that people may have the questions in mind but they just not, they don't feel empowered to say something. And there are also other variables we're not taking into account, because you may be dealing with a difficult person you know, and the conversation, the way you approach that person may be different from someone you have a really close relationship with where you feel a little bit more comfortable.

Venchele Saint Dic: 11:57

So my question to myself is how do we build systems of trust? How would that look like for us to be able to focus on what's working, to really drive positive habits in service of the relationships that we have, which then creates a system where the well-being of the person is normalized. You know, the focus on the well-being of the person, and that's a question that I'm always asking myself. I don't have clear answers on how to build systems of trust, because it's gonna look different for everyone, depending on your culture, depending on what's normal in your realm of influence, that's you know what you're really tapping into.

Dai Manuel: 12:40

The zeitgeist there, right like that. This is that sort of I mean, of course we're sort of right. I know most of my audience is based in north america, you know so canada and the us predominantly, and then some other commonwealth countries and the occasional little outlier here and there please let me know I'll let you know.

Dai Manuel: 12:57

It might be family memberless who knows you know? But regardless, I think you know, I know you're a scholar, I know you're knee deep this right now, especially as someone that's really embracing a lot of the fringe, and what I mean by that. It's like the newer stuff that we're seeing come up right. We're seeing lots of these conversations popping up lots of different questions, as you mentioned, ideas, thoughts on how we can improve the system, but I know I've also heard people say we got to tear it down, to build it up again, and so there's this differing sort of perspective.

Dai Manuel: 13:30

And what have you noticed as you've been going into this area, as you're working towards your doctorate? What would you say are the biggest issues preventing the trust piece? You know, is it lack of access to knowledge? Is it just lack of support systems? Being someone that I understand that mental health is a very big conversation. I'm someone that struggled with mental health wise in my own life, with my own anxiety and depression at periods, so I know how hard it is just to talk about it, and so that idea of being safe, feeling safe, that's very much interchangeable with trust, right? So what are your thoughts so far as you've been navigating this, I realize you may not have all the answers, but I feel very hopeful with you leading this charge right now, vangel. What do you think is working? What needs to change?

Venchele Saint Dic: 14:21

I think for me, when we're talking about building systems of trust, I think that we need to start looking at how are these programs being funded? Because I don't know about you, but when I lived in Boston, it was extremely hard to even access a behavioral health therapist, like I literally had to travel almost two and a half hours to the nearest one. And so I think that if we're going to talk about building systems of trust, we need to start being a little bit more productive. When we have town halls, like they will have those local town halls right, and sometimes it's a town hall just to shoot the breeze, and I think we need to move away from that to having, like you said, like the tough conversations on what is working, what is not working for people in that community, the people who are most affected, because you wouldn't be surprised, but sometimes the people who are in power have not gone through the same level of struggles, and so it's almost like they've become out of touch, and I think that's the reason why we need to continue to hold people accountable. This is a bigger discussion on accountability making sure that the people that we put in power to make those decisions on our behalf are well equipped and are able to relate to us, you know, as people and not just to have a vote.

Venchele Saint Dic: 16:01

I always think about where's the source of the information coming from. To have a vote, I always think about where's the source of the information coming from. Who has leverage in that community to make those decisions and have these conversations with these people? That's one way that I think change can take place. And then also trying to understand the sociocultural and historical issues that have taken place between organizations too, and why there is a disconnect, you know, for example, between, like, an agency that's supposed to provide a space for behavioral health therapists to take care of people like us, versus those organizations providing the funding. Where is the disconnect? And I think that could lead to additional resources or additional insights on how we can build a system of trust.

Dai Manuel: 16:47

It's so yeah, it's deep, it's deep, it is and it's a huge conversation and I just know if you start looking up mental health on social, you obviously the algorithm picks it up and it's going to feed you more conversations that are happening in space.

Dai Manuel: 17:04

But there's also a lot of well, we'll just say there's some polarizing conversations happening yes, right, and as soon as you have polarizing conversations, it usually does bring to light that there is a problem here, a big disconnect, and I appreciate that you dedicate a lot of time to writing into advocacy, and I would love to touch on them, because this is where we take that next step. We can sit around talking about this stuff all day and educate ourselves on it, but when we start to do something about it, that's where we can start to influence change. And so pathway coach writing right, talk about this, because I know your aim is to amplify voices that are often ignored by the mainstream media. So touch on this, please, because I think this is so fascinating and also I'd love to know how the audience can also be a part of this.

Venchele Saint Dic: 18:01

No, absolutely so, when I was reflecting on what I even wrote on the website, because, again, what people don't know is I'm going through this rebranding process and trying to figure out, just like I did in the beginning, trying to make sure that my services are dictated by my clients and not the other way around, because I kind of went in a different route. People typically will write the business plan. Instead of doing that, I just jumped right in. I did the research analysis, but I jumped right in and then, based on the feedback that I received, it kind of shaped what my business plan is right now. But when I was talking about amplifying voices, I was talking about specific groups of people. So I was talking about people who are disabled, people who have gone through, who have had mental health challenges. Talking about people, again, people who are, I don't like to say minorities, but people who are underrepresented.

Venchele Saint Dic: 18:59

Yeah, people were underrepresented. The reason why I wanted to be part of the movement is because I didn't see many of us in that space, even like from an editor's perspective, but also as a publisher. I have yet to meet a publisher who talks to me and says I have a disability, whether it is visible or invisible. It got me worried a little bit. That's the whole point that we were talking about beforehand, about creating systems of trust. How can I believe in someone who says to me I believe in diversity and inclusion but then the people who are doing the work don't represent the folks who are outside? I said you know what? I'm not going to wait for someone else to wake up one day, 20 years later, to do this work, so I'm going to start right now. So that's the reason why I said that. But I want to take the opportunity to say this to your audience I'm so grateful that you felt vulnerable. You felt comfortable enough to even share about your anxiety and depression, because I know that's a tough.

Dai Manuel: 19:59

That's a tough thing for people to talk about you know, but I've also recognized when I started opening up about it it was amazing how many of them met For that 40 plus audience. You know a guy that you know. I read some startling statistics a lot of years ago where, you know, when we talk about vulnerability in men specifically, there's most men and I'm going to say most because statistically, based on the research, it is a very small group of men that do feel comfortable enough to have someone in their life, another man, to be able to have these types of conversations with.

Dai Manuel: 20:34

And often they can count it on one hand how many friends they have, and it's actually less than two, and that gets smaller and smaller as they get older, which is it's a scary set, right. But as soon as I started opening up about it, often people start to think oh my gosh, me too, right, and we think about the me too movement. What did it do? Well, someone decided to stand up and say listen, this happened to me, and all of a sudden take permission for other people to say me too. And it's created a big sort of awareness and it's incited a huge call to action for a recon song, right, like, okay, this is a big problem and it's a lot deeper than any of us knew.

Dai Manuel: 21:11

And that's why I really appreciate you with this advocacy and the direction that you're going and what you're speaking to. And I was wondering do you have a story about you know, maybe an instance where you felt you made a significant impact based on what you're doing? Now? I think we all have those little stories where we felt and when I say significant, it just it's whatever felt like a great impact. I get one message from somebody saying my goodness, I listened to something that you said.

Venchele Saint Dic: 21:37

Yeah.

Dai Manuel: 21:38

I got up this morning I went for a workout. I prioritized my health and I feel great for it. That, to me, is significant, that one little message I get, that one little person that I was.

Venchele Saint Dic: 21:47

The biggest impact that I've had was when I served as a Peace Corps volunteer, where I was doing some community health projects like is, because it was good to know that, even though it was a predominantly Muslim country, that it made me aware of not only the cultural differences, like between the US and Senegal, but then also that I was able to come in and talk about and get community buy-in to create programs that are culturally relevant.

Venchele Saint Dic: 22:40

Because when I first came in they had a very small clinic and it was not adjusted to the size of the population at that time, and so I came in and proposed to them or kind of like, went from door to door and I was the only American in that community trying to figure out what the needs were, and then only to realize that all they really wanted is to have a bigger clinic. But that clinic, as we're speaking right now, became a hospital. Now it's a hospital, yes, and the reason why it was significant is because at the time there was a high maternal mortality rate and then by placing my community in their already existing project, it kind of kickstarted this process to not only build this bigger clinic that became a hospital, but it became their personal mission to reduce maternal mortality rate in that community and it has decreased since I served back in 20. I love it.

Dai Manuel: 23:39

I love it. I mean, every action has a reaction, or the things that we put in, often it has some sort of output right.

Dai Manuel: 23:47

Effect and a result, whether it's short-term or long-term. Very often the smaller things that we impact make the huge difference later on, and that's sort of part of this whole idea of the 2% solution. The show is this idea of prioritizing 30 minutes a day and you do that every day for doing those things that you know is going to move the needle forward or potentially make that impact in somebody else's life or your own, and it compounds very quickly. You know these little actions it does. I was hoping that we could dive into something today that I think would really help the audience, and I know you've spent a lot of time on this, not only going through your own process and rebranding and getting clear on what the next adventure looks like for you in life, but this idea of defining core values, because that in itself can be transformative for people. You've had that experience. I'm curious how has identifying your core values affected your life, decisions and path? And then we'll talk about how can others maybe try the exercise that you share.

Venchele Saint Dic: 24:43

Absolutely when it comes to my core values. I went through like several iterations right, because I'm looking at my life in terms of seasons and so during my teenage season my core values look drastically different from what my core values are right now. There comes a time when you have to be the driver, you know behind the wheel, and I think you know that's what happened to me. Like during each season, during each transition, every year, what I would do is kind of assess, like what worked during that year. You know what were the successes, what were the achievements, but also where did I struggle? And then I mostly focus on that column like where did I struggle?

Venchele Saint Dic: 25:28

And I think for me for the longest time it was a question of am I living up to my own integrity? You know, am I being impeccable with my words and actions? And that's what really drove me to say, you know what, I'm consistent over here, but I'm not always consistent in my interactions with certain people. How can I change that? And then the question that I ask myself sometimes is if this person or if I don't get this opportunity, would I be upset about it? And if I say to myself, yes, I'm going to be upset about it, then I'm going to put everything out there to get that thing or to get that opportunity. Doing those self-reflection exercises every year and focusing on where I struggled. It gave me an opportunity to devise strategies to address these issues so that I'm becoming a better version of myself, just like you said, like that 2% solution.

Dai Manuel: 26:28

So yes, Well, I mean, we've just teed up. Now You've got a great exercise that you've brought to the show to share with the audience. Don't worry, everybody, it will be linked to the show notes as well as all the links to Benchel platform or socials, because you're definitely going to want to connect with her and follow along as she's on this amazing journey. Quite a bit about this underlying or underpinning of getting clear on what really truly matters most to us what are the non-negotiable right and that's really how I look at these values right, when you really know what drives you and get you up in the morning.

Dai Manuel: 27:04

it and the way that you you poise that question and that self-reflective question I just thought was great. I was like I'm going to start asking myself that question. Would I be upset if I did not get this opportunity?

Venchele Saint Dic: 27:15

Yeah, what am I doing to actually create the opportunity, to have the opportunity right? Talk about radical self-accountability. I mean, that's just awesome. So you take it know for people to have a heart to heart with AI. And I think, when I look at this exercise, what I was really trying to get at is I want people to value the relationships that they are in and then use those relationships to kind of gauge whether or not they are living up to their values. Kind of gauge whether or not they are living up to their values, because you know, sometimes, like if people are married, I usually will say to myself if I really want to know the truth, I'm going to go ask the spouse and I know I'm going to get. They're going to be so real with me.

Venchele Saint Dic: 28:09

And I think, out of the three that I brought up because I think I talked about VR adventure to find your values, like using a virtual reality headset or like using your smartwatches to listen to your body I think the most important one is really using your network as a mirror to get feedback on your thoughts, on your feelings, and then trying to define what your values are.

Venchele Saint Dic: 28:34

But, most importantly, remember what I said earlier on what do people think you're struggling with, and I think that they'll give you. They'll give an opportunity for people to hold a conversation with you about various values that you hold dear and then also maybe generate some ideas, like I said earlier on, to address these issues. It may just be that you need to get a therapist. It may be that you need to participate in certain groups, just like you said earlier on about communicating with these group of guys and talking about mental health, but what you're really looking for in that exercise is where are the places of alignment and misalignment? And I'm one of these people. If you're not having fun doing something, just don't do it, because all it's doing is depleting your energy, and when it depletes your energy, you're no good to the world, you're no good to yourself, and so that's really what you're trying to get at in that exercise. When you have these conversations where you're exploring your thoughts and feelings and what and Vanchelle.

Dai Manuel: 29:41

It's such a great resource. I've got a chance to look at it. Go, click on the link that's in the show notes. You'll have a PDF of what's been provided and, believe me, it's not something that you just rush through. It's not like okay.

Venchele Saint Dic: 29:52

I'm so excited.

Dai Manuel: 29:53

Three minutes to do this exercise and then I'm done.

Venchele Saint Dic: 29:56

Yes, right, and please remember the exercises that I shared with you. Those are exercises that came from my clients' experiences as well, and so you know this is like relatively new, because people are trying to use AI and use like those types of resources to get to their core values. So this is, like you know, proof, full proof, if you will.

Dai Manuel: 30:22

And I think it's wonderful that we're embracing some of these technologies now and the neat thing is the more people that go through leveraging these technologies. That's this interesting thing about machine learning it starts to see trends that we can't see, yeah, and it opens up the dialogue for more people to also participate in this. Ai tools are going to be able to ask certain questions that they've seen the populations now respond with, and it's only going to get better. But I'm not here to say, oh, let's get rid of all therapists and just have AI bots.

Dai Manuel: 30:53

No, please, that's not what I'm saying I also still coach people in fitness, right, and they're like well, I'll just get my fitness program, okay, well, you'll get me. You don't get my personality, you don't get my size, 12 foot, kicking you in the butt to hold you accountable.

Venchele Saint Dic: 31:05

There's a place for everything, so I appreciate that you've incorporated some of the most up-to-date, cutting-edge tools that people are leveraging to really get more clear on what matters for them. One thing we forgot to mention behind value, we also have to identify the triggers, like when are these instances of misalignment happening? That's also important because then you're able to figure out okay, when am I not operating at my optimal self, so that you, if you need to change the environment, if you need to I mean again, this is all related to habit formation. We can talk about forming good habits all we want, but we also got to make sure we are identifying the triggers that cause you to behave in a way that's not helping you. So, anyway, I just wanted to throw that in no, that is critical, critical, and yeah, you're right.

Dai Manuel: 32:03

I'm glad that you caught that. Thank you, vangel, because until you can recognize what's throwing you off the merry-go-round, you can't really get back on it efficiently. Right, like? I mean, it's just that you're going to constantly get thrown off of it. It is that self-awareness piece that's so critical. And I'm looking at Tom oh, my goodness, I can jam with you all day long, just so you know. But it just means I have to have you back later as we continue to follow along on your doctorate, but also your publishing journey and your writing journey, the advocacy that you're working. But we've talked a bit about your background, right your paths. We've talked a bit about the present, what you're working on. Now I want to talk real briefly. What are your personal aspirations for the future, not only in public health, but also?

Venchele Saint Dic: 32:46

just for you in life. I think that when I think about the future, or my future, it looks pretty bright, because you know all of that fogginess that I had when I was a teenager, no matter how strong people felt that I was like, no matter how they could trust me to handle crisis very well, but there was that inner child healing that needed to take place. And now that I'm kind of on the other side right, I'm on this doctoral journey season I think that what I have to remind myself when I look at the future is that I may not be where I wanted to be. I may not be where I want to be, but I'm not where I used to be. There's a lot of growth that took place, and so when I think about what is coming up next, I think I definitely could see myself doing a TED talk at some point. I definitely could see myself publishing a book. It has to be aligned with the work that I'm going to be doing in behavioral health. Hopefully, as I continue to define and revise my mission, it will be something that becomes a fit, but we'll see.

Venchele Saint Dic: 33:57

Whatever I end up doing, it has to incorporate the dissemination of knowledge, like I'm doing right now Because I know where I've been and I know how it felt like when I came to the States, feeling like I'm doing right now because I know where I've been and I know how it felt like when I came to the States, feeling like I had to do everything by myself and grow up pretty quickly, and that in of itself has its set of challenges, right you stepping into potholes and you don't have that support system. You may have your family, my parents always and will always love me, but it's just just hard. Adulting is hard at a very young age, for sure it sure is.

Dai Manuel: 34:28

Well, you're thrust into it.

Dai Manuel: 34:30

Yeah, growing up very quickly, you know, and yeah but that's also, yeah, I love just your optimism and realism with really recognizing that's also brought you to where you are right now and it's also going to continue to carry you to where you're going next. And I gotta say thank you for that message, because I needed to hear that and I hope people that were listening needed to hear that. Let me ask you one thing. Yeah, like and I this will be my last question, feel free to ask. Well, so my last question is like what piece of advice would you give someone looking to make a difference in their community or their field and, you know, just based on your experiences, to where you are today, what would be a piece of advice you'd like to offer them?

Venchele Saint Dic: 35:10

The piece of advice that I would have wanted someone to tell me way back when is not to get caught up in the fancy titles when it comes to making an impact. You know, like you and I are making an impact in our communities without the fancy title, if you will, and that's okay. Just because someone has a title doesn't mean that they're making an impact, and that's where the whole mission statement comes into play. You can have the title and not have a mission. You need to have something that gets you up every day, and I would say you know. Trust the process, be open to life, be open to serendipity, be open to live. This is what life is all about.

Venchele Saint Dic: 35:50

It's going to throw curveballs at times, and not every storm is here to knock you down, if nothing else. Look at the storms as learning opportunities to become your best version and to make an impact in someone else's life, and it doesn't have to be a crowd of people. That's another misconception. Success sometimes it may just be that one person and that person goes on to do something big, and then they mirror the wisdom that you've shared with them, and so be willing to accept that as well. In terms of making impact and having success. It looks different for everyone. It may come knocking on your door in a way that you may not have expected, but just embrace it with both hands, because there's a reason why this is happening and things always pan out. Just be open and be willing to embrace the change.

Dai Manuel: 36:43

Again another drop the mic. I mean, if people keep hearing me, I would be through 100 mics by now doing this show, because I I swear there's all these little drop the mic moments. And shell, this has been such a wonderful conversation. I just have to express my gratitude for you being here today, for the work that you're doing, but also the work you will be doing. Thank you again for being here. I'm gonna have you back next season so we can get an update on how everything's going and also where we can better support the advocacy that you're doing. I've included all your links in the show notes. So everybody you heard me click on that little show note expansion. Go check out Vanshell, connect with her, try the exercise, because you know what it may offer you the clarity and confidence you need to take that next step on your journey to make the impact you want to make. Thank you for being here today. Thank you, hello.

Dai Manuel: 37:35

What a chat we just had with Vanchelle St Deke. From her jaw-dropping journey of resilience and self-reliance to her fiery passion for mental health and positive psychology, vanchelle has dropped some serious wisdom bombs today. Here are a few of those golden nuggets, the big takeaways. Number one resilience and self-advocacy. Vanchelle's story of moving to the US at a young age and practically raising herself that's resilience on steroids, folks Teaches us the power of self-advocacy. Number two core values. Identifying and living by our core values is like having a personal GPS for life decisions and overall well-being. Number three positive psychology and habit formation. Focusing on what works and building trust systems can turn positive habits into mental health gold. And then, lastly, community impact.

Dai Manuel: 38:29

Want to make a difference in your community? Forget the fancy titles. All you need is dedication, authenticity and the guts to start small, to dive deeper into Vanshell's world. Check out the links in the show notes, hit her up on social media. Visit her website at pathwaycoachwritingcom. I've also linked to all that in the show notes. So just go ahead, click that little link there it's all there for you, nice and easy and soak up the resources she mentioned during our conversation today. If this episode pumped you up, do me a favor, subscribe, leave a five-star review, share it with your buddies. Your feedback and support keep us going and we can't wait to hear what you think. Thanks for tuning in and remember tiny, consistent actions can lead to monumental changes. Keep chasing those 2% improvements and, until next time, keep it real and stay. Inspired.