You're listening to Women Infused Radio, where women in the marketplace connect with purpose and spirit, where the conversation covers all things women, business and fascinating faith. And now, your host, Christy Lynn Olson. Hello and welcome to the Women Infused Podcast Radio Show. Today we have a special edition broadcast, and I have on the line my friend and my partner, Renette Dutton.
So Renette, say hi to everybody. Hi everybody, so glad you're joining us today. We are excited to have you with us and we're excited to talk to all of you out there about something new that we have partnered together with. And so it's called E4, Christian Professional Women, and it's going to be a network and a monthly equipping luncheon for professional women of faith.
We are starting out in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, just because that's kind of where we're located when that's a little outside of Charlotte, but I live in Charlotte. And so we thought, let's just bloom where we're planted. So, Renette, why don't you and I just kind of have a conversation. I'd love for our listeners just to hear the vision behind why do we feel we need to start this now and what it looks like.
So, you share a little bit like, why do you think, what's the biggest reason that you want to start this? Well, I have been to so many networking, connecting women's events. You name it, I mean everywhere from the chamber to be in eye groups to E women network. And we can just keep going on Proverbs 31.
There's so many things that I've gone out there to try to meet and connect with like minded, like faith people. And nothing really resonated with me. Some had very good portions, some I made some great people, but as far as ongoing and new connections, new collaborations, really having that faith element along with the connecting piece. It seems to be missing.
So, you know, we mean you have sat down for so many lunches and podcasts and collaboration. And, you know, as we were talking, you know, I would ask you, you would ask me, well, where are you connecting with people? What are you finding? And it seemed like, you know, we would find somebody here and there or we'd be able to connect with people.
But as far as having that consistent, collaborating, faith-filled environment, we just couldn't find it. And through our conversations and our lunches kind of, before we realized it, I think, kind of outlined what we'd really like to see. And, you know, through the last year, you know, kind of thought, you know, let's just do this because if we're looking for this, maybe somebody else is. Right.
You know, yeah. And I think it was interesting you and I actually kind of took some time and prayed about it. And we both came up to the Ephesians chapter four. And there are a lot of verses about Ephesians four, but that was kind of the basis for this.
And I agree with everything you said. It's like we would go to someplace, but that faith element was just missing. And, you know, there are a lot of local churches that have programs for women, but I never felt like they had something that spoke to either women business owners or women who work out in the marketplace. You're an attorney or you work at some of the banks here in Charlotte.
You know, wherever you're working, there isn't this place to kind of refresh and reconnect and get built up in kingdom business. And so, you know, Ephesians, the one person, Ephesians four that stuck out for me, and you're going to speak more to this at the luncheon, especially that we started on May 11th. But Ephesians four was to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. And you and I just get so excited about that because it's going to take all of us.
And that's when you said to foster collaboration and unity, I get excited. You know, do you want to share a little more about like Ephesians four and what else does that speak to you? Kind of why are we doing this? Well, there is so much to Ephesians four that really speaks and ministers to me and really pulls out my calling.
And I know we're going to talk about it a lot that are lunch in this coming week. But one of the verses in the scripture I really like is verse seven. Yet grace, God's undeserved favor was given to each one of us, not indiscriminately, but in different ways in proportion to the measure of Christ's rich and abundant gift. And that part of it, and then it goes into saying, therefore, it says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and he bestowed gifts on men.
And that bestowing of gifts on men is he gave us gifts and his undeserved favor and each one of us has different ways and proportion to the measure of Christ's gift that we can display. And that we're purposed and assigned to function in. And what I think is we all get together and we're all operating in our assignment and our gifts and our callings. You know, there are some that are really gifted to be encouragers and the hospitality and, you know, are just really thoughtful and just make you feel so loved every time you're around and like you're just number one.
And then you've got those people that are just strategists, you know, they can plan and they can strategize and they come up with the most phenomenal things. If somebody's got in the hospitality industry, they also need the strategy. They also need those thought things. So I think when we all come together and we're in that unity of Christ allowing his gifts to flow through us, we can just add so much to each other.
And, you know, it just brings that grace and that undeserved favor and those godly connections that really can take us to levels we can't get to on our own. Yes, isn't that the truth? And I love what you said about the unique gifts and they complement each other. I think we're in this new level where we aren't going to all be doing it alone.
And I know so many of us have had ministries and businesses and businesses that allow us to do ministry and we're all doing our own thing and it's starting to get lonely, but it's also starting to just be stagnant. And that's why I'm excited as well. When you talk about empowering all of us to develop our gifts and then, you know, kind of connecting us together how much more powerful we can be. So that is empowering in and of itself.
And that's actually our first word on our logo. If you look at our website, it's empowered. So really empower you to develop your unique gift. So that was such a great explanation and it's kind of the vision of what we want to do with that.
And in order to be empowered, the next E on our list was equipped. And I love that from Ephesians 4 verse 1, equip you to lead a life worthy of your calling. And that's where I get really excited as well because maybe we know what our gifts are, but we feel less than equipped to step out. And how do we do that?
And how do we live fully in our calling? So I know that's something that we're also going to be doing a lot of teaching on over the next couple months. Not just empowering you, but equipping all of the women who are going to be coming to fully step into those gifts and fully live a life worthy of their calling so they can experience the joy that Jesus talks about and God talks about. That we really step into that.
And as we do that, so I know you're good at equipping, we also need to learn to engage. So when we engage in the marketplace, we're going to influence the culture. And you're a woman in the marketplace. How important is it to you or what have you seen as far as women either engaging or not engaging?
Like, can we really impact and influence the culture as a woman of faith? What's your opinion on that? Oh, I think we can do so much more than we even think we can do. You know, it really just takes one person to go out there and make a huge impact on culture because if you think of the influence people carry, leadership is influenced.
Nothing more than us. So if you look at a woman, you know, and the influence she has in her house, you know, her husband, her kids, but then the influence she has in her neighborhood. But the influence she has in her business, you know, when you're looking at business and I'll just take my industry, I've been in the financial industry for 20 years. It has a lot of times, it wasn't just the president, the CEO or the person with the title that had the influence.
A lot of times it was a woman simply because women are caring and their people, you know, they are people people. Right. They can relate and build those relationships with people. So a lot of times where, you know, they look for, you know, the manager or whoever the top dog is, a lot of times it's a service rep or it's somebody there who is remaining.
Remembering the birthdays, keeping the team on the same page, being thoughtful to the clients and turning the whole culture in an office around. And she doesn't have the pay grade. Sometimes she doesn't even have the title. But her doing that, and I'm going to tell you, I didn't have the pay grade and I didn't have the title.
I started as a part time teller. And I gained the influence of a branch because I was willing to go the extra mile, not only with clients, but with helping people in different roles, you know, and just going outside until I climb my way because of the influence I gained to being a branch manager. Right. So it's sometimes just that one person who doesn't think that thinks they're insignificant, which carries so much influence.
That's really impacting the community for good. And it just takes one. So in this group, we have a lot of ones, but when you put that together and add and have a company of women, you have a group of women that are in unity that are helping and they're not competing, but they're collaborating and completing each other. It just causes everything to soar and multiplies the influence that one of us can have.
It really does. And you know, that also is what I'm excited about this group is we really are going to be, and I can tell you from the people who've already registered and from our circles of influence, we are multicultural, cross generational, a wide variety of business professionals, women owned businesses, entrepreneurs. And that is also how we are going to influence the culture. And you know, when people look at this organization, they're going to see someone who looks like them and not that that's critical, but I think it also can keep people from stepping into their gifts and especially influencing their culture at work.
If they feel like they're the only one in the room that looks like them or has the pay grade as them and they don't have that power, but they do. And so that's why I think as we engage with each other, we're going to learn that there are a lot of voices at the table, but there's always another seat at the table. There's always room for your voice. And I know you and I feel very strongly about that, especially about the voice of the woman being at the table.
And so I'm just excited that God has kind of opened this door and given us a favor to start this organization so that we can reach all of these different women who have maybe felt isolated or maybe felt like there isn't an organization for them. And some of us frankly have to change our thinking as well. We have to change our mindset. It's not going to be, we may be challenged a little bit, but if we're all operating under the power of love and under the power of the Holy Spirit as we enter into this new space, we know it can't fail.
We know it's going to be that next thing. So I get excited about that. So thanks for talking about engage. That's kind of our third word.
Our fourth word is enlarge and you know, kind of on the topic of as we enlarge our vision and our mindset. This is where if we're going to enlarge our territory as we impact this generation, we're going to need strategies. We're going to need business principles, leadership principles, but they have to come from this place of a biblically based principle, you know, a strategy that we know is heaven sent. But maybe I don't have all of those strategies, but I might hear something that you're going to do in that spirit of collaboration and unity.
I'm going to be like, oh, I could do that as well. So, you know, how do you see this or maybe what's your definition to that's mine of how do we enlarge our territory is kind of how do we get new strategies? How do we learn from each other so we can have greater impact? You know, what does that look like for you?
Yeah, you know, enlarging our territory and our influence is huge and you posted something on one of the ads and it was a definition of enlarge and I just loved it to extend expand grow. And this is what really got me to amplify. Yes, I love that word. I just love it.
And I was thinking of our voices. How would we can get together? How that amplifies what we can do alone. And so that's just really exciting.
But you know, as a woman, when you go out there, there's something that you speak louder. You know, your posture is better when you're confident. Yes. And knowing that there is a company of women that are helping to empower, equip, engage you will automatically enlarge you because it's like, you know, I'm thinking of this line us pack and the line that kind of leads the pack.
The confidence she has because she knows everybody's got her back and that allows them to go into take territory. And I think that's really what our calling in this day in this season is is to really take territory. We have sat back and allowed others to go in. You know, we've allowed, you know, just the world to go take the business industry.
We've allowed men to go take the business industry. We've allowed, you know, all these other things to go and occupy the territory that that is rightfully our place. And I go back and I think of Lydia in the Bible and how she was a seller of fine purple and that you think, okay, wow, she's in business, but she financed ministry. She financed Kingdom Work.
She was very intricate to a pasta palm and and and ministry that was happening in that day. And I think, you know, so many of us women look at ourselves and say, you know, we can't take territory. We can't do this. You know, we're limited.
But I think there's a new generation of women that are on the forefront right now that are saying, oh, yes, we can. It's in the Bible. There are debbers in the Bible. There is in the Bible.
There are Lydia's in the Bible. You know, and that just can really fuel us to, you know, enlarge those tense. You know, and I think you hit on something that kind of struck a chord with me. We are, we're not taking someone else's territory.
We're not stealing territory. It's so important to know that's why, you know, we need to come together for equipping because not everybody is teaching this. We are just stepping into what God originally ordained for us. Yes.
You know, and that is what I think is so key for a lot of women to hear so they can understand. We're not going to tell you how to take somebody else's territory. We are just going to empower and equip you to stand fully in the territory that God already predestined for you. And I think so many women don't even understand how large that territory is.
It's kind of like, you know, God told Israelites to walk out the promised land and he would give them everything they walked out. Well, they only walked out almost. I don't remember what the percentage was. They never fully walked out the entire initial vision that God had for them.
And so he gave them what they walked out. And so that's what I think is so critical in this whole step is that we are going to be teaching women how to walk out all of their territory that will stand next to the next woman and she can walk out her territory because now she's seen you step out in faith. And so there is something to, you know, we just did this book series. We walk by faith and not by sight.
So it really ties in perfect because we're now putting feet to that. We're saying, hey, I want to walk out together. Let's walk this territory all together so we can take advantage and fully take all God has already in the heavenly's given us and we need to just pull it down. And so we're going to give women strategies.
How do we pull this down and make our earthly work here become more of the spiritual that he intended for us, if that makes sense. So I get excited. We could, you know, we need to stop preaching because we're going to start teaching everything that we need to do. So there never is going to be a lack of what, you know, we feel the Lord has downloaded into you and I to release this fresh word to these women.
So I really am excited about doing it. I just want to mention quick before I forget, if anyone is interested, we would love to have you come already. You may 11th at the Duke mansion, which is an amazing place here in Charlotte. You can go to ewomen, e, sorry, e4women.org the letter e, the number for women.org to get your registration details.
But we also have our dates planned out all the way through December. If you don't live in Charlotte, we would love to have you come in visit us. You can even stay overnight at the Duke mansion. You can treat yourself.
They have a bed and breakfast there. It would be amazing. We know there are a lot of you in other cities. We know that our God desire is that we can take this kind of to other cities.
But right now we're just going to bloom where we're planted. Start here in Charlotte, North Carolina. You know, get on a plane drive. We're definitely willing to welcome you here.
But go get your ticket. Ask us any questions. We've got all the information on the website. You know, as we step out now, is there anything else that you want to share about what we're doing or what you think women need to hear about this?
Well, I'm just really excited. And I think if you're a woman of faith in any area of business that you will come, you'll be able to connect and you'll really be able to take away some really key nuggets to help you excel in business in your career as an entrepreneur. And I'm excited to share with you. I hope to see you this Thursday.
If not, come and be a part in June. It's going to be an amazing time. I know spring and summer is not always the best time to start something. But I know me and you both felt on our hearts that we've just got to get out there and we've just got to start where we're at.
So we're excited. And I know this is going to minister to you. This is going to enlarge you, equip you, encourage you, and engage you for everything that God has for you. Absolutely.
Amen. I know I just have to because you and I also have a great sense of humor. I posted the other day too. I'm like, you know what, if no other reason, come for the cheesecake and stay for the connection because this food is going to be amazing.
It is the most beautiful place with gardens, but we also have the most amazing chef that's going to be doing custom food for us. And so I really think if nothing else come for the cheesecake tart with shaved white chocolate truffle or whatever that is, so we don't go to enlarge you that way. We hope not. But you know, it is one of those things that we know we love our cheesecake is women.
So I'm excited. I'm excited about that. But yes, I do. I think anyone you've said it more beautifully than I could just putting all those e-words together.
We want you to come. If you can't be there in May, please come in June. Every month we've already got some people sign up for June. We know we're going to grow.
We also know that God is just totally having us walk this out by faith. So we'd love for you to be a part of the faith journey. And I want to thank you for taking some time today. Thank you.
Yes. And we look forward to seeing all of you. So thanks for listening and we will see you on the next podcast. This has been Women in Fuse Radio, connecting women around the globe with purpose and spirit.
And we want to connect with you. Get your free gift. Unveiled voices. Six things you need to do to define your value, voice and vision.
For more information on the free gift and links to join the conversation on social media, visit us at christylandoffsons.com.