Today’s podcast is all about you and equipping you to build the life that you’ve been called to build. And today’s guest is going to get down to the practical nuts and bolts of how to do it. Dee Marshall is considered to be on the short list of top Coaches for women. She has built a women’s empowerment empire that inspires, encourages, motivates, challenges and supports women. In this conversation with Rosetta Thurman, Dee shares some of the most practical, get-your-life-in-order tips we’ve had on the podcast yet. You’ll walk away with some great ideas and plenty of practical things you can do to take your everyday life to the next level. Business and ministry, all in one package. When Dee Marshall talks about “Girlfriends Pray” she lights up. That’s because the mission of the organization is something God put in her path and that she delights to be a part of. It’s a movement to get women all over the world united in prayer, seeking God and His best for their lives and the worlds they touch. But Dee is also a businesswoman and coach whose expertise and knowledge is sought out by many top level women of faith who are in the business world. How does one woman pull off so much in two distinctly different areas? She shares the key to her success in this episode of the Happy Black Woman podcast, and you’ll be surprised how simple it is. How structure can set you up for massive success. There are lots of “free spirits” out there, women who love to be spontaneous, living on the edge day to day, enjoying whatever life brings their way. Dee Marshall is one of them. But she says that women who are leaders cannot allow themselves to be so free spirited that they lose all sense of intentionality. Leaders have to live according to structure because people and results depend on the actions they take. For that reason they need to organize their lives around basic structures that can provide the context through which their dreams can be realized. Hear how Dee Marshall does this in her own life as she breaks down her daily schedule for all of us to hear, on this edition of the podcast.   What really makes you happy in life? That’s the question Rosetta Thurman asked Dee Marshall near the end of this conversation, and Dee’s answer was very powerful. What she says is this: When you live a life of purpose, you are happy. She wakes up happy every morning because she knows that the things she will be involved in during that day are lasting, important things that will make a difference in people’s lives. That’s meaning. That’s purpose. And it’s the source of ongoing happiness for Dee. Listen in to hear how you can find that purpose for your life as Dee shares her perspective on how to get it. Dee Marshall’s #1 tip for women who want to build a business they love. Dee doesn’t hold back on this episode. When Rosetta asks her to share her best tip for women wanting to move forward with a passion or a business, she says this: You do need to pursue something you are passionate about, but don’t let the passion take over the business. It IS a business so make sure you run it like one. You have to be concerned with things like income, costs, conversions, bottom line, because if you aren’t you might as well quit today and just follow your passion as a side project or hobby. Keep clear on the facts that if you want to have a business that follows your passion, you’ve got to organize and structure it so that it can support you to pursue that passion. And a bonus tip from Dee Marshall… If you want your level of success to grow, then you’ve got to be growing. Work on you. Keep yourself always in the stream of personal development. Without constant improvement you’ll fall into the rut of seeing things the way you’ve always seen them. You can’t afford that. Your success and business growth will be hampered by it. That’s it. Keep growing. Hear more powerful but practical advice like that on this episode of Happy Black Woman.   Outline of this great episode   [0:24]