Moneeka Sawyer Helps Thousands of Women
“Why can’t I pick my own husband?!” Moneeka Sawyer exclaimed, exasperated at the subject. Moneeka’s dad sighed, “This isn’t a game, Moneeka. You need a dependable husband with a good job who can provide for you for the rest of your life. I will be the best judge of that. That’s what an arranged marriage is for.”
As a 16-year-old first-generation American, this concept of arranged marriage baffled Moneeka. So, she tried to get a first-hand glimpse of what this life was like by visiting her parent’s homeland of India. While she hoped to find happy households, like the Bollywood films she grew up on, she found something entirely different. What she discovered was generations of women who lacked the financial security to make their own decisions.
The Statement That Changed Moneeka Sawyer’s Life
The discoveries in India clouded Moneeka Sawyer’s memories as she went back to America to see her parents. Frustrated, she asked her father why he would want her to live a life like so many women she saw on her trip. Her father told her he didn’t want her to live as those women did. The intention was just to find her a good match. He explained parents are better at picking a husband that will give you a lifetime of happiness because they choose with the wisdom of experience.
Then, what he went on to say changed Moneeka’s life forever…
What makes you think the system here is any better?
“What makes you think that the system here works better than what we do? Despite all of the advantages in America, how many women here get abused in their marriages? How many women live in terrible conditions because they married an unsuitable boy and are completely dependent on them?”
It was at this moment that Moneeka realized what her father said was true. Many Indian and American females are unhappy. Moneeka came to the astonishing realization that women get trapped by culture everywhere. So, she decided it was up to her to change society’s narrative.
Moneeka Sawyer’s Path to Independence
Dr. Ronald Fisher studied over 420,0000 individuals in 63 countries and found that choice and autonomy directly correlate to happiness. Essentially for someone to gain happiness, it’s critical to have the ability to make your own decisions. Moneeka realized before she could change women’s lives across the globe, she needed to change hers first.
Moneeka’s first step in changing her life was choosing an alternative path from the one her father proposed. Instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage, she focused on gaining financial independence. To do this, she sought education from UC Berkeley, where she graduated with a degree in Business.
After graduation, Moneeka continued to pursue financial independence by focusing her career on real estate investing. But, while Moneeka gained independence and built wealth for herself, she kept feeling like something was missing. She longed for another purpose. Then something happened that changed her life forever.
A Car Crash Caused Moneeka’s Purpose to Shift
On a cold, dreary day in January of 1992, Moneeka Sawyer headed out to meet with fellow real estate investors. While she expected to experience an ordinary evening of dinner and idea-sharing, she found herself in a much different scenario. A few minutes into her drive, Moneeka found herself pinned against an airbag. This severe crash ended up limiting Moneeka’s walking ability for two years.
Moneeka became depressed as she struggled to cope with her physical limitations. She often cried and even prayed for her life to end. During this time, her friend recommended she seek the help of a life coach. She met with coach Ted and started her journey towards happiness.
This season is one Moneeka Sawyer reflects on often. She refers to it as the catalyst that changed her life forever. Ted encouraged Moneeka to pursue bliss, a concept of contentment and happiness. As a result, Moneeka decided to commit to living her life to the fullest and pursue joy in everything she did.
Moneeka Saw An Opportunity to Share Her Story and Success
The coaching journey gave Moneeka a renewed feeling. She fell in love with her overall sense of energy and happiness. So, she decided to help others like herself. She joined forces with her coach Ted and began helping high-income earners facing depression and lack of fulfillment.
Her experience opened up her eyes to the many individuals who were miserable and unmotivated. But, as she continued to teach them about the concept of creating inner happiness, she realized she couldn’t help everyone. So, Moneeka decided to write a book.
Her international best-selling book, titled Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment, talks about the importance of prioritizing and finding joy. While the book helped get Moneeka’s message out, it sparked a second topic of discussion. As more and more women read Moneeka Sawyer’s book, they kept asking her one question. How can you be happy if you’re broke?
How can you be happy if you’re broke?
This question raised awareness of a need Moneeka had long forgotten about. She took care of her finances years prior, so she didn’t make decisions around the fear of being broke. But others couldn’t do this. As a result, her female followers often struggled to find financial security. Unfortunately, that struggle left them unhappy and unable to find joy.
Moneeka knew she wanted to solve this problem and reach women on a larger scale, but she wasn’t sure how.
Moneeka Wasn’t Sure Her Message Was Unique Enough for TEDx
After Moneeka Sawyer’s book release in 2016, she started her journey to help women build financial wealth. She launched her website blissfulinvestor.com and even began a podcast. But, while her website and podcast helped, they weren’t amplifying her voice to the extent she wanted. Moneeka needed a way to reach women on a larger scale.
Then, Moneeka took a speaking class where several individuals were trying to get a TEDx talk. Moneeka realized a TEDx talk would help her grow her platform and spread her message further, but she didn’t feel like her message was unique or impactful enough for the TEDx stage.
I felt like it was too general for TEDx
“I knew my message was important, but I felt like it was too general for TEDx. I didn’t think people would perceive me as a leader because of my bubbly voice.”
How Thought-Leader Helped Moneeka Tailor Her Message and Share It With the World
While Moneeka knew she wanted to share her story with others, she wasn’t sure how to solidify her message, overcome self-doubt, and land a spot on the TEDx platform. Then she joined a Thought-Leader webinar and met former TEDx speaker Taylor Conroy.
Thought-Leader’s commitment to my success sold me
“I loved meeting Taylor and seeing his hugely impactful TEDx talk. Thought-Leader’s commitment to my success sold me.”
Moneeka Sawyer
Best Selling Author, Real-Estate Investor, Speaker, Top Podcast Host
Moneeka scheduled an ideation call with one of our Talk Advisors and immediately began working with Thought-Leader. She completed modules and met with our team to tailor her message for the TEDx stage. Moneeka landed her talk in August of 2021 and has reached over 6,000 views each week since. She even received an Outstanding Speaker Award from the Harvard Club of Boston.
Interested in Giving a TEDx Talk?
Join Our FREE Webinar Hosted by TEDx speaker Taylor Conroy!
Moneeka Sawyer Gained New Self Confidence and Helped Thousands of Women
After going through the Thought-Leader program and giving her TEDx talk, Moneeka Sawyer has gained a new self-confidence. She is no longer worried about her uniqueness or how her voice sounds. Instead, she knows she’s making an impact on women’s lives. She’s a best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and even runs a top-rated podcast called Real Estate Investing for Women.
As an investor, writer, coach, speaker, and blissful entrepreneur, everything Moneeka does comes from happiness and the overall pursuit of joy. She attributes her impact on the world to her blissful mindset, which she says uplifts the emotions. Her goal is to teach women the power of financial independence and ultimately empower them to make their own choices.
