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Hello, Black girl, and welcome to the first episode of the Hello Black Girl Podcast. I am your host and “Your Purpose Coach” Bailey Orenia, and I am so glad you are here.

Girl! Listen, I need to be honest with you and I need to keep it 100. This wasn’t supposed to be our first conversation. Okay? We had already recorded the first episode.

We were ready to roll everything out, and as excited as I was to be hosting this podcast, I actually started feeling a little insecure. And then I started questioning if this podcast was gonna be enough, if you were gonna be able to relate to what I had to say, and then it hit me. This is exactly where we need to start. Because before we can walk into our calling, we have to face those gut-wrenching, those gut-punching feelings that try to hold us back.

So today we’re gonna talk about Insecurity In Your Calling: what it looks like, where it comes from, and how to push through. Let’s get into it.

So after shooting the first couple of episodes, I was having a conversation with my son and I told him that I just wanted to be myself on the podcast. And in his usual, honest, teenage, straight-to-your-face, straight-to-the-point way, he looked at me and he said, “Then just be yourself.” And I looked at him.

And I rolled my eyes. And in that moment I realized I was overthinking something that God never asked me to perfect. He just asked me to show up. So in that moment, it really made me pause because that’s how insecurity works. It makes you think you have to be more and that you have to do more to be worthy of what God has already called you to do.

But here’s the truth:

Insecurity doesn’t cancel your calling. It actually makes room for God.

So in 2 Corinthians 12:29, it says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So if you’ve ever felt like your doubts disqualify you, they don’t. The irony is when you feel unsure, insecure, or maybe “I’m not the one for this,” God has already factored that in when he called you. All he’s asking you to do is to trust him and to say yes. So our insecurities create a space for us to say to God, “I can’t do this without you,” and that’s where God shows up. Think about the people that God used throughout scripture.

Moses doubted his speech. Gideon questioned whether or not he was strong enough, and Jeremiah even told God that he was too small. And still God said, “Go, I’ll be with you.” So when I decided to host this podcast, I had the same hesitation. I thought, who am I to keep talking about purpose or do a podcast about purpose?

But God kept reminding me, you’re not doing this on your own. I gave you this assignment. So if you’ve ever been sitting on a gift because you don’t feel like you’re ready, I want you to know that God isn’t looking for perfection. He’s just looking for you to say yes, and in your yes, even with your fear and even with the overthinking, it is still enough.

So let me ask you this, “Where in your life have you allowed insecurity to hold you back from saying yes to what God has already called you to do?” Is it starting the business, writing the book, sharing your testimony, or maybe it’s just you showing up as your authentic self? I ask you to take a moment.

Just sit with that for a minute and remember that God isn’t asking you to have it all together. He’s just asking you to trust him enough to say yes and to take the next step.

Your story is still being written, so show up anyway.

That brings me to the next thing I wanted to share with you. One of the biggest lies insecurity tells us is that we have to be fully healed, fully confident, fully put together before we can start. But the truth is, we are all a work in progress.

Nobody has it all figured out, and if you wait until you feel ready, you may never move. I’m not perfect. So I have to remind myself that I’m not speaking from a place of perfection. I’m speaking from a place of experience, from the lessons I’ve learned, from the lessons I’m learning, from the prayers I am still praying.

And that’s okay because there’s power in being real about where you are. So Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this: That he who began a good work in you would carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” That scripture reminds us that God is still not done with us.

Just because we’re still healing, we’re still learning, still growing doesn’t mean we’re disqualified. The current chapter that you’re in has a purpose and honestly, sometimes the chapter that you’re in right now is the exact chapter someone else needs to see you in. They don’t need to see your highlight reel.

What they do need to see is your faith in the middle of the mess. So the idea that you have to have it all together is one of the biggest lies the enemy uses to make you fall down that rabbit hole where you feel like you’re not ready, you’re not equipped, you’re not holy enough, you’re not smart enough, you’re not perfect enough to do what God has called you to do.

But let me tell you this: Your “becoming” is a part of your calling. You don’t need to have already crossed the finish line to be impactful or to help someone. You just have to be willing to show up where you are. Because your story that’s still being written and it’s not your weakness. That’s you being a witness.

I think about how many times I’ve hesitated to speak or to create something that I felt like, well, who am I to talk about that when I’m still struggling through it? But what if that’s exactly the reason God wanted me to speak about it? Because somebody else is still struggling too, and they don’t need to see the perfect version of me.

They don’t need to see this well put-together person all the time. They need to see the real version of me, the one who shows up with questions and with the flaws. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we don’t have to finish the work—that God will. We just have to keep showing up and keep saying yes. And in that yes, that faith in motion is enough.

The most powerful part is this: Someone’s breakthrough may be tied to the part of the story you’re afraid to share. That messy middle, that in-between, that “I’m not perfect” space that you’re in. And when you decide to show up anyway as you are, you’re not just walking in your purpose, you’re giving someone else permission to do the same.

So here’s another question I wanna ask you, “What part of your story have you been hiding because you don’t feel ready yet?” Ask yourself: If I showed up fully just as I am, who might be blessed by my honesty? Because the chapter that you’re in right now and the process that you’re going through—the chapter and in that process is the power, and that is going to allow you to flourish in your next chapter.

We’re called to be authentic, not perfect.

Okay, now let’s talk about why I had to make this the first conversation with you. So that statement right there will set you free, girlfriend. I’m telling you, sometimes I have felt like I had to present myself in a certain way in order to be taken seriously. Now, not all the time because I am a DC girl, but to be taken seriously, I thought I had to make sure that every word I spoke, everything that I post on social media had to be polished.

But the truth is, perfection is not powerful. Authenticity is. Now, I’m not saying I was being fake. Let’s keep it real. But what I am saying is that when you try to be perfect, you build up walls, but when you’re honest and authentic, that allows us to build bridges of relatability. The people God wants you to reach, they don’t need a performance. They need real. They need to hear what it is like to wrestle with fear and still choose faith.

They need to know that someone else is questioning her calling, doubting herself, and still showing up regardless. They need to see someone who is walking with God, not flawlessly but faithfully. So in Jeremiah 1:5 it says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.”

God didn’t overlook anything when he created you. He didn’t say, “Oh, well wait a minute. You know, she’s a little too outspoken,” or “She’s not smart enough.” No, no. He made you for a reason. He set you apart and he wants you to show up as you truly are—not as a person you think you have to be. So if you’re trying to play small, if you’re still trying to act like you still have it all together just to be accepted, let this be your wake-up call.

Your authenticity is your anointing. Abundance flows from where you are authentic.

Let me share a few things with you that are helping me and I believe it can help you too with authenticity.

#1

First thing I wanna say is, “Tell the truth first to yourself and then to others.” Be honest about how you are really feeling, what you are afraid of, and what you want. That truth—you may not need to share that with everyone at first, but God can only heal what you are willing to bring into the light.

#2

The second one is, “Stop shrinking to fit in rooms God has called you to stand out in.” God calls you to stand out and sometimes we have been dimming our light to make others feel comfortable.

It’s been so long we don’t even know what it feels like anymore to shine. But girlfriend, God did not call you to blend in. He called you to stand out with grace. He called you to stand out with power and with purpose.

#3

The third one is, “Own your story, even the messy parts.” Yeah, even the messy parts. You don’t need to have all the answers to speak from a place of truth. Sometimes the unfinished parts of your story are the most powerful because that’s where God is doing his greatest work.

#4

The fourth one is, “Let go of the need for approval.” Let me tell you, chasing validation will wear you out! OK, it will wear you out. Try doing at least one thing this week simply because God put it on your heart and you’re not doing it for validation.

#5

And lastly, “Find your tribe. Find your people.” Stop trying to do everything by yourself, girlfriend. Find a space where you feel free and where you can be fully you. Flaws and all. And that’s what we’re actually trying to do with the Hello Black Girl Podcast. And we also have an online community over at Black Girl Visions.

It’s a space where black women can breathe, be seen, and be supported in their purpose. And here’s something I want you to do. I want you to ask yourself: Where in my life am I hiding who I really am, and what would it look like if I show up in these spaces fully?

Whether it’s in your calling, in your relationships, at work, or maybe it’s even in the conversations with God. God knows your struggles. He’s just waiting for you to open up and have an honest conversation with him. So what I wanna do, I wanna leave you with three power plays that will help you minimize the moments of insecurity.

3 Power Plays

• The first one being, “Speak God’s truth over your feelings.” When insecurity starts to creep in, start speaking God’s word over it.
• Power play number two, “Take small steps in obedience even when you feel afraid.”
• And power play number three, “Surround yourself with people who remind you of who you are in Christ.”

Prayer

So with that, let’s just take a moment to say a prayer.

God, thank you for being a safe place in our hearts, even when we feel unsure, unworthy, and unseen. Thank you for the calling you’ve placed on each of our lives, even when we don’t fully understand it.

Lord God, I ask you to lift up every woman listening right now. Remind her that her insecurities do not disqualify her, but they allow her and give her invitation to lean on You. Remind her that she is already equipped, already chosen, and already enough. Give her the courage to show up fully and authentically.

Replace every lie that she’s been told with the confidence that is rooted in You. May she walk boldly in her purpose, not perfectly but faithfully. And may this space always be one where she feels seen, empowered and loved. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank you, Black girl. It was great talking to you, and I look forward to talking to you again soon. Bye-bye.

About Bailey Orenia

With 20+ years as an entrepreneur and communications maverick, Bailey has empowered thousands through her unique blend of wisdom and relatability.

As an former XM Radio Host and BET.com pioneer, Bailey’s insights have been featured in The Washington Post, NBC, VISTAS Magazine, and more.

As author of “Life Been Lifing: Don’t Be Distracted from Your Purpose,” Bailey doesn’t just talk about purpose, she guides you through life’s chaos to find yours. Her no-nonsense approach cuts through the noise, offering clarity when you need it most.

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