The only one stopping you from living your fullest life is you. Give yourself permission to enter and live in Queendom with today’s guest, Gina DeVee. Gina is the owner of Divine Living, where she helps empower women entrepreneurs to make an impact and live their fullest life. She is a business coach, a multimillionaire entrepreneur, a speaker, and now a published author. Her book, The Audacity To Be Queen, details life-changing stories, valuable insights, and actionable tips, some of which she shares in today’s episode with host Alicia Dunams. Be enlightened by her wisdom and learn how to live life on your own terms.
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Audacity To Be Queen: Empowering Women To Live Their Fullest Life With Gina DeVee
I love it because we have become friends since we’ve been in Miami together. We ended up here because of COVID. Gina DeVee is a published author, accomplished speaker, podcast host, business coach, and self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur. She has dedicated her career to helping women connect spiritually, start profitable businesses, create wealth from a feminine perspective, and become highly visible so they can make a global impact. Gina’s journey from struggling psychotherapist to globetrotting entrepreneur has taken her from the First Lady’s Office at the White House, to getting her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, also founding her growing women’s empowerment movement, multimedia company and lifestyle brand, Divine Living.
Her book, The Audacity to Be Queen, brings together over twenty years of experience in transforming women’s lives through the deep spiritual and feminine wisdom of queenhood. With spectacular flair, beautiful pearls of wisdom, and life-changing stories of unexpected triumph, she shares the steps, exercises, meditations, prayers, and journal prompts to release all forms of self-doubt and sabotage so you can discover the best version of you. I’m excited to talk about queendom.
Thank you again for having me. It’s so powerful to have these conversations about the depth of what’s in books. I’m excited.
The first question I always ask is, why did you write a book?
I’ve been doing this work for many years. The work has primarily been with a smaller audience. I love the in-person experience, whether it’s my live events or group programs. The depth of the work was always facilitated in these containers. I knew that it was time to share my perspective and all that I have been blessed to learn in a more accessible way. I wanted people who didn’t necessarily have the means or drive to show up at a live event or travel across the world to be able to live their best and epic life, do it in their way, and get it in the form of a $27 hardback book.
To be inclusive and give people access to your words of wisdom. Who are the people that follow you and want to be nurtured by your words? Tell me about those women.
It’s women who are unapologetic about experiencing life to the fullest. I don’t know if having it all is the right way to say it. We’re not the people that say, “You can have love or money but not at the same time. You’re allowed this much success but not that much success.” We believe in abundance in all forms and living these great lives, having healthy bodies, healthy bank accounts, spiritual connection, and fabulous wardrobes. We do enjoy the finer things in life, though we also all decide for ourselves what the finer things in life are. For some, it’s a five-star hotel. For some, it’s time off-the-grid, camping in nature. It’s being unapologetic about developing who we are and being fully self-expressed.
I love how you shared that because when people hear of beautiful wardrobes and five-star hotels, it could feel out of access, not a priority when we look at the world the way it is, and like, “What’s sustainable? How could I be driving around in a sports car and five-star hotels when this person over here is not or doesn’t have that?” That’s an important issue to discuss.
I wrote in the book, “In every woman lives a queen.” A queen is an archetype. She is a powerful blend of the masculine and feminine energies, which are in both male and female. Every true queen is a benevolent queen. She is not a monk. She does have a castle and her royal robes. If you align with the queen archetype, you don’t need to apologize for that. I find that there can be a lot of discrimination, or at least that was my journey. I’ll speak for myself that I did desire to make a difference in people’s lives, contribute to the world, and live a luxurious lifestyle in its more classic sense.
I grew up in a very spiritual Christian home where all forms of materialism were shunned and you’re not supposed to focus on money. You’re supposed to give to the poor and give back to the church. People who didn’t do that were in this materialistic, shallow camp. I found that I was not being authentic when I was only talking about spirituality, personal development, women’s empowerment, and the “meaningful subjects of life” because of who I am in my fullest self-expression. I went to Le Cordon Bleu. I love food. I went to fashion school in Paris. I love fashion and travel.
My favorite form of vacation and holiday isn’t camping. I don’t make mine better or worse than anyone else’s. I’ve just given myself permission to be a substantive human that has a meaningful career and a luxurious lifestyle. I find that the women who are attracted to me get that queenhood is about deciding what’s real for them and not going for anything because of what it might look like out there in the world. If it’s true for you, then own it and live it.
Let’s talk a little bit about your book. People can go to and find The Audacity to Be Queen on Amazon and attract your king. What are some other life lessons that you can share with the audience that comes from your book?
Queens aren’t broke. There is a whole section on money, and one of the lessons is having a healthy relationship with money. I’ve been the broke, struggling psychotherapist. I’ve been in $75,000 in debt. I’m an entrepreneur, so I’ve had cash crunches and cashflow gaps. I found that financial relaxation has a real priority for me. I find that when I do the work and live in a way where I’ve created financial relaxation, I’m most generous, creative, and not in that survival mode that doesn’t have me thinking at the highest level. Where I’m at in a state of financial relaxation is not where I’ve made the most money. It was when I was making the most money that I was also spending the most money.
There’s a real relationship that creates health and vitality. Being healthy isn’t about eating the most or least. It’s about finding what’s right for your body in terms of food, exercise, sleep and nutrition. Understanding that you can have a financially healthy relationship with money is one of the lessons in the book. Another one is about not apologizing for your truth. We were talking about fashion before. It’s not that it’s about this, but it’s also about this. I used to go to these internet marketing seminars and see people run around in gym shoes, backpacks, and hair in a scrunchie. I’m like, “It’s not about being judgmental as much as it’s about being in alignment.” I don’t thrive in an airport hotel. If I’m going to go to a seminar to expand my thinking, the environment is important to me.
When I put myself in a particular environment and everything is energy, I either expand or contract. For me, my foot feels better in a heel. I get blisters in flats and tennis shoes, and my foot does fine in a heel. I used to dim my light and make wanting the way I looked like not be important because it wasn’t societally acceptable in the circles I was hanging in. I’ve learned to give myself permission to be who I am. When I’ve done that, I’ve attracted the right people, friends, soulmates, and clients. My flavor is not for everyone. Another archetype I write about in the book is I call her LMP, the Little Miss Perfect. I’ve dropped the need to be liked, approved of, and accepted by everyone. I did that through the healing of my codependency. I found that it’s a lot more fun to be who I am rather than try to pretend I am someone I am not.
What else do queens don’t do or do?
In every woman lives a queen.
Queens have a spiritual connection. Many women are unnecessarily burdened and carrying the weight of the world and their children on their shoulders because we’ve so been trained to be self-sufficient and, “Handle it yourself. Don’t bother, upset or impose on anyone else. Don’t ask for too much. Don’t ask for help.” The women who follow me, I don’t think there’s anyone that says, “I’m not a spiritual person.” In queenhood, we don’t just know the spiritual principle. We live it.
Living it, you’re not confused. You make decisions easily because you’re spiritually guided. You’re in tune with your intuition. Things are clear. You let your yes be yes and your no be no. You stop making other people God, source, or spirit. When you stop making other people that, you’re in literal connection with the divine. You always have access to miracles, provision, support, creativity, and opportunities. Queens not just have a spiritual connection but prioritize it as well.
What would you say to women who are thinking about getting your book, but they feel like the audacity to be equated already feels a misalignment and they’re not worthy to delve in?
We’ve been taught as a culture, civilization, and generation on this planet that certain people are worthy of certain things, experiences, or freedoms and that other people are not. Some people hold the power of what is deemed worthy or not, and that it’s okay for some people to have a certain level of success, money, or fame, but it’s not okay for other people to. That’s what happens when you believe in that patriarchy is what doles out worthiness. When you go back to the spiritual connection, which is what the book is so rooted in, is you’re already worthy. From a spiritual perspective, everyone is worthy. The only way that we get to experience that is by giving ourselves and first learning that it doesn’t need to come from an outside person or someone else’s sense of permission but that we get to acknowledge our worthiness.
A queen is not a princess. It’s another archetype. A queen is wise and understands that the way life is done is all from the power within. If you give yourself the power, worthiness, and permission to do your life and create it by design, I learned this the hard way because I didn’t give myself that permission. I made it okay for everyone else to shine and make money but not me. When I started going to the seminars thinking that these people who were so much more successful than me on stage had all the answers, I would listen to them speak and coach. They were good, and so was I.
I didn’t set it up that way. I made them better and me less than. I didn’t do the pendulum, so I’m like, “They suck.” I was like, “Looking good for them. They’re shining their light,” but I’m the one in the back row by myself saying, “I’m not good enough and worthy. I can’t.” The only difference between them and me is they gave themselves permission. They weren’t more talented, educated, hardworking, and special. They decided. When I got that that was the key, I said, “Truly, I’m the only one holding me back and that had to change.”
Queens have agency and give themselves permission. I know how you and I met and became friends in Miami. You gave me a copy of your book and I’m so grateful for it. I didn’t know about your whole empire and then someone introduced us, and I took a look. I was like, “Look at this queen and what she is creating.” I want to acknowledge you for pouring into women and who get to read this in terms of having the confidence, clarity, and spiritual connection to be able to see that they are worthy and that they get to create their life’s desires and it could be sustainable. It can be where you get what you want, and other people get what they want as well. It’s a very symbiotic relationship. I want us to jump into our lightning round so we can share some of your thoughts about the following. This is always fun. What is your favorite book?
I’ll say what comes up first, Women Who Run with the Wolves.
What author has contributed significantly to your life?
Marianne Williamson.
What life lesson do you wish you learned earlier on?
To get great at being me as my only job.
What are you writing now? Do you have anything in the pipeline?
In terms of a book?
The way life is done is all from the power within.
In terms of anything, a book or are you writing the next blog post?
Lyrics.
What is that about?
I used to do it, and it’s something that I shelved a long time ago. The notion came back into my world and my father unexpectedly went into the hospital. He’s fine now. I remember sitting in the hospital room, looking at him. I know it’s cliché what I’m about to say, but it’s true for me. It was like, “Life is short.” I was in that COVID question like, “What am I doing with myself and my life? If I wasn’t going to be forever in this form, what do I desire?” These lyrics started flowing through it right there in the hospital room. I pulled out a legal pad, started writing, and have been playing around with it ever since.
What is your legacy?
It’s something I don’t think about a lot. I’m obsessed with living in the present moment, that living in the future is not something I think of. I also don’t have biological children, so I think people that have kids think about that. I suppose it would be the difference that I’ve made in the lives of others. The clients that I’ve been honored to be able to facilitate transformation in their lives would be the legacy.
Where can they purchase the book and find out more about you?
Come on over to DivineLiving.com. It’s where all things are divine and loving our divine. You can go to DivineLiving.com/book to get the book or all the places you can get the book. If you want my free companion course of the book, you don’t have to buy the book to have this. There are beautiful videos and workbooks. You can go to DivineLiving.com/audacity. You can follow me on Instagram, @GinaDeVee or download my podcast, Divine Living.
What is one final word of advice that you want to leave to our readers of the show?
Start now. I was waiting for this perfect time to write my book, and I prolonged it a lot longer than was necessary. I know that the universe has its perfect timing and all that for authors. I made it a bigger deal in the form of drama and procrastination than I needed to. For me, it was a challenging task to write the book, but I made it even harder than it needed to be. For everyone wanting to write a book or get their book out in the world, drop the drama around it and be focused on the contribution. It will go easier and faster.
That’s some great advice for aspiring authors who are reading. Gina, I want to thank you for bringing your words of wisdom and showering us with them on the show. Thank you so much for being here.
It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me, Alicia.
Thank you. See you next time.
Important Links:
- Divine Living
- The Audacity to Be Queen
- Women Who Run with the Wolves
- DivineLiving.com/audacity
- @GinaDeVee – Instagram
- Divine Living – podcast
About Gina DeVee
Gina DeVee, founder of Divine Living, is a leading women’s empowerment and business coach with a global clientele and a rare 20 years’ experience in transformational coaching.
As one of the world’s most successful and well-known coaches and speakers, Gina DeVee has dedicated her career to helping women connect spiritually, create wealth from a feminine perspective, and become highly visible so they can make a global impact.
The approach that sets her apart from the other empowerment coaches is elegant in its simplicity. While teaching women how to make money based on feminine principles she also outlines her proven methodology for living the divine lifestyle. She encourages them to take a bit of time to indulge, treat themselves, and truly enjoy life.
In addition to helping women help themselves, Ms. DeVee teaches them how to assist others. Through her business & women’s empowerment coaching, she has coached thousands of women in more than 60 countries to achieve professional and personal satisfaction and money mastery.
Maintaining an unwavering focus on her mission to enrich the quality of life for women everywhere, Ms. DeVee is currently working on her forthcoming book for publisher Hachette while leading hundreds of women through her unique mentorship programs and hosting glamorous transformational events around the world.