Being the exception isn’t about luck; it’s about mindset. Join April Shprintz as she shares how choosing to be the exception can rewrite the limits you’ve accepted about what’s possible. From the groundbreaking story of eight women who started their own bank in 1978 to everyday examples of asking for what you deserve, this episode challenges you to step outside the rules, trust your worth, and create opportunities where none seem to exist. You’ll walk away believing that sometimes all it takes to change your world is deciding that you are the exception.
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Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It…
Embrace The Exception Mindset
I am so glad you’re here. I have got to own something. I am on a be the exception mission lately. I had my little cheesy Mission Impossible introductory line. If you missed it, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to see yourself as the exception. I talked about this in my book Magic Blue Rocks. In Chapter Three, I talked about how seeing myself as an exception changed my life from early on. It helped me not only to move away from being in an environment of poverty and not having a lot of opportunities to see that there were all sorts of opportunities.
If someone said they weren’t for me, I have to assume that’s the rule, and I’ll be the exception. It is a mindset that can change your entire world. The great thing about it is that nothing else has to change. The rules don’t have to change. They are just making an exception. The people you’re around don’t have to change. You don’t have to change where you came from or your circumstances. You just say, “I’m the exception,” and that changes what’s possible for you.
The Women’s Bank Of 1978: A Story Of Financial Empowerment
Let me give you an example. This shocks me, but in 1970, women were still allowed to be denied having a bank account or getting a loan unless a man was willing to sign with them. This shocks me. I was born in 1978, and I can’t believe that the world has changed that much. Granted, it has been a lot of years, but I can’t believe that even that recently in history, women could not even have their own bank accounts. They could be denied a loan simply because they were a woman.
The great thing about being the exception is nothing else has to change, only what’s possible for you. Share on XI read about, in July 1978, these eight women came together and didn’t want that to be the case anymore. They started their own bank. They each brought together $1,000 of their own money, so they had $8,000, and they started the women’s bank. On July 14th, 1978, which was right after I was born, which was a coincidence, but I’m also glad I was here for it. They opened this bank in downtown Denver. Just that day, deposits topped $1 million. A million dollars might sound impressive to you right now, but google what $1 million is worth from then to today. It will be even more surprising to you.
Everyday Exceptions: Asking For What You Deserve
These were just eight women who said, “I want things to be different. I want to make an exception. I want to be an exception.” They did this remarkable thing. They wanted to take control of their financial future. They want to help other women take control of their financial futures as well. They decided that this is the rule, but how can we make a difference for ourselves? That’s what being the exception is all about. How can I do this differently?
It can be little things. It can be, “I forgot to pay X on time,” and so you got a late fee. You’re someone who normally pays everything on time, so call them up and say, “I am so sorry. I was absolutely wrong. Could you make an exception for me just this time and waive that fee?” I would be absolutely shocked if they said no, because I’ve done this. I’ve forgotten. I’ve paid late and asked this. A hundred percent, they give you that exception.
Maybe you need to cancel a ticket and you don’t want to pay a change fee. You call and you say very pleasantly, “I know that normally there are change fees. I have these particular circumstances. Is there any way you could make an exception?” Ask for that upgrade when you go to the hotel. Ask people to see you for the special person that you are. I get that it’s scary. I get that it’s daunting because a lot of us, as we’ve talked about for so long, don’t always see ourselves as special and as worthy of an exception.
If you can’t believe yourself, then borrow my belief because I know you’re special. I know you’re exceptional, and I am often wrong in my own life about my own things. I don’t always do things right, but I am never wrong about believing in people. I am never wrong about what people can do for themselves, can be, and can make happen. It’s just that, do you choose to do it? Borrow my belief in how special you are. Search for a way this week that you can be the exception, or even better, that you can help someone else be the exception. Either one works. I promise you that once you feel that rush from doing it for you or for someone else, you will never want to live any other way. Here’s to your success.
