WLMS - Part I

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Patrice Porter

Patrice Porter

Certified Educational Associate, Gardening Consultant, Parenting Coach, Author and Speaker

The Gardening Grandma

I was born and raised as a city girl but when I was off on my own, my chosen place to live was in the country and I made my home in the Boreal Forest of Saskatchewan, Canada. Here I developed a strong connection to place and it fed into my love of nature. I found that lead to adopting better environmental behavior so I encourage folks to instill that love into the youth which can help alleviate that overwhelm many feel from this barrage of messages about environmental or climate crisis we face. With a love of nature you can move past just knowing of the different environmental issues to being able to feel, and letting that love you feel direct your actions.

In alignment with this I started a business growing coniferous seedlings for reforestation. The business was a partnership and my partner already had a tree-planting company so with his connections and my willingness to apply myself, we ran a successful business which employed a number of people in our community.

After five years my partners wanted to expand the business but an old injury I had from a car accident was flaring up so I decided to sell my share and not be involved in the expansion.

The original reason I built this business was because I needed to transition from my old life – pre car accident, to work that was meaningful to me and I could do post injury. I had been paralysed in the car accident and it was my perseverance plus all the support I got from family which allowed me to overcome the paralysis, plus I had a big “why” to keep me motivated – I had a young son. Your “why” can be a very powerful motivator so know your “why” and keep it clear in your mind and heart.  

It was time for a new career shift and I moved to working with kids, something that I loved!

I landed a position as an Educational Associate working in the “Play and Exploration” program. This program adopted a child-directed form of education where we built on the child’s interests, opening new worlds to them and then we would scaffold them to new levels. I had a knack with communicating with kids and I was able to see the potential in the children, nurture that and see them blossom, moving towards bright futures.

I believe the youth are our future so having them have bright futures means ours will be brighter too!

I had shifted from working with plants (trees) to working with kids (as an E.A.) and now (after retiring from my position as an E.A.) to working with a combination of plants and kids – specifically with gardening, a passion of mine. I created the “Got Dirt? Gardening for Kids” program getting kids hooked on gardening and growing their own food, something I feel should be a part of every child’s education.

After the last couple of pandemic years with that constant wave of challenges and changes I found it was adding to the hardship of raising kids, to address this I created the “Bright Futures Family Program”. In this program I offer support for parents to show up as their best self and be good role models for their children.

Also with many kids getting hooked on their devices and some in unhealthy ways, I show ways to disengage kids from their devices and have fun yet healthy, meaningful activities. I show how to move towards self-sufficiency, having families do more for themselves and getting the parents to prompt their kids to help in this too. In this program gardening is used as a family project, which helps tighten family bonds and can teach many life lessons that lead children to growing towards their greatest potential. I speak on this in the chapter I contributed in the book "No-Problem Parenting; Raising Your Kiddo's with More Confidence and Less Fear!" found on Amazon and other fine book stores.

A place where I took big strides in becoming an entrepreneur was when I partnered up with Dr. Jeffrey Lant bringing his online writing course into being. At the beginning, when we first formed the partnership, he called my husband and told him I was way out of my league. My response to that was that I could learn and what a learning curve it was! I learnt to let go of excuses, to rise up to challenges and to persevere. Also I learnt to make focused efforts and to set my intentions.

Working with Dr. Lant I saw he wanted success for his clients and sometimes even more then they wanted it for themselves. I picked up on this and when developing my new “Bright Futures Family Program” I first looked at what kind of results I’d like my clients to have that I’d be willing to take responsibility for. Not wanting to limit myself to only my knowledge, experience and skills, I made a point of reaching out if a need arose and pulling in other resources to fulfill that need.

If you would like results like those I mentioned above book a call or find out more about my different programs on my website.

About Patrice

Patrice Porter is a Mother, Grandmother and avid gardener.

She is a Certified Educational Associate and recently retired after 15 years working with young children in the "Play and Exploration" program, something she absolutely loved!  Patrice continues to work with children through her "Got Dirt? Gardening For Kids" program and “Bright Futures Family Program”.

With a wealth of knowledge gathered through many years researching and training with renowned experts in the field of gardening, Patrice has become a sought after gardening consultant who loves opening the world of gardening to folks, especially to kids.

She loves the medium of books for sharing knowledge and expertise and is the author of the book series “Bringing Out the Potential of Children” and contributing author of "No-Problem Parenting; Raising Your Kiddo's with More Confidence and Less Fear!" Visit her author page at: https://www.amazon.com/author/patriceporter

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Paula D'Andrea

Paula D’Andrea

The Reset Expert

Growing up I spent a lot of time working in my family's pharmacy in Providence, RI. Along with proudly servicing our community, I also became aware of how much people relied on medication. That awareness formed a decision to not rely on meds, choosing a more holistic approach to living instead. In hindsight, it also shaped my altruistic why for how I now help people to overcome stress and burnout to strengthen their leadership.

 

My career path has chosen me. Health, well being and connections have always been a priority for me. In my teens I noticed I had a way of speaking and being that sparked others. Although the term 'vision board' was not in existence yet, my bedroom was one big vision board! Filled with sports pros, entertainers and positive messaging, it was my 'go to' place to dream... big.

 

I continued working with my family up until my last year of college. That last year I got a job in the post office to finish putting myself through 5 years of night school at Bryant University. Equipped with my BSBA, I went into the work force with enthusiasm to begin working in the IT department of a jewelry company. Within 2 years, I decided it was not a good fit, or what I wanted, and left.

 

During my job interim, I set some goals to structure my time including working out daily at my local sports complex. It brought my mindset, confidence, self awareness and self care to a new level. Within a short time, other gym members noticed my body transformation and sought my expertise to train and transform them. My next step was education and certification that landed me a personal training position at my gym. It was okay for a while, but I wanted to be more than a staff trainer.

 

I earned more certifications and kept my goals upfront. Putting drive and ambition together, I boldly set out to LA for a week, which extended into the summer. Before I knew it, the wild ride of my vision board came to life. It was fun, exciting and lucrative. 6 months at a local gym grew my clientele and an opportunity to step into a trainer gym. At the same time, I fell into acting and a SAG card. It was the time of my life!

 

There were a lot of celebs and execs that came into the trainer gyms... it was a who's who of LA. My own clientele was filled with socialites, celebs, casting directors, agents, prominent business owners and even members of a royal family. The gym offered privacy and discretion. Most did not offer memberships, and if they did they were limited.

 

During the course of 15 years, I built a boutique 6-figure business. I was usually early for training appointments, so I would be timely for my clients. It was also a good time to transition and prepare for my upcoming session. Even though I've met a lot of celebrities, One of my fondest moments included my client Annie who was 16 and would come after school a couple days a week at 3PM. I adored her!

 

At one point, there was a new client who began coming in and we would arrive around the same time. She would always say hello in passing or engage in idle chit chat. She was very pretty and my guess was she was an actress. Gym policy was engage when a client engaged and to the extent they offered. I left it at that.

 

One day Annie came in for her session and as we were training on the cable fly, all of a sudden she dropped to the floor, saying "OMG, OMG!" I had no idea what happened and my adrenaline spiked. Finally she said, "OMG, it's Rihanna." Although we exchanged pleasantries, we never introduced ourselves and the 'mystery girl' was not an actress, but a singer who became world renowned and a very savvy business woman to boot!

 

Even with all the glam, perks and opportunities, it felt like something was missing. I could feel a transition coming but no idea what. Then it happened... coaching. I don't even remember how I became aware of coaching, as it wasn't very popular in 2000. I went back and forth with the idea and investment. I decided to go for it.

 

Turned out it was a natural fit and I loved it. I gave up counting reps and tuned into vibration. My thoughts, my visions made sense. It was my jam. New clients, new approaches, new language. Eventually I phased out my training business and went fully into my coaching business.

 

Studies in conscious anatomy, hypnotherapy, tapping, NLP and several other modalities ensued to build out my career as a success and performance coach. It was easy, like I was born for it. After all, I'd always rooted for the underdog. Clients knew I had their back regardless of the size of their leap. Win/wins all around.

 

Developing quick rapport with people is natural for me, and I do my best to acknowledge those I cross paths with. I'm the person someone will reveal things very quickly to. Whether speaking with a client, team member, colleague, or even someone I don't know, I hold space for respect and listening, which contributes to a feeling of trust and care. Very often, people easily confide in me and I often hear "I've never said that to anyone." I'll take that compliment any time.

 

After years of being a 'go to' person and providing service, I noticed there was an underlying theme of spirituality. One of my clients, an author and expert at negotiation said best, "Paula has something special about her. She brings an awareness level, a mindfulness and a spiritual quality I try to hide... I don't talk about that very much because I'm a commercial negotiator. The spirit element is critical to everything I do, and Paula brings that same spirit to everything she does... so there's a resonance between us."

 

Other clients would write similar testimonials and colleagues dubbed me a "coach of coaches." My transformation skills go beyond personal/business growth and really pare down to empowerment of the soul in addition to life and business skills. As a spiritual leader I open the door for clients to see themselves as more authentic, aware beings on their path to self mastery and leadership with renewed focus, value and spirit.

 

Scaling that led to burnout, lateral positions, income ceilings, delegation and corporate moves, as well as personal events like illness and divorce, are some of the experiences my clients have had when they've sought me out to guide them. Their journey requires courage and a whole-hearted commitment to cease judgment and peacefully accept their considered flaws and imperfections with admiration and love.  

My gifts include listening, navigating darkness, holding space and giving hope. There is a special bond between myself and my clients... a mutual respect and trust. A prominent leader recently said, "I was in deep despair and you caught me in the dark." In their vulnerable position clients are able to trust, be inspired and activated by my strength with comfort, grace and ease.

 

It is both an honor and privilege to be an advocate for leaders who are willing to dive into their challenges and be empowered at a soulful level. Once they are on the other side of their pain, and able to integrate their new energy, resilience and confidence, most leaders continue to consult and coach with me on their way to self mastery, their true north.

 

I firmly believe every day is an opportunity to step into more of who you and use a daily practice to strengthen and stretch me. It includes different ways to play and practice my energy with singing, guided meditations, walking, movement and writing. I also love working with other mentors, coaches and healers to sharpen my craft while learning their modalities and techniques. Our interaction gives me more access to my expertise while amassing a phenomenal referral network for clients who need resources beyond my scope.


Transformation is renewal of the soul. It is a beautiful compliment to be known as a 'coach of coaches' who helps bring communities together with hope and inspiration. The legacy I'm creating in my body of work will be a soul compass for those seeking renewal for years to come guiding them to strengthen their leadership.

 

Self mastery continues throughout your life... you're never done. There is always something to notice, something to be in awe of, something to feel. Keep in mind, Picasso was still practicing brush strokes at 80!

What I've learned from my clients is that they crave structure and support - it's how they excel. For anyone feeling stuck/frustrated or making a transition, 3 keys to your success are support, accountability and consistency. Vet and invest in a mentor who has a lot of flexibility and can give you what you need. Step into yourself every day and design the life and business you want.

 

I'm here, and I'm rooting for you!

Paula D’Andrea

The Reset Expert

About Paula

Paula D'Andrea is an expert at removing mental and emotional blocks that are keeping small business owners, execs and entrepreneurs stuck, stressed and risking profitability. 

 

She brings over 20 years of expertise, and two 6-figure businesses in personal development to the table including fitness, coaching and consulting. Equipped with an incredible wealth of knowledge and intuitiveness, she is a powerhouse of resolution and results for her clients to be progressively aligned and focused for greater impact, visibility and profitability.

Her expertise has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, KNBC, KTLA and Telemundo, and she is a contributing author in two Amazon International Best Sellers.

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Nichole Williams

Nichole Williams

Founder of Owens Community Outreach & Arian Healthcare Solutions LLC

Some people call it the middle of nowhere; I call it the center of my world. My name is Nichole Williams. I was born in a very small country town in South Georgia. Thanks to Theo Gilbert-Jamison, my southern accent did not prevent me from advancing in my career. Throughout life I have learned that being Genuine, Respectful, having Integrity and being Transparent are key values to have in life. After many years in corporate America I have learned to appreciate my southern roots and dialect. People are often put in situations where they are forced to become imposters to excel.  Over the years I have learned that there is no better person to be than you. We are all humans; born imperfect beings. So, be the best you that you can be.

One thing that I can attest to is that I am no one trick pony. I have worked within the Healthcare/IT Industry for 24 years. I’ve had the privilege of working through many industry changes and within various sects of Healthcare. One of these changes sparked an interest and inspired me to earn my Masters from Keller Graduate School of Management.

When I completed my degree, I felt that I was more than ready to enter into the Health/IT Industry. Unfortunately, I was faced with many obstacles, some of which caused me to question my existence. I did not allow these obstacles to deter me. I was determined to forge a path for myself and others who had a desire to enter into the Technology field but did not have the resources or network to do so.

We are often told when one door closes another opens. Sometimes when one door closes, we must position ourselves to build so that you can open a door for yourself and others. Owens Community Outreach Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is committed to do just that. Our mission is to remove barriers of economic and workforce disparities in rural communities by providing a school to workforce pipeline to youth of low income, unemployed and underemployed families. We offer families the ability to craft a better future leveraging technology as a gateway. So many youth struggle when deciding a career path. Owens Community Outreach Inc. provides opportunities for underserved youth and their parents to explore a rewarding career path.

My nonprofit has proven to be effective. It has allowed some youth to discover what prevents them from progressing and has allowed some to realize that they are not prepared to embark upon a life after high school. My organization holds on-site career workshops and work with high school students in creating vision boards. These vision boards would reflect their life 5 years from the date of the workshop.  I had the opportunity to meet a very excited young girl who seemed to have had her career path figured out. She stated that she wanted to be a Pediatrician and would be graduating from high school in less than three months. While listening to her speak, I thought this student was prepared. After presenting her vision board I asked have you taken the SAT exam? She stated, “No.” I asked, have you selected a date to sit for the exam? She stated, “No.” I asked what college will you be attending? She stated, “I have not decided.” I asked, who is your school counselor? She stated, “I do not know.” It was in that moment that I knew my organization could impact change.

Becoming an owner of a nonprofit has brought its challenges. Everything that I learned while serving as Student President of the National Society of Leadership and Success for my local chapter; watching John Maxwell’s Leadership videos paired with awesome mentorship and industry support keeps me motivated. I have always wanted to be the best version of myself that I could be. The starting point in the process was engaging in self-assessment tools to help me along the way. I have taken Myers- Briggs, DISC, Enneagram and a Leadership Style Self-Assessment. All of the above have assisted with self-discovery.

The most important was the leadership style assessment and the DISC assessment. What I discovered from taking the Leadership Style Self-Assessment is that I am a transformational leader. The skills required for a transformational leader to succeed are the ability to take calculated risks, innovate, collaborate, and engage in authentic leadership. Taking the DISC assessment, I discovered that as a type C (Conscientious), I am analytical, cautious, calculating and one who values results and challenging opportunities. Which may explain why I can become easily irritated with social or personal affairs while working.  

I encourage anyone facing obstacles to excel within an organization to engage in self-discovery. This process could be the beginning of you embarking upon a career that could be the well-matched and rewarding. Always remember to take care of yourself as you are your most valuable asset. If you are considering establishing a profit or nonprofit business I recommend that you connect with SCORE. SCORE is the nations largest network of expert business mentors who volunteer their time to assist others.

Nichole Williams, MISM, CPC, CRC,CPB, CPC-I, Lean Six Sigma White Belt                             

Owens Community Outreach & Arian Healthcare Solutions LLC.

About Nichole

Nichole Williams is the founder of Owens Community Outreach, Inc. and Arian Healthcare Solutions, LLC.

Nichole holds a dual Master’s degree from Keller School of Management in Information Systems Management and Health Information Systems Management; a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospital Administration from Albany State University and an Associate’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology from Darton College. She earned a paralegal certificate from the Emory Learning Center as well as a Certificate in Women Entrepreneurship from eCornell. To stay abreast of industry standards, she has earned several certifications; has membership to many professional organizations and is a proud partner of CompTIA--which is a non-profit trade association that issues professional certifications for the Information Technology Industry.

Williams has worked in various capacities within the Healthcare Industry and have served on Leadership boards as well as industry boards throughout her career. Currently, she works for a multinational information technology services and consulting company where she provides client relationship management support and oversight of 25+ client accounts across the United States.  

In her leisure time, she enjoys volunteering, working out, yoga, dancing and auto racing.

Connect With Nichole

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Alison Ver Halen

Alison Ver Halen

AV Writing Services

Content Marketer, SEO Strategist, Author and Professional Speaker

As a kid, I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was told writers don’t make any money and I should choose a more “practical” career. I bounced around a few other ideas and ended up majoring in English and Psychology, which turned out to be the perfect degree for content marketing, even though I had no idea what content marketing was. By the time I graduated from college, I thought I wanted to work in publishing because I figured, if I couldn’t make a living writing books, I could at least make a living making books.

I graduated in 2009, right after the job market crashed, so there were no jobs to be had in publishing, or really anything else that could have used my degree. I answered phones for a few years, and when I ended up between jobs for a while, a friend’s dad asked me to write blog posts for his law firm. I jumped at the chance to get paid to write, and before long I was also writing blog posts for an associate of his and some friends of mine. I did get another day job, but I kept writing on the side until I couldn’t handle both anymore, so I quit the day job at the end of 2014 and have been writing online content ever since.

From Writer to SEO Strategist

Had you told me back in 2014 that I would need to learn SEO (search engine optimization) to follow this career, I would have been too intimidated to even try, but as I did more blogging and learned more about online marketing strategies, I found that blogging and SEO go hand in hand, and you really can’t have one without the other. Before I realized what was happening, I was learning about SEO best practices, especially when it comes to blogging and website content, and applying those best practices to the content I was writing for my clients, as well as my own marketing content.

I always considered myself more of a creative word person than an analytical, numbers-based person, which is why I dismissed SEO as something that was not for me. I never wanted a computer to tell me what to write about because I was afraid it would stifle my creativity, but I have found the opposite to be true.  The more I know about what questions people are asking around my industry (or my client’s industry) the more ideas it gives me for creating content that answers those questions. Since not knowing what to blog about is one of the most common struggles business owners have when it comes to blogging for their business, knowing how to use SEO to come up with an endless stream of topics that answers your target audience’s questions and improves your ability to show up in online searches has proven to be the best way to bring a strategy to my clients’ scattered approach to blogging.

Leadership

Online marketing is something every business needs, especially since the pandemic forced everyone to stay inside for two years, but it’s something a lot of people don’t understand. They’re not sure how it works, or why they need to be blogging, or the best practices they should be implementing in their blogging strategy, or what SEO stands for. The more I realize how much people don’t know (and how important it is for them to know it), the more my leadership style has developed into one where I lead through education.

I love talking about blogging and SEO, and explaining to people, not only why it’s so important to have a strategy behind their blog, but how to implement a strategy that works for them and their business. This helps position me as an expert in my industry so people will want to work with me, but it also helps empower the people who can’t afford my services to do it for themselves. There are still a lot of people out there who think SEO is very intimidating, and my mission is to explain it in terms people can understand so they can see SEO as nothing scary. My hope is that future generations will be comfortable with all kinds of technology at all levels so there is never again an assumption that only certain people can work with technology, or work in tech-based industries.

Advice

The most important piece of advice I can think to give to anyone considering starting their own business is to not give up, and to be open to your business going in a direction you might not have foreseen.

You can find out more about me at my website at https://avwritingservices.com or just email me at alison.verhalen@gmail.com. You can also follow me on LinkedIn.

Alison Ver Halen

Content Marketer, SEO Strategist, Author and Professional Speaker

About Alison

Alison Ver Halen is a content marketer, SEO strategist, speaker and author. She majored in English and Psychology without realizing she was getting the perfect degree for content marketing.

It wasn't until a few years after she graduated, when a friend's dad asked her to write blog posts for his law firm, that she realized she could make a living doing what she loved, while using all aspects of her degree (including her minor in Theater).

Alison jumped in with both feet and has never looked back because she loves being her own boss too much to consider going back to corporate.

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Alicia J. Alexander, MSL

Alicia J. Alexander

Make A Difference Consulting

Workplace Retention Expert

Greetings! I am Alicia J. Alexander, MSL. I was born on the island of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Islands. My family immigrated to the United States of America in the early 1970s when I was close to 3 years old. We moved to Boston, MA, and lived in Roxbury, MA until age 11, then we moved to Rhode Island, to a home that was 45 minutes away. I now live in Rhode Island as an adult, albeit, I lived in the Washington, D.C. area from 1993 to 2000 due to my husband’s job. In 2000, I relocated back to Rhode Island with a new perspective on life.

I have been a Believer in Christ since the age of 8. My core values are based on Truth. I believe in treating all people with the grace and compassion that empowers me.

I am a Business Owner and Make A Difference Consulting is my company. I work as a Workplace Retention Expert. The crux of my Business coaching centers on Employee Engagement and Leadership Development and Training. The need to grow businesses and assist Business Owners and Corporate Teams with engaging employees for staff and client retention is one of the reasons why I do what I do. The other reason is to make my Grandfather proud of me. My Grandfather is a retired Businessman, who manufactured and sold quality furniture on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. He is now 97 years of age and he is living a great life. I attempt to emulate his excellence.

It is important to me to be liked, known, and trusted. Not only do I attempt to live a Faith lifestyle daily but, I believe in honoring my Business associates, and clients as well as being truthful in my Business principles and interactions. As a Workplace Retention Expert, I share quality information to assist in growing businesses. I treat my clients with respect and I attempt to employ full disclosure in interactions. The following video explains my operations:

I consider myself an Authentic Servant Leader. I believe it is important to be genuine and serve others before myself. In business, I keep in mind two important governing principles when interacting with potential clients (from their perspective, of course). These are:

  1. What Is In It For Me? WIIIF-FM

  2. Make Me Feel Important About Myself - MMFI-AM.

The client is always the focus even in the pricing. It’s always about, my Client.

The services I offer my Clients focus on Employee Engagement and Leadership Development and Training. I am particularly proud of the Leadership Development and Training module as the focal point is Words, Thoughts, and Actions; Developing the Leader Within. This training module is proprietary to Make A Difference Consulting. The Employee Engagement module uses Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Strength Finder and Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White’s The 5 Languages of Appreciation In The Workplace. The work is designed to create Leaders for now and with a future vision.

In closing, for those who consider Entrepreneurship as a vocation, I encourage you to focus on your talents and study how you can implement them to provide a solution to someone’s grief. Business is a transaction in which funds are given to solve a problem that the customer wants to be released from. Once you are convinced that you have the solution, be relentless because they need you.

Alicia J. Alexander, MSL

Workplace Retention Expert

About Alicia

Alicia J. Alexander, MSL is the owner of Make A Difference Consulting, a Business Coaching organization located in Providence, RI. She is a Workplace Retention Expert who helps professionals know their strengths and how to communicate value and appreciation within the workplace. Her focus is Employee Engagement, Staff and Client Retention, and Leadership Development and Training.

Alicia’s work background is in Accounting and Human Resources. She earned her Bachelor's degree comes from Providence College. She graduated from Grand Canyon University with her Master of Science in Leadership. Presently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis on Organizational Development (Qualitative Research).

Alicia hails from Trinidad and Tobago. She has a loving family and is proud of her two adult children and two grandchildren.

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Jasmine Kelly-Stephens

Jasmine Kelly-Stephens

Jasmine Stephens Wellness, LLC Holistic Health and Wellness Coach

Hello, I am Jasmine Kelly-Stephens. I was born and raised in the beautiful Caribbean Island of St. Kitts where life was blissful! Just being able to play outside freely for as long as I want and picking fresh fruits such as mangoes, guavas, passion fruits off the trees, was simply delightful. It is amazing how we sometimes miss these simple treasures only when they are no longer available to us.

I was raised by a praying, bible-reading and God-fearing grandmother. She was one of the most intelligent, no-nonsense, and outspoken women I knew even with just an elementary education. She also had a saying or a proverb for most things. Among the many things I learned from Mama--as she was affectionately called--I learned the importance of securing a close relationship with God. Education came in a close second. My life was pretty much church, school and lots of play sprinkled in between. Perfect if you ask me!

Mama instilled in me a strong faith, integrity, and a heart for serving others…these are the core values that I still live by today.

When I migrated to the US at sixteen these core values served me very well especially during the first few years when I struggled as an immigrant. It was my strong faith and the support of family and friends that helped me to rise above the hardships. Despite the hardships, I was able to pursue several degrees including an advance degree, an MBA in Global Management. I was also able to check off one of my bucket lists items by becoming an Amazon #1 best-selling author.

I love being a wife, a mom to my teenage son and my bonus daughter. I enjoy walking, bike riding and gardening. I also enjoy church ministry of which I currently hold various leadership positions. I am an encourager and absolutely love connecting with people.

I was not always a Health Coach. I worked in corporate for numerous years. The compensation and benefits were great and frankly, I was comfortable. But I knew I was destined for more…to serve and help support other women on their health and wellness journey. As a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, I help Christian women entrepreneurs in an area that is all too familiar—emotional eating.

My struggle as an emotional eater goes as far back as I can remember. I have always had an affinity for sweets with a special sweet spot for a particular treat, which was a delicious blend of coconut, sugar, and ginger. I would buy a few at a time and eat them all by myself when no one was looking. It was not until way into adulthood that I realized I was turning to food for comfort. By this time, I was experiencing weight gain, incessant headaches, and acne. My energy levels were at an all-time low, which negatively affected my level of performance. My emotional eating habit had completely sabotaged my health and wellness goals.

I was downtrodden and knew I had to take back control of my health, although I had no idea what that would look like. One thing I knew for sure was that it was not going to be an overnight success. You see, I grew up during a time when children were only to speak when spoken to and answer when they were called. So, because I was not encouraged to freely express my emotions, I turned to food instead…sweet things to be exact. It became my safe place. There was no one to judge or shame me. Food became my primary emotional coping mechanism, and it was going on for far too long.

I collaborate with women who are exposed to increased stress and responsibility every day of their lives due to the highly demanding nature of entrepreneurship. Food has become a major tool to help them balance that. I help them raise awareness and implement tactics to help them overcome the strongholds of emotional eating so that they can have the freedom, energy, and confidence to walk in their purpose.

I love the work that I do and the trust that I get to establish with my clients. My goal is to create a safe place for them to be heard and seen so they can freely increase awareness around their eating habits. This allows them to get a better sense of why they are seeking comfort from food without judgment, shame, or guilt. Once they can do that, they then make specific changes to help them prevent these cravings, which have been sabotaging their wellness goals. As a result, their lives begin to open as they begin to see the possibilities they never thought of.

I want my clients to reach their health and wellness goals and achieve lasting behavior change…so my goal is to help them focus on taking small positive steps over time instead of making big changes all at once while providing consistent support and guidance toward making these important small changes. It is all about the small wins that build toward enormous success.

Staying abreast of market research in the health and wellness industry has proven helpful and has helped me to make the mindset shifts necessary to stay afloat in the industry. In the wake of the pandemic and the current market, I have realized that consumers have become increasingly concerned with their physical and mental health. They are willing to take a proactive approach to take care of their health. I also believe that beside having a trained professional, my clients are mostly in need of an ally that can provide them the inspiration and empowerment in realizing their potential and achieving the lifestyle changes they want.

Healthy behavior requires hard work, consistent effort, and practical tools to be successful. My job as a Coach is to help facilitate a process of change and help clients develop the tools they need towards actualizing their dreams. I am grateful that I get to hold a space for my clients to grow while staying motivated through small milestones celebrated throughout their healing process; as well as serving and helping them navigate during these uncertainty times.

I truly believe your health is your greatest wealth. Although change and transformation are not a quick fix, the small consistent steps, taken day-in and day-out, will always lead to big results and true success…that essentially create a ripple effect helping the future generation. At the end of the day, we all have the opportunity and possibility to change the trajectory of the lives of those in our sphere of influence. We get to create an impact that could gift them with the freedom from diet culture, body shame and toxic food behaviors.

Jasmine Kelly-Stephens

Holistic Health and Wellness Coach

About Jasmine

Jasmine is a wife and mom to a teenage son and a bonus daughter. She loves walking, bike riding and gardening. She also enjoys church ministry of which she currently holds several leadership positions. She is also an Amazon #1 Best-selling Author. Of all the roles she holds, being the daughter of the King is the one she holds most dearly.

Although Jasmine was highly successful in her corporate career, she felt God was calling her for more. She has always had a heart for helping others, so it was no surprise she chose to go back to school to pursue a certification in Health Coaching.

She is currently a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach where she helps Christian women entrepreneurs in an area where she has had her own struggles. She helps women break free from the strongholds of emotional eating so that they can have the freedom, energy, and confidence to fulfill their Kingdom assignment.

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Antoyia Fortune

Antoyia C. P. Fortune

Your Neighborhood Beauty Bawse Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

Greetings! My name is Antoyia Chanél Precious Fortune - yes, that is my real name. I am a Midwest girl - born and raised in Kansas. I am the proud legacy of Joyce and Rene Fortune. I grew up in a household that believed I should go to school or get a job, so to school and to get a job, I went. I graduated high school from one of the top-ranking college preparatory high schools in the country. I followed in my older brother’s footsteps and graduated from the University of Kansas (KU) - Rock Chalk Jayhawk - with my bachelor’s in Social Welfare. I continued my education at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale to receive my Master’s in Social Work with a Health and Mental Health emphasis.

As Mental Health Social Worker - I found myself burned out, overwhelmed, and broke. I have always been a woman of great faith, but I doubted my journey. However, I knew what I was doing and the people I was serving was necessary. One of the biggest breaking points in my career was at a time I was working for a federally funded program for low-income students and foster-aged youth. The youth was treated as if they were just a number on a document for funding, but I cared about each student and their needs. I felt boxed in, and I had to find another way to fulfill my personal mission of empowering and uplifting others.

In walks my Mary Kay business. Well not exactly, more jobs and a relocation to Texas with my Mary Kay business in tow. In February 2013, I started my Mary Kay business because I need extra money and my love for the products. When I relocated to Texas in April 2013, my goal was to work as a full-time entrepreneur and what I realized is that I lacked the self-discipline at the time to maintain a successful business. So, I returned to the workforce and kept my business as a part-time business. Fast forward to 2018 and I am laid off from my full-time job. Fast forward six more months and I am laid off from my part-time job. Here lies my Mary Kay business. Major hits to my ego in a short amount of time, but I had a business to fall back on, right? There I was with a business that I picked up when it was convenient to me that now required me to step it up and truly work my business as a business.

I stand proudly as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant - my community knows me as the Neighborhood Beauty Bawse. I take pride in specializing in skincare education and makeup application where I can provide my services from my neighborhood to yours. I love working with the everyday woman who is looking for everyday skincare solutions and glamour options. I have become a glamour girl, but I know that caring for my canvas (my skin) is essential, and my glamour is an accessory. I want to be very clear that the woman people see today is not how I started my business.

I started my business doubting that it would work, let alone work for me. I started my business barely caring for my skin, wearing purple eyeshadow and yellow tube lip balm. I am the woman that I can tell from experience about building a skincare routine and learning glamour techniques that work for my eye shape, face shape, and skin tone. Telling my story and sharing my journey allows me to establish trust with my customers. I am not the woman that will sell you a product just to sell you a product and my customers appreciate that. I love that I work with award-winning, prestige products to service my customers and meet their needs.

As I continue to navigate the best practices to serve my customers and my team, I have realized my level of influence. Growing up, I often shrunk myself, so being in rooms where people wanted me to be front and center was outside of my norm. In Mary Kay, I have learned that all of me is necessary. It has become my mission to uplift and empower others to do the same - to walk in their light. Mary Kay is my vehicle, and my mission has remained the same as when I was a Social Worker. Who would think I would be doing that “selling lipstick”?

Mary Kay has given me a crash course in self-development. I have grown so much as an individual. My business has given me the platform to build and leave a legacy. I highly encourage everyone to fight for the dream that God has given them and remember that He gave it to them. It may not make sense to anyone else but you, but it is not for other people to get it. The vision was created and given to you. Who would think a master’s Level Social Worker would have a successful business being a skincare educator and helping with proper makeup application?

Antoyia Fortune

Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

About Antoyia

Antoyia Fortune specializes in skincare education and makeup application as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant known affectionally to her community as the Neighborhood Beauty Bawse (pronounced boss).

The moniker ‘Neighborhood Beauty Bawse’ came from wanting to offer her products and services outside of her geographic location to your location, so she meets your skincare, glamour and body care needs from your neighborhood to yours! Antoyia has been building her business for 9 years.

In those 9 years, Antoyia has found a passion for uplifting and empowering women to be their best selves. Antoyia has had a number of achievements in her business and wants to continue to grow.

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Sarah Dawkins

Sarah Dawkins

Naturally Healthy

Holistic Health and Healing Coach 

Hello. I am Sarah Dawkins. I was born in a small, deprived, northern town in England and I left school without many qualifications because I was regularly bullied.


After marrying my husband, I decided to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a Registered Nurse. When I enquired about the process, I was refused access to training as I didn’t have the required qualifications. SO, I went to college and did more than was necessary, to prove to myself that I could do it.


I trained as a Nurse, then went on to get my bachelor’s degree and, not being satisfied with it, I went on and took my master’s degree in nurse leadership.

My core values are passion reliability, honesty and commitment. Passion drives reliability and commitment and honesty builds trust.


During my work as a Registered Nurse, I began to feel less and less fulfilled. I loved working with the clients, but I felt work was more about targets, paperwork and medications. I believed that we needed to be looking for the root cause of the health problem that had brought these people into hospital, i.e. being proactive rather than reactive.

I left hospital nursing to set up my business as a Registered Nurse doing some training and medico-legal work. During this time, I entered some entrepreneurial competitions. The first competition I entered, I had to do a PowerPoint presentation (yes, it was a while ago). I did not even know what PowerPoint was!! I had to learn how to use it as well as think about what I was going to say. This was to be my first public speaking event. I was terrified.

All my slides were black and white with far too many words on each. I almost read each and every slide and spoke to the wall rather than the audience. My voice trembled, my hands were sweating and my heart was pounding. However, I did it and won my first award as an entrepreneur. I went on to become a multi-award winning entrepreneur. Still, I did not feel fulfilled.

Having naturally self-healed several health conditions, from eczema, reflux, psoriasis, candida, underactive thyroid, burnt out adrenal glands, two frozen shoulders, multiple joint pains and a suicidal depression, I believed that I could help others to do the same. Pharmaceuticals have a place in emergency and trauma medicine and surgery, but there is much that we can do for ourselves.

I decided to train as a coach, to help people to find and naturally self-heal their health problems from the root cause. I work with people who are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, as well as those who want to improve their health and ultimately their lives. I found that I had to remind my clients that they were born healers, their body knows what to do. Because I have already healed myself, I find it easy to build trust with my clients. As I understand the many intricacies of health problems, I can relate to much of what they are going through.

I soon realised this is my dharma--my life purpose. I really feel passionate about what I do, and I get so much pleasure out of watching my clients recover and live a better, healthier life. I feel honoured to be a part of their journey.


This work ties in with the identity of servant leader, the type of leader I was identified as during my master’s degree. Servant leaders are centred on the desire to be of service to help others and they walk their talk. I am aware of how my lifestyle choices impact my health and I strive to do the best I can. Some people call me crazy, while others come to me for advice.


Research is a friend. It keeps my mind open and receptive to new ideas as well as further develops my knowledge and critical thinking skills. Research is always evolving, so it is necessary to keep up to date with latest developments.


I have written and published my book, HEAL YOURSELF, about my own and seventy-four others healing journeys. We all share our diagnoses and how we healed ourselves, so that the reader can do the same. We have healed from conditions diagnosed by doctors as chronic, lifelong and life-threatening. My book has been translated into Dutch, Spanish and French, with Greek currently being translated. My hope is that people will read it and see that it is possible to naturally self-heal and start their own journeys.


Dr. Joe Dispenza suggests that for someone to change their belief that something is impossible, they only have to see one person doing what they thought impossible.

My future aim is to set up wellness centres globally and start a podcast. I want to reach as many people as possible and help them to understand the power they have over their own health and bodies. As people start to heal, I believe they will share their healing with others and a new generation of healthy people will grow.


After going through everything I have been through, I would encourage anyone to follow their passion. Do what you feel is right for you. Let go of other people’s opinions. Move forward. If you fail, congratulate yourself as many people never start. Find the lesson to help you to learn and grow from the experience. Next time, you are starting from experience, not from scratch.


As Henry Ford says, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.”


Sarah Dawkins, BSc (Hons), MSc, Accredited Master Coach 

Holistic Health and Healing Coach 

About Sarah Dawkins

Sarah is a Holistic Health and Healing Coach, Keynote Speaker, the Author of HEAL YOURSELF and a Multi-Award Winning Entrepreneur.

Previously, she was a Registered Nurse for twenty years. Sarah has extensive experience in health and wellness from her many years in nursing and her insatiable drive to improve overall health through nutrition and natural means. 

After naturally self-healing a multitude of health issues, Sarah understands what it is like to be sick. She uses the knowledge gained through her own personal healing journey and experience as a nurse to take a holistic approach in her work,

Sarah works with clients all over the globe, supporting them to find and heal the root cause of their health problems, through exploring their lifestyles and beliefs.

When she’s not working, Sarah can be found outside in nature or in the kitchen.

Connect With Sarah

  • Website - www.sarahdawkins.com

  • LinkedIn - /sarahdawkins

  • Facebook - /dawkinsse

  • Instagram - @sarah.dawkins.health

  • Twitter - @dawkins_sarah

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Julie Zaruba Fountaine

Julie Zaruba Fountaine

EMPOWER Possible, LLC

“Together We Can Regenerate Our World." 

Do You Feel The Love?

Can you believe it is already the first week of June? Life moves fast and seems to move faster by the day. Sometimes it can feel like we are spinning out of control with no end in sight. As the pace of life speeds up you may feel drawn to activities that can slow life down. One of these activities is meditation.


Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, defines mindfulness as being fully conscious in the current moment. Thich Nhat Hanh believed mindfulness was the secret not just to happiness but to being authentically alive. Traditional meditation has many benefits, with practice you will begin to see the benefits of meditation including management of anger, social anxiety, improved concentration, and memory recall.

Meditation is not always easy, be patient with yourself and you will soon see the benefits. I remember the first time I tried meditation. I often found I was so relaxed it was hard not to fall asleep! I now know I need to practice meditation in the morning so I am not as distracted and not too tired. There are many forms of meditation. One form that has been particularly helpful for me during difficult times with others and when I am feeling disappointed is loving-kindness meditation. 


During loving-kindness meditation, you focus on moving loving energy toward yourself and others.  Take a few minutes of your day to practice loving-kindness through meditation. To sign up to receive a free loving kindness video, click below:

Together we can regenerate our world!

“The object of your practice should first of all be yourself. Your love for the other, your ability to love another person, depends on your ability to love yourself.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart

Julie Fountaine

Founder of EMPOWER Possible, LLC

ABOUT JULIE

Julie Zaruba Fountaine is the Founder of EMPOWER Possible, LLC, Adjunct Faculty at the University of Mary, and a Well-Being Specialist at Essentia Health. Julie received her B.A. in Exercise Science with a Spanish Minor from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, her M.S. in Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science from North Dakota State University, and her MBA in Change and Leadership from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. 

Her leadership philosophy is to be data-informed, deliberately collaborative, and strategically results-oriented so that she can deliver superior health and wellness initiatives, programs, and events that result in improved morale, increased well-being, and a positive financial outcome.

Over the past decade, Julie has empowered individuals to reach their full potential, teams to develop their strengths, and organizations to build well-being programs and policies.  Julie consistently finds inspiration while living in Northern Minnesota surrounded by the north woods and the shores of Lake Superior. Her website is www.empowerpossible.com where you can find EMPOWERed online courses, coaching, and consulting services.

Join Me On This Mile Of My Journey And Let’s Stay Connected!!