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Beautiful Woman

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Luisa Molano

Luisa Molano

Certified Executive Coach, Speaker & Startup Business Advisor

Introduction

Hi Sojourners! Upon attending a virtual networking event not too long ago, I had the wonderful privilege of meeting my first guest blogger for the 2023 Women’s Leadership Mindset Series, Luisa Molano. After connecting on LinkedIn and scheduling a one-on-one to learn more about how we each serve the world, I was compelled to invite her to share with us how she serves organizational leaders and develops her leadership mindset for success.

In accepting the invitation, Luisa took a courageous step by sharing the eulogy she delivered to celebrate the life of her grandmother who has recently passed away at the age of 95 years young.

With Mother’s Day approaching, many of us will be reminded of our beloved matriarchs that has gone on before us. For those of us that may still struggle with their absence, take solace in the the lessons Luisa has learned on her journey between Love and Loss.

~Teresa K. Page

Lessons At The Intersection of Love and Loss

The inevitability of loss is undeniable - both professionally and personally.

Whether it's a financial opportunity that slipped away, the loss of a client, or even a business goal that missed the mark...

...loss is a part of life - but it doesn't ever have to define us. 

In the end, what does define us?

Is it what we did or didn't do or who we were?

Last Sunday, I laid my grandmother to rest.

And below is the eulogy I shared in front of nearly 50 friends and family in attendance.


A Legacy of Love  

“I was watching a movie the other day, and in one of the scenes, the actor said, “we are meant to lose the ones we love. How else are we supposed to know how much they meant to us?”

That was the same day my aunt asked me to speak to you.

I sat with those words, to be quite honest, unsure of what to say today. 

Because how do you summarize 95 years of life into a few minutes?

You don’t. You can’t.

So my words here are not an attempt to talk about her. They are a humble attempt to describe her legacy.

What makes a woman great?

What makes a woman memorable?

Is it the things she did or didn’t do? 

Or, is it who she was?

My grandmother loved fiercely, spoke bluntly, lived bravely, and laughed contagiously.

In 2020 I decided to call my grandmother every Saturday when I learned she wasn’t leaving her house as a safety precaution against COVID.

Each week, we’d talk about society, health, how she met my grandpa, what she loved to do as a teen, growing up in Colombia, and of course, the news and COVID.

She always had a lot to say about life, but towards the end, she became a woman of few words, so what she said, she really meant. 

In all those conversations, one stood out from all the others. 

I had asked her to tell me one thing that drove her crazy about my grandpa.

Almost immediately, She replied, “Nothing. I loved everything about him. He was the perfect man for me.”

My grandparents were together for almost 59 years when my grandpa passed away.

That’s 21,535 days. 

I don’t need a fortuneteller to tell me that surely, at least once in their relationship, something he said or did drove her crazy.

But that’s not something she chose to to bring to her mind.

Love is all she chose. 

Because her message was love. 

Her life was her message.

That is a legacy. 

That is my grandmother. 

That is who I celebrate today. 

Thank you, grandma, for teaching me what true love is."

Every situation can empower us, if we choose.

The next time you come up to a loss, feel the feels if needed, and look for the lesson. It's always there.

And, if you haven't called your grandma to say 'hello,' maybe do that, too.

Luisa Molano

Certified Executive Coach, Speaker & Startup Business Advisor

LESSONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOVE AND LOSS

About LUISA

Luisa Fernanda Molano, is a certified executive coach, speaker, startup business advisor and purpose-driven Latina who works with founders and entrepreneurs who crave a life of abundance and fulfillment. Those she serves want to synchronize their ambitions with their inner essence. Luisa empowers them to align their goals with their soul and boldly move towards the transformation they seek.

She has more than 19 years of professional experience in Human Resources, Managed Mental Health and Law across multiple industries with both Fortune 200 and 500 companies. She has also worked with

founders and startups since 2017 and has mentored entrepreneurs in various accelerators and incubator programs. Most recently, she became the founding member of a tech startup blending artificial intelligence technologies to create a better world for humanity.

Her work is anchored in the belief that we can achieve the extraordinary and truly have peace of mind when we can take radical responsibility for our inner life experience and cultivate deep self-awareness to fuel our purpose and mission. When we truly see who we are being, we can design the life we most desire with ease. I masterfully work across the dimensions of the practical and the possible.

Contact LUISA

Website: https://www.luisamolano.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisafmolano/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luisamolano.tgob/

Email: luisa@luisamolano.com

Your Presence Is Not Optional

According to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, an average of 130 citizens within the American family die by suicide every day. Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, we all learned in disbelief that Stephen "tWitch" Boss, a bright light in our culture, was among that average.


While our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families who must mourn and begin the journey to heal from such tragedy, how will we that remain bring this illusive criminal of suicide to justice?


I am not an expert in this arena, so I will not attempt to speak on this from a scientific point of view. But what I do know is that we must secure and anchor ourselves in LOVE to stand a fighting chance in these unprecedented times! This includes God’s Love…our family’s Love…our friend’s Love and…Love of self!

Love…of…self! This is the nail I want to hit on the head; for we do not spend enough time Loving ourselves. I may be alone here, but when I was faced with the decision to go on with life or to end it all, Self-Love was the crucial factor that I had to weigh in the balance. Its presence, though limited at that moment, was the dividing factor between me, eternity and time.

Over the years, I have learned that Love of Self is not automatic. Self-Love has to be learned, perceived and comprehended. Self-Love requires intense studying of our personal inventory such as our gifts, callings, talents, strengths, fearlessness, as well as our fears, weaknesses, ignorance, threats and areas of opportunity. No one else can do this work for us! There are no shortcuts! We have sole ownership in discovering that we are predestined treasures given to this generation to address a particular problem that will go unresolved without us.

And if no one has ever said it outloud, there is nothing that we have encountered that will pardon us from fulfilling the mission we were SENT into the world to accomplish. We cannot take the cargo designed for this world into the next.

Hear me with your hearts and not with just your heads! We are living in a painful era in our history and we each have a mandate to administer the remedies stored within us to reduce the inflammation of our society's woes. This is not the time for us to go missing.

So, what do we do from here?

  • Let us be proactive in rooting and grounding ourselves in the effective power of Love to hold us steady when things get ugly!

  • Let us lean hard upon Love’s authentic wherewithal to bear our most intense realities and to arrest the private thoughts that would have us do harm to ourselves or others.

  • Let us become solely dependent upon Love's intelligence and wise counsel to produce right now and long term solutions to meet every one of our wants, problems and needs.

  • Let us turn on Love's light internally to investigate why we, in our imperfections, are perfectly formed and selected to shine bright in our assigned spheres of influence.

  • Above all, when we have to come face to face with the decision to live on or end it all, let us not make this decision alone. STOP and call a trusted confidant for immediate help.

  • If there is not confidant nearby, let us contact the trusted resource 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting their website: https://988lifeline.org.

Leaders, wrap this around your heads and your children's heads…our ecosystem CANNOT work without you! You are SENT into this world on purpose and for a purpose! You are NECESSARY! Your presence is not OPTIONAL!!

You’ve heard me say if before and I will say it again…always choose Love, for it is beautiful for every situation!

Here’s to the journey! Let’s move forward!

~Teresa

A Call to Action…

Should you need words of encouragement from time to time, I invite you to subscribe below to stay connected and click HERE for messages that will help you on your journey!

Stay In The Game: A Reflection of Business Lessons Learned in 2022!

As we prepare to wrap-up this year, I cannot help but to reflect upon the lessons 2022 has taught me about building a new business. It is the hardest, yet the most powerful thing I have ever done! Being driven by the mission to help Women renew their leadership mindset with fresh fire and purpose has caused me to know why I was brought into the world. And while I may not know all of the twists and turns ahead, I know what I am made to do!

 

There is much work and more to learn in 2023, but if I may, I would like to share a few things for new entrepreneurs to consider as you continue on your journey…

 

Lesson Number One…as we move forward to assemble our customer base, we must continue to develop our personal value and the value proposition of our goods, services and marketing strategies. Our local Small Business resources are designed to help us with these measures, business growth, maturity and long-term maintenance. Whether it is the Small Business Administration here in the states or a similar construct abroad, these types of services are available to entrepreneurs in a complimentary one-on-one consultative framework.

 

Building a business is not always sexy, but we do not have to struggle as hard if we take advantage of ready guidance to nurture our greatness! 

 

Lesson Number Two…developing community is key to our success! As we endeavor to meet our target market via networking, we cannot forsake the power of the one-on-one connect! Taking that extra step to conduct post event follow-ups to schedule these special 15 to 30 minute calls has opened doors for me to spotlight awesome business leaders in my Women’s Leadership Mindset blog series; feature as a guest writer in other leader’s newsletters and online courses, and speak as a guest panelists at some pretty amazing summits and podcasts.

On the flipside, I have had a few bumpy experiences that has taught me that many of us do not know how to have these pivotal conversations. Under no circumstances should we abuse this valuable time as a sales call to force a product; to recruit a new representative to our down lines or to gain a new client. Any attempt to impose our will upon a fellow entrepreneur that would divert their energy away from their mission and vision is disingenuous and inappropriate.

Successful one-on-ones can vary, but they are fundamentally designed to help us, as business leaders to:

  • Learn about each other and our motivations.

  • Learn how we serve the world with our businesses.

  • Learn each other’s preferred client profile.

  • Learn the kind of language our prospective clients speak that would trigger a referral to one another.

  • Learn if there is an opportunity to collaborate in our work.

I believe the ultimate goal of a one-on-one is to push one another, as entrepreneurial peers, a step closer to achieving our organizational goals! If we can walk away leaving behind a business tip, resource or warm introduction that may lead to a bigger opportunity, then we have done our part to enhance to business ecosystem!

Lesson Number Three…we must get comfortable with the idea that we are not for all people. We must become intentional about positioning ourselves where our target market lives to engage with those that:

  • Believe in the value of what we have to offer.

  • Have a need for what we have to offer.

  • Can afford what we have to offer.

  • And have a relative willingness to pay for what we have to offer.

As new entrepreneurs, many us struggle with the value of our good and services and often lower our prices in panic. But we should only adjust prices, IF it makes sense--not because someone said we are too high. It is important to conduct research to ensure our pricing is in alignment with our business type, industry and region to become and remain relevant. Some of us will find that we may need to increase the value of our goods and services instead of decreasing.

Yet, in an effort not to harm or economically alienate potential clients, a possible solution to consider is creating a tier pricing structure that provides a menu of standard to luxury bundle packages that could meet your customers needs and wants on all levels.

 

Lesson Number Four…if we need to get a job while you're building a business--get one! It does not make us a sell out to do so. We still have to pay for our life while we build our legacy. If possible, search for a position that will give you freedom to still work on your business until your business can stand on its own to support your family, lifestyle and community passion projects.

 

Lesson Number Five…if necessary, we must have a willingness to streamline business operations to launch further out into the deep. This process requires us to assess our progress utilizing the data provided via our social media, website and marketing analytical tools. The numbers do not lie and will help us make sound decisions for the health of the business. To maintain the wellness of our business will demand a willingness to start or stop activities that are good to focus on that which is right. Actions will vary, but could include:

  • Eliminating costs where there is no Return on Investment (ROI).

  • Investing to position our products in bigger markets beyond our current networks.

  • Reallocating the currencies of our gifts, time and energy into the people, places, spaces and initiatives that will consume our offerings and elevate the growth of our organizations.

Leaders, it may seem like I am overstepping my boundaries here, but I recognize where some of you are on your journey. I am on the same path and actively doing the exact things I mentioned above! Love In Leadership is the message I am carrying and it is demonstrated in my books, speaking, conferences and coaching. I know that this message is the right message for the age and I am committed to doing what it takes to carrying this message to the right people successfully!

In these early stages of creating something that will last for the next 100 years, it would be easy to shift gears because we may not see immediate results. But, in these moments, it is important for us to remember why and how we came to the market for such a time as this. It was not a mistake! It takes time to build trust, a solid clientele and generational wealth!

So, bottom-line, adjust what you need to in order to STAY IN THE GAME! Give yourself the gift of a holiday break so you are refreshed to jump into the new year. Above all, remain true to your WHY! You did not come to the market for nothing. Your first thought is the right thought! Now, cultivate it and WIN!

A CALL TO ACTION

To re-energize the leader you always were, join me for Love: The Success Factor Women’s Leadership Conferences beginning in January 2023!!

These 2-day immersive experiences will demonstrate how Love empowers Women to lead, create and generate wealth in the fullness of our equality and purpose!

Click below to learn more!

Women's Leadership Mindset Series featuring Rushauna Beckles

Rushauna Beckles

Content Marketing Strategist

Served with Creativity

Introduction

Hi Sojourners! I had the wonderful privilege of meeting this month’s Women’s Leadership Mindset guest, Ms. Rushauna Beckles, at a recent virtual networking event! After scheduling a one-on-one to learn more about how we each serve the world, I was compelled to ask her to share with all of us:

  • How she started her new business and “giveback movement”

  • Tips to enhance our leadership mindset

  • How attain our dream career or business and so much more!

Check our interview below and be sure to follow Rushauna to learn more about her expertise in content marketing!

~Teresa K. Page

About Rushauna

Q: Tell us about yourself?

A: My name is Rushauna Beckles and I am a chocolate loving content and marketing consultant. I was born in Guyana and moved to Canada at the age of 9 years old. I am a graduate of the Early Childhood Educator program.

I'm a very creative, resilient individual who enjoys designing gift baskets and creating natural handmade soaps, wax melts, lotion bars and baking.

Q: What motivated you to start your business, Served with Creativity?

A: The pandemic. Lol. During the pandemic, I didn’t want to return to my daycare job, so I decided to utilize my creative skills, retail experience and my passion for assisting others to start my business. I began as a Virtual Assistant, pivoted to being a Content Marketing Strategist and in the current position as the CEO and Content and Marketing Consultant.

These developments came about because I learnt that a lot of business owners don't know the different types of content they need to create to attract their ideal clients. Also, they’re too busy overthinking their ideas and listening to coaches/mentors on where they should be showing up online. For example, some coaches love to tell business owners to market on Facebook and majority of the time they don't know anything about Facebook and may not even like it.

There are so many different ways to market a business that no one should feel stuck doing a strategy that they don’t like and isn’t working!

Q: What are Served with Creativity’s core values?

A: Our core values are creativity, kindness, and community.

Q: What problem does your services resolve?

A: We assist financial professionals to stop "winging it and throwing spaghetti at the walls to see what will stick when it comes to marketing their business. We also help them create a marketing strategy and plan that they can confidently execute on a consistent basis, and to hone in on the things that are working for them.

Q: For whom are your services designed?

A: My services are designed for financial professionals, coaches, mentors, money experts, educators, bookkeepers, etc.

Q: How do you improve upon the value of your services to stay relevant?

A: By regularly doing professional development (taking courses and training sessions).

Q: How do you establish trust with your team and clients?

A: We establish trust by getting to know the individuals and teams that we're working with such as their needs, goals, how they define success, how they want to be celebrated, etc. and doing what I say I’m going to do.

Q: How do you acquire and retain customers?

A: We acquire our customers through social media and network marketing and sharing with others our philosophy and how we can assist and develop strategies for their business. We retain customers through authentic relationship building, productivity and feedback/surveys.

Q: Share with us the most funny or intense “behind the scenes” adventure you have experienced while building your business or career.

A: Earlier this year, we hosted a free speed networking event and made the mistake of giving the participants the wrong time--an hour after the original time. Long story short, I missed my own event and a number of participants didn’t get to attend. When my team and I signed onto the platform, I saw that only two people attended.

Q: What kind of leader are you?

A: I am empathetic, transformational, participative, strategic and open-minded. I have the ability to create events that bring people together, be a resource and take the initiative to do things that bring about change and growth.

Q: How you have developed your leadership mindset.

A: I’ve always been someone who loves to assist others. I’ve developed my leadership mindset mainly through my work experience as an Early Childhood Educator and being a support to my colleagues. For instance, I took the initiative to create fundraising events to raise money for our daycare by making gift baskets and rallying my colleagues to bring items and buy tickets. I also created a Valentine’s Day morning surprise to show appreciation to parents and a secret Santa event to bring colleagues together.

Q: What tools/methods do you utilize to maintain or enhance your leadership mindset?

A: Attending workshops and summits. And reading books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book is focused on mindset.

Q: How do you effect change within your sphere of influence?

A: I started a giveback movement in 2018 to support low-income communities with school supplies which evolved into giving groceries amongst other things. I believe it’s so important to give back! We don’t need to give hundreds of dollars to make an impact, it’s the little things that we do that can make the biggest difference in someone’s life. For example: a compliment, encouragement, giving someone some grocery items, buying bus tickets or even donating items that we're not using.

Q: How will future generations benefit from the work you are doing today?

A: I hope someone benefits from my story with the generational wealth I intend on building, as well as my giveback initiatives and the impact in assisting financial professionals to promote financial literacy.

Q: What tip, encouragement or resource would you give to someone that is considering turning their dream career or business into a reality?

A: To have confidence and belief in yourself because entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of a journey and to have a plan! Having a plan is key because it will help you to stay focused on the steps that you need to be implementing.

My favorite quote that I created is, “Feelings will not pay your bills.” There’s going to be days where you don’t feel like getting up, calling, emailing potential leads, marketing your business, creating content and the list goes on. But it’s important to separate your feelings and FOCUS ON YOUR CLIENTS AND LEADS, BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU--IT’S ABOUT THEM!

Q: What tip, encouragement or resource would you give to someone that feels frustrated or stuck in their current career or business?

A: Take a break from your business, career and social media to rest, destress and do things that you have been neglecting such as your hobbies. Then reevaluate what you want, what’s been working, what's not working, who you need to be to be successful and the small steps that you need to take to achieve your goals. Ask for help and get support in areas that you are struggling whether it is mindset, accountability, productivity, marketing etc.

Rushauna Beckles

Content Marketing Strategist

Served with Creativity

Love The Success Factor: Employing Love In the Workplace

In my quest to help Women to renew their leadership mindset with fresh fire and purpose, I have discovered after years of development and firsthand experiences, that the ultimate key to Women’s success is the effective power of LOVE.

Love is our nerve center. Love is our fuel. Love is as necessary as air, food and water. Love has everything to do with how we see ourselves; how we interact with others and how we perceive the world. Love is the driving factor behind all of our major personal, professional and faith decisions. Love motivates our overall success and our performance.

Without Love, the Woman can dysfunction. Yet, with Love, there is no limitation to what a Woman can do! None!

Why is this important from the business perspective?

This kind of information is important, because one of the top issues facing businesses in the 21st century is the underutilization or misuse of Women in our society and workplaces. If we expect to see continued longevity in our organizations; sustained growth in our economy and advantageous progression in all industry sectors, we must give the Women in our professional spaces the kind of Love that can flourish within our corporate buildings, co-working hubs and virtual offices.

There seems to be an automatic inclination to believe that Love has no place in our boardrooms and team meetings without losing sight on profitability, but I submit to you that we can no longer afford to leave our most skilled asset in the lobby of our business matters. For Love is more than an emotional conduit for our hearts, it is the most powerful, diverse, effective and high-performing resource available to the global family.

Just imagine if Love’s unlimited authority and influence were invited as the helm of our organizations. How much more cohesive would the relationship between c-suite leadership and direct reports become? How much would company loyalty, leadership development and internal promotions escalate?

Significantly!

Just imagine if Love’s infinite awareness, understanding and insight were at the forefront in our policies, procedures and processes. Would sexual harassment, bullying or workplace violence still be a thing? Would we still have a need for emotional intelligence or diversity, equality and inclusion training? Would matters of equal opportunities and equal pay still be up for debate?

No!

Just imagine if Love’s unlimited benevolence were embedded in our core values. Would demonstrating value, respect, appreciation and empathy stop being an internal struggle for us? Would our internal and external stakeholder relationships become stronger? Would our customer service and satisfaction efforts skyrocket? Would our value proposition and customer referrals go up?

Yes!

Just imagine if Love’s ever presence was actively evident in our operations and teambuilding efforts. Would employee engagement, morale and productivity increase? Would team collaboration, synergy and communication improve? Would leaders finally lend their talent the room to grow in the roles they were hired to fulfill with autonomy and potential for upward mobility?

Absolutely!

Employing Love’s creative power and innovation as a function is easier than we are willing to admit and poses no threat to our business model’s ability to scale. For those of us willing to partner with Love possess a courage to do business in great waters. The key is becoming skillful in wielding Love to abolish all inequities in our hallways. The key is perceiving that Love is a gamechanger that gives us an edge to be:

  • Powerful in leadership

  • Fully present for our teams and stakeholders

  • Innovative in our goods, services, concepts and inventions

  • Knowledgeable in industry trends and technologies

  • Benevolent in our community service.

So, I have said it before and I will say it again…always choose Love! For it is beautiful for every situation!

A Call to Action

Should you like to learn more about how to reimagine Love as a skillset, click below to discover my Love The Success Factor Women’s Leadership Conferences.

Stay tuned for upcoming 2024 events as we prepare to demonstrate how Love empowers Women to lead, create and generate wealth in the fullness of our equality and purpose!

Here’s to the journey! Let’s move forward!

~Teresa K. Page

 

Upping The Ante for Our Next Generation of 21st Century Leaders

Over the past 4 weeks, I stepped off my path to take on something that was honorable, yet quickly learned that I made the wrong decision. The undoing of my decision may have created irreparable damage to my name, character and reputation, but if that is the cost to finally understand that my life's work is no longer negotiable--then I take full ownership and the “L” so I can move forward!


I have lived long enough to know that even in the midst of misalignment, there is always a lesson to be learned and I learned the following three:

  1. Leave the doors of your past closed. There is nothing in your past that is needed for your today.

  2. Just because something is honorable and good, does not mean it is right.

  3. We must be more intentional about instilling a leadership mindset in our children.

The last lesson is what is having a profound affect upon me. For my heart is heavy that more of our children do not know that they are the most intelligent beings on this earth equipped with authority. Their lack of understanding is on us—the adults in the room. Their total unawareness that leadership is a divine right and responsibility for all—is on us!

Here we are twenty-two years into a new millennium and instead of embracing our diversity to become a well-rounded thriving society, we are still in these streets denying and even stripping away basic equal rights. With messages like this coming from the highest of platforms, how could the next generation ever conceive that they have their own domain to govern with sound influence?


I don't know about you, but I have had enough!


My Sisters, as Women and Earth Mothers, we MUST settle accounts with our own personal equality and leadership; for we are in danger of passing to another generation a fight that should have been resolved and forgotten years ago. We can no longer depend upon the powers that be to finish the job. It is up to us to liberate ourselves so that our children, and their children, can have a chance to become the completely free citizens our planet was designed for. 

 

My Brothers and Earth Fathers, we cannot do this alone! We need you! We need all of you to open your eyes and see that we have always been your equal in leadership, intelligence and physicality! Seeing us in any other way is not profitable, favorable nor sustainable. It is not too late to demonstrate to our children that leading together will move mountains and will enable us to destroy the strongholds of oppression in our lifetime!  

 

We can only succeed in this feat if we are all in our rightful places of authority. Delaying the start of that business; hiding out in positions we do not belong; staying in positions we have outgrown and not healing from our traumas are not serving us well! Time is of the essence and we must be about our work to hand off to our children a world that is whole and positioned for growth!

 

Our children are watching, Leaders! As first partaker of this message, I am back in my assigned place to do my part in renewing Women's leadership mindset with fresh fire and purpose. I am also committed to creating a space for young leaders and entrepreneurs to be developed without interruption, fear or intimidation. I ask that you will also up the ante within your domain of influence and commit to contribute to the development of our next generation of 21st century leaders with me!

Together we can equip our children to take the baton; run towards a more just society filled with economic and technological possibilities and never look back!

Call to Action…

For those of you that need assistance with renewing your own leadership mindset, join me for one of the upcoming events or coaching sessions.

Click below for more details and let’s go to work!

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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.

The Rediscovery of Us: The Silver Lining of A Global Pandemic

Regardless of how dark the 2020s has been to date and how hard the human family has been kicked in the chest by this pandemic, we were never powerless! Each of us held, and still hold, the power to choose whether to surrender to the malaise of this moment or to vehemently ride this wave to preserve life at all costs. The fight is yet active, but we are beginning to see hope. I wonder who we will be when we get to the other side of this? That is to be seen. Yet, I am optimistic that we will emerge as a victorious people so that this interruption in our history and culture will not be for naught.

While it may seem inappropriate, I cannot, in good conscious, deny the silver linings and the portals of opportunities that opened because of COVID-19. We were given the gift to pull over from the rat race of “making a living” to repossess life. This was a unique moment in time to move at supernatural speed to revisit old put-off ventures or to create witty inventions. This was the time to repair existing relationships or establish new ones from a virtual social distance. This was the time to address our finances; buy or sell property and make giant money moves. This was the time to rediscover US!

Being quarantined, we were forced to settle accounts with our personal selves whether we wanted to or not. I am curious to know whose image we saw when we looked in the mirror. Did we see the person we have become by circumstance or the reflection of the person we always dreamed to be? I am inclined to believe it was the former. The right now question is, who showed up on our behalf in the boardrooms, offices, classrooms, restaurants and warehouses as we reopened? Our stunt-double? Or our true authentic self ready to embrace our full value? I trust it was the latter!

For the first time in a long while, the global citizenship has a real chance to paint a better reality for ourselves, our children and our world as a collective! The key is having the courage to “Become Undone”! You see, to "be undone is more than a suggestion. It is a command! It is a divine permission to fall open and unleash the totality of our beauty in its full concentration without restraint, compromise or forgiveness. It is a mandate to turn the miraculous into norms and make the exceptional the rule. It is the utter annihilation of any watered-down version of ourselves (Page, 2021).”

My hope is that we can roll off the dust of this dark season and start living fully! For we are not the same people we were when we walked into this epidemic. We are in a special moment wherein, we, as regular citizens are now in the power seat to effect change; seek positions of purpose; negotiate livable wages and set boundaries for true work-life balance. We speak of being in the age of a Great Resignation, but it may be possible that we are finally ready to take our rightful places upon our mountains in Business, Education, Entertainment, Family, Finance, Government and Religion. It is also possible that we can no longer stand to live beneath our massive potential.

Here is the good news! The windows of possibility are not yet closed. We still have room to reset our lives; create witty innovations and act upon fresh concepts that will bring us into a place of sustainability. There is still time to release the 2.0 version of ourselves by assessing the distance between who we are now and who we want to be. How we determine to close the gap will be our plan of execution that will require time, urgency, commitment and an upgrade on our personal development.

To prepare for your next big life move, consider one of the following suggestions:

  • Should your plan of action require an enhanced set of knowledge, consider earning an educational credential. To discuss a desired program of study, contact the education institution of interest to request an appointment with an Admissions Advisor.

  • Should your plan of action require a career reset, consider connecting with a Career Center for progressive career support. To sharpen your interviewing skills; update your resume or gain access to career events, schedule an appointment with your alma mater or community’s Career Advisor.

  • Should your plan of action require upward movement in you career, consider seeking professional growth opportunities with your current employer. To learn about internal leadership trainings, mentorships, stretch assignments and promotions, request a meeting with your manager and/or HR department.

  • Should your plan of action require starting or growing a business, consider contacting your local Small Business Development Center to learn about resources related to business planning, digital marketing, financial projections and more, contact your local center to request a one-on-one consultation with a counselor.

  • And should you need guidance on creating a plan of action, I invite you to schedule a complimentary coaching session.

As I bring this conversation to a close, I pray that we will effectively eradicate this illness together and that our hearts will mend from its outcomes. In the meantime, I commission each of you to "Be Undone" and to become the person you always imagined to be—leaving nothing on the table!

Until next time…here’s to the journey and let’s move forward!

Teresa K. Page, LLC | Performance Coach, Author and Speaker

Helping Professional Women Renew Their Leadership Mindset with Fresh Fire and Purpose!

Reference:

Page, T. (2021, October 1st). Be undone: the destruction of Teresa Page as you knew her! Squarespace. https://teresakpage.squarespace.com/tkpagejourneysblog/2021/10/1/be-undone-the-destruction-of-teresa-page-as-you-knew-her

Be Undone: The Destruction of Teresa Page As You Knew Her!

A few days ago, I was reminded about an ancient passage of scripture written by the beloved scribe Enoch, which walked with the Lord. He indicated that the Lord--who is self-eternal and not made with hands--could not find peace until He made visible the creation, He created from non-being and invisible things.

According to this writing, the Lord called forth Light and commanded Light to "Become Undone"! And Light became undone and made visible all the creation that the Lord thought to create! After an age, the Lord then called forth Darkness and commanded Darkness to “Be Opened”! And during its age, Darkness became open birthing the creation of all lower things.

 In the midst of these ages, the Lord made Himself a throne, sat down, said it was good and let it rip from that point forward! It was not until everything He conceived in His thoughts was made manifest that He was able to rest on the seventh day!

I hope you were able to catch what I just shared. If not, let me summarize it for you. Carrying the thought of creation, the Lord of Glory could not find peace! He was only able to rest after He created what He was carrying!! The moral? We, the very images of God, are no different from our Heavenly Father. For we will not find the peace that passes all understanding or the rest that enables us to cease from our own works until we release that deep thing we are to create in this earth realm!  

This revelation has taken my breath away and has cleared the smoke to help me understand my purpose and focus for this year and beyond! It has also helped me close the books of my past by revealing the source of my restlessness felt in the past year and explaining why I had to contend with the most fierce giants that detected I was getting too close to the truth.

You see, to "Be Undone”, is more than a command! It is a divine permission to fall open and unleash the totality of our beauty in its full concentration without restraint, compromise or forgiveness! It is the utter annihilation of our former watered-down selves! It is a mandate to turn the miraculous into norms and make the exceptional the rule!! It is our opportunity to cause our Heavenly Father to marvel and say, “Now, that is good”!

Since I came into direct contact with this knowledge, I have not been right with myself. I am altered and can no longer exist as I did before these disclosures or operate with this kind of dominion download on my hands. I am becoming unrecognizable and “Teresa 2.0” is actively staging an internal revolt demanding release!

 It would make me more comfortable to liken this revelation experience to a crossroad, wherein I could pretend that I have a choice in the matter and hold myself captive for another season. But, I have no such luxury! In fact, the Lord in His genius and timing has brought me to a place where I have nothing else to lose and no place to turn literally! All that remains is the opportunity to manifest the beautiful, genuine and organic treasures the He has successfully excavated in my earthen vessel.

My excavation has taken years to uncover a portion of its yield! It has required the relenting of my self-reliance; stretchings; prunings; humiliations; losses; NOs; YESs; facing my worst fears; taking hard blows to the chest; knockdowns; get-ups; the eluding of promises; the dismantling of my faith and the renewal thereof! Though I am still in transformation progress, I am learning the endurance of the aforementioned pressures and discomforts were not for naught! For what is ultimately coming to the surface is a refined purpose that will nourish this generation and the ages to come long after I am gone!

So, here’s to being undone!!

Here’s to being opened!! 

Here's to the destruction of Teresa Page as you knew her!

The Hope of His Calling

An Excerpt From “My Journey to Wholeness: The Sojourn Continues”

Want a real battle on your hands? Tell a Page woman that she does not work hard—and the fight is on as a never ending list of all she has done with little to no sleep is tallied. As an apple hanging from the same family tree, you cannot tell me I have not put my time in! I was living on my own at the age of 17 and since that time, I have wholly poured out my soul onto good and righteous matters! In the name of the Lord, all that I have performed was accomplished with a fervent anointing and sincere heart. Impressed? Me neither.

For the past twenty some years, I have been pretending to walk out my life’s calling. Afraid to compete, I have taken planned escape routes to avoid true achievement. In my cloud of working menial jobs; hiding out in small towns; championing other people’s projects and entangling myself in doomed relationships, I have managed to paint the facade that I am actually happy and taken good care to keep purposelessly busy!

I have to come clean! Daily I am mocked by the restless disgruntled groaning in my belly for not living my little girl dreams. The glimpses of my destiny haunt me without ceasing and I cannot find solace. I am fully aware that the Lord Himself has orchestrated the housing of books, music and businesses in the chasm of my person, but I still run from the notion that my aspirations live in corporate buildings and in global markets. I figured if I ignored these foolish thoughts long enough, I would wax old and they would leave in peace. Not so!

Every morning I awake to New Mercy staring me dead in my eyes daring me to become all the Lord smiled and predestined me to be millenniums ago! I give up! I give up, for even my body is turning on me for tolerating the delayed fulfillment of my life’s intent! I can no longer avoid the hope of the Lord’s calling on my life (Ephesians 1:18)! Uncle—I cry, Uncle!

Like a bolt of lightning striking me in my chest, I am forever changed by the next italicized words of Proverbs 13:12,

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life”.

Let me repeat that,

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life”.

These seventeen words answered why I often scaled the ledges of depression. It was not that I was slowly losing my mind! It was not that I was weak in body! It was not that my life was spiraling in shambles. On the contrary, for my intelligence is quick on its strong feet as they stand in the most awesome of places. Plainly put, the root source of my blue funks, which could paralyze me for days, was the sheer postponement of my destiny.

It is most interesting to me that Proverbs would mention the sickness of the heart instead of the body, but I get it. Heartsickness is a documented illness that ultimately takes shape in varying degrees and forms of depression. Whether classified as the mildest “low spirits” or the most extreme “melancholia”, depression, left to do its work, has the ability to debilitate the entire human body from the destruction of the emotions to the breakdown of its functional systems.

Could the deferment of our hope be the real reason many are physically and mentally sick among us?

This is a theory to strongly consider, for if we look at our communities, schools, workplaces, houses of worship and especially the hospitals and prisons, the candlelight of ambition has dimly cooled. The lack of vision is fatal! It fades natural beauty; trades swift footsteps for shiftless scuffles and chemically warps the brain from producing original imagination! Such conditions coupled with systematic laws designed to prevent success subjects the human soul to slavery.

It is not coincidental that the symptoms of underachievement are mistaken for affliction. We make appointments to sit in sterile doctor’s offices just to stand in line at a white washed pharmacy with an illegible prescription in hand to pacify our subsistence! This minimal level of survival cannot be medicated and we consciously know it! Yet, we are twistedly comforted to cope with poorly disguised mechanisms designed to sedate the mind into crippled living. Regardless of our sedation efforts, we are ever awake and incapable of escaping the fact that a life lived opposing its intention is of low generic quality. It is time to stop popping the pretty colored pills; snap out of this trance and unplug from this ungodly matrix!

I know what many of us are thinking! We think that it is too late to begin and that we do not have what it takes! Oh, but the devil is a liar, for this is the age of the unlikely hopefuls. We are not only highly suspect, but perfect prime candidates that are most apt to confound the wise! 2 Peter 1:10 affirms,

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall”.

Who cares if many of us do not have a silver spoon jammed in our mouths—we shall never fall! Forget that we are labeled as the forgotten, the overlooked and underestimated—we shall never fall! Though we may be uncultured, unpolished and very rough around the edges—we shall never fall!

The Lord highly enlightens and anoints His people to walk upright in the offices He has placed us. Too wise to utilize a singular approach, there are a myriad of gifts, operations and administrations, specialized by the same Holy Spirit, for us to fulfill our work in the earth (I Corinthians 12:1-31)! So, as long as Philippians 1:6 tells me,

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”—there is hope!

Therefore, with both fear and bravery, I take a deep breath to answer the call.

A Revelation of a Former Servant

A few days ago, I was seeking the Lord’s wisdom on a particular matter and as I expected direction, the Lord said to me that I have been showing up to Kingdom opportunities dressed as a servant.

Ummm…Owww!

While this was hard to hear, in His loving kindness, He did not leave me there, but challenged me to read Galatians chapter 4. It has taken some time to get around to it, but I finally took a moment to read it the other night and understand why it was necessary!  

As I look over my life, the Lord was right! The many places I found myself over the past 20 years where not conducive to my intrinsic skill sets, but was directly in alignment to my low esteem. I camped out in unlikely territories driven by perfection, because I did not believe that I belonged in higher dimensions. I was an imposter hiding in plain sight! Yet, without fail, there was always somebody that would call me out in the spirit to demand, “You don’t belong here!”

Again, I say, OUCH!  

After reading Galatians 4, the revelation hit me in the very pit of my stomach, because up until this point, I took pride in my service to others and servant leadership all in the name of Christ! While that seems honorable, doing so was never the Lord's intent nor the reason why Jesus Christ came to redeem Man.

We thought it was all about our sin,  but Jesus came to restore us to our original place in glory as Sons! As Heirs! As Kings! Not convinced of this? Check out lyrics of the song the citizens of heaven even sang in Revelation 5:9-10:

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Listen! Regardless of what challenges you are faced with right now, check your servant garments at the door and approach that matter as an heir of God full of the Spirit of Christ! 

Tap into the Lord's realm of genius and burn your servant garments to never wear them again! While you're at it, reject the romance of servanthood forever; for there was never any glory, honor or righteousness in seeing ourselves as lowly, weak or beggars!

As we endeavor to operate in our spheres of influence, understand your "service" unto your assigned territory is an expressed demonstration of our Heavenly Father's benevolence to His people! 

Moving forward, when we show up in any room or put our hands on any problem or project—arrive fully! Bearing all your gifts of the kingdom ready to bestow them upon those that need such grace, love, kindness and mercy! 

No wonder we've been having such a hard time! We are Kings that have impersonated servants all of this time! Well, we're busted! So come out with your hands up and surrender to your original blessing of Dominion and redeemed place of Sonship! 

Let us put on our appropriate garments which is Christ Jesus! Our hope of glory! Our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Be Undone: A Charge to the Young Poets and Writers Of Fulton Science Academy

Sunday the world collectively stood still in silence and grieved at the unbelievable loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven other souls. Some grieved because of who he was over the last 20 years. Others grieved because of all he could have been in the next 20 years! Whichever side of the line we may stand, this young man utilized his time and gifts wisely in such a minute amount of time that the universe will never forget his name.

Life is short! Whether we live 13, 35 or 105 years--it is only a blink! When we go, how will our names be remembered? How will history even know we were here? What actions or gifts will be synonymous with our presence? What tangible achievement will the world be able to reference when our head is cold? What will be our legacy?

Legacy is a strong word, but it has sat upon my heart for the past year or so. I can't really say what has triggered the need of it, but it is a necessity for me now! Legacy is one of the reasons I began to write books! Words are not only creative, but they are alive in spirit and are eternal! Therefore, I take comfort that the words I pen today will be preserved, heard and read 1,000 years after I am gone! My writing will help the future become acquainted with the Woman that I always imagined to be—Fearless and Amazing! Living the exact life I dreamed! Saying the exact words I intended to say! Fully comprehending my contemporary thoughts without pause! Because of this, I am driven to leave every gift I came assembled with in this Earth as they will be of no use in the world to come.

Young poets and writers, hear me with your hearts and not with just your ears! You are the social prophets of the age that captures the feeling and rhythm of our modern culture for the future generations to experience in their real time! Whether you are full of whimsy or aflame with militant fire, you have a responsibility to be authentic and speak the truth in a cunning way it can be received! You are charged to "Be Undone" and set at liberty to pour out yourselves upon the people, territories or regions you have been assigned!

You see, to "Be Undone", is more than a suggestion. It is command! It is a divine permission to fall open and unleash the totality of our beauty in its full concentration without restraint, compromise or forgiveness! It is a mandate to turn the miraculous into norms and make the exceptional the rule!! It is the utter annihilation of any watered-down version of ourselves!* 

So young people, if the version of you that is sitting before me today is an imposter or your stunt double, I pray that you will not be right with yourself until you come to terms of who you are designed to be! I hope today's revelation will alter your spirit so that it will never be okay to just merely exist. I expect you to become unrecognizable among your peers and that your genuine soul will stage an internal revolt and demand release!*

In closing, I commission you to "Be Undone", this day forth and to do the following:  

  • Utilize your time with urgency to hone your giftings by way of education or development. That includes, but is not limited to, college, apprenticeships, mentorships and more!

  • Never let a good storm go to waste! When the storms of life and the universe come for you to test your validity, don't run! Use the rage of the storm to strengthen your character! Listen to its winds for the lesson you must learn! Then make the storm work for you by allowing it to blow off unnecessary rubbish to reveal the kind of Man or Woman you are!  

  • Discover yourself and the treasures you possess!

  • Optimize these types of platforms to practice the functions of your gifts in safety! And stretch your talents beyond its comfort zones to see what it can really do!

  • Never allow external factors to define or make you ashamed for being an Original! Ground yourself in your value and keep your self-esteem in check! For our first responses of low-esteem is to hide who we truly are!

  • Erase and eject any ideas that your gifts and talents are for your personal pleasure alone! They are tools destined to dazzle, confound, heal and set free the world around you!

Young Poets and Writers, the world is waiting to hear from you! Don't make us wait too long!

Let's go to work!

*A reference from: “Be Undone: The Destruction of Teresa Page as You Knew Her” http://teresakpage.squarespace.com/tkpagejourneysblog/2019/2/3/be-undone-the-destruction-of-teresa-page-as-you-knew-her

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