Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/22/20–
You are a Motivational Speaker and Life Transformation Coach. Share your backstory.
I am a #METOO survivor not victim. I dealt with child molestation for about 8 years of my childhood. This caused me to battle with suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and lack of self-love. I always felt alone and as if I had no voice to what was happening to me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I did not voice my story to my family until I was 25 years old which came to be the turning point of my life. I finally embraced that I had a voice and that voice needed to be heard. I started sharing my story with individuals with the intent of helping people to embrace their past to fulfill their future. God saved me at 20 years old and took me on a journey of learning how to forgive and why to forgive so that I could release those that victimized me as well as myself. Due to all that I encountered, learned, and developed over my process, I aim to motivate, encourage, and coach people through their healing process in order to see the gift that is hidden in their pain. I inspire others to seek out a future without being buried under trauma, pain, and challenges of the past and that is what I.A.M.E. is all about.
You launched I.A.M.E. in 2018 which has become your platform as a Speaker and Coach.
Yes, I.A.M.E. is the platform for my speaking, coaching, and online courses. I wanted to create a platform with room to expand to whatever God has for it to be. I wanted people to understand that loving themselves whole is an important piece of living out their reality. I.A.M.E. (I AM ME) Complete and whole.
What changes have you made during COVID-19?
COVID-19 has been an adjustment for me as a speaker and coach. This era has called for speakers and coaches to get creative to fill the gaps and provide the services that are needed from our clients. I have moved events and coaching sessions to virtual platforms. I have been more intentional in finding out what people need for mental and emotional stability to continue on the path of execution. People are challenged with how to continue visualizing their futures. They want to know how to find that inner drive since society was snatched from them within 24 hours. The youth has been my target because going to school was my safe zone as a child and I could not imagine where I would have been if a pandemic would have taken my safe zone from me. Therefore, I have reached out to coaches, teachers, and the educational staff to get into the virtual classroom to assist them with keeping the students motivated.
You have spoken at many Women’s Empowerment Conferences and Black History Events. What do you bring to others?
As a speaker, I aim to bring hope. Hope for change, hope for different, hope for starting new lives, and excelling beyond one’s perspective. If you can shift one’s mindset, you can change one’s life. That is the common goal. I want to create change and that change starts with changing how one views their life.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
As a woman of Faith, my inspiration comes from the Word of God. I looked at what I went through as my Job experience. I looked at where I could have been or what I could have gone through but God had different plans for me. Many people blame God for pain, downfalls, struggles, and just the negative things that happen in the world but we do not always look at how good we really have it because of His grace, mercy, and unconditional love. I am who I am because God chose me. I have overcome because He designed it that way FIRST! God knew my experiences would happen but He did not allow them to kill, destroy, or stop me from living. I am also a follower of Eric Thomas. When I started following him in 2013, it showed me how to do the will of God through motivational speaking and coaching. He showed me that I did not have to be put in a box and I could be used in different facets. Many people have told me that when I speak or coach. I remind them of Eric Thomas because I bring all the energy. Put me in the room with anyone and they will not leave the same!
In 2019, you published your second book called “Just Unwrap It” which focuses on the gifts that we all have within us that we overlook due to pain, struggles, challenges, and lack of self-confidence. As people spend time at home. How can this book help?
This book will give you the light you need to press forward in purpose. Some of us spend time surviving instead of living. We were not created just to survive and exist. We were created to do work and that work is within your gift and purpose. We are all given a specific gift to use to build up the Kingdom of God and assist others along the way. We have to acknowledge what that gift is even when it is wrapped in pain, hurt, neglect, and other factors we do not always address. This book walks you through how to get through that process of finding your gift and purpose and why you need to start executing that gift. We do not always think about the person that is in need of our struggle. Someone will not break through if you do not break through. Someone will not overcome if they do not hear how you overcame it.
What is next for you?
I am currently booking speaking opportunities for virtual summits that are assisting those that are lost, battling with finding their daily motivation, or looking for their purpose during and after this COVID-19 pandemic. I am also writing towards my third book called “Unmasked” that will be published in 2021. For those that require more personable content, I am creating programs online and building my youtube channel that will engage those that need that daily push, motivation, and inspiration.
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