By Jules Lavallee
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 08/25/2020 –
Overcoming childhood adversity, you are a much sought-after Millennial Success Coach. What is the day and life for you?
As a sought-after success coach, speaker, and writer, my day to day life primarily consists of managing my priorities while also prioritizing the things that fulfill me. I like to start each day in gratitude. It helps me to remain both grounded and present. This practice has become increasingly important as we all work to navigate a global pandemic and the frustration and anxiety that it has perpetuated. I choose to not allow fear to be the governing force in how I show up in my life or the decisions that I make, so I start my day expressing genuine appreciation. From there, I am sure to stop by my neighborhood tropical smoothie café to grab a nutritious drink to kick start my day. On my 30-minute route to my office, I listen to a sermon, audio book, or podcast. I try to rotate between programming that inspires, informs, educates, and even challenges me. Once I get to work, I meet shortly with my team and the first thing we do is mind dump. We write out all of our ideas, goals, and to-do lists on the office wall. From there we sort through and prioritize what we will focus on for that day. It’s a great way to get everything out of your head so that you can think and work with clarity. I find myself truly enjoying the work that I do, I have an amazing team who are committed to my vision and they help me to move closer to it every day through strategy, accountability and collective effort.
Once my workday ends, I usually spend my ride home listening to whatever I need to fill me back up; it’s usually a Nipsey Hussle Interview, a T.D Jakes Sermon or a phone call with a friend. Once I get home, I enter the night shift of my second job (lol) – I have 3 daughters so even when I’m really drained from my workday, I am intentional about being present with them, watching their tik-tok videos, hearing about the drama of their day (this is where I get most of my laughs in) and getting dinner together. My husband usually joins in during this time, and after about the third tik-tok routine we usually decide that we’ve had enough. From there we send them off to bed and we make our way to our bedroom which is a No Kid zone after 10 PM.
How have you transformed the power of pain to push you closer to your purpose?
I’ve found that the things that challenge us the most in our lives are usually the very things that, if we overcome them, are able to inspire growth and transformation in others. The most painful experiences in our lives tend to define our perspective on the future while providing us with the necessary insight to evoke compassion and empathy for others.
I came into the awareness of a greater sense of purpose after watching a loved one passed away. I can still remember holding her hand and praying with her as she transitioned, and it was something about the absolute finality of death that made me realize how finite and even fragile our time here on earth is. I remember walking out of the hospital room where she had taken her last breath and making my way towards the elevator. Everything seemed so surreal. I remember walking past the triage station where a few nurses were gathered at the desk discussing their plans after work. There was a doctor walking down the hallway with a huge smile on his face, and then there was a young boy laughing as he waited for his snack to dispel from the vending machine… my grandmother had just taken her last breath in a room a few feet away, my husband and I were utterly devastated, and the entire world around us continued on unaffected. At that moment I decided that I wanted to do something so remarkable with my time here on earth that when I transitioned, I would have left my mark on the world. Losing my grandmother was the pain that pushed me into a greater purpose, the fuel to my purpose. It was the catalyst for the “Live Limitless” movement.
What thought-provoking conversations are you having with black women and youth during these times?
Right now, I think it’s more important than ever that black women continue to use their voices and their unique stories to take up space unapologetically and authentically. Black women have been historically burdened with the role of taking care of everyone around us which often leads to the prevalence of self-neglect. I think it’s so important that as a whole, women prioritize self-care. My personal practice is to give myself permission to fill myself up with whatever it is that I need to show up as my best self. For me, that’s 8 hours of sleep, quiet time to meditate and pray, time outside to walk, run or exercise, and opportunities to connect with those who inspire me. A focus on wellness has been the center of conversations among my peers, colleagues and I. As high-achievers, depression, and anxiety tend to hide behind our accomplishments and is often masked by accelerated progress and movement. It’s important that we “check-in” with ourselves and truly assess how we are doing, not in business… but in mind, body and soul. Normalizing mental health is critical, especially for black women who are disproportionately affected by trauma. I don’t think we have enough conversations about what it means to be female, anxious, and black. When we take the time to calculate the cost of being a strong black woman in America, we discover that the reality of living in a country with the daily fear that a black man or boy that you love may not make it home, whether it be from neighborhood gun violence or the tragedy of police brutality; or the gender gaps that perpetuate oppression in the workplace, or even the pain of a single mother raising a family alone…when we measure the means to maintain emotional fortitude as a black woman, the sad truth is that we are often functioning in a mental and emotional deficit. I’d like to see more black women happy, healthy and thriving. Self- care and therapy are great tools to employ as we all work for greater change in society as a whole.
Share your favorite topics of discussion as a public speaker.
As a public speaker, I love sharing inspiring stories that compel the audience to rise up, learn more, do more, believe without limits and ultimately show up in the world with a personal commitment to Live Limitless. I love being able to provide individuals with tips, tools, and resources to help them find their voice, craft compelling stories, hone in on their message and then turn that message into a movement. I will be speaking at the Werk University Digital Conference, where I will be teaching aspiring authors and business owners how to powerfully develop their brand stories.
As the CEO of Live Limitless Media Group, how are you impacting the world?
As the CEO of Live Limitless Media Group, I find that I am able to impact the world by making a difference in the lives of my staff and my local community.
Since our company is essentially an empowerment brand, it’s important that all of my team members have access to personal development tools and other resources to enhance their personal lives. When we are able to experience joy and fulfillment at home, it trickles into our workspaces as well. So we do weekly check-ins where the main focus is “How are YOU? Are you facing any current challenges? Is there anything we can do to support you?” Since a percentage of all of the revenue that we earn is funneled into our non-profit, “Limitless Cares Inc.,” we are able to partner with local initiatives and grassroots efforts that are working to impact positive change for underprivileged demographics in the community. We serve our community by not only providing funding for food drives, peaceful protests, and educational resources, but by also mandating that all of our employees actually show up in person to participate, volunteer, and serve once a month.
What is your mantra?
My personal mantra over the last 8 years has been: “We are enlightened when we recognize our innate gifts and talents, but we are empowered when we utilize them.” Since becoming more involved in community work, I’ve recently adopted a new mantra, “May the work of our hands serve the mission in our hearts.”
You are the Founder of Limitless Cares Inc. Share your successes.
Limitless Cares Inc. is a foundation with a mission to disrupt generational poverty by focusing our efforts on the core constructs that contribute to it: Financial literacy, Mental wellness, Quality education, and access to capital.
Recently we were able to provide $10,000.00 dollars to New Image Youth Center. This program serves youth and families most impacted by poverty in Orlando FL. The money was established as an emergency fund to meet the immediate needs of families most vulnerable during COVID-19. We were also able to partner with the United Foundation of Central Florida to distribute meals to hundreds of families in need. We have also partnered with ARMED, a digital educational resource that teaches young black boys problem solving, critical thinking and emotional intelligence to survive and be successful in America.
What will people notice when they work with you?
When people work with me, I think the first thing they recognize upfront is my genuine desire to see them grow. When people sign up to work with me as their book writing coach, I don’t think they realize that sharing their stories is only half the work. I am invested in helping them uncover the lessons embedded in their stories. What I know for sure is that while others may be inspired, entertained or even find themselves relating to your stories, it’s the solutions that they will invest in, it’s the way in which authors add value to the lives of their audience that creates loyalty, it’s the way in which you share ‘HOW TO’ that will evoke transformation in others. So in order for my clients to write, release and distribute books of high impact, they must first experience the transformation that their book promises.The truth is, your book is a promise, much like your brand. It’s what people can expect when they engage, whether it be by reading your work, buying a product, or showing up to your conference. My clients sign up because they want to become an author, they want to share an inspiring message – and they walk away with not only a carefully curated message but a movement. They use their books as a platform to launch an influential brand and revenue generating business.