Chanda Floyd-Bryant

I would have to say my village, my family. My mother and father have always impressed upon me that you can do anything that you put your mind to. And my dad always had this saying, and it's kind of funny, but it's so true - because I would say 'I can't,' and he was like, 'no, can't lost the battle.' So powerful. I would have to say that my family, my community, my tribe has always been there to affirm me. Even in those times where I did not believe in myself, they have always said, you got this, you can do this, you have everything that you need in order to be successful, and to walk alongside me on this journey has been absolutely beautiful. I couldn't have been here without my village.

The best advice I ever received came from my dad. I would say 'I can't,' and he was like, 'no, can't lost the battle.' That is so powerful. It taught me to replace doubt with determination and possibility, and it has shaped a strong can-do mindset that continues to guide me throughout my personal and professional life.

I would have to say that every situation that they have experienced, negative and positive, every opportunity that they have experienced, big or small, has brought them to this moment. And it is really important to recognize that you're on this journey. And when you're on this journey, there are nuggets of information, there are resources that come to you, there are individuals that come to you that will empower you and give you all the tools and resources that you need in order to be successful. So I would say always be in tune with that. Always recognize that, because that will help you forge ahead on your journey and your path, and you will have so much clarity in knowing that, oh my god, I just talked to that person because they're gonna help me move into this space, or oh my god, this resource is gonna help me to be more successful in my business. I would say don't take any opportunity, don't take any experience, don't take words of encouragement lightly, because they're planting those seeds of success.

I would have to say, in terms of challenges, when I am working with folks who are licensed and clinical professionals, I think sometimes they look at this work as if it doesn't necessarily have a space in the clinical world, and that is so contrary to what I have experienced. I have seen firsthand an individual who has experienced PTSD and personality disorder say, because I've been a part of this work that you're doing, I feel whole and healed. So I think it's this misperception of doing healing in a different type of way. But lately, through different alliances, the medical field has recognized that this work is really helping people, helping people to move beyond their trauma and helping them to show up as their most authentic selves. So there's a real opportunity as the medical field begins to merge with energy work and holistic approaches.

I think for me, it is really being authentic. That is a big part of the work that I do - really helping folks to understand that you can be yourself. There are so many folks who don't even understand what it truly means to operate in a space of being authentic. For me, I just had to make a personal choice, about 60 days ago, of changing my path because I felt like I was not in a space where I could be my most authentic self. And for me, that is how I have to show up. I do not know how to show up any other way other than myself, really practicing what I preach to others, but also sharing that in a way where people can understand that it's okay to be who you are, with all your flaws and everything that comes along with that. Authenticity, compassion, and resilience are my guiding principles, and my commitment to mindfulness and healing has been deeply shaped by my own lived experiences with trauma and recovery.