Her Story
About Dr.
I have been serving as Chief Operating Officer and Founder of my humanitarian organization for over 18 years, building on more than 30 years of experience as a Christian counselor, holistic coach, and clergyman. As a social entrepreneur, everything I do centers on working with people - supporting their transitions, healthy journeys, and helping them launch in their careers. My main expertise is infrastructure for humanitarian advocacy, where I structure programs, train leaders on the ground, and develop organizations while bringing in resources to bridge the gap for families dealing with food insecurity and economic challenges. My role is multifaceted - one minute I'm developing my team and building program capacity, the next I'm connecting with community members to garner resources and funding, then I might be sitting at tables with governmental leaders working on policies that affect our communities, or counseling families in my role as managing counselor of our counseling agency. I'm a three-part being believer in Christ, so I help bring balance and stabilization in every area - not just moving in souls and minds, but addressing the whole person. I also bring my financial background as a tax consultant to the table, training others in tax preparation and providing financial literacy support to those dealing with economic disparities, housing issues, and other needs. I've learned to be a resourcer, asking a full range of questions to understand what families truly need and connecting them with the right support.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dr.
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success first to my spiritual foundation, and then to witnessing others serve my family through volunteerism when I had a need. Someone stopped to serve me and my family, making sure our story was important enough to ensure we got what we needed to thrive and go forward. That experience of being served became an ingredient to where I stand today in serving others. The joy of social entrepreneurship for me is seeing people's lives changing - even when the volunteer work isn't paid, seeing the outcome and fruit of actually impacting someone's life or being an ingredient to support that is what drives me. Whether I receive notoriety or not doesn't make a difference, because that's not why I do what I do. It's about being part of helping a family or child get the resources they need.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If it is a passion to serve others, I always tell people this: live your life with purpose, on purpose, in purpose. Find out your purpose, because if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. It won't seem like work to you because it's a passion. Make sure you're rested well - when it's time to rest, have leisure and vacation, go regenerate so you can come back empowered with new vision, new perspective, and new ideas. Do what you love, and make sure you continue to regenerate and grow. Expand your knowledge in that area, and don't do it alone - partner with other people and get mentors so you can always be learning as you go forward. Build upon your skills, talents, and giftings, and keep them sharpened. Don't be concerned when you make errors - learn from your errors and mistakes and let them groom you and grow you. Don't give your gifts away to others who don't understand your vision, and be careful not to let anyone prostitute your gifts, your dreams, and your visions. Know yourself and be yourself - just be, and be okay with just being, not always doing, because that's something that takes away from us as women. We give out so much, and then we look back upset because that person or whatever we've given to didn't give back equally. You have to understand everybody does not have the capacity to give back to you what you have given. When you become okay with that, you'll continue to give out, and your capacity will increase.
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