Her Story
About Toni
Toni Banks serves as a Street Outreach Worker for the City of Newport News in Virginia, specifically at a homeless day center. Since 2018, she has worked in the motivational life coaching industry and runs Fearless T, LLC, a non-profit dedicated to creating content that encourages and builds people up. Banks earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice, minoring in youth ministry, from Regent University in Virginia Beach in 2018, and an associate's degree in social science from Virginia Peninsula Community College in 2015. She is a certified life coach and certified mentor who goes out to encourage people and give hope. Banks has associated with the C. Waldo Scott Center, which focuses on empowering youth and families, and has volunteered with An Achievable Dream. She attributes her success mainly to her religion and God, as well as family and friends, noting that the challenges she has faced have shaped who she is today. Banks values integrity in her work and personal life, giving 100 percent to what she is called to do.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Toni
01What do you attribute your success to?
Mainly my religion and God. I know that the things that I have gone through, even for my creator, I wouldn't have made it this far. Also family and friends, as well. The good and the bad. The bad things that has happened in my life, I wouldn't trade it, because it made me the person that I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Someone told me to keep moving. Whenever you're ready to give up, you told me to keep moving. Don't let the chaos and the storms that may be going on around me, especially at within a job, stop me from doing what I know that I was called to do or the purpose that I was there for. They just keep... keep moving.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't let anything stop you. Like, even when it looks like you can't obtain it, don't let what people see stop you from doing what you believe you can do. Some people tell you that you can't because some people, they mean well, but it doesn't mean that what they're saying is good for you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges: Sometimes I feel especially as someone working with people, challenges is to get them to understand their hope. I think so many people have been let down so much. They don't see their worth, they don't see their value, so sometimes to get them to see that. Opportunities: It's one and the same. You're able to still help people and give them that hope, give them that worth, you know, letting them see that they are valued, that they were placed here for a reason, and they are bigger than what they may see at the time. Just to be able to encourage them to keep on keeping on.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The first word that came to my mind, integrity. They always have integrity. Everything's so greedy, always be honest. And also with 100%. Just give it your all. Like, don't half work or try to give. But get in there and do what you're called to do.
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