Stories of Resilience from Women in the Passionistas Sisterhood (Part 2 of 2)
In this episode, we've invited members of our community to share their journeys of stepping into their power. Through their inspiring stories, each woman reflects on a moment of self-realization, resilience, or transformation, offering unique insights on defining success and embracing authenticity. Join us as we celebrate these moments of courage and personal growth.
Listen to the full episode here.
LINKS
ON THIS EPISODE
[00:00] Introduction Power of Your Story Episode Part 2
01:23] Rachel Collins provides insights into the journey that led her to help others find balance and focus
[008:48] Kathryn Askew reflects on how she overcame abandonment and confidence issues rooted in the loss of her father and shares how she found her self worth.
[16:01] Michelle Wells discusses how she discovered her purpose in supporting women through menopause.
[18:36] Megan Murphy talks about her path in acting, her inspirations, and her mission to uplift women and girls through her work.
[25:42] Samantha Bailey shares how her journey and her book Deceptive Liaisons became tools for guiding others to reclaim their strength and happiness after trauma.
[31:46] Aleixs Skopos discusses why she chose her profession as a licensed mental health counselor
[38:45] Suzanne Sammon shares her journey of resilience following a life altering accident
[52:24] Tivona Lady V Elliott shares her journey of awakening the rebel within by releasing limiting beliefs and old narratives
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Passionistas: Hi, we're sisters, Amy and Nancy Harrington, the founders of The Passionistas Project. We've created an inclusive sisterhood where passion driven women come to get support, find their purpose, and feel empowered to transform their lives and change the world. On every episode, we discuss the unique ways in which each woman is following her passions, talk about how she defines success, and explore her path to breaking down the barriers that women too often face.
In this episode, we've invited members of our community to share their journeys of stepping into their power. Through their inspiring stories, each woman reflects on a moment of self realization, resilience, or transformation, offering unique insights on defining success and embracing authenticity. Join us as we celebrate these moments of courage and personal growth.
This episode contains conversations about situations that might trigger PTSD and emotional trauma or cause discomfort to some listeners. Please consider your own sensitivity before listening.
First, let's hear from Rachel Collins, founder of the Focus Flow Formula, who shares her story of learning to prioritize herself Overcome feelings of overwhelm. Rachel introduces herself and provides insights into the journey that led her to help others find balance and focus.
Rachel Collins: Hello, my name is Rachel Collins and I'm happy to share some of my story. Have you ever felt like you're feeling constantly on the go? You're juggling too many things? And you're feeling like you're falling further and further behind, like it's just impossible to keep up with all the responsibilities and all the demands.
That was me not too long ago, trying to balance a demanding career, my family, and longing to work on my own passion projects. Things like writing and art that I really enjoy. And then barely holding all of that together, I had a family member who I love very much have a health crisis. And so I needed to layer in and find time for caring for that person as well.
And honestly, I was just completely overwhelmed. I was drained. I was burnt out. I was breaking down in tears and I needed a better way to be. And so, what I realized is I had completely forgotten to prioritize myself. I had to find a way to change. It wasn't until I hit this wall that I started with experimenting how to manage my time, how to pay attention to my energy, and ultimately, my focus.
I realized it wasn't about doing more. It was really about doing the right things at the right time, about creating intentional focus. I had to really take the time to figure out what truly mattered to me and why, in order to prioritize effectively. And in doing that, I reclaimed my voice. I reclaimed my ability and my power to say no to things.
That didn't align with that vision. So that's how I developed for myself what I call the focus flow formula. It's a system that helped me anchor my time so that I could finally prioritize me and prioritize the things that I cared about the most, the things that mattered the most without letting everything else fall apart.
I found that by carving out mindful focus blocks of time, I could work on my creative endeavors, nurture my personal growth, take care of my wellbeing, And still be fully present for my family and my career. It was a revelation that allowed me to step into my power. And today I want to share three powerful lessons that I learned on this journey to overcoming overwhelm and reclaiming control of my life.
The first lesson I learned was that clarity breeds calm. When we feel overwhelmed, it's often because we're juggling too many things at once. And if you're like me, feeling guilty because you haven't even accomplished the tasks from the day before. So all of these things, screaming for attention, just feeling spread too thin and unable to make meaningful progress on anything.
So when I began to break my tasks into focus, intentional time blocks. And I began to say no to a lot of things that really truly didn't matter. I was able to shut out distractions and have the ability to concentrate on one thing at a time. Suddenly the noise quieted. The chaos became manageable. That clarity, knowing exactly what needed my attention and why it mattered to me, allowed me to breathe easier.
The second lesson that I think is especially important for women is prioritizing yourself isn't selfish. It's essential. I used to feel guilty about taking time for myself as a mother, as a professional, as someone constantly giving to others. There just wasn't any room for me. But I realized something.
When I put myself last, I wasn't showing up fully for anyone, not for my family, Not for my work and certainly not for myself. When I began prioritizing me, even just a little bit every day, everything changed. I had more energy. I was more focused, more creative. I was healthier. Giving myself permission for self care allowed me to be a better version of myself.
It's a mindset shift that can feel uncomfortable at first, but once I stepped into that space, I never looked back. The third lesson I learned is that consistency matters more than perfection. Let's face it, life is messy. There are days when I don't get it all done. There are days when overwhelm tried to creep back in, but because I had a system or a process or a formula for really reflecting on things and being very intentional in the choices I was making, I realized that I didn't have to get everything done right or perfectly.
I didn't have to spend every day perfectly organized. I just had to consistently show up and be willing to learn and grow and change. Even when things weren't perfect. So the focus flow formula wasn't about checking off every box. It was the daily practice of planning, setting intention, recalibrating, and continuing to make progress.
Towards what matters most. Over time, I found that small, consistent actions were far more powerful than any attempt at perfection. And that consistency helped me overcome obstacles, both in my career and my personal life. As I learned these lessons, something profound happened. I began to realize that I was no longer at the mercy of my schedule or the demands of everyone around me.
I had created a system that supported me I had learned to prioritize myself and through this process, I stepped into my power. I reclaimed my time, my energy, and my ability to work on my passion projects. I had reclaimed the ability and time to express my creativity and to feel fulfilled again. This wasn't just about finding balance.
It was really about taking ownership of my life and responsibility for my choices. And once I stepped into that space, I felt unstoppable. My story is about more than just overcoming overwhelm. It's about reclaiming control, stepping into your power, and giving yourself permission to prioritize what truly matters to you. I hope my journey inspires you to think about how you can create systems
Passionistas: Our next storyteller, Catherine Askew, is a Certified Root Cause Therapist and Trauma Informed Coach. She reflects on how she overcame abandonment and confidence issues rooted in the loss of her father and shares how she found her self worth.
Kathryn Askew: Hi, I'm Kathryn, a root cause therapist and coach and mum to three amazing young men. So my story has had two different massive turning points for me, and it starts when I was four and I lost my dad to cancer. So of course the pain and sadness of that was absolutely huge. But what I couldn't have known as a four year old child was the ongoing impact that this event would have on my life for over 30 years.
I always attributed what I referred to as my abandonment issues to having lost my dad at such a young age. It created an anxious attachment style and a fear of abandonment, which I feel shaped how I behaved in relationships as an adult. I was just so afraid of being left alone and rejected that I sought love in many of the wrong ways.
I stayed in emotionally abusive relationships longer than I should, and I rushed into other relationships because I preferred to be in any relationship rather than alone. What the loss of my dad also did was it opened up the opportunity for extended family members to have more of an influence on my upbringing than they might otherwise have had.
Now, I've got no doubt at all that these family members loved me and wanted the best for me, but unfortunately the way that they showed that love and the way in which they contributed to my upbringing was hugely controlling. Once I got to about the age of 12 and I started to have my own opinions on things, I really started to feel the pressure and control from these family members.
It felt like I wasn't allowed my own voice. And on the very few occasions as a teenager and in my twenties that I did dare to voice an alternative point of view, I was just completely stamped down emotionally and made to feel that my voice and my thoughts had no importance. So in addition to my abandonment issues, this also impacted the way that I showed up in my adult relationships for a very long time.
So, it was around about this time, around about 12 or 13, that my confidence and my self esteem took a massive nosedive and I developed what became a crippling phobia of speaking in front of people. Now, I recognized this and when I started university, I chose drama as a second subject because I'd heard that drama was a great tool for increasing confidence.
Unfortunately for me, it actually did the exact opposite. And I spent the first two years of my university life having panic attacks every morning that I had a drama lesson. When I remarried three and a half years ago, I absolutely flat out refused to give any kind of speech, even though we only had a small group of family and friends present.
It was in the middle of COVID at the time as well. So it was only a very small group, but that's how petrified of speaking in front of people I was. So the big turning points for me and the point at which I really feel like I stepped into my power came about three years ago when I trained in life coaching and root cause therapy.
Not only did I find that my confidence and my self worth just started to grow in leaps and bounds, but Not least because I was able to see and feel that I was truly helping people. But as part of my training, I also had to have some root cause therapy sessions done on myself. Now, as you can imagine, one of these sessions addressed the root cause event of my abandonment issues.
And we actually went to an event during the time that my father was terminally ill, and that was an event which I had no conscious memory of as an adult. So it was all coming from the subconscious memory of that. Now for over 40 years since my dad had died, I've been unable to have a conversation with anyone about him without getting hugely emotional and starting to cry.
So the first time that I spoke with someone about him and remained composed was huge for me, even bigger was the point at which I had a root cause therapy session with a young woman who had also lost her dad to cancer as a young child. I knew just how far I had come in my journey. That I would be able to deliver the session professionally and without allowing my emotions to take over.
But I did warn my husband beforehand that after the session had finished, I might very well be very emotional and might even end up in tears. Well, I didn't. Of course, I felt a small pang of grief both during the session and after, but I didn't cry and I felt absolutely fine and normal just a few minutes after the session with my client.
Now, to say that I was amazed and felt newly empowered at that point would be an understatement. I had never felt that I would be able to get to the point where I could do that. Now, the second unrelated turning point for me came when I was first interviewed live in someone's Facebook group. For the first time in over 30 years, I was able to speak in front of an audience.
Albeit a virtual one like this one. Naturally I was nervous and I do still get a few nerves before going live, but the fact is I do it. I don't have panic attacks about it and I now actively seek out opportunities to tell my story and to reach new audiences. That first Facebook Live was the point at which I really saw just how far I'd come.
Family and friends had already been commenting that they could see the growth in my confidence and my self worth. But until this point, I think I still saw myself as that frightened, panic stricken young woman, who was afraid to be seen, and who felt that my voice was unimportant. Well, as you can see from the fact that I've recorded this video, those two huge turning points.
Both of which could actually be traced back to the loss of my dad, with the start of a whole new life for me. It's a life where I now feel empowered to continue my growth, share my story, and use my experiences to help others on their healing journey. I'm now a self employed root cause therapist and coach, specializing in helping women to identify and heal from the root cause events of their people pleasing behaviors, inability to set and maintain healthy boundaries.
And their lack of confidence and self-worth. I absolutely love what I do, and I finally feel that I've stepped into my power and I'm doing what I was put on this earth to do.
Passionistas: Michelle Wells, a menopause coach introduces herself by describing how she discovered her purpose in supporting women through menopause. Her story is one of finding fulfillment and meaning in helping others navigate this life stage. I am
Michelle Wells: Michelle Wells, founder of Hormone Health, living my true purpose of supporting women to thrive throughout the menopause by balancing their hormone and well being through nutrition, movement, self care, and the relationships.
But how did I get here? I was an abused child, I came from poverty, and I had to learn to survive. As I journeyed through life, being, wanting to be anybody but the person that I truly am, I learned techniques to overcome. Eating disorders, self loathing, lack of competence, lack of self worth, yet I really never felt that I fitted into life.
I carried on, journeyed, became married, happily married. I'm a mum of two neurodiverse boys, an athlete, and I, and when I was working, I was really hit by the menopause suddenly. It's literally overnight. It was deliberating. My lifestyle, Would not allow me just to stop. I needed to survive and go in that survival mode again.
And I went on a quest of research and learning, yet it was vast and overwhelming information that's out there for women who are going through the menopause. And if it was overwhelming for me, how many other women felt the same? How many other women just did not know where to start? And that's when I really started to find what my true purpose was.
I became alive. More passionate. I felt that I could really add value to life and I could serve others. And this was the breakthrough for me. So what, how did I get started? I started to look at that information. I break things down into more manageable, um, understanding chunks. I developed a tool sets that I could give and share with women.
I could help them feel empowered. Confident and wanting to thrive through this evolutionary change. And therefore, through my complex journey, I managed to find my true purpose and now I want to spread the word to others.
Passionistas: Next, we have Megan Murphy, an actress and YouTuber who took control of her own life and career by creating a YouTube show for kids.
She talks about her path in acting, her inspirations, and her mission to uplift women and girls through her work.
Megan Murphy: So in 2018, I was living in New York City and I had been living in New York City for six years. I moved there in 2012. Pursuing acting. And I, I didn't come as far as I thought I would, like I thought I would be on Broadway within a year, but that didn't happen.
But I did come a lot further in the end from when I started. I became a member of both actors unions, SAG AFTRA and Actors Equity, and I did sketch comedy at an off Broadway theater, and I did a few children's plays at off off Broadway theaters. And I, and I worked as an extra in TV shows and movies that filmed in New York.
But anyway, in 2018, things had slowed down and my acting career was going nowhere. So I decided to move back home to Alabama and then the pandemic happened and I stayed here for a little while longer than I had originally planned. And so, there was not much happening at all in my acting career in 2018, and I was getting kind of discouraged because, you know, it's hard.
I've been pursuing it for over 20 years, and during my whole career, I faced a lot of rejection. That's just part of it. But, I learned to deal with it in a healthy way. In the end, but anyway, so I decided that I should create my own show and that's when I felt like I stepped into my power and took control of my own life.
And so I decided to create a kid's show. I knew it had to be a kid's show because I always loved kids and I always loved working with kids. And I had a lot of experience working with kids as a summer camp counselor in the past, and so I knew it was going to be something for kids. And I decided to call it The Aunt Nay Nay Show, which was, um, because my nephew calls me Aunt Nay Nay.
I have a seven year old nephew who calls me Aunt Nay Nay, so I decided to make a character out of it. And I decided, hey, I know all these silly songs from Girl Scout Camp, so why don't I just sing one of those songs and make a video of it and put it on YouTube and see what happens. And you know, it got a modest amount of views at first.
And so I decided to keep doing it. I decided to, I was doing it just for fun at first. And then my 20th video that I posted got over 54, 000 views all of a sudden. So I decided, hey, maybe this could actually be something. And so that's when I started working with two different producers. And they're helping me make season two and three even bigger and better than season one.
We're bringing on special guest stars and we're, it's going to be fun. We're going to have a Halloween spooktacular episode, which is going to be premiering on October 26th, 2024. So be sure to tune in. So anyway, I felt like nobody else was paying attention to what I was trying to do. So I decided. To make my own show and make my own content and prove all the naysayers wrong and show them that I could do anything I wanted to do because I believe that people in general can do anything they want to do if they put their minds to it.
It sounds cliche, but it's true. And I especially empowering women is important to me because I'm a lifetime member of Girl Scouts. And I want to empower women and girls and kids and people in general with the At Nae Nae Show. I want to inspire kids to go after their dreams and to find their gifts and talents and share them with the world.
And I want to inspire them to learn new things. Most of all, I just want to make kids happy. It's all about the kids. It's not about me. I don't care if I'm ever rich or famous. It's I just want to do something worthwhile and I wanted to do something that was good and wholesome as opposed to some of the junk TV that's out there for kids now.
So I wanted to make something that parents would feel good about their kids watching and that kids would look forward to watching every Saturday. Um, we premiere a new episode once a week on Saturday mornings. And by the way, where you can find The Aunt Nae Nae Show is on my YouTube channel. It's my name, Megan Claire Murphy, and the number 2, that's MeganClaireMurphy2 on YouTube.com. So, I already kind of told you what happened, which was I created my own TV show, The Aunt Nae Nae Show, and how I felt when it happened. I felt like I was finally doing something that was mine, like that I created and that I could, that I was finally doing what I was meant to do. And I felt happy when I started doing it.
It felt like I was really fulfilled as a artist and as a person. And I felt happy ever since because I started the show in March of last year. Anyway, um, so making kids happy and knowing that I'm doing something good for kids in turn makes me happy and how it impacted you after the fact. Um, it's been quite an inspiring journey.
There's been a lot of good comments that I've gotten from just different people and comments on YouTube that have been really encouraging. And so nice and people are so nice and people seem to respond well to the show, which is, it gives you a good feeling knowing that you're doing something that people are actually Responding well to.
Passionistas: Our next story comes from Samantha Bailey, an author, speaker, and coach who helps others heal from betrayal and infidelity. In her story, Samantha shares how her journey and her book Deceptive Liaisons became tools for guiding others to reclaim their strength and happiness after trauma.
Samantha Bailey: Hi there. So I wanted to share how I came into my superpower. First off, I have to go back about five years. I was living in paradise, working on the 25th floor in a tall building in Hawaii, Honolulu, overlooking the ocean and absolutely loving life. And one day, however, I found out that my husband was having what I thought was one affair. Over time, and about a year's time.
And trickle truths and information and a lot of detective work. I found out he was having multiple affairs with sugar babies, prostitutes, escorts, having illicit affairs, you name it. Spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on them for elaborate shopping sprees, designer shopping sprees, luxury vacations, uh, five star hotels, just Spending a lot of money on them for sex time with them and really put me in a very dark place for almost three years until I finally started my healing journey a couple of years ago and Looking back, realized that I did a lot of things wrong that really delayed my healing and put me in a place that was just physically, emotionally, and mentally just Not in a good place.
So, one of the things, however, that I did write was journaling. And for several months, I was in a fog and did not remember a whole lot of things and asked a lot of the same questions over and over again and wondered, did I do this? Did I do that? And I started reading and realized That, you know, part of my journaling also tracked my healing and I was in a place of just being stuck, not moving forward.
And. I realized also that if I'm doing things wrong, I'm probably not the only one who've experienced betrayal trauma and done things wrong also. So I wanted to be able to share my story. And I took my journals and turned them into chapters and, um, made it into a story. That reads like a suspense novel, actually, but mainly offers hope for healing.
And in it, I share the things that I did wrong, the things that I did right, and offering hope for
others that are going down the same path. And, um, healing is not a linear line. And I I want to also say that whatever happened is not your fault, because the choices that someone makes is not your fault. And I also want to share that you're not alone.
And my message in my coaching and as an author and speaking engagements, I offer hope for healing. And I'm a living testament of that, because I'm not only surviving, I'm thriving and loving life and I, I offer all of these different. Arenas, so to speak, for, for help, um, because sometimes what works for me might not work for the other person involved.
That's why there are so many different, um, areas where you can go to, to get help and to know that you're not alone, especially at a time when you feel so alone and the shock and just everything is just so unbearable. Your whole life that you thought you knew and you loved. Was falling apart around you, and you were in a D Day, a term I had to look up because I did not know what that was.
D Day to me was a term that was used in World War II, the Battle of Normandy. However, this D Day, I was in a battle as well, except the enemy was my own husband, and he threw a grenade into my heart, which exploded and took me down to the core of my soul, and for a very, very long time, I was my soul, Not the same person.
And now I'm not the same person. I'm better. I'm wiser. I'm stronger. I'm more resilient. And, um, I'm loving life. And I want to share that with others, that they don't have to be stuck. Even if they've been in this place and think they're over it and been in it for a long time, sometimes you get stuck and you feel like, Well, you know, I've lived my best life and I'm just going to have to go on.
Well, it's not about going on. It's about moving up and forward and, and looking forward to what life has to offer you on the other side. And it's absolutely wonderful.
Passionistas: Up next is Alexis Skopis, a licensed mental health counselor, who introduces herself and discusses why she chose her profession. Alexis story is a testament to her dedication to guiding others through mental health challenges.
Aleixs Skopos: Hi, my name is Alexis Skopis. I'm a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida. I wanted to share my story because there have been quite a few times that, you know, just really required me to step into my power and change. Kind of the directory of my life. Um, you know, just a little bit of my history.
I had a very colorful childhood, which led me to being in the field. Um, I experienced parent loss at a very young age. I experienced a quite chaotic family system. Um, Just a lot of loss, a lot of grief, a lot of disconnection, um, a lot of abuse. Um, when I was nine my mom had passed away and that really changed everything in my life.
Um, I found myself making poor decisions to get love. I found myself hanging out with the wrong people, abusing substances, abusing sex, really doing anything to escape, um, but I guess adding to that story, you know, we moved to Florida from Ohio when I was, I believe, 10, um, 10 or 11, and then It was probably the best thing that could have happened, but also that came with a whole new culture and a whole new just type of person that you affiliated with.
Um, when I was in my teens, I was quite angsty. Um, I was just very depressed. You had a lot of mental health stuff that just wasn't getting taken care of. Um, I attempted suicide for the first time when I was 13. Um, the second time I was going to attempt was probably six months to a year later, and that was definitely a moment of stepping into my power.
Um, I was hanging out with a knife for lack of better words. And I was going to make that decision that I did not want to be here anymore. My dad happened to come home or a door opened and closed, which was very abnormal for that time of day in my house. And I took that as a sign, you know, cheesy as it may be, but that was really a moment where I had to decide either I'm going to utilize this pain and help it so that nobody else will ever feel this way, or.
I'm going to make the decision and just not be here anymore. And it was in that moment that I made the decision that I do want to help people because I don't want ever anybody to feel the way I felt. So that was kind of the first choice of change. Um, the next one came later on in life. Um, kind of walking through my teen years, there was a lot of self soothing with finding men, which is very problematic because there's a lot of shame and guilt there as an adult, but also It never fills the hole.
Um, I did unfortunately experience some sexual assaults and I know they are not my fault, but I had put myself in situations. Um, you know, and that, that was just kind of my teen years. And then going into adulthood when I was 23, I was working on my master's program at Stetson and I had gotten entangled with a man who was not a very good man.
Um, he was very, very abusive and it was. A really bad domestic violence situation. Um, there's a lot of threats, a lot of fear, just so much fear. Um, and I, I hate to say it, but I think that experience really changed me more than anything. And it, it took me accepting that he's going to kill me to get out of the situation, which I think a lot of women face to a degree.
So, um, You know, in those moments too, that was a huge choice of stepping into my power. You know, it took so much courage and bravery to escape that situation. And, you know, we talk about getting out of abusive relationships and things, but we don't talk about the consequences and the residue that gets left.
You have to learn all of these survival techniques and. You know, there comes a point where when you're in a healthy relationship, those survival techniques don't work and then you're just like, wow, I'm just so broken. Um, so that was really, really a time period that I felt so broken, but being able to finally leave that situation and just, Get into the field and throw myself into it and help others and do the work myself really, really created my path.
Um, but you know, I think for any woman leaving a domestic violence relationship is a huge move in stepping into your power. It's so scary and it's statistically the most unsafe time. Um, you know, because that abuser is losing control. So that was definitely another moment. But, you know, I would say one of the biggest moments of stepping into my power was betting on myself and opening up a private practice with my friend.
You know, I had imposter syndrome horribly and Taking bets on myself was not exactly what I was used to doing and it was terrifying, but I'm sorry, January of 2024, oh my gosh, it was this year, I completely stopped my other job and I am full time in private practice. Um, I am fee for service, so I have to work, you know, each hour to get that money, um, which is terrifying because that means that you have to have stable clients and things.
Um, and I've been able to do that, which I kind of am blowing my own mind, but that was really a huge moment that I had to believe in myself, and it has genuinely paid off, and you know, I want other women to know that sometimes it is that chance, and even if you fail, which I had a failed private practice a few years ago, um, You can come back from that.
It's about not giving up and just taking all of the lessons that you learn. It does suck. I'm not gonna lie, but taking a time to reflect, see what you can do better or different, and, you know, I, I'm not a big believer in everything happens for a reason, but I do believe in timing. Um, but I just, I want to inspire anybody, one person that you can't have mental health and still do whatever you want in life.
It's a little harder sometimes, but we just have to learn how to harness it. Um, but thank you so much for your time. If you want to check us out, look up Be Kind to Mind Counseling. Um, we are based here in Florida and I am looking forward to you hearing my story and hopefully hearing from you.
Passionistas: Our next storyteller, Suzanne Sammon, shares her journey of resilience following a life altering accident.
Suzanne Sammon: After suffering a traumatic brain injury, Suzanne found purpose and became an author, showing that tragedy can lead to unexpected new beginnings.
What happens when life suddenly is blown apart in a way that you weren't expecting? What happens when all the plans that you had for your life Just suddenly got blown up in smoke.
This is exactly what happened to me 24 years ago on October 2nd, the year 2000. It was like any other day. I was in Philadelphia at the time doing a paid volunteer project through AmeriCorps for the American Red Cross. I was going home that night just like I usually do. I had my co worker with me and we were going through an intersection just like we always do.
Green light on my end. Next thing I knew, I heard a scream. I looked, all I saw was the grill of a giant vehicle. And then the next chaos I came to was smoke all over the place. My head was killing me. My hand was killing me. I smelled the most awful smells. There was glass all over the place. There was blood.
I had been hit by a giant SUV that ran a red light. It hit me so hard that I was actually blown across the intersection. From that night, my whole life was never the same. I had a traumatic brain injury from that night. And plus other issues like permanent nerve damage. I had broken bones there, but the traumatic brain injury is what impacted my life.
And still to this day, I have to make accommodations for myself, but it, this was the defining moment in my life where for years and years, I tried to be somebody that I wasn't. I didn't want to let go of who I was before the accident and the brain injury. I wanted to still believe that the plans I had set for my life were going to happen, but I couldn't process the same way.
I couldn't react the same way. I had feelings and emotions and just all kinds of changes in my life. I didn't know how to cope with others around me weren't understanding because they couldn't see it. It was invisible. Sure, they could see the cast that was on my hand and they could see bruises, but they couldn't see a brain injury that was in my head.
And it was just one struggle after another. Until finally, one time, one day, I decided that I was going to get back into my writing. Writing had been my outlet when I was little and I had childhood asthma and was in the hospital for multiple times and I had to learn how to be content with solitude. And from there, I wrote stories because I didn't like what was going on with me.
So I wrote stories. And use characters that were about the life that I truly wanted. So I got back into my writing because it was the one place where I felt safe. I didn't feel judged. I could be who I was. I could be a person without a brain injury. So I had other residuals from that night and I was homebound praying about, all right, all right, God, what am I supposed to do now with this?
What am I supposed to do? Well, he led me on my social media to a woman who was looking for contributing authors for a compilation project. This was in 2016. And that led me to becoming a published author. And then I led, I was led to a publisher in Canada who I was able to get my solo book out, which is the first of a series.
And then that led to me becoming an editor and a ghostwriter, a proofreader. And I discovered that even though parts of my brain have been permanently altered from the accident, the creative part of me, it's almost like it got renewed from everything. And I was able to find something that I didn't feel judged.
I didn't feel like I was struggling. This was something that made me feel alive. That was the moment that I stepped into my personal power and I knew that no matter what, I was going to be okay, that there was another life ahead for me. Now I, here it is 24 years later and yes, I still have residuals. I have had to make so many different accommodations for what had happened that night, and I didn't, I had trouble finding worth in myself for a long time, but then I found a new worth, I found a new power, I found a new belief, and I realized that this new me That arose from the ashes of that accident, that I could be somebody who did have purpose, who had multiple purposes, somebody that could contribute something to this world, a book, which has a legacy, a lasting legacy of reaching billions of people.
Something that's going to carry on way beyond me. Something that can inspire, something that I created. So even though the original plans I had for my life didn't come about, they're actually coming about in an, in Fresh ways and ways that align with me, ways that I feel safe and stepping into my power means I can live the life that I choose, the life that feels right for me and the life that keeps me energetically balanced and grounded.
So I'm not only taking care of myself, but I can be there for everybody else. So even though, even though the unthinkable happened, what has occurred in my life and what has arisen from those ashes, It's something so beautiful and so majestic and I just feel so blessed that I am here today and I am just expanding myself and enriching myself.
So for this, I am so grateful and I will always tell people that no matter what, they are worth it and they have a purpose and many purposes on this planet.
Passionistas: Brin'na Rollins-Williams Business owner of Legacy Fulfilled, speaker, coach, and consultant introduces herself with a reflection of purpose and legacy.
She emphasizes the importance of creating meaningful work that leaves a lasting impact within and beyond her organization.
Brin'na Rollins-Williams: Hi, I'm Brenna, owner and coach for Legacy Fulfilled, and thank you for having me to be able to share a piece of my story with you all today. The reason that I actually stepped away from my corporate role after 11 years as a senior director is because I had not only found myself at rock bottom, but the basement of rock bottom.
And what started pretty subtly and is very common is when you are a high performer, you are a high achiever, and you are just killing it at the top of your career. Sometimes you don't pause and ask yourself, what am I doing all of this for? And is this really worth it for the personal impact that I am experiencing on the other side?
And I share that with you because I've been in a place where my career and everything from the outside looking in looked like we had it all. We had the house, we've got the two dogs. My long term boyfriend and I finally got married after 10 years. I was crushing my career with a really cool title and the freedom to take vacations and do lavish experiences like I had always dreamt of.
But at the end of the day, when I would come home exhausted, I hadn't talked to my friends. I hadn't talked to my family. I was too tired to talk to my husband about anything other than what was going on at work that day. I realized I have given up everything for my career. And I was battling anxiety and depression for a very long time and I numbed it and ignored it because I thought this is what you're supposed to do.
This is what happens when you grow quickly in your career and you're successful and you have these high aspirations. But that anxiety and depression quickly turned into panic attacks beyond my own control, to the point where medication came in the picture every four hours to avoid me having a heart attack before I was 33 years old.
So after there, a lot of therapy and a lot of, um, new experiences to calm myself down, to stay present in this moment and really root cause where this stems from. I learned a lot about myself in a really good way. And I am someone who believes in leading with authenticity, but also vulnerability. And at a certain point, knowing the value that I had at a company had taken over my own self identity for what my worth is.
And who I really am. I started to ask myself, who am I without my title? Who am I without this job? And I wish I would have asked myself those questions a really long time ago, because I have since decided to step away from my platform as a senior director and start my own company, which is Legacy Fulfilled.
You can find me at LegacyFulfilled.com. And I built that so that I can focus on my true passion. And my expertise, which is leadership, growing and developing leaders of people is a task that is not faint on the heart. And I fell in love with leadership from a very early age, but I also got to experience the power of it in the corporate setting.
And I. Always frame a peace of mind of what is my impact on this person? What are they going to remember when I leave this conversation today? Because I want them to go home and have a good dinner conversation with their family and with their friends. I don't want them to feel like they can't come to me when they don't understand something or when they're really struggling to hit a metric that we've got to deliver on and feel like they can't ask for help.
And I started to get feedback from my team. As throughout my entire career, but also once I had separated from my position, um, and I started to see this theme of the legacy in their perspective of what I left for them was exactly what I wanted to look back on and be proud of in my leadership. I didn't want them to see me.
Struggling with anxiety or trying to buy a purse to fit into a room that I, I didn't know if I really belonged. And those internal voices that you fight with, they're there for a reason. That doesn't mean you have to do something with them, but they're telling you that you're not in line with yourself.
And when I started to get my mind to slow down and be positive, Positive. But in this present moment, I started to learn a lot about myself and a lot about the way I lead. And that includes the legacy that I want to leave behind me. And so Legacy Fulfilled is a platform for growth and development for high achievers, high performers.
I understand it, and I know the business front door to back door. But I also know the value in creating boundaries for yourself, clear communication with your team, having strong retention and growth plans so that you can have a successful career, which will alleviate the pressure for you to also have a very fulfilling life.
Personally, I hope that a little insight into this story connects with you and I would love it if we could connect, um, further so that you can learn more about Legacy Fulfilled and how you can lead your people with a legacy that you create for you to look back and be proud of.
Passionistas: Finally, Tavona Lady V. Elliott, a spiritual research coach and author consultant, shares her journey of awakening the rebel within by releasing limiting beliefs and old narratives. She encourages listeners to embrace their greatness and unleash their true potential.
Tivona Lady V Elliott: I'll always remember, I'll never forget it. It was as if it was yesterday.
It's the day I decided. To step into my power. When I say I stepped into my power, that means that I started to be authentically me. I started to shatter the silence, not just break it, but shatter the silence. And I started to roar in my greatness. Being a victim of molestation. Of abuse, trauma after trauma after trauma.
The, the knowing that I was told that I wasn't worthy, the limited beliefs of being known that I wasn't worthy, the limited beliefs of being told that I was not enough. I knew that I've always been great. The problem is I had to start roaring in my greatness. I just didn't know how great that really was.
See, sometimes we believe that. We are everything we want to be until we really find ourselves. I had to unlearn, to relearn who I was, who Lady V was, and that's exactly what I did. I started learning who I was in my power. I started to overcome the obstacles that were standing in my way saying that, you know what, I no longer live at this address anymore.
I no longer want to live in anxiety and depression anymore. I no longer want to be a part of my circumstances. I am not a woman of the past anymore, which means that I cannot reside at the address that I once lived in. I can no longer be who society thinks that I should be. I have to be authentically Lady V.
How do I be that? That means that I have to release the old narrative. That's standing in my way. I mean, I gotta release them. The old baggage, the old limiting beliefs of being told that I wasn't enough, being told that I wasn't worthy, being told that no one would ever listen to my story. I had to release that, and once I release that, then I have to start overcoming the obstacles that were standing in my way, which means that hey, I am was standing in my way.
I was the obstacle that was standing in my way because I didn't know who I was. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't know what my purpose was. And until I started finding out who I was, which means that it was time for me to start rebuilding who I was and relearning the person that I was. The person that I am today.
Once I started doing that, then I was able to awaken the rebel that was inside of me that was just waiting to be released, waiting to bust loose and waiting to just be in her greatness, waiting to just Be awesome. And then once I had awakened that rebel, I was able to rise to the occasion. Means that I was not going to be silent anymore.
I was shattering the silence that once lived where it lived. Where I didn't want it to live anymore. I was shattering that silence. I was breaking down the doors and the barriers and rising to my best self. Because now I know who I am. I know what I will accept, what I won't accept, what I will tolerate, what I won't tolerate.
And so what I do like and what I don't like. And so that morning in November of 2024, I woke up and I had a new sense of me. I had a new sense of pride because I had released the one thing that was holding me back. And that was forgiveness for me. That was not being able to forgive those who trespassed against me.
Once I forgave them, I was able to forgive me, which means that I was able to roar in my greatness, which means that I was finally free to just be me. I was finally free to roar in my greatness and to know that it's okay. To know that I am worthy. To know that I am more than enough, and I don't have to be silenced, and my story will help someone else, it's time to roar in our greatness. And all I want you to do is be great, and roar in it, Lady V told it to you.
Passionistas: Thanks for listening to The Passionistas Project. If you've ever felt uphold to share your own story, but aren't sure where to start, I wonder if your story would truly resonate, know that you're not alone and through our anthology book and video presentations for the Power of Passionistas Women's Equity Summit, we're here to support you every step of the way.
Imagine writing a chapter in our anthology book, one that showcases your unique experiences and perspectives, produced alongside a video presentation directed by us to bring your story to life.
You don't need to have it all figured out, because we'll guide you through the process with the same skills we've used when we've interviewed people like Dr. Jane Goodall and Carol Burnett. Having conducted over 1700 interviews, we are experts in helping people uncover and articulate their most impactful stories. You'll have access to our experience, as well as a cohort of other writers who are right there with you, offering support, encouragement, and feedback.
www.ThePassionistasProject. com If you have ever felt that your story might be too quiet to make a difference, or that finding the right words seem daunting, this is your opportunity. We're creating a safe space for women to speak boldly, authentically, and together, with the support of a compassionate, Dedicated team and an inspiring community.
We're excited to help you take this next step and make your voice heard in a way that feels empowering and true to you. To learn more, email us at info at the passionistasproject.com and put I want to write my story in the subject.
Until next time, stay passionate.
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