The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 358: Eyes Wide Open

I love to talk and teach about faith.  In my latest book, The Faith Files, I mix some personal faith stories with my study of faith in the New Testament.  In my introduction to Matthew's gospel in the book, I relate one my all-time favorite faith testimonies and now I want to share it with you.  To get the rest of the stories, you will have to buy the book.  For now, you can read on.

A HOUSE FOR SALE

At one point in our marriage, my wife and I needed a new home.  We thought the obstacle in our way was the home we had that we first needed to sell.  Faith requires action, so we asked ourselves, “What can we do in faith that would be a step closer to our new home?”  The answer was easy:  we put our house on the market to sell.

After several months, nothing happened.  So we asked ourselves the same question: “What can we do in faith?”  We decided the next step was to go out and look for a new house.  After all, we reasoned, it didn’t cost anything just to look.

To our surprise, we fell in love with the first house we saw.  I can still remember our seven-year-old son running through the house, saying, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul!”  We went home confident that we had found our new home, but unable to do anything until we sold our old one.

Another few weeks went by, and we asked ourselves that same question as to what we could do.  We weren’t experienced home-buyers, but we thought that we could make an offer on the new house contingent upon selling the old one.  We did that and the sellers accepted our bid.  We then had until a certain date by which we had to sell the current home to move into the new or the deal was off.

Over the next six weeks, we had only one East Indian family look at our house. They gave us a bid and it was so low that we didn’t even counter offer.  We thought they weren’t serious.  Then we came to within a week of our deadline and we prayed as a family at the dinner table one evening, “Lord, show us what we’re not seeing here.”  What you aren't seeing is often the key to your faith breakthrough.

A HOUSE SOLD

Our four-year-old left the table and shortly came running back in to announce, “Daddy, the Indian family just drove by.”

It was then that I saw what we had not seen.  We had sold our house, just not for the price we expected.  I contacted our realtor and instructed her to make the best deal she could with the Indian family.  She did and we sold our house just thirty-six hours before our deadline.  There was only one remaining problem.  We did not have the $10,000 we needed to get into the new home, since we had sold our house for much less than we had anticipated.You may suspect what happened next.  Someone gave us the money and we closed on our new house that faith had made possible. 

I have come to realize that faith isn’t so much an event as a lifestyle.  We must learn to trust God for many other instances like our home sale and purchase.  I have drawn lessons from that story for many years and present it to you to see if you can apply it to your current situation.

If you are going to fulfill your purpose or obtain any breakthrough, you will need to act in faith.  God isn't against you, He is for you and He will help you, but you must have the courage to do something in faith.  More importantly, you will need to see what it is that you can't see that may be blocking your path.  In other words, you need faith, but you need to have your eyes wide open. Ask God this week to show you what you aren't seeing and then be prepared to act, for I anticipate that God will answer your prayer.  When He does, I know you will have a great week.

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THE FAITH FILES: I have 50 copies of The Faith Files left this week.  I will send you a copy of The Faith Files for any contribution that you make to my ministry while supplies last.  That's right, you read correctly.  Just remember that your gifts help me publish every week and distribute my studies and my purpose message all over the world.  The offer ends July 31, so order now to make sure you get your first print copy.  Send any contribution and get this new volume that can best be summarized as follows:

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

•    Does your faith affect your everyday life?
•    How do you know if you have faith?
•    Is there anything you can do to increase your faith?

The Faith Files are designed to help you answer these and many more questions where your faith is concerned.  John Stanko wants you to not just know what you believe but know how to apply it to your business, family, life and ministry.

In this first of three volumes, John Stanko looks at every verse that mentions faith in the four gospels.  He then makes some observations and poses questions that help you understand how to apply your faith today, right now, where you are and with what you have.  You can use The Faith Files for personal or small group study, but either way it is guaranteed to help you exercise more God-pleasing faith.

Simply go to the Contributions page on my site and use PayPal to contribute by credit card or check. Make sure you include your address and we will get your copy of The Faith Files off right away.  Don't miss the great opportunity to have the first of many Bible study volumes that I will publish. 

NEW WEBSITE:  Thousands of visitors have come to my new PurposeQuest site since it launched a few weeks ago. If you haven't been there yet, please stop by and make sure you take the free PurposeQuest Assessment that is available on the home page. 

CONTINUE THE RADIO SHOW?:  I got my radio show numbers for June and they were great!  I had more than 5,000 listeners and almost 800 downloads!  I am happy with that, but now I am facing a decision. Do I renew my contract after August 13?  I will need $1300 per month to continue the show.  What do you think?  Should I renew?  You can let me know by posting a comment on the site where this entry is posted. 

Perhaps you, your organization, or your company could sponsor a show for $400?  I would be glad to design a show around your cause or work if you sponsor it.  Then you could download the show and use it for your own purposes.  This may also fit into your missions budget, since the show goes around the world.  Perhaps your organization would like to add your ad banner to my announcement page on the station, the same page that everyone who downloads any show sees. If I have the money raised by August 13, I will continue. If not, then I will have to shut it down.  It's your call.  What do you think?  Write and let me know.

Episode Eleven: The World is Waiting for You

When you find your purpose, it opens the door for you to go to whoever needs who you are and what you do, wherever they may be.  Join repeat guest Bruce Binkley (whose previous show was How to Use a Business to Fund Your Vision) as he reports on his recent visits to Viet Nam and Zimbabwe to bring relief to widows and orphans.  Learn from Bruce how you can step out of your own world to engage some of the needs in the world at large.

Missed the live show?  This episode is broadcast at 9 AM Eastern and then rebroadcast at 9 AM Eastern and 6 PM Pacific. Past episodes are available on-demand and podcast ready.

Listen LIVE to VoiceAmerica!

Questions? Comments? Call in during the show itself at 1.866.472.5787 or 5788

Monday Memo 357: What's In Your Hand?

Have you ever thought that you had nothing to give?  Have things been so tight that you went into survival mode, doing what you could to keep your head above water?  I've been there.  When my wife and I began PurposeQuest International seven years ago, we had no money, support or income.  I had written four books at that point and was known for my unique purpose message, but many of my former contacts and ministry partners were no longer a source of income-generating ministry opportunities after I started the company.  In my mind, I had nothing to give, so I began only to focus on what I could do to generate revenue.

Yet I found that I had a lot to give. God used that season to expand my faith, which is still growing seven years later.  What did we have to give?  For the answer to that question, you will have to read on.

WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

Years before I stated my business, I was complaining to the Lord that I had no Christmas gifts to give anyone.  While I was complaining, He reminded me three times that I had a nice library.  I finally got the message and pulled books off my shelves to give away to family and friends.  They were blessed and I  learned an important lesson.  I learned that I had something to give; I just didn't see it.  Seven years ago, I wanted to apply that lesson as I started my company, but how? 

Then I read Exodus 4:2-4 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.  The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.' So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.”  The Lord was teaching Moses to trust Him as He went to Egypt in the power of his purpose.  That caused me to reconsider if there was anything I had to give at that time, even though I had no money.

As a result, I decided to start The Monday Memo.  I’ve had many people tell me (even someone just last week) that I’m crazy to send The Memo and the weekly Bible studies free or charge.  I saw it differently.  If my message and company are to prosper, I have to sow some seed that will lead to a harvest.  The Memo and Bible studies were the only things that I could give at that point in my life seven years ago.  Just like Moses ran in fear when the Lord transformed his staff, so I went through many times of doubt and fear that the Lord would not provide, that the things I was giving away would not generate a return.  Yet just as Moses touched the snake and it turned back into a staff, I have seen the Lord transform these free services into an abundant harvest.
 
THE FAITH FILES

Part of that harvest is my first volume of The Faith Files, released just last week.  To the right is a picture of me standing at my publisher's booth prior to my book signing.  I started by giving away The Faith Files, and now they are published.  I’m not minimizing the importance of giving what financial resources you have, but there is often so much more that you can give even when you have no money.  If you have nothing to give, then give away yourself, the essence of who you are.  Take your purpose and apply it to the need of someone else, just like I’ve done with my weekly emails and watch God bless you. 

As I write, I reflect on what Paul wrote:  “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will” (2 Corinthians 8:5-6).  Is there someone to whom you can give yourself and it will possibly be the best gift they’ve ever had?  If you can organize, go organize someone’s home or office?  If you can fix things, go gather things that are broken, repair them and make them even better than they were before they broke.   And last and not least, you can also give them a gift subscription to The Monday Memo!

I’ve often said that God has a big book and a sharp pencil and He records everything you do for Him.  In the fullness of time, He rewards you.  God is a debtor to no man, nor can any man give more than He does.  So take some time this week to determine what you have in your hand.  Do your best to produce an atmosphere of giving in faith and let’s see how you can make your purpose a part of that giving.  Have a great week!

     Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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THE FAITH FILES: I have 75 copies of The Faith Files left this week.  I will send you a copy of The Faith Files for any contribution that you make to my ministry while supplies last.  That's right, you read correctly.  Just remember that your gifts help me publish every week and distribute my studies and my purpose message all over the world.  The offer ends July 31, so order now to make sure you get your first print copy.  Send any contribution and get this new volume that can best be summarized as follows:

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

•    Does your faith affect your everyday life?
•    How do you know if you have faith?
•    Is there anything you can do to increase your faith?

The Faith Files are designed to help you answer these and many more questions where your faith is concerned.  John Stanko wants you to not just know what you believe but know how to apply it to your business, family, life and ministry.

In this first of three volumes, John Stanko looks at every verse that mentions faith in the four gospels.  He then makes some observations and poses questions that help you understand how to apply your faith today, right now, where you are and with what you have.  You can use The Faith Files for personal or small group study, but either way it is guaranteed to help you exercise more God-pleasing faith.

Simply go to the Contributions page on my site and use PayPal to contribute by credit card or check. Make sure you include your address and we will get your copy of The Faith Files off right away.  Don't miss the great opportunity to have the first of many Bible study volumes that I will publish. 

NEW WEBSITE:  Thousands of visitors have come to my new PurposeQuest site since it launched a few weeks ago. If you haven't been there yet, please stop by and make sure you take the free PurposeQuest Assessment that is available on the home page. 

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Ten: The Power of a Purpose Coach

Are you having trouble seeing the greatness in you?  Are you struggling in your current job, unfulfilled and unhappy?  If you are or know someone who is, join John and his special guest, Maria Cedeno, as they discuss Maria’s decision to go back to law school and what role John played in that decision on the next Your PurposeQuest broadcast.  

Monday Memo 356: A Little at a Time

Today I am on my way to the Christian Booksellers Convention to premier my new book, The Faith Files: The Gospels.  This is the first of three volumes that looks at every verse on faith in the New Testament, and there are a lot of them.  I first wrote The Faith Files in 2001 and made the notes available to those who were receiving The Monday Memo. That is how I got started sending out my weekly Bible studies.  (See the end of this Memo to find out how you can order a copy.)

When I finish working on Matthew later this year, I will complete my nineteenth New Testament book, doing a verse-by-verse study.  It all started, however, with The Faith Files.  If you have a project and don't know where to start - which should include just about everyone reading this Memo - I urge you to read on.  If you don't think you can accomplish a lot by doing a little at a time, I urge you to read on as well.

HYPOCRITE!

In 2001, I was revising my first book, Life is a Gold Mine. At the end of the section faith, I urged readers to study all that Jesus and Paul had to say about faith as a way to increase their own faith.  When I read that, I thought, "Hypocrite!"  I was recommending that others do something that I had never done!  I decided to rectify that by doing the study, which I thought would take a few days.

I looked up every verse in the New Testament that had the words faith, believe, believes, believing, unbelief, unbelieving and trust and found that there were hundreds of them!  What I thought would take a few days required a few months!  As I was compiling my notes on each verse and passage, I asked those who were reading The Monday Memo if they would like to receive my notes on what I came to call The Faith Files.  Hundreds of people said they did.  I would send out the notes every week to my mailing list that I compiled and maintained on my personal computer.  It was a lot of work and I have never charged any money for any of my studies, and I have sent out millions of them. 

You can see the unpublished portions of The Faith Files on my new website.

WHY STOP THERE?

After I completed my study of faith, I had an idea.  I had always said that "one day" I wanted to write commentaries on the Bible.  I decided to start such a study, determining that I would look at four verses every day and write some devotional material for those verses.  At the end of every week, I would send out those notes to those who were already getting The Faith Files.  The list continued to grow and today about 6,000 people receive my weekly studies.

You can see the past studies in the archives of my new site or subscribe to the weekly studies (currently from Matthew) on the site where those are posted every week. 

So by studying four verses every day since 2002, I have completed studies of 19 New Testament books!  Lord willing, I will have the entire New Testament completed by the end of 2009.  Writing about four verses a day every day has enabled me to accomplish a huge task a little at a time.  I exercise faith every day I sit down to write that I will see something in every verse and also see ways to help the reader apply those verses on that particular day. 

Needless to say, I have learned a lot since I began writing those studies in 2001 and I hope my readers have, too.  Now I excited to start publishing those studies with this first volume of The Faith Files. I know it is the first of many volumes to come.

So what about you?  What can you accomplish if you do just a little every day? I have found that most people won't be anything because they can't see how to do everything.  They won't give a little because they can't give a lot. Won't devote a little time because they don't have huge chunks of time.  I decided to do what I could do every day -- four verses -- and now the end of my project is in sight.  There's no telling what you can do if you apply the same principle. 

Stop procrastinating and take one step at a time.  If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, who knows how far you can go.  The Chinese say that the journey of a 1,000 miles starts with the first step.  Why not take your first steps this week?  Have a great week. I know I will.

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THE FAITH FILES: I have 100 copies of The Faith Files in stock right now.  I will send you a copy of The Faith Files for any contribution that you make to my ministry while supplies last.  That's right, you read correctly.  Just remember that your gifts help me publish every week and distribute my studies and my purpose message all over the world.  Send any contribution and get this new volume that can best be summed up as follows:

“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

•    Does your faith affect your everyday life?
•    How do you know if you have faith?
•    Is there anything you can do to increase your faith?

The Faith Files are designed to help you answer these and many more questions where your faith is concerned.  John Stanko wants you to not just know what you believe but know how to apply it to your business, family, life and ministry.

In this first of three volumes, John Stanko looks at every verse that mentions faith in the four gospels.  He then makes some observations and poses questions that help you understand how to apply your faith today, right now, where you are and with what you have.  You can use The Faith Files for personal or small group study, but it is guaranteed to help you exercise more God-pleasing faith.

Simply go to the Contributions page on my site and use PayPal to contribute by credit card or check. Make sure you include your address and we will get your copy of The Faith Files off right away.  Don't miss the great opportunity to have the first of many Bible study volumes that I will publish. 

NEW WEBSITE:  I sent out my special Memo last week outlining the features of my new site. If you haven't checked out the new site, please do so, and make sure you take the free PurposeQuest Assessment that is available on the home page. 

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Nine: Purpose from Tragedy

Most people will never have to face the decision that Gail and Tony McWilliams had to face. Gail was advised to either abort her baby or lose her eyesight.  They decided to proceed with the birth and Gail did indeed go blind.  Yet that was not the end, but only the beginning of a work and ministry that is now called Generations Global.  Join John as he talks to Gail about the power of purpose that can emerge even from a personal tragedy on the next edition of Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life.

Special Site Memo

I had promised a special Memo concerning my new website.  If you aren't interested, please disregard this edition and watch for the next Monday Memo.

NEW SITE OVERVIEW

I waited seven years to develop a new site, since I wanted to understand more about web site development and strategy.  In other words, my new site was seven years in the making!  I wanted something that would help you, the user, find help with purpose, leadership, and faith.  Here are some of the features I hope you will take advantage of in the coming days.

1. I have developed a free online assessment to help you understand where you are in your individual PurposeQuest.  When you take the assessment, you will receive a score, what I am calling your PQ, that lets you know where I think you are in your search for purpose.  Then you receive a follow-up email with some suggestions of steps to take to be more purposeful, along with a link back to my site that is available only to you and others with a similar score, outlining even more steps to take to clarify your purpose.  If you haven't taken the Assessment yet, feel free to do so and then come back and take it again after you have applied some of my suggestions.

2.  I have a slew of free articles and resources for you to download and read.  You will find every Bible study I have done since 2001, every article I have written, every Monday Memo and anything else I could think of to include as free downloads.  All the articles are broken down by topic and can be found on the Leadership page or the Archives page. 

3.  I am convinced that it is almost impossible to clarify your purpose without consulting someone else at some point in your PurposeQuest.  That is why I make myself available to help you in ways I describe under the Coaching section.  Whether it's a one-time get together or a more formal coaching program, I highly recommend that you invest something in your PurposeQuest.  Don't ask others to invest in you if you aren't willing to invest in yourself. 

4.  I have developed many seminars and programs for companies and churches over the years that are listed under the Services section of the site.  You may want to consider these for your next offsite retreat or training session.

5.  I am offering some very special Specials to celebrate the launching of the site.  Check them out and see which one is right for you.  They include discounts on the coaching and one-on-one services, free shipping on books and more. 

6. Finally, I do much of what I do because of the generosity of people who contribute to my work.  I send all Memos and Bible studies free of charge and do everything I can to make myself and my message available to any and all.  If you can contribute, there is a special Contributions page outlining the need and the means by which you can become a Purpose Partner.

I hope you will visit the site regularly and stay in touch with what I am doing and where I am going.  If you have any suggetions for the site, feel free to write.  You can request more information or express your interest in any of my programs or services by going to the Contact page and giving me your information.  I promise I will get back to you right away.  Also, please tell your friends about the site and urge them to take advantage of the purposeful resources found there. 

Thanks for letting me update you on the site.  I hope to hear from you soon. 

Monday Memo 355: Waiting to Be the Person You're Not

How early in life does purpose start?  How far back can you look and expect to find clues or specific indications of your ultimate purpose?  I have looked at Paul the last few weeks and would like to do so for one last time before we move on, for I believe this last look will help answer the questions I just raised.

It is my opinion that Paul was partially fulfilling his purpose when he was a Jew by the name of Saul.  It's an important point, for I believe that is true for you as well.  Most of us have had some experience in our purpose, sometimes early in life, but we are looking past it, expecting it to be something or someone that we are not.  Before I explain that, however, let's look at my theory about Paul.

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

We know that this man Saul was from Tarsus, located in modern-day Turkey.  Tarsus was one of the most cross cultural cities in the Roman Empire and Saul was truly a man of the Empire.  He was a Roman citizen and a Jew at home in a Gentile world.  Saul knew four languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, and was a Jewish scholar who studied in Jerusalem.  He was a tent maker and probably did a lot of business with non-Jews.

Jesus informed us that there was such a thing as a Jewish evangelist when He said:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are" (Matthew 23:15). 

In Acts 9, we are told that Saul asked for letters of recommendation so he could go to Damascus to pursue and persecute believers.  Here is where my theory "kicks in."  No Jerusalem Jew wanted to go to Damascus due to the risk of becoming unclean through contact with Gentiles.  Saul volunteered to go because he had been there.  He knew his way around and was comfortable in the Gentile world. He could speak their language, interact with their world and maintain his ceremonial purity as a good kosher Jew.

Does this prove my theory?  Absolutely not, but it is possible that it's true.  Saul was already working in the Gentile world when he met Jesus on his way to Damascus.  He continued to work with Gentiles after that encounter, only after that he went to convert his audience to Jesus and not to Judaism.  

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

So what clues does your past hold to your present purpose?  What did you love to do as a child? What was easy for you to learn?  What did you enjoy doing?  Perhaps you have dismissed the answers to those questions as irrelevant for your present PurposeQuest.  I maintain that the answers are important, even critical.

I have found many people waiting to be something they are not in order to fulfill their purpose.  Often the answers to who you are and what you were created to do are as close as your own heart, but you look past that with an expectation that God is going to make you someone you are not, someone He never intended you to be.  Is this your tendency?

I dreamed of travel when I was young.  I collected stamps and loved to gaze at foreign stamps, finding the country on a globe and then thinking of how I would get there one day.  Today I have visited many of the countries I dreamed of visiting. The clues to my present purpose were there in my past, just as they were for Saul.

It doesn't really matter whether or not Saul was a Jewish evangelist.  It supremely matters that he was true to who he was and, by so doing, changed the world.  If you are going to impact the world or your world, the same will hold true.  You must be true to who you are, and who you are is who you've always been.

Spend some time reflecting on your past this week and check out if you're waiting to be someone you're not.  The insight you gain from yesterday can provide important evidence as you seek to confirm your purpose today.  Have a great week!

Feel free to add your comments on the site where this entry is posted.

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NEW WEBSITE:  I promised to send out a special Memo last week about my new website, but decided to wait until this week since July 4 was our Fourth of July holiday weekend here in the States.  If you haven't checked out the new site, please do so, but be looking for a special mailing this week highlighting some of the new features.

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION:  If you are able to make a special contribution toward my purpose week this week, it would be greatly appreciated.  You can go to my site for directions on how to do so.  This will enable me to continue to write and pursue my studies toward my D Min degree through the summer months.

RADIO SHOW:  Don't miss the upcoming broadcast of my radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life, this coming Wednesday, July 9 at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show airs every Wednesday at the same time.

You can download and listen to the first three shows by going to station's archives.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the next show: 

Episode Eight: Purpose as a Business Concept

Is purpose just something personal or can purpose be used in business as a strategy to help your clients and partners?  Join John and his special guest, Mary Banks, as they discuss this and other purpose-related questions on the next Your PurposeQuest show.  Mary is the founder of Women of Women Consulting Group, whose mission is “to encourage the hearts of our clients and empower them to live the vision God has for their lives, by seeking His divine plan and purpose for them both professionally and personally. We do this through life coaching, leadership development, innovative workshops, and human resource consulting.”