“Drifting in and out of consciousness, I could hear faintly ‘she is dying, she has lost so much blood, she cannot make it’.”
Trapped in a vicious cycle of abusive relationships, Florence was holding on to this last relationship for her self-worth, esteem, and identity. She had been searching for love all in the wrong places, and the abortions her partner demanded she have were her only form of birth control. She now found herself barely conscious under the anesthesia and on the operating table for her 9th procedure, the doctors fighting for her life. She garnered all her remaining strength to maintain consciousness and, although still very weak, she made a life-saving decision. After so many years of family betrayals, domestic violence, homelessness, and suicide attempts, she was ready to do everything in her power to commit her life to something bigger than herself. She would do everything possible to be a force of change for women dealing with the same ordeal.
The first thing she did was establish her independence as an entrepreneur. She worked for several years selling makeup through Mary Kay and was able to start the journey towards financial independence and emotional freedom. She met Dr. Patricia Bailey, a successful Christian leader who preached around the country, and started working with her as a mentee. Florence learned to refine her ability to connect, heal, and lead and quickly became more sought after. After going back to school and obtaining a degree, she became a Minister of Faith and founded the Esther Generation Prayer Life Ministry.
Now a spiritual changemaker living in the very core of her new passion and life’s purpose, it was somewhat unimaginable for her to think bigger. Ministers of faith consider their work as the highest privilege and call to service any human can have. Florence, in particular, wrestles with an insatiable yearning to do more, give more, and touch more lives. While her desire for more was clear, what was even clearer was that being a one-woman institution was not the way to keep going. She realized she had to make yet another life-altering decision. She would have to aspire beyond her current professional identity as a Minister of Faith.
This is where I enter the story. I am a professional identity coach serving individuals looking to make career transitions. I work with clients who are multi-talented, ambitious, and stuck. Florence fit this bill perfectly. She needed a new strategy to articulate her burning desire to expand her circles of influence and impact. She wanted to stretch the impact of her transformation work beyond the walls of her ministry. Florence envisioned a ministry without walls and being a minister without borders. She wanted to give expression to her other latent passions as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, speaker, and a pro-life advocate.
Her “aha” moment happened during one of our coaching sessions. I asked her, “do you consider yourself a spiritual coach?” That was the moment she had been waiting for. The answer to this question would unveil the next chapter of her professional life. Her initial response was, “no, I wouldn’t consider myself one.” Unbeknownst to her, the very same talent, the gift of the gab, that enabled her freedom as an entrepreneur and activated her life’s purpose as a minister of faith, was the very same talent required to make this transition as a spiritual coach.
After a series of deep coaching and self discovery exchanges, Florence was able to give herself permission to reach beyond the labels that had defined her professional identity till that point. She made the ultimate ascension to become her own brand, a new identity that captures her many passions and talents and funnels them into a singular expression - Dr. Florence Brooks Inc.
Similar to others I work with to make this transition, Florence discovered she had always been enough, and that what she had been looking for was already within her reach. Her skill-set was transferrable outside of the faith community, and by identifying the core of these strengths, she was able to reach further. Her experiences proved that she was capable, resourceful, and had the necessary drive in the face of adversity. Florence had been doing the work of a spiritual coach and already had a large client base, she just need to change the tone and expectations of those interactions. Once she was able to leverage and place a value on her time, a new world of possibilities opened up.
Florence became the business called Florence Brooks with a portfolio that included The Real Deal and VIP Spiritual Life Coaching as signature products. Both are expressions of her commitment to help women navigate issues of identity restoration. By putting a premium on her time and natural gifts, she was able to broaden her opportunities and create balance in her own life. With a steady stream of income and better control of her time, Florence is now able to help those less fortunate through The Brooks Family Foundation which supports vulnerable women in underserved communities.
Dr. Florence Brooks is proof of the limitless capacity of the human spirit and the valuable lessons we can all take from our past experiences, good or bad. In my coaching practice I often ask my clients, “what would be your survival skill if you found yourself in an unimaginable place.” The answer is often enlightening. For Florence it was the natural ability to connect with people and inspire. Amid all the talents, passions, and skills, there is a core to each of us, that has been guiding us all along. Once we accept and harness that core and give ourselves permission to value our skills and time, real transformation can occur. This core is the foundation for our personal brand which becomes the platform to expand our sphere of influence and reach our truest potential. A personal brand is not just a goal but an imperative for true growth.
“I couldn’t imagine all the wealth I possessed despite and inspite of all I have gone through. I just had to look within myself.” Dr. Florence Brooks
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Do you have a story to tell? You can reach out to Gbenga on his website or catch his next Tell Your Story series in a city near you.