Brand Story Challenge Day 2: Defining My Catalyst Moment

On day 2 of the Brand Story Challenge, I engaged in the exercise for defining my catalyst moment. I joined the Brand Story Challenge to get clearer and grow to next level service and abundant living. I invite you on a journey as I share my daily journal assignments and insights

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​I first remember coming up with my business idea during President’s Day weekend on February 14, 2009 and after hearing Matt Crouch of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) say, “Our destinies don’t come to us, they come through us.” That quote and the essence of the entire broadcast resonated in my spirit and culminated with other God sent messages, imploring me to decree, declare, and implement the birth of Inspired 4 U Ministries.

I set the intention to be an inspirational presence as Inspired 4 U on HubPages.com and the world at large, ministering healing, hope, encouragement, life, love and all that God would have me to share through that venue.

Just before that in 2008, I had finally published my first book (On Solid Ground: Inspirational Poetry For All Occasions) 8 years after God had given me the title, cover image and poetic expressions to include. I remembered the fear, insecurity and lack of knowledge that I allowed to delay my progress. I also realized that I needed to always confront my fears with faith and do what I know, using what I have because God always instructs me on ‘What’ to do. In the process, I learned that the ‘How’ is provided when I stand in the power of my ‘Why’.

The good and bad experiences that really showed me the solution I am able to offer through my products and services are:

• My experience as a Policies & Procedures Writer and trainer was helpful in me learning a self-publishing resource that allowed me to publish the last five of my six books, write a step-by-step “how to” book on the process, and empower others to economically publish in excellence.
• My experience as writer for my first business, “Express Yourself Creations,” showed me that I am gifted in helping people communicate authentically and edit in a way that represents their voice in a professional manner. Specializing in personalized poetry provided most of the material to complete my first book and showed me I have an unlimited source of creativity to inspire.
• My experience as an overcomer of being estranged from my father, raped at 17, divorced at 39, betrayed by close friends and living fearful, undervalued and voiceless during the first half of my life helped me to identify and empathize with others and share my story from a place of power.  I am now able to write and speak my truth out loud to help heal and liberate others as I heal and liberate myself.

My “darkness to light” moment on my entrepreneurial journey came after resigning from my corporate position as a Policies & Procedures Writer on July 30, 2010 to pursue my passion for full time ministry and fulfill my longtime desire to work from home. My cashed in 401K money had run out and I eventually had to give up my apartment and move back to my childhood home by December 2011. Although I had completed certificate courses in Life Coaching and Entrepreneurship, I kept trying to compensate with independent unrelated side jobs and ended up experiencing the symptoms of a former recurring respiratory illness that I hadn’t had in 4 years. Flat on my back and unable to talk due to coughing spasms, I acknowledged a familiar double-minded pattern and trust issue that needed to be put to rest once and for all. I decided to put forth 100% effort, focus and belief in being who God created me to be and do what He called me to do inside and outside of my comfort zone. I also made myself a priority and began being as passionate and diligent about my own work as I am about the work I do for others.

My catalyst moments are summarized in the following sentence stems:

“My business and life changed when…”  I stopped being double-minded about what I was here to do and decided to fully believe that God called me for such a time as this and would be faithful to His promise about my purpose.

“The moment that I decided I would help people was…” actually a natural inclination since childhood, I always found myself protectively impassioned about and speaking up for the outcast and underdog, even when I couldn’t do so for myself. I intentionally decided that I would help people in 1998 when I felt a strong desire to go into full time ministry.  All I wanted to do was serve God and be an extension of His light and love to others then and now.

“My catalyst moment in business happened because…” a respiratory ailment afflicted my body … again, which was a tell-tale sign that I was out of order. Except this time, it was critical for me to learn the lesson and thus make myself and my business a priority. I became very clear that it was no longer an option.