A Decade of Growth, Grit, and Grace

Looking back to 2015 feels like a lifetime ago.

At that time, I was teaching Leadership and Discipleship at Oaktree Academy, working as the Personal Development Trainer at a real estate office, and regularly teaching at the church we attended—across classes that ranged from teenagers to senior adults. It was a full and deeply fulfilling season.

And yet, something within me knew it was time for more.

That’s when Graceful Impact was born—a space where my passions for teaching, encouraging, and designing could all live under one roof. It felt like the next natural step. But what I didn’t know then was how much this path would also become one of unlearning, healing, and stepping into new freedom.

Letting Go to Grow

In the early days of building Graceful Impact, I began to question long-held beliefs around authority, purpose, and calling. We eventually made the heartbreaking decision to leave the church community we had been part of for years after its leadership insisted that my business operate under their authority, even wanting to control the classes I taught and the couples I coached.

That decision came at a cost. We lost friends. We lost familiarity. We lost a place that had once felt like home.

But we also gained clarity. Freedom. Growth.

After trying to start fresh with another church, we found ourselves facing similar patterns—power without accountability, and manipulation disguised as leadership. In November 2018, we left quietly and definitively, placing the key inside with a letter explaining why we could no longer stay. That door closed, and we haven’t looked back.

As someone deeply spiritual, I felt those losses profoundly—and still do. But it also gave me the space and strength to live out my purpose on new terms.

Blossoming Beyond Boundaries

One of the most life-giving decisions I made in that season was becoming ordained so I could officiate weddings for the couples I coach. It’s been such a joy to walk with couples—from building communication and connection to standing with them on one of the most important days of their lives. I love personalizing their ceremonies and witnessing love stories that have been intentionally nurtured.

Even while navigating grief and rebuilding, I kept teaching—through Alyssa’s graduation, through the pandemic, and until 2022 when I taught my last class. By then, the weight of spiritual and secondary trauma had made it difficult to uphold some of the belief systems tied to the school. So, I closed that chapter and opened a new one.

I enrolled in college in the fall of 2022 and graduated with an Associate's Degree in Graphic Design in 2024. Since then, I’ve continued learning—most recently taking a Creative Writing class to further develop my voice and creative expression.

A Look Back at the Highlights

Over these past 10 years, there have been so many meaningful moments:

• Coaching and supporting couples using tools like Prepare/Enrich and becoming certified to help others do the same.

• Hosting and co-creating the podcast Simple Conversations: Where Grace Meets Strength with my dear friend KJ Strong. It was a special season filled with rich conversations that elevated the voices of women in business, education, and leadership.

• Teaching workshops and book clubs—in person, over Zoom, and in cities across the country. Two of the most popular have been the Spiritual Gift Assessment and the 4Lenses Workshop.

• Launching the Grace-Filled Life Designer—a signature tool I created after realizing the need for a consolidated, intentional resource for personal growth. What started as a quarterly guide has evolved into a full-color, tabbed, wire-bound annual planner that beautifully blends functionality and soul work.

• Creating brand identities and logos for business owners with heart and purpose, helping them visually communicate who they are and what they stand for.

• Volunteering creative work for organizations doing meaningful work in today’s world.

What’s Next?

More classes. More writing. More designing.

And, as always, staying open to what’s possible.

My heart is full looking back—but it’s also expectant looking ahead. Whether it’s through teaching, coaching, designing, or simply sharing stories, I want to continue creating spaces where women feel seen, empowered, and inspired to live out their calling with boldness and grace.

To every woman I’ve coached, taught, designed for, or sat beside in conversation—thank you. You are a part of this story. You’ve helped shape what Graceful Impact has become.

Here’s to 10 years of growth—and to the many beautiful things still to come.

With so much love and gratitude,

Ps. Please consider sharing this and future blogs with your friends so Graceful Impact can continue to grow and reach new readers. Thanks!