We recently connected with Yolunda Hopps and have shared our conversation below.

Yolunda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In May of 2021, I took a huge risk by leaving my full time job as a Special Education Teacher to start not one but TWO businesses!! It was around the time of the pandemic that I was looking to make a return back to teaching high school after being at a K-8 school for 5 years. All of my prior attempts had failed but I finally landed a position. It seemed perfect! I was making more money & I didn’t have the same level of responsibility I’d had with my last position as a Department Chair. The downside was that the job bored me out of my mind. Teachers sign contracts for the following year in the Spring before summer break. I declined the offer to sign a new contract & I had no idea what was next! I’d begun studying various forms of spirituality that extended far beyond my religious upbringing. I knew I had a gift but believe that any gift can & should be cultivated for excellence! I chose to provide services as a full time spiritualist. I also hated to abandon my love for educating others. So I convinced my husband(who was also an educator) that we should pursue our life long dream of starting a tutoring, consulting, & advocacy business for students with special needs. To that end, Yo The Spiritualist & CoYo Education Services were born!

Yolunda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into my spiritual business because of my love for all things spiritual. My Life Path is 7. To be a 7 means that my walk during this lifetime is rooted in spirituality. I see the need for people to tap into their spirit so that they can live their authentic soul-level truth. My background as a therapist, teacher & Baptist minister of music gave me an edge. I solve problems for clients who I call spiritual adventurists. Some are looking for guidance, others deconstructing outdated belief systems, & some are simply curious about what else is out there. What sets me apart from others is my belief that we are all different. No two people have the same path & therefore cannot be written the same prescription for finding their soul level purpose. I’m most proud of the fact that I didn’t give up. I took the risk of embark upon a path that abandoned my staunch Baptist upbringing and allowed me the freedom to define God/my Higher Power on my own terms. My brand welcomes people from all walks of life regardless of race, color, creed, religion or gender. I listen & don’t judge! I’m not a cookie cutter spiritualist. I intuitively delve into whatever modality is needed to assist clients in finding their way. I am a ULC Ordained Minister, student of astrology, Human Design Systems, numerology & ancestral healing, & I ascribe to hoodoo as well as African Traditional Religion. I sometimes access any & all of these things to help my clients achieve their goals.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Networking has been the best source of new clients for me. Though I market on social media, most of my clients came to me via word of mouth. One of my spiritual mentors has been instrumental in touting my work & because of his position of influence amongst the collective, has sent many clients my way.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think owning a business & creating a brand takes constant pivoting. I’m about to start working with a brand manager in rebranding or changing the way I show up on social media so as to attract more of the right audience. That’s a huge piece. I took about a 8 month sabbatical because I realized that starting two businesses ultimately burned me out. Now my primary focus is on being Yo The Spiritualist. I recently started a Podcast called #iAmWhatWokeLooksLyke on YouTube, where I’ll be talking to other spiritual ists, writers, creatives & people who I like to call “Revolutionary Insomniacs™️”. These are people who are busy waking up souls with their unique gifts. I want to highlight them.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://yothespiritual.one/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yothespiritual1/profilecard/?igsh=MTBuZ28yY3huMnRjaQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/181Z9ZXvzZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Twitter: https://x.com/yothespiritual1?s=21&t=DxnnsTRkWppBMtAxV-BSsQ
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/_vggfYWAv38?si=6n6oXd3XpJohaheb

Image Credits

JP Make Da Photos
Corey Hopps