We were lucky to catch up with Denice Martin-Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Denice, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

This question stood out because I usually focus on what I believe my parents did wrong in my upbringing instead of what they did right. However, when I think about it now, something my parents did right that impacted my life and career happened when I got pregnant during my senior year of high school. After their initial reaction that I was about to ruin my life, they decided to support me by stepping back and letting me choose to keep my baby. They didn’t hold me to their expectations anymore. They trusted that I was capable of making this life-changing decision for myself. I started college when I was five months pregnant. After giving birth, they gave me their blessings and allowed me to move in with my son’s father at 18. This decision propelled me with a transformative force I wouldn’t have received if I had stayed home. Their choice to let me go made me realize that I had to take full responsibility for myself and my newborn baby. Education became my oxygen, and I learned the importance of breathing deeply, researching, and learning for myself. I accepted that nothing would be handed over to me; I had to work to show the world that I was a fighter who was here for a reason and a purpose. This fighting spirit kept me throughout my years of evolution. I became a mom at 18, a wife at 20, and an English teacher at 24, and I owe it all to my parents’ ability to let go and trust my process. The crazy part of this is today; I now stand where my parents stood many years ago. My son turned 25 years old on November 15th, and there is so much that I am expecting from his life that my eyes can’t see yet. I now have to challenge myself to do what my parents did, let go and trust that his process will lead him to the path that was created for him. I have to let go so he can choose his course and execute the plan for the life he dreams of and is destined to fulfill.

Denice, 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 AM… a Reading Specialist, Author, Poet, Writing & Wellness Coach & CEO of Dee’s Passion Filled Experience, LLC.

I was born and raised in Trinidad and came to the United States in 1989 at the age of nine. I grew up in the Bronx, and I live in Harlem, New York. I received my BA in English and Secondary Education from Queens College and became an English teacher in 2004. I am an alumna of Lehman College and received my Masters in Specialized Services in Education in 2006. After working for the Department of Education for six years, I transitioned into my current position working as a Reading Specialist with court-involved youth.

Over the years, I’ve implemented various literacy and creative programs at Passages Academy Bronx Hope. My school was also where my motto, “The Pen Is My Weapon of Choice,” came alive! My love for reading and writing is sprinkled throughout the school building and executed through my Passion-Filled Writers’ Movement.

I AM… a Passion-Filled writer who has published eight books of poetry, a journal for girls, a writing guide for the Writer’s Notebook, and two picture books.

When the pandemic first hit In 2019, I launched my LLC, Dee’s Passion Filled Experience. During that time, I realized the importance of working out and writing to help us rest, reset and rejuvenate so we can revolutionize our lives!
My Passion Filled Spaces provide the mind, body, and soul care needed for people working 9-5 and dreaming of a more creative lifestyle.

Dee’s Passion Filled Experience LLC creates a brave space to interact with the real you and offers two experiences you can choose from.

My first experience, Passion-Filled Writers, invite you into a space where you will experience the liberating power of writing. Armed with a pen and a Writer’s Notebook, using my Passion-Filled Writing format, you will learn how to become a consistent writer who uses writing as a tool of upliftment. My writing sessions show the transformative power of the Writer’s Notebook and how it can become a place of Rest, Reflection, Revelation & Revolution for your life.

My second experience, TriniGirl Caribbean Cardio & Body Sculpting Session, is a 45-minute high-intensity workout that combines Caribbean Cardio and Body Sculpting routines to transform the body and stimulate a life of wellness.

I train with you and your friends, giving you the support, love, and motivation to make it through your workout.

My fusion session brings the love for writing and working out together. This newly offered session taps into the mind and body while inviting the spirit to be free:) We begin this session with a 3-minute quick write before warming up for our Caribbean Cardio and Body Sculpting Session.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Before I launched my LLC in 2019, I started a Women’s Edition of Passion Filled Writers. I created this group to support three women during their writing journey and their desire to self-publish their first book. We wrote together for months, and after publishing their books, we hosted open mics, sharing our work with others and our profits with each other. After this journey, one of the sis-stars from The Woman’s Edition career as an author took off. She started doing her open mic series independently and secured many other opportunities for her book. She seemed to be an overnight success, which was a great thing. The not-so-great thing was that she disconnected herself from Passion Filled Writers and created a narrative where she projected the story that she made it without my support. I was hurt and furious. I sat in those feelings for a while until one day, God spoke to me about the pain I had allowed to eat at my core. I had a choice to make at that moment, was I going to be Bitter or Better? I chose Better Over Bitter, and a movement was created instantaneously. I started a new brand, and a book of poetry called Better Over Bitter; it was a testimony and a reminder that no matter what life throws at us, we still get to choose, and I decided that I would be better over bitter.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I keep in touch with my clients and foster brand loyalty in many passion-filled ways. I love sending out weekly check-in text messages to them. I also send care packages to my clients that include Teas and writing inspiration. I also give my clients loyalty discounts on my events, products, and sessions. I also have T.E.A. (Time, Energy & Attention) with Dee phone check-ins where I give my clients one-on-one attention to identify additional support they might need for their wellness journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deespassionfilledexperience.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deepassionate1_trinigirl_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deepassionate1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denice-martin-thompson2022/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepassionate1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Deepassionate1