Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cindy Bautista-Thomas, PhD, LCSW, RYT. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cindy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Both of my parents were immigrants from the Dominican Republic who moved to the US in the 1970s because they wanted a better life for their first two children. They eventually had three other children and they taught the five of us how to serve our communities. The also taught us to have love and respect for everyone regardless of their titles. My mother was a homemaker and also ran a small business selling clothes and blankets and comforters from our home. She would buy things on wholesale and sell them at retail to her neighbors, friends and families. My father was also an entrepreneur. He was a livery cab driver and would often offer his cab services to his family and friends at no cost. My parents taught us the importance of having a relationship with God. They also taught us to share our gifts talents and abilities with love to the world.

Cindy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a licensed clinical social worker, social work educator, podcast host, yoga instructor, mindfulness facilitator, author, mother, wife, master trainer, and curator of spaces of healing and transformation, I have spent over 24 years making a positive difference in various settings. I have had the privilege of making a positive impact in various fields. I am deeply committed to empowering marginalized communities, offering pro-bono training in low-income neighborhoods and mentoring students. I am a first generation Dominican-American, Afro-Latina who was born and raised in the Bronx. I am a doctoral lecturer at Lehman College, CUNY’s Department of Social Work where I also serve as the social work club advisor. By volunteering on nonprofit boards, I contribute to organizations striving for community impact. I am on the NASW national board and am the scholarship director at the 100 Hispanic Women, Inc. I am excited to continue my multifaceted work, pushing boundaries, advocating for social justice, and creating positive change.

In 2017, I co-founded Velocity Visions, Inc. with my friend and colleague, Ancy Lewis. Velocity Visions, Inc. provides dynamic personal and professional development services through experiential workshops in nonprofit, for profit, and government settings. Our mission is to motivate, empower, and inspire life enhancing action to fuel personal and professional success.Velocity Visions, Inc. is a Minority Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certified organization and New York City Department of Education vendor that has been serving the local and national communities since 2017.We have provided hundreds of training with individuals and organizations. Our four pillars and areas where we concentrate our work in is in self-care, social emotional learning/emotional intelligence, healing centered practice and diversity, equity and inclusion. We center our work in healing, transformation and impact.

As I continue my multifaceted work, I remain committed to creating positive change and empowering individuals and communities. My diverse skill set and experiences have prepared me to contribute to any institution that values social justice and equity. Together, we can create a world where all communities thrive, and where social work is at the forefront of transformative change.

For the last six years, Velocity Visions, Inc. has been supporting organizations that want to provide training and workshops that will enhance their overall wellness while enhancing their skill set. We have also provided small group workshops for individuals who are looking to explore possibilities in their lives by attending our Vision Board Workshops. We recently became Continuing Education providers for New York State LMSWs and LCSWs.

What I am most proud of is the brand that we have been building in providing quality training and workshop experiences that transform the lives of the attendees, no matter what the topic is that we are covering. We have been able to provide experiential life transforming workshops both virtually and in person. We have also been able to provide self care support via our podcast, Self Care to Success in 15 minutes or less podcast.

I love that I get to be a workpreneur, working as a full time faculty member in social work and also working with organizations and individuals through Velocity Visions, Inc.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partner, Ancy Lewis when we were undergraduate students at SUNY Stony Brook. We were in the same Biology class and I was failing the class. She was a student that was paying attention and asked great questions. I approached her and asked her if she would support me with Biology and she said yes. We developed a great friendship. Eventually, she introduced me to social work by inviting me to an information session. From there, we supported each other in social work. It was when we both became divorcee, single moms, that our journey in healing began. We met by phone once a week to hold ourselves accountable for our goals as well as discuss our vision board goals. We achieved so many great outcomes that we started sharing what we were doing to friends and family. We started Velocity Visions, because we wanted to share the knowledge that we had with others while building a financial legacy for us and our children. Our business has grown every year since.

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

In 2013 I started my PhD journey. That same year, I remarried. It took me eight years to complete my doctoral studies. During that time, I was in school full time, working full time, raising two teenagers, running Velocity Visions, Inc. and caring for my elderly mother. I learned in 2018 that my mother had Alzheimer’s. During the pandemic quarantine, her Alzheimer’s got worse and I was able to access 24 hour home health aide support for my mother. During that time we were hosting workshops virtually at least once a week. I had to navigate working full time, managing my mother’s care, raising two teenagers, and my business. In 2018 I also learned that my mother-in-law had stage 4 colon cancer. It was during these years that I began to practice mindfulness regularly and implement rigorous self-care practices. I became a yoga instructor and mindfulness facilitator via online programs to support my mind body and spirit wellness and support the wellness of others.

It was those practices that helped me thrive during a time that for many were the most difficult. In 2021 my mother passed away from COVID and while I grieved and am still grieving, I was still able to execute workshops and focus on my well being.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.velocityvisionsinc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velocityvisionsinc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/velocityvisionsinc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-bautista-thomas/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VisionsVelocity?lang=en

Image Credits
Layra Marte