Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Lisek. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Grace in Love, inc.) in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic. The mental health crisis was also at an all-time high. At graceinlove.org, we are focused on spreading hope and encouragement to people going through difficult times. One of the ways we do that is by sending a free, encouraging Care Package to anyone that reaches out on our website. We also offer a completely free blogging platform to post encouraging content to uplift one another.
Ultimately, my story is that there was once a time in my life when I was in that very dark and broken place so I know what it feels like. A little over 10 years ago, I was going through an especially difficult season of life and experienced a mental health crisis. During that time, I met someone who was extremely encouraging to me (Colleen). She became one of my best friends and such a light to me over the years. Colleen and I then started making “Blessing Kits” with not only things like hygiene items but also encouraging messages, prayer cards, positive quotes, etc. and handing them out to people experiencing homelessness. When Covid hit, there was then an increased need for this type of online platform where individuals can access hope and encouragement from anywhere. We’ve now shipped hundreds of free, encouraging Care Packages to people all throughout the country.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Amy Lisek and I am the Founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Grace in Love, inc. Where we are on mission to spread hope and encouragement to people going through difficult times (graceinlove.org). Our motto is “Let all that you do be done in love”. We strive to meet people with kindness and love. People reach out at our website from all across the country and different walks of life to request a free, encouraging Care Package. We believe that you can do small acts of kindness with great love and it can truly make a positive difference.
My background is working in the field of helping to support individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities for 12 years. It’s been a passion of mine and a calling to serve others; and I’m also very passionate about helping people experiencing mental health difficulties as well. I personally experienced a mental health crisis around 10 years ago and so I have great empathy for what that feels like.
I founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Grace in Love, inc.) in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic. The mental health crisis was also at an all-time high. At graceinlove.org, we are focused on spreading hope and encouragement to people going through difficult times. One of the ways we do that is by sending a free, encouraging Care Package to anyone that submits a request on our website. We also offer a completely free blogging platform to post encouraging content to uplift one another in addition to a resource list, prayer support, and more.
I also share more about my personal experience with overcoming various hardships and mental health battles in the book I wrote “Grace in Love: Experiencing the Transformational Change of God’s Grace” which is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Walmart.com, and more.
Overall, our nonprofit is unique because we offer an uplifting Care Package shipped directly to the person that requests it on our website free of charge. The book is also unique because for those interested in a faith-based approach to personal development, becoming the best version of yourself that you can be, and finding your God-given purpose in life – the book serves as a practical guidebook that can be applied to your everyday life.
As our nonprofit approaches our 5 year anniversary, I’m proud that as a 100% volunteer-run organization that is being grown from the ground-up, we have been able to positively impact the lives of so many people that are going through tough times. Our outreach efforts primarily being online have been an effective way to reach people that may have otherwise “fallen through the cracks”. Loving people and meeting them where they are at has always been at the heart of our values and so I’m proud that we have been able to continue that emphasis on putting people first and spreading the message that there is always hope. Our nonprofit has also earned a Platinum Transparency Award from GuideStar/Candid and so that is another proud accomplishment! We are so grateful for our growing list of partners/donors that have made it possible to send so many Care packages out.
Be sure to follow along with us at graceinlove.org where there are also links to our socials as well (Instagram, TikTok). Also come see us at various Mental Health Awareness events if you are local to Illinois!

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

Resilience, for me, has always been key in my own personal story of overcoming obstacles and keeping a determined mindset. I believe that no matter what you face, you should strive to become unstoppable. I share more about my own journey in the book I wrote because ultimately I want people to look at my life and say, “Wow, if she can be at the lowest of lows at that point in her life but still keep the faith and push through that dark time to get to the light on the other side- then I can do it, too.” Many years ago, I had thought that I met the love of my life. Turns out, he had some pretty deep dark secrets that I was not aware of at the time. As the truth was revealed, I didn’t cope with it in the best of ways. This all led to a downward spiral and I ended up inpatient at a hospital for mental health. I also left my job at the time and so when I came out of the hospital, I had no job, no relationship, and really nothing other than my faith in God. But when you have faith, that’s sometimes all you really need to push through and keep going until you get to the other side. I started serving tables at a fancy Italian restaurant so that I could afford my rent and other bills. Then I met a guy who ran his own DJ company who hired me to do Karaoke nights at the local Irish bar. I would get off working sometimes a double shift at the restaurant, go sit in a coffee shop applying for jobs on my laptop, and then go set up the DJ equipment and host Karaoke night until sometimes around 2am. I barely had any days off. Life felt very hard. But I held onto my faith. I held onto the hope even when I couldn’t see much happening/changing. And little by little, things began to change. I got a better job. Then I got my dream job. Then on the first day of my dream job, I got a message from someone on Facebook that I’d never met before (but I recognized some of our mutual friends). Long story short, we started talking, went on our first date that week and are now married with 3 beautiful children. I’ve had a career in a field that I love for 12 years now and also founded my own nonprofit 5 years ago to give back and help spread hope to others. There have been many ups and downs along the way but I truly believe that there’s nothing like a great “Comeback” story. No matter how many times you might get off track or discouraged in your journey, you can always pick yourself back up and make a comeback. Have faith and remember that God can make a way when you may not see it yet.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I mention some of my favorite personal development books in the book I wrote because I’m a huge fan of reading books on mindset, growth, and overall personal development. I believe when you invest time and energy into becoming the best version of yourself that you can be, it’s going to ultimately be the best investment that you can make. If you are going to be a thought-leader, business-owner, visionary or any of the above – no matter how busy you get, be sure to keep learning, reading books, and growing each day. The first book that comes to mind is “Everything is Figureoutable” by Marie Forleo. I love this philosophy that she mentions in the book because when you are an entrepreneur, you just simply have to have this sort of positive mindset. When I started on my journey, I read this book early on and it helped give me the confidence to learn how to design a website, write a book, found a nonprofit, work with a publishing company, and all the other things that I had obviously never done before.
Equally just important I would say is a book I read more recently called “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell. This concept expressed in the book is also key because it touches on the reality that there are simply just not enough hours in the day for 1 person to do everything. As you grow and expand a business, it becomes essential to delegate. For example, I’m not a naturally gifted financial advisor/expert. I could spend hours and hours trying to learn finances and tax information and all of that or I could just hire a specialist each year to do the nonprofit’s financials and taxes. I obviously choose to do the latter.
Overall, I would say for me personally, my faith has been the driving force that has helped me stay inspired and motivated to keep going on this entrepreneurial journey. I think any Founder will likely tell you that there are discouraging or hard days when you might feel like giving up. It makes a huge difference when you can stay “On-Mission” by staying inspired and focused. It helps me fuel my faith and “refill my tank” by going to church, reading my Bible, doing Devotionals, reading faith-based books, and listening to sermons and Christian music.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://graceinlove.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylynnlisek
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylynnlisek
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amylynnlisek
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@grace.in.love.inc