We caught up with the brilliant and insightful April Wakefield-Spikener a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

April, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

As a child, I promised myself that once I “made it,” I would give back to the unhoused population in Oakland. One day in 2017, I realized that the idea of anyone “making it” is simply a result of our mind states. So in 2017, I began requesting $5 donations from people I loved and started the “Love Over Everything” Project.

With $5 donations, Me and my amazing Love Over Everything volunteers made bag lunches which included a sandwich, chips, fresh fruit, water, and a dessert and distributed them to the unhoused population in Oakland. The lunches also include a note that states, “Always Remember You Are Loved,” on the front and 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” on the back, with a name of the person who provided the lunch. The Love Over Everything volunteers walk the homeless encampments, talk to the unhoused, and pass out lunches.

To date, the Love Over Everything Project has fed over 700 people, with one distribution remaining this year.

California is said to have approximately 162,000 unhoused people! Imagine being able to feed one! Or more! Or even to be able to provide encouragement to someone when they least expect it.

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.

I am a woman of many trades! I am a professional by day, but I am also a poet, author, entrepreneur, Founder of the Love Over Everything Project, and a HUGE advocate for self-love. I honestly became this person by following my heart, and the guidance of my spirit (As I usually say, “the compass that God placed inside of me”). I do the things I love and feel called to do, and I don’t question them; I simply answer the call. I’ve discovered that each step leads me closer to the greatest, most fulfilled version of myself.

In 2009, while facing a layoff from my day job, I started April Olivia, a stationery business for people whose hearts have more to say. My initial dream was “simply” to own a greeting card company so I could write poetry inside of the cards. Shockingly though, I became a designer! It wasn’t until 7 years later that I got back to writing. The return to actively writing lead to releasing 3 books in just 5 years! I discovered the writing was like fresh air to my spirit. And the breathing of this much fresh air, also supported my journey into understanding myself better.

I am most proud of my own professional growth, and my ability to do THE work on myself, which has resulted in me being able to assist others on the same journey. I believe we can set goals, but we must also be open to new methods, discoveries, and possibilities, and that is exactly what I am doing!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

For me, plan B was a 9 to 5. Plan A, was owning a greeting card business and being a well known poet. I LOVE to write. I love the beauty of words on paper and how they give life to our deepest thoughts and feelings. Plan A was what my soul needed; Plan B was “safety.” Like most people, I initially chose plan B. However, as God would have it, Plan B began to fail. I was laid off and then Plan A became the only option I could see giving me peace. As a result, I launched my business, April Olivia; stationery for when your heart has more to say, in 2009. I imagined this would be my forever business (on the side), and I would continue it after retirement from my 9 to 5.

When the shutdown happened at the beginning of the pandemic, it halted my ability to produce the quality products I had become accustomed to providing to my customers. Who thinks paper is important besides those who create paper products or need them? It was devastating. But what followed was also surprising. While the printing companies eventually opened back up, there was a deeper discovery that happened within me. A need and a calling to not just help people say more on paper, but simply and complexly to help people say more, do more, and be more! There was a greater calling to help others find the same self love I found within myself. So once again, although I did it kicking and screaming internally, I pivoted. I pivoted right into coaching clients into finding the path back to their greatest self, to discovering and honoring their inner voices, and to working towards getting back to what makes them happy so they too can find their purpose.

What I learned from all of it is that every bold step you take towards your heart’s desires will lead you to your purpose. Sometimes each step is about making a new connection or opening a new door. Oftentimes God’s purpose for your life is much greater than you could even imagine. The thing is, you never know until you take that first step.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Absolutely! Of course first though, my own. Internal Monologue- A poetic journey through love and life (2017), Butterfly: Poetry for your soul (2019), and Human. (2022). But also, some of my absolute favorites are “You Are A Badass: How to stop doubting yourself and learn to live an awesome life” by Jen Sincero, Untamed by Glenn Doyle, The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown, Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, and The Life You Want by Oprah. Those books helped me on my self-discovery journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aprilolivia.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/aprilthepoet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aprilthepoet
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aprilolivia