We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charissa Lawrence a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Charissa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I was coming out of what I felt was one of the worse years of my life which was 2019. That year absolutely drained me mentally, emotionally, and physically. That year started with my dad’s side of the family burying my Aunt his sister, someone he was close to in January. A month later my daughter was diagnosed with pneumonia in the hospital for two months, put on a ventilator three times, had a lung biopsy lost her baby, and had to relearn how to walk and breathe on her own. Then had to watch my brother and sister mourn the loss of their dad from losing my dad a few months later to finding out my mom had breast cancer. In the midst of everything that was going on, I was feeling unfulfilled all the while still getting closer to God but felt as if I was not doing enough for the kingdom of God. I started fasting and praying and God gave me the idea to start an apparel brand God Is Foundation. It has been an emotional rollercoaster but I knew this was a worthwhile endeavor because it was God-led. My brand was created to help families get back to raising their kids on biblical principles, repairing families, and building the kingdom of God. Working in the education system I built relationships with kids who were missing the foundation of God which showed with interaction with parents and the kids. What got me most excited about starting my brand was that I was being obedient to what God gave me to do and I get the chance to see my brand making a difference. We have gotten away from building on the foundation of God it’s time to get back to 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

My name is Charissa Lawrence I am originally from Shreveport Louisiana I currently reside in Texas. I have three daughters all grown and two grandkids. I am truly blessed to still have my mom who resided in my hometown. I graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2019 with my bachelor’s degree with plans to become a Special Education Teacher but God had other plans. I stepped out on faith and left my job in 2022 to become a full-time business owner. I love God, going to church, and doing my part to help build the Kingdom of God. I have an online Christian Apparel Store God Is Foundation that has something for the entire family t-shirts, sweaters, and hoodies(for adults, youth &toddlers)and onesies for infants. I started my brand to help bridge the gap in families to remind them that God needs to be put back at the center of families. I think what sets me apart is that my brand does not just focus on one person but the entire family as a whole. I am most proud that I learned that it’s bigger than me it’s about helping others.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I use Shopify as my platform to sell my product. I chose this platform because it came highly recommended for other business owners. The cons are being new to building your online store can be kind of overwhelming and things are always changing leaving you to have to learn more just when you think you have mastered it. Pros are that the online support can be very helpful and normally walks you through your issues step by step.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Last year my oldest daughter was diagnosed with Stage Three Kidney Disease which has progressed to Stage Four with her Kidney only functioning at 5%. She now has to do dialysis three times a week which has taken an emotional, mental, and physical toll on us both. There have been so many days I wanted to quit but I kept pressing. This causes a lot of missed days from work all while trying to start a business from the ground up learning everything as I go. I did not think I would ever get to a place where I would launch my store but God.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.godisfoundation.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/god_is_foundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/god is foundation
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charissa-lawrence-baa454263/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@godisfoundation9339
• Other: TikTok- www.tiktok.com/@godisfoundation