We recently connected with Crystal Geneva Wooten and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal Geneva, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

In 2018, The Journey… Back to Me, was birthed out of the desire to help others identify their purpose and pursue their passion.

At this time I was a couple of years fresh out of a divorce and left with 2 small children to raise on my own. My Dad (who battled multiple cancers for 12 long years) had just passed and I watched my mom go from a caretaker to a grieving widow.

During this time, I realized that my identity was tied to being a wife, mother and caretaker and I thought that my life was over, but I pressed on and began rebuilding my life. Never truly dealing with the loss. Many of you know what those moments are like. I never took a moment to breathe and grieve either loss. I walked out of divorce court and went back to work the same day. I planned a funeral, took care of the estate, and was back at work in a week when my father passed.

I pushed through because my Dad as sick as he was never missed a day of work unless he was having surgery. We don’t take off of work in my family. From a very early age I was taught to just keep going. Push through it. In addition to all of this at this , I was also running an event planning business and a home – based bakery because I didn’t want to lose out on the things that brought me joy. These were my special moments doing something that I enjoyed. 2 passions that allowed me to steal some quiet moments and be creative.

One morning, about 2 months later, I woke up and it all came crashing down. I was in the kitchen with the feeling that I just wanted to end it all. I called my job and told my boss that I wasn’t coming back. (Thank God she understood what that meant and did not take it as a resignation!) I found myself on the floor in a ball of tears trying to find some relief from this unimaginable amount of anxiety that I was feeling. I called several friends and family. No one answered. I then called a close family friend who was a therapist. I knew that she could not treat me because she was so close to me, but she had to have some resources to help me. She referred me to a therapist whom I believe that along with God, saved my life. Growing up in a family where I was taught to just pray and let it go, this was all new to me, but prayer alone did not seem to be solving the problem.

As, I worked through all of the emotions that I had previously tried to hide, God begin to deal with me. I created a Self – Care workbook that allowed me to journal and write my way to a breakthrough. From there, I began sharing my story with others to encourage them to keep going. No longer hiding in the shadows of my emotions and the fear of judgement from others.

Through formal training as an HR professional and life coach, I have used my gifts and experiences to create programs that help individuals and companies develop their own purpose, identify their passion, and effectively create a roadmap to navigate through all areas of personal and professional challenges. This has not only created a healing space for me, but a safe space for others to show up as their authentic self.

Crystal Geneva, 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?

My name is Crystal Geneva and I live to inspire others. Amongst many hats, I am the founder and facilitator of The Journey… Back to Me. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up, I discovered very early on that I had an innate sense of helping and inspiring others to be the best that they could be. I was always the friend that helped everyone else figure out their life. I was the caretaker and the problem solver to many. Have a problem, call Crystal! This has led to over a 25-year career in HR-related fields where I have had the pleasure of helping others navigate through many personal and professional challenges in their lives.

I provide both personal and professional development coaching and well as facilitate trainings and workshops on a myriad of topics including leadership development, family and workplace communication, boundary setting, mindset, self-care, and the importance of showing up authentically in all areas of your life. I am also a motivational speaker and have had the pleasure of motivating audiences to find their purpose, pursue their passion and show up as their authentic self every day.

Some of my speaking topics include:

The Cost of Caring Too Much: Overcoming Compassion Fatigue. Learning proper Self – Care and Boundary Setting

Mindset Matters: The Importance of Practicing Gratitude and how to create a Positive Mindset to Manifest Greatness

Rebuilding After Rejection: Managing Grief and Loss and Turning Rejection into Motivation

How to Live an Authentic Life: Showing up Authentically and steps to redefining You

Some of my workshop topics include:

I’m a Leader. Now What?: – Identifying your Leadership Style and learn how to use your style to motivate others

Family Matters: Explore family members’ behavioral profiles and create action plans to strengthen relationships

Building an Effective Team: Gain insight into how your team communicates and learn to identify “predictable” areas of conflict before they occur.

Diversity at Work: Identify the diversity issues that are in your organization and understand the benefits of a diverse workforce

What sets me apart is that in addition to my formal training in HR and life coaching, I also hold certifications as a Mental Health First Aid Responder and Workplace Mental Health Ally, along with training in Diversity Equity, and Inclusion which has become a very hot topic in the last few years.

I am also a DISC-certified behavioral consultant which means that I am able to get down to the core of who you really are. I couple this with my own lived experiences and am very intentional on make sure that I understand the real needs of my clients and audiences.

I am so proud of my individual clients, both past and present, who have decided to get out of their own way and explore who they really are. My private coaching clients have ranged from 14 all the way to 85. This has taught me that you are never too old to learn and you are never too young to teach!

I am proud of the organizations that have decided to break tradition and invest in their employees to allow space for them to show up as their authentic selves without the fear of repercussions from a ‘bad day.” When an employee can say “I’m not okay today, ” and their manager has the tools needed to navigate and respond to that in a supportive way, it really changes the culture of the organization for the better. When both employees and managers understand how to better communicate with each other effectively, it not only provides a safe and supportive environment but also reduces costs by increasing productivity and cutting down on sick days from stress and burnout.

I want anyone that connects with my brand to understand the passion behind Crystal Geneva and trust that will pour out everything that I have into helping you reach your goals, both personally and professionally. I believe that the way to change the world is by being the change that you want to see! I would like to see people living life as their most authentic selves, without the pressure of the identity that the world has tried to place on them. I want to see people live free from the judgment that comes from the stigmas surrounding mental health and wellness. I want people to find their purpose and pursue their passions and live a fulfilled life. I am here to show others that it is possible!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I was taught very early on in my career that there is no such thing as “feelings” in business. This led to me presenting a stoic persona. Instead of allowing myself to show up authentically in business and personal relationships, I “stuffed” my feelings down and made sure that no one could read me or how I was feeling. Working in HR, I have seen how that can be detrimental to the people that I serve. I found that by being myself and allowing my true self to be seen, I was able to engage the employees as well as gain their trust. This also carried over into my personal life and led to me being unable to set proper boundaries. What I have learned is that by embracing who I really am, I was able to effectively identify my purpose and use my passions to inspire others to do the same! I learned that it is okay to be genuine and have feelings. The saying “Your gifts will make room for you,” has been so apparent in my life. Once I started being my authentic self, the doors just started opening in ways that I would have never imagined.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

In addition to my Speaking, Coaching, and Consulting Business, where I have also created 2 workbooks to support my teaching, I also have an Event Design Company (Aura Luxe Management) as well as a home-based bakery (Creative Confections by Design). Both are businesses that I have grown for over 20 years. I have recently brought my family into the businesses which have not only allowed for the expansion of services but also helping to create additional generational wealth.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.discover-journey.com
• Instagram: thejourney.backtome
• Facebook: thejourney.backtome