We recently connected with Elandria Charles and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elandria, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I didn’t come up with the idea for my business; the idea came to me. Three things led me to facilitating the rest, clarity, and joy of Black women leaders through sabbatical care: my own rest journey, the political climate, and a spiritual nudge I couldn’t ignore.

In the summer of 2024, I felt a divine pull toward choosing Sabbath as my intention for 2025. Not just for the rest it implies, but for the joy. What began as a deeply personal journey quickly expanded into something much larger — touching women who, while they may look like me, carry their own reasons for struggling to access rest, clarity, and joy.

Then on November 7, 2024, someone asked me a question that lit a fire in my belly: “How will your business change because of the election?” That moment connected to the earlier revelation about prioritizing my own rest and was deepened by countless conversations with Black women who were vacant from themselves due to chronic fatigue and burnout. A 2020 report by the Building Movement Project found that “the current climate is taking an immeasurable psychological, physical, and emotional toll, especially on women of color leaders.” And here we are five years later — facing systemic barriers that have only grown more entrenched and harmful.

I was only able to hear the call to evolve my work because I had been in the regular practice of slowing down. Sweetwater Creek State Park — a 2,500-acre sanctuary — became my lab. Every other week, for ninety minutes, I would walk, listen, and commune with myself and God. Those visits gave me space to hear my own voice clearly and honor the answers that were already inside of me.

That’s the heart of my work: stepping away to make room for brilliance. Sabbatical is a mindset. It’s a series of moments. It’s the willingness to notice the micro-opportunities that help us reclaim clarity and make deposits in our joy. Sometimes it looks like extended time away. Other times, it’s “sabbatical moments” woven into daily life. When we rest intentionally — even in small doses — we begin to lead differently.

I’m excited to see how sabbaticals spark transformation from the inside out. When leaders reconnect with their brilliance, creativity, and innovation, they create ripples that shift families, communities, and systems.

Elandria, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I hit my limit in 2021. I was working at the intersection of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, designing strategies and moving millions for impact — all while navigating life as a first-time mom, far from family. I had the title and the salary I once dreamed of, but my most important relationships were suffering. And so was I.

I founded Ayoka Partners for that version of me — the one who suffered from chronic fatigue, was vacant from herself, and operated from scarcity and fear. I wanted to build the kind of space I desperately needed: one where rest, clarity, and joy weren’t luxuries, but strategy.

That’s how Ayoka Partners was born. I chose Ayoka because it was my original middle name, and it means “one who causes joy” in Yoruba.

Today, I partner with women, organizations, and movements to pause with intention so they can live, lead, and love from a place of clarity and joy. This looks like intentional space and grounded, practical tools through sabbatical care — both extended time away and “sabbatical moments.” In their partnership with Elandria, clients focus on following their inner voice, interrogating their identities, beliefs, behavior and values to surface the root causes behind situations and challenges.

When leaders honor their natural rhythm and prioritize pausing, they: reclaim their energy and return to themselves, make clearer decisions with more ease and less urgency, lead teams with calm, clarity, and connection. Above all else, they begin to see possibility in places that once felt blocked.

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

My entrepreneurial journey has been shaped by both the written wisdom I’ve sought out and the people who have poured into me along the way.

One of the first people who helped me experience the transformative power of rest was Octavia F. Raheem. Through her guided rest sessions — many held in community — I learned to let stillness lead me. Her book Rest Is Sacred, along with Resting in the Sovereignty of God by Ernest Easley, remain foundational touchstones in my rest journey. And the Bible continually reminds me that when I prioritize God in my rest, I’m refreshed in ways my own effort could never replicate.

A book that reshaped how I think about building wealth — not just for generational legacy but so I can live and give generously — is Rachel Rodgers’ We Should All Be Millionaires.

My coaching approach is deeply influenced by the Laser-Focused Coaching method, which centers understanding the person rather than the problem. That lens has become essential to how I support leaders in reclaiming rest and clarity.

I’ll admit: in the early years of my business, I wrestled with the idea of investing in my own professional development. It felt indulgent to hire a coach while launching a coaching practice of my own. But finding a values-aligned coach who could consistently hold up a mirror — much in the same way I do for my clients — shifted everything. It catapulted my work into a rhythm of aligned, inspired action and meaningful impact.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Previously, I alluded to pivoting my business from fundraising support to facilitating the clarity and joy of Black women leaders. For a long time, I believed the lever for change was in the “doing”—helping leaders raise more money with greater ease. But I quickly realized that true sustainability comes from the “being.”

So I shifted: clarity, rest, and joy became the heart of my work, with fundraising support now serving as a secondary, values-aligned offering. This pivot has required me to say “no” more often—graciously declining opportunities that aren’t aligned with my purpose. Along the way, I’ve cultivated courage and faith, leaning into the work I’m meant to do while supporting others to do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ayokapartners.com/
• Instagram: @restclarityjoy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elandriajacksoncharles/

Image Credits

Kimberly Taylor
Carol Rose