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

Giovanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

My story of execution was more of a flying leap of faith! I had been working as a non-profit executive for the past nine years when everything began shifting and not in a positive direction. I was feeling underappreciated, undervalued and I became very unhappy and dissatisfied. So, a year before actually leaving, I began putting things into place to make my exit. I paid off as many of my expenses as I could. I started buying office furniture and supplies. I registered for my LLC and completed all required paperwork; however, it was several months later before my big resignation and the actual launch of my new venture. During that time, I second guessed my decision more than once, but in my gut, I knew that it was time. I finally decided to trust myself, trust the unknown, and jump! The rest is history!

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

Ultimately, my brand is me. It’s my voice, my story, my vision and my passion. I initially launched my private psychotherapy and coaching practice under my name Giovanna Burgess Geathers, LLC because I knew that anything else I did, that would always be the guiding force under which I provide psychotherapy and behavioral health services, life coaching, business coaching, training, transformational speaking and consulting. It’s the brand under which I launched the Breathe Now lifestyle magazine, The Breathe Women’s and Men’s Retreats and Conferences and wrote both of my books: Why Am I Still Single and Epiphany. I wanted the world to know my name along with knowing what I do. Growing up, my name was always hard to pronounce, and I would cringe as one of my peers or teachers struggled to correctly pronounce my name. Now I realize it gives me the opportunity to engage in a longer, more meaningful conversation with them, not only about who I am, but also about what I do. I am a motivator, a disruptor, a change maker, an activation specialist and a transformation specialist. I help individuals, couples and families, companies and organizations identify the limiting beliefs and behaviors that are holding them back from not only pursuing greatness, but being great, consistently and intentionally.

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

My whole story is one of resilience and essentially how I have taken all the things that I used to say happened “to” me and now recognized that those things happened “for” me. It takes you from the victim story to one of resilience, fortitude and victory. Not victory over a person, but honestly, getting over yourself. My story of resilience has kept me going through starting countless businesses throughout my life, losing money of events, not making money, being barely in the black and even oh shit, what am I doing here? I persist because I know nothing else. Quitting is not an option and failure is discovering what hasn’t worked so I can stumble upon what works amazingly well!

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

I had to unlearn the story of allowing or even using my past and my hardships as a story to define me or excuse me from becoming my greatest self. I unlearned all of it and what it used to mean to me, and I changed the narrative. I grew up as number six in a family of seven with a single mother earning minimum wage. I was often the only black girl in my advanced classes which meant constantly being under scrutiny and having to answer questions regarding “black people”. Besides that, it was questions about why I had no father. For those who knew my father had been accidentally killed before I was born, I was often asked about what actually happened, although I had very little knowledge of it myself. Add to this growing up in a small rural town in the South, it stands to reason that I became defined by my past, my race, gender, and lack of financial prosperity. However, this backstory, is becoming the front story as it helps me to navigate the path of my life. I am not achieving greatness in spite of the things I have experienced, but because of those things. I have unlearned how to be a victim, how to be inferior, how to be unworthy, how to be second class and discovered my true identity, worth, value and power.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.GiovannaGeathers.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/IAmGiovannaGeathers
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giovanna.burgess
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamgiovannageathers-b561975/