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

Hi Justin , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Justin and Alexis were faced with the daunting statistics that they were expected to fall victim to. Intentionality is the word that sustained them through those antagonistic trials. So easy are we to submit to natural habits. In society, we are often ignorant and careless if our habits are conducive to our lives or the community around us. Using alcohol as a mechanism to bury depression was “normal” in Justin’s family and natural for him to follow. Alexis associating love with pain made it almost natural for her to join an abusive relationship. But the choice to adhere to the normal or pursue a life beyond the standard is a narrow margin. Both Justin and Alexis make the daily decision to take control of their life. They didn’t think years or months down the road. They chose to be better than they were the day before.

Justin learned to overcome the statistics by becoming the “first”. The first in his immediate family to be married, graduate college and start his own business. Alexis found her freedom in education and broke the study abroad record at her university with eight programs in four different continents while bringing Justin along for four of them. Together, the couple would travel to nearly 30 countries as they began to change the narrative placed upon them.

As they construct a new pathway and further themselves from the ideas and culture they were raised in, they are dedicated to being an example to current foster youth. They’ve learned that the circumstances of life are meant to deliver perspective and purpose. And they’ve found their purpose in reshaping the images people have of themselves and influencing them to obtain ownership over their life, future, and career.

It took years for Justin and Alexis to redefine their normal, now they are challenging you to redefine yours. You may not have experienced extreme trauma such as theirs but you must uncover the insecurities buried deep within you. Those insecurities are the obstacles that minimize our self-worth, capabilities to learn, and ultimately who we are. These are the weapons that the world uses against us to dictate what we will become.

Justin and Alexis have challenged themselves and their insecurities by creating multiple companies that improve a person’s quality of life in a multitude of areas. Their Redefining Normal company works to plant ideas that challenge the statistics and expectations placed upon children, students, and adults in order to establish a healthy foundation of identity and self-expression. This is done by providing programs, universities, nonprofit organizations, and ministries with the methods needed to improve the lives of individuals suffering from their trauma and strategies for all individuals to be self-reflective through presentations, keynotes, workshops, and their curriculum.

For those like Justin and Alexis who were without the family and parental figures to plant a durable and nutritious seed within their children, know that you are loved and you are capable. You are the gift that originated from an idea too unique to duplicate. You were merged with ingredients that formed an unmovable foundation. You were fashionably designed to replenish, subdue, and be fruitful in every circumstance. You are whole and you will never be without purpose. Though the adults in your life may have failed you, know that they too have internalized their suffering. But you are destined as the blueprint to change the culture of the generations that follow. Fear, insecurities, instability, and complacency ends with you. Be free, be bold, be unique, and continue to redefine the normal.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Meet Justin and Alexis Black—a dynamic duo who have accomplished so much despite their challenging upbringing as former foster youth from Detroit and Flint, Michigan. They are not only bestselling authors and speakers, but also proud business owners who were recently recognized as Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneurs for 2021.

At Redefining Normal, we’re all about creating a safe and supportive space where youth, adults, and professionals can come together to learn and grow. By fostering an environment of vulnerability and intentionality, we believe that anything is possible. Draw on our experiences to break the cycles of trauma and adversity and create generational healing in your life.

Their uplifting story has led them to publish an award-winning and bestselling book titled Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat the Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love. Their book has touched the lives of over 25,000 individuals and families, proving that anyone can overcome adversity and achieve success.

Through Redefining Normal, Justin and Alexis show others how they can use their own experiences to create a life worth living. They want to break the cycles that hold so many people back and encourage others to do the same. You’re invited to take part in this incredible journey of resilience and transformation

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

To live without roots is to roam the earth without air in your lungs. The role models in Justin and Alexis’ lives stole the very life that they granted them at birth. Even before Alexis and Justin entered the foster care system, the normal they knew distorted their idea of love, relationship, and happiness.

Justin grew up with the weight of three generations of domestic violence and at least two generations of drug abuse in his family. His childhood circumstances consisted of abandoned housing where he and his siblings used buckets of snow as make-shift showers during the harsh Michigan winter. Alexis faced the barriers of suicide by her mother and grandmother, eventually leading her to live with her mental and sexually abusive father. Though she overcame testifying against her father, she almost became the third generation to lose her life to suicide with multiple failed attempts.

Somehow, two individuals traumatized by their environment met one another in the midst of their healing. Despite meeting their future spouse in college, they had yet to unfold the wounded culture from their upbringing, one that consisted of internalizing their pain to express onto others. Though they discuss the galling agony of their past with one another, they avoided the soul-work required to carve a new pathway that did not embody the suffering they endured.

The 400,000 youth who are currently in the foster care system have had to ask themselves, “Why didn’t my parents love me enough to be there for me”. The pain that these parents inflicted has left the youth questioning their existence. The innocent and pure seeds planted in youth who’ve experienced foster care have been poisoned and manipulated by the adults they trusted with their life.

Feelings of emptiness, despair, and desperation for love is the reason why more than 70% of people in prison have spent time in the foster care system. These statistics show that youth who are abandoned by the community are the ones to destroy the environment itself. Whether it is the misuse of finances, lack of acknowledgment regarding mental health, or our inability to dream beyond the limitations of our family and community, we all have generational insecurities that need to be challenged.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We are huge are relationships! We serve audiences who are familiar with our personal journey as we connect that with our business journey. We as humans are meant to be in relationship. As much as we sometime want to keep things strictly business, the more we do that, the more we lose loyal clients. With this method, we connect with audiences a few different way. We share our personal journey and business growth via social media and email. Next we inform our audiences on ways we can connect and our travel calendar. We’ve had the opportunity to connect with clients and others across the country and eventually meet with them in person at an event. This has allowed us to foster a variety of relationships and eventual collaborations.

Contact Info:

• Website: re-definingnormal.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblacksredefinenormal/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redefiningnormalmovement

Image Credits
Justin & Alexis Black