We recently connected with Michelle Harris Jefferson and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I often get this question: how did I come up with the idea for WhyWeLEAP Consulting, LLC. The reality is that this life/business chose me.

From as early as I can remember, life began dealing me a tough hand. From parental divorce to neglect, I had somewhat of a tough way to go. But, because there were some key key players in my life who helped me to build on my own innate resilience and develop resilience in the areas I was lacking, I was able to use the tools I developed from the impacts of that trauma to thrive and create this life I live today.

In all my growing, and learning through and from the traumas I experienced, one thing was ever apparent to me: there were more people in the world like me than not like me! People were battling the impacts of their own trauma and creating the life they desired all at the same time. And some of these people didn’t have the tools I had to make that journey as accessible or sustainable. So I made it my life’s mission to aid them on their healing journey.

Michelle, 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?

I was born in Henderson, NC. After spending much of my elementary years there, I moved to Georgia and then Florida before returning to N.C. for high school. During my adolescent years, I suffered a tremendous amount of trauma. From poverty to molestation and neglect, my teenage years presented many challenges. Even amid my struggles, I could hold fast to my love for learning and my desire to remain an academic scholar. With the help of some amazing adults in my life, I graduated with honors and received several scholarships, including one to attend N.C. State University in Raleigh, NC. Becoming a part of the Wolfpack helped me blossom into an amazing educator, but I could never escape the impact of childhood trauma. I was determined to develop a trauma-informed lens and heal on purpose and out loud! In my struggles to find my sense of normalcy, I dedicated my life to healing on purpose and out loud and helping others do the same. In 2017, I published my memoir What Doesn’t Kill You: A Memoir, sharing my struggles with the impacts of childhood trauma with the world. From there, I went on to speak for many organizations and at many conferences and events about the importance of intentionally healing from trauma. I then established my consultancy WhyWeLEAP Consulting, L.L.C., dedicated to helping individuals and organizations view the world and those in it through a trauma-informed lens.

We are WhyWeLEAP Consulting, L.L.C., where:
– Our mission is to empower individuals to take the L.E.A.P.; Leverage Endurance to Assure Perseverance through trauma-informed living and resilience training!
– Our vision is to help all individuals, organizations, businesses, and school districts to create a trauma-informed environment and community in which resilience is explicitly taught, modeled, and nurtured.
– We are unique in that all of the consultants on our team have first-hand experience in walking out their own trauma-informed journey, and as founder/C.E.O., my story acts as the foundation for all of our training and services. So we don’t just share our message; we live it!
– We are proud of our work with primary school districts and the organizations we partner with to share the message of trauma-informed living.
– We provide support for individuals and organizations, including virtual and in-person Trauma and Resilience training and workshops, virtual and in-person Coaching and Consulting Sessions, group and individual Supportive Listening Sessions, Memoir Book Talks, Motivational Speaking, Take the LEAP Journals, and so much more! We can customize any of our services!
– We are dedicated to helping those impacted by trauma live extraordinary lives! We would love to partner with individuals and organizations to continue to spread the word and do the work of trauma-informed living.

Any advice for managing a team?

Quite honestly, the best advice I can give for managing a team and maintaining high morale is: authenticity and humanity. When I think about all the successful teams I have been a part of and those I have had the pleasure of being a servant leader of, these are the two things that most come to mind.

The most important thing I provide my team is not their monetary compensation, it’s the respect and the room we provide for them to have a place for their voice to be heard that matters. I am open to hearing my team and working with them to support this work. My openness and the sharing of my own areas of growth and development make room for all of us to grow and serve together.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I would have to say that my career in education helped me build my reputation. Prior to starting my business, I spent over a decade in the middle school public school classroom. This gave me a front row seat to the impacts of childhood trauma, often unchecked. BUT, it also gave me an amazing opportunity to create my own coaching programs, workshops, etc. and use them with my own students and families and to be able to see the AMAZING impact my programs were having in the lives of individuals, short-term and long-term.

My first decade as an educator also allowed me the opportunity to network with districts and organizations at conferences and events, making genuine, authentic connections that grew into beautiful client relationships and partnerships.

I found that demonstrating my skill set and passion for those outside my district and organization was key in building my reputation as a coach and consultant.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.whyweleap.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyweleap_chellebelle252/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrsHJtheResilienceExpert/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-harris-jefferson-whyweleap/

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