We were lucky to catch up with Sabine Dieme-Erlich recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sabine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us 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?

The truth is, I didn’t set out to build a business — I set out to survive. Years ago, I experienced a deeply painful and very public setback that shattered my sense of identity. I didn’t realize then that I was living in survival mode, carrying unhealed trauma that quietly shaped every part of my life. What I did know was that I couldn’t keep functioning like that. I turned to therapy — not to build something, but to put myself back together. In hindsight, that was the start of everything.

Healing wasn’t fast or linear — it took years. I began therapy as a single woman. Over time, I got engaged, married, and became a mother. Life kept moving, and so did the healing — slowly, layer by layer. As I grew, I began to notice how many women were carrying the same emotional weight: shame, trauma, burnout, and the pressure to perform. Yet there were few spaces to talk about it honestly, without judgment or performance. That’s when the seed was planted: what if I created that space?

Still, I wasn’t thinking about a brand. I was thinking about healing — mine and others’. I began where I was, with what I had: my voice, my story, and my lived experience. I started sharing empowering content and mental health reflections online, particularly focused on human trafficking, complex trauma, and crisis intervention. I became a facilitator for Ending the Game, a national curriculum for survivors of human trafficking, and later served as a media specialist creating content for their platform. That same year, I became a Crisis Counselor with Crisis Text Line, work that reinforced my previous role as a Crisis Intervention Team officer in law enforcement.

Bit by bit, I took intentional steps. I connected with others in the advocacy space. I leaned into my background in business to form my LLC, then my nonprofit. I launched a podcast to create space for raw, healing-centered conversations. But even then, I still hesitated to fully show up — until I read Cassie Ventura’s 73-page lawsuit. Her story mirrored pieces of my own, and something in me shifted. I knew it was time to stop playing small.

Every step — from paperwork to partnerships — was rooted in purpose, not perfection. This business wasn’t born from ambition. It was born from a healing journey that took time, courage, and faith. And now, what I’ve built stands as a platform for others to turn pain into purpose and reclaim their power … just like I did.

One day, I’ll share the full story of what happened. But for now, what matters most is what came after — the healing, the clarity, and the purpose I found on the other side.

Sabine, 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?

For those just getting to know me, my name is Sabine Dieme-Erlich. I’m a survivor advocate, speaker, crisis counselor, and founder of Pathways to Power, a nonprofit platform rooted in healing, purpose, and personal empowerment. I also run Sabine Dieme Erlich, LLC, through which I offer coaching, workshops, and storytelling-centered consulting — all inspired by my lived experience and professional background.

I didn’t enter this work through a business plan — I came into it through lived experience. Years ago, I went through a public fall from grace that forced me to confront everything I had buried. I didn’t know it then, but that moment would become the turning point in my life. I sought professional help simply to survive, but as I began healing, I discovered purpose. I realized that so many others, especially women, were navigating trauma, shame, and silencing, often with no language, support, or safe space to process it. I wanted to change that.

Today, my work lives at the intersection of healing, storytelling, and advocacy. Through my nonprofit, I lead Lights, Camera, Action for Change, a social impact initiative that educates and empowers creatives, survivors, and aspiring entertainers to follow their dreams without compromising their dignity. We host an annual impact event, and I’m currently developing a docuseries and quarterly workshops to continue the conversation. Through my podcast, Pathways to Power, I create space for real, unfiltered stories of resilience, purpose, and personal transformation.

What sets me apart is that I don’t just teach or talk about healing — I’ve lived it. I bring the lens of both a survivor and a strategist. With a background in crisis intervention, law enforcement, and business administration, I understand systems. But more importantly, I understand the human heart. I meet people where they are and help them rise with intention.

Whether it’s through my trauma-informed coaching, curriculum facilitation, podcast, or advocacy events, my goal is to help people reconnect with their inner power and rewrite their narrative, on their terms.

I’m most proud of the fact that everything I’ve built was born out of truth. I didn’t have a blueprint, but I had a story, and I used it to create platforms that speak to the silent battles so many people are fighting. My work is about helping others reclaim their power, not in spite of what they’ve been through, but because of it.

If there’s one thing I’d want readers, clients, or collaborators to know, it’s this: I believe in the power of resilience. With the right amount of faith and support, you can overcome anything. And through my work, I’m here to remind others that healing is possible — and your story isn’t over.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the most defining moments of my journey was when I experienced a very public and deeply personal fall from grace. It shook me, not just emotionally but professionally — and for a time, I lost my sense of self. That experience forced me to confront the pain I had long ignored and ultimately led me to therapy.

I didn’t enter that season thinking I’d start a business — I entered it trying to survive. But in the process of doing the inner work, I uncovered a deeper purpose: helping others reclaim their voice and power after being silenced or shamed. That’s where the foundation of my work was born, from lived experience.

That moment taught me that resilience isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about being willing to rebuild, slowly, intentionally, and with purpose. And that’s the heart of everything I do today.

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

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that my worth was tied to what I did, who I was connected to, or how others perceived me. For so long, I chased titles, relationships, and dreams thinking they would validate me — that if I achieved or performed enough, I’d finally feel whole. But life has a way of stripping you of the things you hide behind.

For me, that stripping came through a very public fall that left me questioning everything — my identity, my value, even my voice. I had no title to lean on, no applause, no certainty. Just me, raw and exposed. And in that stillness, I had to face the truth: I was still worthy. Still valuable. Still enough.

Healing taught me that my worth isn’t something I earn — it’s something I already have. No title, friendship, relationship, dream, or past version of me can define that. That’s the truth I walk in now, and the truth I want others to remember: you were enough before the world told you otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Sabinedieme.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabinedieme?igsh=MTZ4MXNmczNwNXk1cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BuTmgdKTq/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=sabinedieme
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sabinedieme?si=AC4N1tulPCNw0Ncd
• Other: https://LCAForChange.com

Image Credits

Studio Images by: K. Amey Photography (@k.ameyphotography)

Event Images by: Films By Ru (Rufus Ogio, @filmsbyruu)