We were lucky to catch up with Valencia Joy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Valencia, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful project….wow that’s a great question. Everything I do that sees the light of day feels meaningful for me. So while I can’t pinpoint anything specific, I can say that my latest project has my heart, I am gearing up to release conversation cards for women. “Hey Sis…Let’s Talk…” It asks open-ended questions that allows women to look deep into their hearts, and figure out who they are, to heal, to let go, to bloom. Flourish.

I am also passionate about my book, I Met a Guy…and Other Things You Can Only Discuss with Your Sistergirlfriends. It was born out of a season where I felt heartbroken, unseen, unsure of myself, but also actively healing and blooming. Writing has always been the medium I’m most beautiful in, and I used to to reclaim my voice and process some the deeply personal experiences I had as a woman navigating at the intersection of motherhood and womanhood, life, love and faith. It resonated deeply with women, especially those who needed a safe space to feel, laugh, grieve, and heal without judgement.

The project took on an even personal meaning when women messaged me….strangers who said “I felt like you were telling my story” or “Thank you for putting words to what I couldn’t say out loud”. That’s when my purpose was confirmed…again and again. It wasn’t just about my healing. We all need to talk…out loud, and heal.
So my conversation deck, Hey Sis…Let’s Talk…is a full circle moment for me. It builds deeper connections with each other. But also within ourselves.

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

I’m Valencia Joy, a storyteller at heart, a published author, creative writer, and women’s personal empowerment advocate who believes in the transformative power of truth-telling, connection, and community. My work is rooted in real stories and real emotions, because I’ve lived them. I got into this work not through strategy, but through survival. But while survival was the seed, thriving is the bloom.

After enduring a painful divorce that followed years of infidelity, I found myself broken, questioning my worth, and unsure of who I was anymore. That heartbreak took a toll on my self-esteem, but it also became the soil where my faith was rebuilt. Over time, I stopped merely surviving and started blooming. Writing became my safe space to process the pain and rediscover my voice, and eventually, I realized that my healing could help others heal, too. My divorce…and the contents therein are not who I am, but it was the catalyst that made me pick my pen back up, and get to me. I have been a writer all my life, but set it down to try and appease, keep the peace and care for my children, etc. That turned into survival, working, and neglecting me. But baby, when I picked my pen back up…I emerged!

That realization led me to publish my debut book, I Met a Guy… and Other Things You Can Only Discuss with Your Sistergirlfriends, a deeply personal but universally relatable collection of essays on love, loss, faith, and sisterhood. From there, I created the Hey Sis… Let’s Talk conversation deck—a tool that sparks deep, honest conversations between women who are ready to connect on a more meaningful level.

I’m the creator of Hello by Valencia, a custom greeting card line designed to say exactly what you mean, when the store-bought options fall short. Whether you want something heartfelt, humorous, or deeply personal, I work with you to create one-of-a-kind cards featuring the photos and wording of your choice. From birthdays to breakups, celebrations to condolences, I help you say it your way—because every moment deserves the right words.. I started this line because a major greeting card company didn’t hire me. HAHAHA! So, I hired myself! I also have a blog on substack, that allows me the opportunity to write out my therapy. Blogging is like showing the world your diary and I’m ok with that. The Bible says that we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimony. My testimony matters! Which brings me to Hey Sis! Hey Sis… actually began as an organization for women, with the tagline: “Where broken women come to heal, and where healed women help.” It was more than a slogan, it was a mission. Because once you’ve healed, you have an obligation to help the next sis. We met monthly, and discussed the hot topics in our lives, sprinkled with Bible Study. I spoke life into those women and they spoke it right back into me.

Everything I’ve done creatively and publicly has been with women in mind. I create for the mother, the one who is trying to get the hang of newborns or toddlers, all the way to the mother dealing with empty nesting. I write for the woman who loves God, but finds it hard to sometimes to feel His love. I write for the woman, who had lost herself in the midst of helping others find themselves. I write for the woman who is tired, but doesn’t all herself rest. I write for the woman going through the merry go round that is peri-pause. But also the woman who is going through pregnancy and postpartum. I write for every version of woman that I ever was.

I also hosted a YouTube channel/show that sparked real, unfiltered dialogue about the issues women face, from relationships and self-worth to purpose and growth. Whether through digital content, live events, or heartfelt writing, my goal has always been the same: to create spaces where women feel safe, seen, and supported. I actually need to get back to that! I also have a t-shirt and hoodie brand. The slogan is “I’ma Stay in My JOY…GOD said I Could”. Life and it’s antic try to take so much from us daily! I want to be a reminder that you don’t have to surrender your Joy!

What I create, I do it from the heart. My work is honest, faith-filled, and rooted in lived experience. I don’t pretend to have it all together. I simply show up as I am and make space for other women to do the same. I’m most proud of the messages I’ve received from women who’ve said, “Your work feels like I’m having a conversation with my sister girlfriend while sitting not he couch,” or, “I feel less alone because of your work.” or “Your work makes me want to call my sistergirlfriends!”. That’s when I know I’m walking in purpose.

To anyone discovering my work, know this: You are not alone. You don’t have to be perfect to begin again. You don’t have to have it all figured out to be worthy of healing and wholeness. I create for women who have been through some things but still believe in joy, growth, and sacred sisterhood. If that’s you, welcome! You’re exactly where you need to be.

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

Resilience has taught me that surviving is just the beginning of healing. As I sit here reflecting on this question, and my own story, it’s hard to come up with just one story, one incident, one discovery. I’ve ben through a lot. From a father that didn’t care enough to stay in my life, to a husband that made the same exit. I’ve always been resilient. I’ve always bounced back. And yet, it’s not my word of choice.

A month or so ago I sat on my therapist couch, recounting some things. Normally she stays pretty even, allows me my monologues, then asks me questions that prompt me towards the answer, She’s very good, and my life keeps her in business! Lol! This particular time, I made the statement that I wish I were more resilient. That I wasn’t resilient ENOUGH.
Honey she slapped her leg in exasperation and exclaimed, “Look at all you’ve survived!” And she rattled some things off. 1. You father abandoned you. 2. You had to drop out of college, but you went back and got your degree. 3. Your husband was unfaithful, but you chose yourself and made something of your life. Even though he swore he was leaving you for dead. 4. You got laid off during covid, so you wrote a book. That helps women! 5. You raised your children! Mostly by yourself! And look at them now! 6. You’ve created spaces for women!

And she went on. And on. “Give yourself grace” she said. And she was right! Still, I don’t like the word resilience. I prefer grace. I was graced for every setback, and God makes sure to turn those into comebacks. I am testament, and product of grace.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal, and my mission with each new thing I create, goes back to the ministry of women. How can I help women remember to put themselves on their lists? How can I encourage women to not forget themselves, and who they are, as they navigate the roles they play for everyone else? How can I show that JOY always comes in the morning? How can I be a reminder to Stay in your JOY!?
Even when I don’t set out intentionally with this mission, it still ends up in my writing and in my creations, loud and clear.
Women are the backbone of society. We are the thermostat. Our homes, neighborhoods, churches, jobs. We set the tone. My prayer is for every woman to walk confidently in who they are, who God created them to be, and do purposeful work, meaningful work. Healing work, that extends beyond themselves and onto the next woman. To be selfull, meaning be of service to herself first, so that she can then be of service to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.veejoyful.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veejoyful_authoress
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valencia.joy.authoress/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valencia-joy/
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/heyveetv
• Other: https://valenciajoy.substack.com