We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vivian Cumins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Vivian, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

The idea for my work emerged from my own transformative journey that began with a breakdown in 2020. While lying in tears on my living room floor, completely broken despite my seemingly perfect life – the successful career, the beautiful blended family – I had no idea I was actually at the beginning of creating something meaningful.

The initial spark came during my ‘wilderness season’ – a challenging period that started with a stage 3 melanoma diagnosis shortly after I had surrendered my life to God. During this time, while wrestling with major health challenges and working through my own perfectionism and control issues, I began noticing something significant: many women in my circles were struggling with the exact same challenges I was facing.

As I worked through my own healing journey – learning to trust rather than control, finding freedom from perfectionism, and discovering what true life balance looked like – I felt called to share these lessons with others. I realized my experience wasn’t just for me; it could serve as a roadmap for other women trapped in the cycle of burnout and perfectionism.

The concept evolved naturally from there. I started small, sharing my testimony and the practical lessons I’d learned about surrender, obedience, and intentional balance. This gradually expanded into multiple platforms – devotional writing for YouVersion, blogging, speaking engagements, and eventually the “Juggling Life, Finding Balance Podcast.”

What makes this idea unique is that it wasn’t born from a business strategy or market research – it emerged organically from my own healing journey and transformation. The message resonated because it came from a place of authentic experience: not just surviving cancer, but finding deeper healing through surrendering control and discovering that true balance begins with putting God first, practicing self-care, and remembering to embrace joy along the way.

In essence, my breakdown became the breakthrough that led to this mission of helping others find their way to a more balanced, purposeful life.

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.

I bring 26 years of federal career experience to this work, along with the rich perspective of being a military spouse, bonus mom to two amazing children, and “Glammy” to five wonderful grandchildren. My professional journey includes earning my Master’s in Human Resources Development from Webster University and training alongside military officers at Squadron Officer School and Air Command and Staff College – experiences that taught me invaluable lessons about leadership and balance.

What I’m most proud of is how my personal journey has transformed into a mission to help other women. In 2023, I launched viviancumins.com as a comprehensive platform offering memberships, hybrid mentoring services, and valuable content for women seeking balance in their lives. One of my proudest achievements is the Juggling Life, Finding Balance Podcast, which launched in May 2024. The podcast creates a space where we can have real conversations about finding balance with a Christ-centered approach.

What I want people to know about my brand is that it’s built on authentic experience and genuine care for others. Currently, I lead change-management consultants within the Forest Service, which means I’m living the daily challenges of balancing multiple responsibilities – just like many of my clients. I’m not teaching theory; I’m sharing tried-and-true strategies that I use myself.

The heart of my brand is about partnering with God to create a harmonious life. Whether through my writing, speaking engagements, or mentoring services, my mission is to empower women to intentionally craft fulfilling, balanced lives that honor both God and their diverse commitments. I believe in nurturing the whole person – spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.

I want people to know that what sets my brand apart is its holistic, Christ-centered approach to balance. This isn’t about quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions. It’s about creating sustainable, meaningful change that allows women to thrive in all their roles while staying true to their faith and values.

Above all, I want my brand to be known as a trusted resource and supportive community where busy women can find practical guidance, spiritual encouragement, and the tools they need to create the balanced, purposeful life they desire.

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

Four years ago, when the pandemic hit, my life underwent a dramatic shift that tested my resilience in unexpected ways. As a federal executive who thrived on in-person leadership, commanding rooms and advising military commanders and civilian leaders, I suddenly found myself isolated behind a laptop screen in a remote position. The change was jarring – no more crisp business attire, no more commanding presence, no more being the center of attention.

The loss of this professional identity hit me harder than I expected. I remember whispering in my prayers, “I used to be somebody.” While my colleagues adapted easily to remote work, I felt like I was disappearing. Every day was a reminder of what I’d lost – the status, the influence, the feeling of importance that had become so central to who I thought I was.

But true resilience isn’t just about surviving hardship – it’s about finding purpose in the pain. As the months turned into years, I began to see that what I initially viewed as losses – my pride, my need for attention, my controlling nature – were actually barriers holding me back from my true calling. The isolation forced me to confront these aspects of myself and undergo a profound spiritual transformation.

Looking back now, I realize that my resilience wasn’t shown in maintaining my old self, but in having the courage to become someone new. The woman who emerged from this four-year journey understands that real strength comes from surrender and transformation, not titles or recognition. It’s taught me that sometimes the most resilient thing we can do is let go of who we used to be to become who we’re meant to be – even when that feels like losing everything we once were.

This experience showed me that resilience isn’t always about bouncing back to who you were – sometimes it’s about bouncing forward into who you’re meant to become.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My reputation has been built on radical authenticity and a willingness to share the unvarnished truth about my own struggles. Rather than positioning myself as someone who has it all figured out, I openly share my journey as a recovering perfectionist and control seeker who hit her own breaking point. I believe my transparency about these battles – from workaholic tendencies to stress-induced illness to my desperate need for validation – resonates deeply with other women because they see themselves in my story.

What sets my message apart is that I don’t just acknowledge the problem of overwhelm and burnout – I offer hope through my own transformation story. I’ve learned that true balance isn’t just about self-care routines or time management techniques, though those matter. It’s about addressing the deeper spiritual void that drives many of us to exhaustion. Through my own experience, I’ve discovered that the Bible offers profound wisdom about living in balance, and I’m passionate about sharing these insights with other women.

I’m not afraid to use my own mistakes as teaching moments. Whether I’m speaking, writing, or podcasting, I share the unflattering moments – the times I chased perfectionism at the cost of peace, the ways I tried to control everything and everyone around me, the physical and emotional toll of living in constant overdrive. These vulnerable admissions create a safe space for other women to acknowledge their own struggles and see a path forward.

My credibility comes not from claiming perfection but from being a living example of the transformation that’s possible when we finally surrender control to God and embrace our imperfections. I understand intimately what it’s like to juggle multiple roles as a professional, military spouse, stepmother, and grandmother while feeling perpetually depleted. This firsthand experience allows me to connect authentically with women who are where I once was – overwhelmed, stressed, and searching for a better way.

Ultimately, my reputation has grown because my message addresses a deep need in women’s lives. We weren’t created to live in a constant state of exhaustion and anxiety. By sharing my own journey from burnout to balance, from control to surrender, from perfectionism to peace, I offer hope and practical guidance for women seeking their own path to a more abundant life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://viviancumins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viviancumins/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/viviancumins2 & https://www.facebook.com/VivianCumins
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-cumins-2333718a/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JugglingLifeFindingBalance
• Other: Apple / Spotify: (Smartlink) https://link.chtbl.com/JugglingLifeFindingBalance

  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@viviancumins

  MemoryBlogger: https://memoryblogger.com

Image Credits

N/A – I own the rights to the photos.