Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Johnson-Reed.
Valerie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started Strong To The Finish Motivational Speaking after experiencing the deaths of my brother(Only know sibling), my mother, and my husband of 15 years 2011-2012. Experiencing such tremendous loss months apart helped me to see that I definitely had a story to share with the world. I had to make the decision to raise my three children alone and on my own, and to do it with the help of GOD and angels that HE would send my way.
Because I knew that I needed to share my story with others to give them hope, I began writing my first book, “Stay Strong, Finish Strong!” after alot of thought and prayer, this book was published February 2018. I knew that this book would encourage those who have lost siblings, parents, and or spouses. My second book, “Through Micah’s Eyes” is centered around my youngest son Micah who was three years old when my husband passed away. Micah had many questions the day of my husbands funeral and I needed to answer his questions as best as I could. This story is also a story of hope.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Life for me has not been smooth. After the passing of my inner circle, I expected to have more support. I realized that I did not have the support that I thought that I would have, I had to regroup and redefine my circle of support. After redefining my circle of support, I recognized that sometimes the support that you will receive and experience came from people who knew me less than five years. What a valuable lesson for me.
Please tell us about Strong To The Finish Motivational Speaking.
Strong To The Finish Motivational Speaking is known to be a positive place to talk about the hardness that life can bring. Just because I experienced some sad times did not mean that it would always be like that and my job is to encourage those along the journey of life while experiencing grief and loss. I am most proud of the fact that I am pushing myself to speak out about grief to help others, but in return I am helping myself. The word Strong means a lot to me because a week before my mother made her transition, she told me that I would need to be strong! I understood that she meant that she was leaving me but to me it meant that she knew that I would experience even more after she passed away. What sets me apart from others is that I experienced the realness of sitting in the Dr. Offices, hearing the grim diagnosis, to sitting in hospice facilities, to making funeral arrangements three times in less than one years time, I have truly lived this life.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have more conversations with my family about their plans and what they wanted. I would write everything down that they said to me, I would tell them that I love them more than I did.
Pricing:
- “Stay Strong, Finish Strong!”$20.00
- “Through Micah’s Eyes” $10.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.strongtothefinishmotivationals.com
- Phone: (832)215-3012
- Email: strongtothefinish4@gmail.com
- Instagram: strongtothe
- Facebook: Strong To The Finish Motivational Speaking
- Twitter: @StrongtoTheFin1
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