Episode 019: Brandi Collier & following her calling

About Brandi:

Brandi Joi Collier was born June 23, 1979 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She was the third and youngest child of her mother’s children and her father’s first born. From the day one she was not born into love but rather a place of hate. Her parents were in a toxic relationship which ended due lack of trust and infidelity.

This negativity followed her from childhood to her adulthood, she never had a healthy relationship with none of the men in her immediate family except for her grandfather the late Joseph R. Kadle. It was hard for Brandi to see men in a positive light due to the destructive patterns she was forced to deal with.

She thought all men leave their children because that were not good enough. And their dads had to find other families to take care of because God gave them a bad batch of children. Brandi kept this horrible vision in her head as her father, brothers, and biological father of her daughter had done so.

For years of her life she had lost hope in finding and having her own family to love her. And having her dream career of being a journalist ever coming a reality. But Brandi still kept on writing letters to herself, poetry, and essays as a way of escape from negative and abusive home life.

She would spend many years of her life searching for the right career and many jobs that did not fit her because writing kept calling her name. She had even more obstacles placed in front of her when her only child was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder before her fifth birthday.

Fast forward to June 2016 Brandi’s daughter Ameerah graduated from high school and the next month after that she got married to the man of her dreams, Gregory C. Collier Jr. They have been happily married for two years now. Also, in 2018 Brandi re-released her first fiction book “No! I’m just protected” and on September 20th the sequel “Of God and Justice” in eBook format with be released. The print released date will be announced later.

Brandi wants her life story to be to be a lesson to women, men, or anyone who feel stuck in a destructive hold pattern, they can get out. And there is life on the other side of whatever situation you may find yourself in currently. That no matter who or what you are you can live the life of your dreams. 

Fan Page: www.facebook.com/brandicollier623

Twitter: @LadaysoulStar

Snapchat: writerchick623

SHOW NOTES:

00:06 - Introduction to podcast

00:28 - Introduction to Brandi 

02:16 - Brandi shares her journey

03:58 - Brandi decides she wants to thrive, not survive

04:20 - Brandi realizes she wants to impact people's lives through her writing

05:47 - God wants us to be happy!

06:07 - Brandi get's a cancer diagnosis

06:56 - Brandi understands she was giving too much of her power to others to determine her outcome

07:25 - Unhappiness in your situation is a sign you're destined for greater

07:36 - Brandi's family blames her for her daughter's autism

11:45 - Don't be afraid to hurt people's feelings!

14:47 - Message for those 40+: The best is yet to come!

16:17 - Brandi's biggest lesson

18:55 - Never take advice for someone passively sitting still

19:57 - Brandi's advice for others

23:07 - You have the right to distance yourself from negative people

27:20 - Self-care is a necessity

28:25 - Don't be afraid to be alone

36:39 - Brandi's final thoughts

About your host:

Sandra Dawes is a recovering control freak and excuse maker who works with clients struggling with similar issues. She holds an Honors BA, an MBA and a certificate in Dispute Resolution. After the passing of her father and circumstances that followed, she suffered from bouts of depression and sought the help of psychotherapists. Unwilling to seek pharmaceutical assistance to deal with her chronic unhappiness, she was lead on a journey of self-awareness and forgiveness that changed her life in deep and meaningful ways.

Sandra enjoys spending time with friends and family, her partner Satnam and her dog Lulu. She published her first book Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve in 2013.

Sandra was added to the Wall of Role Models by the Diversity Advancement Network in July 2016.

You can find more articles and learn more about Sandra and the programs and products she offers at www.embraceyourdestiny.ca.

You can also find Sandra in the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmbraceYourDestiny

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embraceurdestiny

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mbraceurdestiny