We had the good fortune of connecting with Donna Lindsay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donna, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I think there are a few things that have contributed to my success. The first would be a strong prayer life. I believe that prayer/meditation gives me the opportunity to dismiss the “noise” of the world and tap into my inner being. By doing this, I am able to receive guidance, direction, and instruction with regard to the work I do and the clients I serve. I also believe that being consistent and perseverant throughout the journey, as well as, maintaining a positive attitude has contributed greatly to my success. As an entrepreneur, I’ve faced various setbacks, lack of support, or adversity. What I’ve realized is that this act of faithfulness or consistency creates momentum, that we are often unable to see with the natural eye. Whether we know it or not, someone is always watching and all we need is one person to notice the work we are doing and they will, in turn, take it back to friends, family, and neighbors.

What should our readers know about your business?
From the time of my youth, I’ve had an insatiable desire to inspire, empower, and motivate people. I distinctly remember getting corrected in school for always talking. I wasn’t talking to be a distraction to my classmates, but for whatever strange reason I was always drawn to the “underdog”. That student that struggled to process instruction, complete their assignments, and behave respectfully. Little did I know, this would re-surface in my adult life as I now support women of all ages. After spending many years in the field of education and going through some of my most challenging life experiences, I decided to go into the marketplace and share my empowerment strategies with the world.   In a matter of months, my focus shifted from educating youth to assisting women engaged in emotionally challenging and unproductive relationships. As a Relationship Coach, Educational Consultant, Motivational Speaker, and Author, I set out to assist individuals, groups, and professional organizations to have a positive and productive relationship with themselves first, as this directly impacts how they relate to others.  In order to facilitate structured coaching sessions, I’ve created a divinely inspired 5-step SELF-LOVE curriculum, that causes individuals to recognize that self-love is a journey, a lifelong quest that is always evolving. Building my brand has been extremely rewarding, but has had its share of challenges. I’ve learned that embarking on a self-love journey requires individuals to be vulnerable. Often, this is a struggle because people don’t always feel emotionally safe which deters them from disclosing their challenges, traumas, fears, and mistakes for fear of criticism and/or judgment. One of the things I pride myself in being able to do is establish a rapport with my clients. In each session, I position myself to be open and receptive to my client’s thoughts and discussions, which ultimately leads them to feel liberated and unrestrained. When I first embarked on this journey it was unnerving. As a teacher, I didn’t have to market my brand or my work. Everyone I taught was required to be in school by the law. As a life coach, I was thrusted into a whole new world. I had to learn how to use technology more efficiently to build my website, service virtual clients, market my services, provide encouragement and words of wisdom on multiple social media platforms. In the beginning, I was extremely overwhelmed, but Google and Youtube became my “best friends”. What I didn’t know, I made time to learn. I watched videos, took classes, read blogs, reached out to established persons in my field, and even hired a business coach to assist me along the way. In addition, my prayer life increased, and intensified. I knew that I would need a tremendous amount of faith to take on this new journey. Walking down a dark hallway with your eyes closed is never an easy task. This is how I felt as I laid the foundation of my business. Lost, unsure, inadequate, and insecure. However, as the days progressed, what was once overwhelming has turned into joy and has afforded me the opportunity to provide support to new entrepreneurs and coaches. One of the things I learned about myself in this journey is that I enjoy speaking and connecting with audiences of any size regardless of the platform. As a result, I started providing weekly instruction, encouragement, and inspiration on a weekly Facebook LIVE broadcast and created LOVE MY WAY Facebook Group, to provide individuals with the opportunity to learn how to love themselves unconditionally, build long-lasting and sustainable relationships with the people around them through engaging discussions and activities. My warmth, humor, charisma, and ability to speak straight from the heart, motivates my audiences to move beyond their limitations.  Some of my topics include SELF-LOVE, building healthy relationships, and overcoming challenges. This newfound journey has afforded me the opportunity to connect with many amazing individuals. One of these connections opened the door for me to co-author a book entitled “The Professional Woman: Leadership, Courage, and Confidence”. My chapter, “The Power of Influence” teaches female leaders how to use “the power of influence” to positively impact themselves, as well as, the people they lead through the lens of self-love.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend and I love to eat! So one of the first things I would do is take my best friend for a bite to eat. The Pompano Beach House in Pompano Beach, Florida has become one of my new favorites. I would definitely make reservations and request to be seated on the patio. Each of the tables in this area overlooks the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, which is extremely comforting for me. My best friend is a shopper and explorer. Our next step would be to take her to the Sawgrass Mills Mall to walk around and to shop in the various outlet stores available. After spending a few hours in the mall we would grab a bite to eat at either Bahama Breeze, P.F. Changs, or Grand Luxe depending on our taste buds. On Day 2 we would head to the famous South Beach to take in some of the sites, layout on the beach and people watch. Grabbing a bite to eat at The Clevelander would be a must. Not only is the atmosphere relaxing, but the people watching is extremely entertaining. From there we would head home to freshen up and head to the movie theater to see the latest and greatest film out (probably a “chic flick”). Day 3 would take us further south. We would have to get up even earlier in the morning because the drive to Key West from my home takes about 3-1/2 hours. In Key West, we would rent scooters, take a ride down Duval Street, spend some time at the beach, hang out at Margaritaville and be sure to take in a slice of Key West’s famous key lime pie. Just after dinner, we would take the 3-1/2 hour trip back up to my home to rest for the night. On the fourth and final day, we would take a drive to the illustrious and opulent Palm Beach island. Here we would walk the streets of Worth Avenue, eat at one of their hidden cafes, window shop in their antique shops, and maybe go shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. Just before taking the trip back home, we would go to one of my favorite spots Piccolo Gelato, for sorbet. When I get there its always hard to choose between the mango, passionfruit or strawberry flavors. From there we would make the journey back home and have dinner later on that evening at Houston’s Restaurant on the Pompano Beach Intracoastal. After dinner, we would take a brief walk along the Intracoastal sidewalk and then head home so that she could get a good night’s rest, in preparation for her journey home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would also like to thank my husband, Antonio Lindsay, for his continued love, support, and balance; my father, Kenneth Myers, for his constant encouragement and listening ear, and my brother, Darren Myers, for his patience, meekness, and outpour of great intelligence. Next, I would like to thank my departed mother, Alice Myers, for her courage and heart to serve. All that I’ve learned about serving people and seeking to be an instrument of empowerment, inspiration, and motivation was instilled and cultivated by her in my youth. Finally, I would like to thank my beautiful children Dominique, Antonio Jr., and Nyla for supporting me beyond measure. Thank you for receiving me as your mother and loving me unconditionally.

Website: www.donnalindsay.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_donna_lindsay
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-lindsay999/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DonnaLSpeaks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/donnalindsayspeaks

Image Credits
Arriale Henry Arnise Lewis Antonio Lindsay Everett Hamilton