In late 2020, during the pandemic, I started to go through a shift which I now identify as my spiritual awakening. I was starting to see myself in a new way. I was starting to see the world in a new way. I had already been working as a Behavior Specialist for about 7/8 years. During that time, I wrote my first book and graduated with 4 degrees. But something was missing. There are many layers to my story but I think it’s best to start at the most pivotal time in my life, 2016.

In 2016 I was a full-time Licensed Behavior Specialist, working on my dissertation, and preparing to open my home daycare. I found out I was pregnant in March 2016, having twins in in April 2016 and the gender (females) in June 2016. Three short weeks later I gave birth to two beautiful girls Azhara and Zari. One stillborn and one alive, but the doctors chose not to save my daughter.

This experience was so unreal to me. I loved twins, I was excited about having girls, my pregnancy was so joyful, sadly it was short lived. I cried a lot in the beginning and after a while I just shoved all those feelings deep down. I threw on my cape and continued to be Superwoman. This part of my story is relevant because I created my health & wellness business around the memory of my girls. Though I suffered a great loss I also gained a new outlook on life. I wanted to share my story and the joy that I felt carrying my girls but that came a bit later.

Let's jump around just a tad bit to get you up to speed.

By profession I am a Licensed Behavior Specialist (BSC). I have worked in the field for 10 years. I started my first business "The Behavioral Wealth Project LLC (BWP) in 2019 to support children and families in creating healthy cycles of behavior. Through my work as a BSC I saw a gap in education for parents and implementation of interventions across settings. I decided that I wanted to bridge the gap and create tools, resources and services that could be used to support, educate, and empower families. This is where my creative writing skills come into play.

I wrote my first book 'How To Train Your Parents: A parent's Guide To Managing Challenging Behavior' in 2019. Later, I went on to create " The Behavioral Wealth Deck' which is a card deck with prompts for parents. The goal is to have parents answer the questions by journaling, talking it out or simply reflecting to identify areas of improvement in parenting practices. In addition to these tools, I currently offer Parent Coaching and Parent Workshops for organizations and corporations. Starting BWP was exciting. I was able to use my ability to connect and understand people with my education and experience as a Behavior Specialist.

In 2021, when I was going through my spiritual awakening (mentioned earlier in the article) I thought about ways to honor my daughters. I wanted to create something for them to express the joy I felt carrying them for 5 short months. This would also include my adventures with the dance class, fashion, and travel. I wanted to expose other women to healthy lifestyle behavior, patterns, and mindsets. So, I came up with Azhari Life-Style. Azhari is the combination on my daughters’ names (Azhara and Zari). My focus is to empower women to step into their Goddess Energy. If you come across my social media platforms you will find a little bit of everything from motivational quotes, travel recaps, fashion pictures, and dance fitness workouts. I encourage women to show up confidently, authentically, and vulnerably to really experience the joy of life.

Now you'd probably think the story stops there, but there's more! My newest branch of business is dedicated to coaching superwoman. If you head over to @drafifspeaks on instagram, facebook, or Tiktok you will hear me telling women to take off the C.A.P.E (control, anxiety, perfectionism, and expectations). I have been Superwoman for way to long. I watched my mom and many other women become that as well. I decided I didn't want to be her. The C.A.P.E always gave me a false sense of strength and power. In reality I was broken inside, but ready to tell my story.

In, late 2022 I wrote my second book 'Don't Call Me Superwoman: An Exploration Of Divine Intervention, Alignment and Self-Love' (available on amazon). My book made it to the best sellers list. In writing and continuing to go on my journey I realized that this was another opportunity to help women. I created my behavior coaching business specifically for Superwomen who are ready to take off the C.A.P.E, gain clarity in their lives, and to take up space in the world.

Although my journey started as a Behavior Specialist I have transformed into something so much more. My natural ability to connect with people, to relate to people and to understand without judgement has led me to a place of abundance. I have been able to navigate my healing journey and to help others along the way. I am most proud of my ability to be my authentic self. It hasn't always been easy. I've been self-conscious and held ideals that didn't serve me well. But I deserve all the great things in life that I desire and so do many other people. My goal is to fill my cup and use the overflow to pour into as many other people as possible.