Courageous F.
Social Entrepreneur/Empowerment Speaker at Courageous Fire, LLC
Motivational/Self Development
Des Moines, IA, USA
Biography
I am a Black woman who survived domestic violence, abduction, sexual harassment & assault, child neglect, and human trafficking. I stepped back and asked myself at 47 when I realized I was in a domestic abuse marriage three things: 1) how did I get here? 2) how do I get me and my daughters out? 3) how do I never find myself here again? That process of learning allowed me to develop and hone my core genius: 1) clearly seeing others 2) clearly seeing myself 3) using that information to transform situations, circumstances, and relationships for myself 4) guiding others to do the same.
Passion
I get excited when people apply that insight to their situations, circumstances, relationships, and decisions. I LOVE hearing the reports from folks who've gone from hearing words to transforming worlds!
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I always get paid for speaking
Topics
Best Story
I remember still being an administrative assistant. My role was to support leadership of a Fortune 100 company's department of 100+ employees. She was in the process of replacing her associate director. Executive leadership had a candidate they wanted to hire but he interviewed badly. My director told me - the secretary - to 'get him ready to ace the interview'. I booked his flight in, greeted him at the guard station, and brought him up to our floor to await his 2nd interview. I advised him that his soon-to-be-director asked me to help with interview prep. He was slightly tickled and admitted that he is great in his roles but interviews badly because he gets nervous trying to anticipate what the 'right answers' are. I told him he knew the 'right answers' as long as he focused on what was important. I reviewed the job description with him and asked him to tell me what skills the interviewers would want him to be able to prove he had already repetitively successfully demonstrated. He knew them and rattled them off. I asked him to tell me if he could think of STAR stories (situation/task, action, and demonstrative, quantifiable results he had achieved) for each of those skills. He gave me a decisive 'yes'. I asked him what he wanted. He told me he wanted to the claims dept's next AD. I reminded him that since he knew what they wanted, and knows he's great with people in general and easily likable, knows what his STAR stories are and is going to write them down and take them into the interview, he is poised to get exactly what he wants. I could tell he felt empowered, emboldened, and equipped as he sat down to write out his STAR stories. We shared such joy on his first day in the role as he greeted me with his wife, leading with the introduction to meet the woman that 'got him this job'. I reminded him that HIS SKILLS got himself that job - I simply helped him gain clarity so he could powerfully articulate them.
Origin Story
See bio!
Example talks
Power Through Perspective: Unlocking Clarity for Transformational Success
In my signature talk, I guide audiences through a transformative process of understanding the dynamics of human interaction by helping them clearly see others and themselves. By uncovering blind spots, fostering deeper self-awareness, and recognizing the perspectives that shape relationships and decisions, participants will learn to clear a path toward achieving exactly what they want—whether in a workplace challenge, a personal relationship, or navigating complex situations. This empowering talk provides actionable insights that inspire confidence, enhance communication, and drive meaningful outcomes for both individuals and teams.
Why ALL Leaders Gotta Have A Robust Mufasa Speech
If you've seen this movie, you LOVED the part of The Lion King where Simba remembers Mufasa's voice from the ancestor plane. There's a reason why you loved it, why it's powerful, and why it's essential for sustainability for ALL leaders.
#Permission
These talks inspire the audience to give themselves permission of some type - such as permission to say no, permission set boundaries, permission to do something different. The great thing about these talks is they can be tailored to the event or audience!
How do you get back to the dream space?
Are you soul tired? Not the type of tired that can be fixed with a nap or even several days of consecutive sleep, but tired deep in your soul? You are missing your dream space, Beloved. Settle down and remember how to ... DREAM. Therein you find REST.
What is REAL self care?
REAL self care is something that is accessible when you need it, whether or not you're by yourself or with others, something that works on collective and individual stressors, and something that actually relieves stress. This isn't your take-yourself-to-a-spa-day self care. Learn how to know what you need and figure out sustainable solutions.
Where'd your money go?
Employers lose a lot to domestic violence (DV), especially money. Loss of productivity, absenteeism, higher health insurance costs, and talent retention / new employee training costs billions of dollars per year. Learn how to use the resources you alread;y have to insulate your organization against DV.
How to be a disruptor
Domestic violence homicide doesn't just happen. It has very distinct and identifiable stages. If you can identify it, you can disrupt it. Great for the following audiences: law enforcement, justice system, healthcare system, and child protective services sytem.