Meet Steven VanDyke

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steven VanDyke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Steven, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
It was November 8, 2011, when my pastor at the time Dr. Joseph L. Williams of Salem Bible Church sent me an email inviting me to a private dinner to consider joining a men’s group that he called “12.” His email said the following “I see a lot in you Steven, and a lot of what I see in you, you are unable to see in yourself. God has many great things in you and they are just waiting to come out and forth! I think this group will help you in and with that. It is my desire that you are receiving what I am saying because I say it with love, respect and admiration.”

Soon after that November dinner, Dr. Williams introduced a mind, body and spirit wellness process called “The Journey” which I initially went through as a participant in February 2012. In that process, I went from 260 pounds to 234 pounds in just six weeks with healthy eating, I journaled daily to calm and clear my mind, and I learned the art of meditation to help my spirit. The experience literally changed my life! After that first session, I had the opportunity to become a leader in the process and helped my own team of individuals go through the same process. Over the next two years, I served in various capacities in “The Journey” as a leader, super leader, lead super leader, and then to minister where I provided video inspiration and instruction two days a week to the participants of that particular six-week session. I also served as an advisor and helped strategize the bigger picture of the process which was taking it beyond the four walls of Salem Bible Church to other churches through a turnkey operation.

It was through my surrendering to God during this time which helped me deal with my own generalized anxiety, and brought about the creation of Fight…Win…Survive through a God-inspired dream on August 7, 2012, that I discovered my purpose in this life. My purpose is to encourage, inspire, counsel, advise, coach, and support individuals through what I call their “it” moments in life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My message is a simple one in what I do, which is; “We are everything and we are something. We are the something in the everything that everyone will go through, is going through, or has been through. We are your desire, need and want to Fight…Win…Survive.” Last year we celebrated our ten-year anniversary and in those ten years, we reached individuals all around the world where we shared encouragement and inspiration weekly through our social media following.

Fight…Win…Survive is a registered trademark. We sell t-shirts, wristbands and other apparel on our website. I have written four books that are available on Amazon, “Words of Wisdom, Points of Power and Biblical Empowerment,” “My Thanksgiving Journal (Thanking God One Day at A Time),” “The Prayer Book,” and “The Power of You.” We have released music “The Power of Prayer” and “United We Stand,” that can be found on the digital music outlets. We’ve had our message shared in a movie about the importance of organ donation called “The Wish.” We also have a mobile app for emergencies called “911 Alert.” We have adopted a non-profit organization called the Hailey Bankhead Foundation (www.haileybankheadfoundation.org) where I am an advisory board member and Fight…Win…Survive is an annual supporter of their mission to bring awareness to childhood cancer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three skills that were most impactful in this journey of finding my purpose is: 1. Listening. 2. Communication and 3. Leadership. Through my participation in “The Journey” I had to master these skills to be effective, efficient and employ empathy to the individuals that I was serving.

My advice to anyone early in their journey of finding their purpose and if they were to choose my listed skills and develop them, is to find avenues to continue educating one’s self. I have participated in other ministry leadership opportunities like being the leader of the men’s ministry and working within ministry in other consulting roles. I have become a certified Life Coach. I have also added to my book collection to obtain further knowledge in an attempt to master the skills that I need to continue to encourage and empower others through my role as Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) with Fight…Win…Survive.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Since this interview is all about finding my purpose, I would have to credit Dr. Joseph L. Williams and his transformational process “The Journey” with helping me build and develop the essential skills and qualities I needed to be successful with all that I have done since creating Fight…Win…Survive. We worked hand-in-hand, I desired change and he provided me with a road map. I in return, provided him with my business acumen that helped lay a lot of the initial foundation for “The Journey” process.

Dr. Williams was never too busy for me when I reached out to him and I will forever be appreciative of the love and support he provided to me during a time when I really didn’t know if I was coming or going. This is what I have modeled myself, my company, and my future as a leader in any capacity to be in this world.

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