Meet Dr. Phyllis Pelzer

We recently connected with Dr. Phyllis Pelzer and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Phyllis, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Being an ordained Woman of Faith, I would love to say my purpose found me. Although I had encountered many challenges (including domestic violence) as a divorced mother raising a young son, I had such an inner passion to encourage other women to help build their self-esteem while navigating life challenges. This passion led me to seek and serve monthly encouragement as Sister 2 Sister, at a Women’s Shelter in Queens, NY for five years with one message “God Has A Plan For Your Life”. Occasionally, I would also take the message to the Men shelters as well promoted as Sister 2 Sister & My Brother 2. My passion to encourage and mentor others opened the door for me to not only serve at my community church, but to enjoy a professional career in the Behavioral Health field for over 20 years while earning my Doctorate of Theology and credential as a New York State Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor and Group Facilitator. My passion to empower and encourage others towards self-improvement also led to my authorship, in which I have several books on Amazon and my personal website. I am also the author and host of my podcast, Butterfly, where I serve “Intentional Encouragement Inspired With You In Mind & Myself” and invested in becoming a certified communicator under John C. Maxwell’s Team.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an ordained minister and “Empowerment Mentor”. I was born in the small town of Waterboro, South Carolina, close to the bustling city of Charleston. I am also an entrepreneur and live in New York City. As mentioned earlier, I earned my Doctor of Theology and in my secular career, served in the Behavioral Health field for over 20 years with experience as a New York State Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC II) and group facilitator. My first book was published in 2007 “You Have To Walk It Out”, and currently I have several books on Amazon and gumroad.com/phylllispelzer. Currently I am working on promoting empowerment and self-improvement under the umbrella of promoting “Beauty From The Inside Out” and being “Healthy And Wealthy On The Inside” through my current books, weekly Butterfly Podcast, Empowerment Channel on YouTube (social media platforms), private Facebook group “Empowerment Café” all of which is to inspire individuals with messages of hope, faith based empowerment and self-improvement strategies to successfully navigate life challenges, crush their goals and become the extraordinary individuals God intended them to be. I love to use my gift and calling of encouragement to communicate the possibility of living a victorious lifestyle. My most recent product is “Conquer From Within Emotional Wellness Journal For Women, and my signature Journal is “30 Day Devotional Journal On Divine Transformation”, which is actually my testimony. Oh, I must mention, I am also a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, whose foundation is to enrich women and men’s lives. So, all my works are united in one purpose…encouragement for the total person. In conclusion, although I’ve experienced domestic violence and divorce, my story is NOT a sad story, but a VICTORIOUS story. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve God and humanity and it is my desire for individuals to become all that Father God has predestined them to be.

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?
First my faith, which gave me the strength to keep going, second knowledge of the importance to be committed to being the mother my son needed me to be and thirdly focus on academics to succeed in life.

The advice I would offer is to prioritize your life, and KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie) i.e. Faith, Family, Career. It is also important to identify and avoid time-wasters and connect to purpose driven people or community that will offer support and encouragement. Be prepared as well to sacrifice an extensive social life, while in pursuit of your life goal; maintaining laser focus will be a worthwhile time investment. You will look back in amazement at what you have intentionally accomplished.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My Mom has been a huge blessing in my life. I can recall being in high school and hanging with the “popular crowd” who did not attend class. When it came time for graduation, I was not eligible. My mother did not give up on me and insisted I was going to be a high school grad. For two years I attended classes year round, it was hard. However, I successfully completed my high school requirements and earned my high school diploma. Also, when I returned home with my toddler son fleeing from domestic violence, she never judged me but welcomed us home. This also gave the opportunity to get my life together and she helped me to raise her grandson, who is now an attorney with a beautiful family of his own. Today, I am blessed to be her caregiver.

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