Meet Anisa Palmer

We were lucky to catch up with Anisa Palmer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anisa, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my mother and father. My mother was adopted at a young age. Almost got kicked out of catholic school for asking questions. Survived an abusive marriage. She got out! Then married my father. She believed in the arts, counseled couples to work in their marriage, and provided mentorship and training to at-risk youth. She later succumbed to breast cancer.

My father then got hit by a drunk driver on the way to work. Almost lost his life, my sisters and I thought we would be orphans. He was in a coma for weeks. When he finally awoke, he began fighting for handicap rights in the Virgin Islands where we are from. Today, my. father is still in a wheelchair and in great health with a great mind.

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 grew up in St. Croix, moved to the mainland, United States, and shortly after signed up to serve in the United States Army. during my second tour in Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom with my 82nd Airborne Paratroopers, I saw a mirage of my dear mother who succumbed to breast cancer.

I thought I would retire from the military until that point. I started a nonprofit organization called, I Will Survive, Inc. to help families fighting breast cancer. I understood the assignment and told God, “say less”, or whatever we said at that time.

I was always in a classroom or a meeting to help grow this vision. I also focused heavily on self-care. As a combat veteran, I had to, while all my fellow veterans were coming home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, I needed to ensure I did ALL THE THINGS, to stay on top of my well-being and my mental health.

I speak on these topics professionally at various types of events and panels. I will be publishing my second professional book this year and my first children’s book. To be able to serve in all the ways my mother was active in the community, makes me feel as if she is right here by my side, helping along the way. I am forever grateful to have had the mother I did, no matter how short I had her.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important pieces in my pocket I hold on to are; never take things personally, make time for self-care, and, make a purposeful impact in whatever field you work in.

People who live in their purpose add years into their lives.

‘Sense of Purpose’ Can Add Years to Your Life

When I first started as a founder, I was told that I could not get a discount on the venue to rent it for a charity event unless I went out on a date with that individual or that I had to sleep with another individual for a donation or that I was not taken seriously despite my academic competence because I was a woman, or when I was told to perform fellatio on another individual for a sponsorship.

I could not take those comments personally nor did I have anyone to report the sexual harassment to as I was the boss, so I had to grow tough skin, not take things personally, and keep working hard.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Whenever I am overwhelmed, I have to take a time out. Sometimes to just breathe. I became a new mom and it is hard to run your business and be a mom but take one day at a time for any new moms out there. You can still accomplish your goals. Sometimes you have to adjust your timeline, and that is okay. And even more now than ever, I have to schedule time for myself. Self-care is so important.

I breastfed my child for two years, not only for my child but for me too. It helps to reduce your risk for breast cancer and helps with positive endorphins.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595228/#:~:text=High%20levels%20of%20endorphins%20in,baby’s%20sucking%20at%20the%20breast.

Having a good support group around you is key. I had a girlfriend come by the house to just bring breakfast. Another girlfriend flew in to take me to the spa, my sister took me on vacation, a few family members invited me on vacation, and another cousin paid for a spa session. Those kinds of family members and friends truly matter. Pour into one another to keep each other afloat when you feel like you are drowning. You come back to the table ready and able to knock out all those to-do’s way better than before.

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