Meet Dianna Isabella

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

Dianna, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Being raised in a very strict, fire and brimstone Pentecostal church from birth, I found myself in possession of detrimentally skewed mindsets and pretenses about God and who He really is by the time I was a pre-teen. In parallel, those mindsets and pretenses carried over into the thoughts I had about myself and who I really am. Enter in the imposter.

I was raised in religion and knew nothing about relationship with Christ or my true identity in Him. Because of this, my entire life consisted of the belief that my value, identity, and ability to be loved were in direct correlation to the opinions and approval of others. I harbored the lie that my identity and worth were rooted in my performance and my ability to behave in a certain manner which would in turn, make me “good enough”. I assumed an identity that was not conducive to the Ephesians 2:10 truth that “we are God’s masterpiece.”

I believe that imposter syndrome can look different for those of us who hold true to our faith in Christ. Not only does the imposter rob us of our true identity and affect our outward day to day lives, but it also cripples us in our walk with Jesus. I believe this happens in a twofold manner.

One, we carry out our day to day existence constantly trying to perform well and receive the approval of others, and this mindset carries over into our relationship with Christ, causing us to harbor the incorrect belief that His love for us and His purpose for our lives is directly related to how “good” we can be.

Two, the imposter takes over our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, consistently affecting our actions, which in turn causes us to search for our identity in other people, places, and things. Ultimately, both sets of circumstance leave us living a life of bondage that is tethered to the constant lie that we are inadequate, lacking purpose, and unlovable in the eyes of God and people.

This imposter, in its entirety, was the central figure of my life for many years, and the lie that I believed I was which kept me bound, running from God, and unable to see my true value, worth, and purpose. I would like to say that I had all the strength and power in myself to over come this false me, but that would be wholly untrue. But for the grace of God, I would still be bound to the imposter today.

I was set free and overcame imposter syndrome when I stopped running from God and fully surrendered the entirety of my life to Him. In allowing Christ to heal me, to refine me, and to show me the truth of His Word and who I am in Him, the imposter was evicted and I found my true identity in Jesus. I accepted the truth that no person, performance, or human accolade can define me and that there is nothing I can or cannot do that will ever diminish or dissolve my inherent worth. and the love my Father has for me. Performance, people, and opinions can never and will never define me; only Christ has the authority to define me, and He calls me “beloved” (Song of Songs 6:3).

Simply put, I overcame imposter syndrome by laying my life at the foot of the Cross and allowing Jesus Christ to define me and show me who I really am.

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?

Anybody who truly knows me knows that my passion is and always has been cooking, baking, and feeding people. To this day, I cannot quite understand in full why the Lord saw fit to give me charge over a Kingdom commercial cleaning business, but this is where He has placed me and this is what I strive daily to steward well.

Since June of 2021, I have been the owner/sole proprietor of Back To The Garden. We are a faith-based and Bible structured business providing cleaning service for commercial clients in various cities in the state of Ohio. We regularly give back to our local community and sow a portion of our revenue monthly to Christ-centered organizations and missions. I would like to say I am crazy passionate about cleaning, but the truth of the matter is, I am not. On the contrary, and most importantly, I AM crazy passionate about people; not just your regular everyday people, but the broken people. The outcasts, the hurting, and those who society would consider “less-than” and even “unemployable”. People who are much the same as I once was and seen in the same dim light that I once was. THIS is where my internal fire burns and my passion is set ablaze.

From day one, I have made it a point to seek out the broken, the lost, and the ones in need of a second, third, fourth, or even fifth chance. It brings me great joy to say that Back To The Garden proudly employs women in recovery. Women rescued from sex trafficking. Women who have been broken and abused. Women who desperately need hope and a second chance. Men in recovery. Men who may have caught a bad wrap but are desperately trying to live better and clean up their lives. Men who desperately need hope and a second chance. These are the people who are the backbone of this business, and these are the people who God sees fit to bring to my doorstep in search of acceptance, grace, love, and another chance. This is what excites me more than anything about being the owner of this business.

Coupled with the privilege to walk alongside these amazing people and provide them with gainful employment, I am also grateful to God for the ability to help those in need in our local community and abroad. Back To The Garden along with my Pastors and church sponsor meal distribution events twice a year for Easter and Thanksgiving, feeding upwards of 200 families in need at each event. We also support local missionaries who travel abroad spreading the Gospel and providing food and necessities to indigent people in other countries. We actively support and are engaged in local sex-trafficking rescue ministries, as well as providing intermittent support to local domestic violence shelters to help battered women.

To put it in better perspective, when you retain Back To The Garden for service, you are putting your money where it is needed most; into the lives of those in need of mercy, provision, and grace. You are becoming part of a much bigger purpose and your decision to do business with us is positively impacting the lives of so many others you may never see or meet both locally and around the world. Your choice to allow us the privilege to serve literally makes a difference across the globe.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Transparency, a willingness to learn, lead, and own my mistakes, and the ability to process criticism and allow it to have a positive impact for growth and maturity.

I am a firm believer that transparency is critical in properly stewarding and maintaining a business, as well as relationships with clients and employees. Transparency allows people to see the real you, not the tidied up version that we think will impress the world. When we are engaged in transparency, it puts us on an equal playing field with our peers and employees and makes us genuinely relatable. I believe that being transparent provides a measure of comfort for my employees who may come from troubled and/or abusive backgrounds, and lets them know they are seen, understood, and valued. Transparency also builds a level of trust with our clients and demonstrates that I know I don’t have it all together, and I am willing to communicate, listen, and strive for understanding in order to provide the best possible service for our clients who are choosing place their trust in us. Most people are not looking false images and feigned perfection; most people want to see the real you and be truly aware of the person you are, not who you think they want you to be. For me, transparency equates to a level of trust that cannot be obtained by any other means.

When we are willing to admit we really don’t know it all and we are actively engaged in learning and leading with honor and integrity, accountability and the willingness to own our mistakes will follow suit. I greatly value a person’s willingness to admit they don’t have all the answers, a willingness to lead, teach, and be teachable, and a heart and mind committed to being held accountable. The absence of these three traits, in my humble opinion, provides a surefire recipe for disaster. It has been my experience that when I can openly admit I don’t have an answer and I am accountable for my shortcomings, mistakes, or wrong decisions, the doors of opportunity are opened for me to grow, become better, and learn from others. These three traits combined pave the road to meaningful employee/business owner relationships as well as affording the opportunity to solidify stronger and more productive business/client relationships resulting in deeper personal and professional growth. I strive to always lead with integrity, to always learn from others, and to always hold myself accountable and admit when I make a mistake. This has been one of the strongest growth factors I have experienced in my three years in business.

Lastly, let’s talk criticism. None of us like it, but the simple fact is, all of us need it at times. I am referring to “constructive criticism” and not its heinous counterpart “destructive criticism”. The first provides opportunity for growth and change, while the latter promotes regression and stagnancy. When we learn to take constructive criticism well, we allow ourselves the opportunity to view the world and our circumstances in a different light. If we are open to truly listening and contemplating what is being said, we often find the positive outcomes of constructive criticism will far outweigh the momentary discomfort of being subjected to it. We will grow as individuals and in turn, business growth has greater opportunity to become the standard. Develop an attitude of teachability, and suddenly constructive criticism will become the catalyst that propels you to new heights and allows you to become a better person while earning the respect and trust of your clients and employees.

These are just a few of the lessons God has and continues to allow me to learn along this journey of business ownership. Our personal and professional growth will never just “happen”. We must be diligent and intentional in our willingness and desire to learn and engage in mindsets and actions that perpetuate positive change.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Hands down, the Bible. God’s Word literally contains every piece of knowledge, wisdom, and instruction that all human beings need to navigate this volatile life we live in this fallen world.

The Word of God is the compass I live by, even though I don’t always get it right. Some believe it’s antiquated, many question its validity, and countless others mock and poke fun at it. In my estimation, a closed mind fears what it cannot humanly understand, which is why God’s Word is so relevant in my life. In my finite state, I absolutely cannot comprehend all that is contained in His Word, but that is why I so desperately need it and need Him. My lack of understanding finds complete clarity and understanding through the revelatory power of God as I read. He helps me understand and He always reveals His truth. I can boldly say that despite the fires burning all around us in this world right now, I live in absolute peace with no fear of the future because God is and always has been present. His Word perfectly describes what life in this world will be like and all that is to come, which affords those of us who read it the peace of knowing it’s all under His control and we have no reason to fear.

If I never had the opportunity to engage in and experience the power of God’s written word, I know beyond a doubt that I would not be here today. He literally saved my life and rescued me from death and there is no amount of gratitude that could ever be enough to thank Him. That being said, here are a few of my favorite “nuggets” of wisdom from God’s Word:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
~Jeremiah 29:11

“to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.”
~Isaiah 61:3

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
~Romans 10:9

Proverbs 3

Isaiah 53

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.backtothegardencleaning.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backtothegardencleaning/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackToTheGardenCleaning
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianna-isabella-a6632421b/