Meet Jojo Dries

We were lucky to catch up with Jojo Dries recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi JoJo, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I was sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abused by my dad and brother from childhood to age 29. I finally escaped. All throughout the years I was being abused, I promised myself that I would one day get out and then help other Abuse Survivors get out. To the outside world, my family growing up looked like the ideal and perfect family. We were part of a religious organization. We grew from penniless to wealthy and people loved our (fake) rags to riches story. We were multi-lingual. We traveled a lot at the end of my time with them. We looked to be living a glamorous life.

Behind closed doors, things were VERY ugly. I am one of 6 siblings. My mom is a textbook Domestic Violence Victim. She didn’t protect us.

I was also in love with my childhood sweetheart and, in my mid-20s, my dad made me stop talking to him. He was so controlling, that I had to say goodbye to the love of my life.

When I finally escaped, match.com reconnected me with the love of my life, my childhood sweetheart, and we ended up eloping on Valentine’s Day, 2012. We are now married for 12 years, and have two beautiful children and the most precious dog.

I tell you this, because it lays the foundation of why I founded our nonprofit- my purpose, On The Wings of Angels, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit. When I was growing up being abused, I promised myself that I would one day escape, and then I would help other Abuse Survivors escape.

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?

When I was growing up being abused, I promised myself that I would one day escape, and when I did- I would help other Abuse Survivors escape. This promise became the foundation of On The Wings of Angels, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit. The name and mission of our nonprofit is to honor those who have died due to domestic violence. They are our angels now, carrying us forward as we work to guide others to safety.

We provide immediate and tangible community, resources and support for survivors who are removing themselves from abusive situations. We are also a conduit to others who want to serve survivors.

I am most proud that we are a no-red-tape nonprofit, providing immediate help for survivors, without a whole bunch of paperwork or hoops for them to jump through.

We recently had a car donated to us from a donor, and we immediately donated that to our very first survivor we ever helped!

We also bring awareness to this conversation about domestic violence in our communities. We don’t shy away from bringing this up consistently in conversations in community business and other groups. We are talking about it in the media, and asking others to continue bringing awareness that so many of us have experienced domestic violence, and what we can all do to stop the silence and end the stigma around this conversation. We want to change the conversation around Domestic Violence. We want to shift the conversation and act as a community unified to be Agents of Change.

It’s important to know that domestic violence effects us all – no matter our socioeconomic status. 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 7 men have reported to have experienced some type of domestic violence in their lifetime. Sadly, 44% of all domestic violence goes unreported. We need to be the generation to shift the paradigm on this conversation!

We hope others find ways to support survivors in their own communities! We are holding a clothing and toy drive mid-November and will be offering Survivors a chance to come shop (for free) for their families in December.

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?

My life has been an adventure across mountains- many valleys and peaks but definitely not a smooth road! Three assets that have impacted my journey the most are my tenacity, the supportive people I’ve surrounded myself with and ignoring the “you’re not worthy” stories I grew up being told.

I’ve had to fight for everything I have in my life right now- I wasn’t able to flee my abusers until I was 29. I’m a Lebanese woman who hustled tirelessly to build a career in the male dominated mortgage industry and found a non-profit. I’ve also had to fight to create the family I have and for the life we enjoy together.

The main step I had to take was the first one – believe in myself and take action. Having a supportive husband and trustworthy team, strong mentors and Advisory Board has allowed me to navigate places I never expected to be.

My biggest advice for someone considering starting their own business or nonprofit, is to very clearly define your expertise, passion and reason why. There will always be people who want to discourage your journey, and that’s okay – it’s not their dream, it’s yours. They can’t understand because it’s not their path. There’s nothing wrong with that. Smile and move on; they are not haters, they just don’t belong on your path. Remember to surround yourself with folks that believe in you and will also challenge you. It’s important that you have different perspectives on your team, not just yes people. Invest in yourself and your idea. It’s scary to pour so much of yourself and your resources into your company; it’s also so worth it on every level!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

We are looking for organizations and individuals that want to be Angels of Change. That could mean spreading the word about our mission, hosting a fundraiser for us, donating their time and talent to the survivors we serve or giving a treasure donation to On The Wings of Angels. They can contact us through our website, www.otwoa.org, email us at [email protected] or find us on Facebook or Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.otwoa.org/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/onthewingsofangelsnonprofit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnTheWingsofAngelsMI
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojodries/