Meet Breyonna Bailey

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

Hi Breyonna , thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout

Experiencing burn out was one of the scariest points of my life. When I was 13 my mother passed away from Cancer. I immediately stepped in to a role, I assisted my dad raise my younger siblings, contributed financially, and helped my family mourn such a huge loss. I went off to college to obtain a degree in electrical engineering. There I started a nonprofit the “The Pinkney Promise Foundation” for mental health awareness. Immediately after college I transitioned into my role as a Space craft engineer. I was working, managing my nonprofit, constantly pouring into others. I always said yes to a challenge with no real time to slow down. One day I found myself feeling numb. I didn’t want to do anything else that felt like work or “purpose” because it all felt exhausting. It truly felt like I was depleted and so focus on giving out and nothing was being returned back to me. I completely abandoned my business, my performance at work declined, and I was a shell of a person to the relationships in my life. In order to overcome burn out I had to re-evaluate my life. This required creating boundaries with my giving and not just financially but mentally and emotionally too. I had to stop people pleasing and putting everyone else’s comfort before my own. I also had to say NO. I would constantly over extend myself and put myself in positions that were harmful to my mental health at the expense of others. It was hard for me as someone who loves God to feel like I was being “mean” or “disruptive” I had to take solace in knowing that God loves me and wants my cup to be filled as well. He has great plans for me and I can’t achieve them if I’m exhausted and taking on the weight of the world. I promised myself that I would always check in with how Breyonna is feeling and make myself a priority. I would prioritize my self care by seeking a therapist, journaling, taking PTO! The key to avoiding burnout is recognizing the signs before you get there. You have to be proactive about your mental health.

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?

I am the founder of The Pinkney Promise Foundation a 501c3 non profit. Our mission is to inspire, encourage, and spread awareness about mental health. I founded this non profit in 2017. That was a very rough year for my I finally et still enough to reflect on my own hardships, homelessness, losing a mother, sadness. I had all of these life experiences and I didnt know how to cope with it all. I had a dark season but with therapy, community, God, and taping into my purpose their was light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to create a safe space for like minded individuals to heal. Since its inception we’ve hosted, workshops, conferences, wellness tours and community service events.
I am also a space craft engineer with a degree in electrical engineering. My role gives me the opportunity to inspire young girls and bring on the next generation of talent.

Coming down the pipeline I’ve been taking on clients to help them create their own foundations

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?

Faith: I kept my faith even when I didn’t have all of the answers. I felt that God gave me a vision and I trusted that he would provide me with everything I needed to bring it to fruition.
Balance: I was so excited to start my foundation and to step into my career but my first priority was my mental health. I could not promote this wellness business and neglect myself. I make sure to have balance and to stay organized. I also am sure not to over commit but to say YES to opportunities that align to my goals.
Authenticity: My business is apart of who I am. I have to be true to myself. Its not always easy sharing my story and being vulnerable. I learned that my vulnerability is my strength and to embrace every part of who I am.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My number one obstacle in this season is treating myself. I would like to give myself more gifts, more love, more grace, more time! I am shifting from the mode of 24/7 caretaker and learning to sit back and be proud of my achievements. Its always someone to take care of or more work to do be done. I am so used to hustle culture and I want to slow down and rest.
I am in therapy and my therapist is helping me to set aside time for myself. I am also looking for opportunities to gift myself big things and small!

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