Meet Erika Plunkett

We recently connected with Erika Plunkett and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erika, 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?

Honestly, I have to thank my haters. Hear me out.

First of all, I really believe purpose is a lifelong journey. It’s not something you arrive at once and then you’re done. It keeps unfolding. And because of my faith, finding purpose actually comes pretty easily for me, I can find it in the most mundane things. I’ll see miracles in simple, everyday moments.

But truly understanding what drives me… that came from a much deeper place.

Having haters is honestly one of the most normal things in the world. If you’re doing anything with even the slightest bit of significance, you’re going to have them. But for me, my haters did something incredible. They gave me a gift.
There were some pretty awful things said about me and to me. But it wasn’t really what was said, it was the process that it took me through. I made a decision early on that I wasn’t going to try to prove anything or fight back. Instead, I went inward. I dove deep into self-discovery.

That journey took me all the way back, to my roots, to my why. It unearthed things I had repressed. It brought things to the surface that I didn’t even realize were shaping me.

And through that, I became more sure, more grounded, more comfortable in who I am.

So, yeah… I honestly thank my haters. Because, in an unexpected way, they helped refine my purpose. And a lot of that story will be in my book when it’s ready.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I always have a variety of projects happening at once, and honestly, I love that for me.

In 2018, I co-founded a nonprofit organization called Ama International. It was born out of an incredible journey. One that traces back to my grandmother’s stories about growing up in extreme poverty and the time I spent serving at a camp for children who were being trafficked for less than $200 from Mexico into the U.S.

Our mission is to prevent generational poverty and human trafficking by providing access to resources, healthcare, and education for students and women. And we’ve seen amazing results. The stories are truly mind-blowing. Helping children stay in school and graduate, even from elementary. Providing something as simple as a mountain bike or diabetes medication has literally transformed lives and created generational success stories.

Right now, I’m especially excited about a domestic project Ama is leading called Grand Rapids Giving Day. We’re heading into our second year, and it’s truly a tsunami of collaboration, innovation, and impact.

On December 2nd, we’re hosting what I’d call the philanthropic event of the year — on Giving Tuesday — where around 40 nonprofits will come together for the Grand Rapids Generosity Fair. It’s all about connecting the community to the good work happening around them in all kinds of ways.

We raise money, we have fun, and most of all, we show up for each other.

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?

I’m actually going to go with three decisions that were most impactful for me.

First — find mentors.
Like, real ones. The kind you can cry with and learn from. Mentors who can tell you about yourself and still love you through it. That part isn’t easy. The first few people I asked to be my mentor actually told me no. But I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without the ones who eventually said yes.

Second — challenge yourself.
Work harder. Read more books. Stretch your capacity. If anyone’s out here telling you this journey is easy, they’re lying. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That tension is what will grow you. The more you lean into challenge, the better equipped you’ll be when life gets real, and it always does.

Third — find your people.
Network with wisdom. You don’t have to go to everything, be strategic. Show up where you’re meant to be and lock in with connectors. Some people have that gift, they bring the right people together at the right time.

Since 2020, Ama International has brought almost $5 million into Mexico to support under-resourced hospitals, clinics, and doctors. Only God knows how many lives have been spared and healed because of that. And honestly, it all started with one person connecting me to another.

So don’t think you always have to possess the resource or have every name in your Rolodex. Success moves at the speed of connection.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

That would definitely be personal growth.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done some pretty exciting and challenging things in the last year, I even did a podcast on a plane and got to fly it for a hot second. But nothing compares to the personal growth path I’ve been on. I mentioned it before, but I’ve really been on this journey of authenticity for me. I wanted to know who I am at the core and truly understand my why. And I can honestly say, I’ve never felt more sure or more connected to who I am than I do right now.

Some of that growth came with growing pains, things like distancing myself from being overly social, letting go of other people’s expectations, and actually sitting with my feelings instead of rushing past them.

This kind of personal work is gritty, not pretty. But it’s necessary.

What makes it so meaningful is that no one else can do it for you. No one can force you into that kind of self-discovery. You have to make the decision that you’re worth the work.

To love yourself enough to strip away everything surface-level and get honest about what’s underneath.

And honestly, I’m not sure if anyone else can see the growth — but that’s okay. It wasn’t for them. It was for me.

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Image Credits

AFP Media
Tiberius Images
Pics by Feershie
Mo Photography

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