Meet Kelly Preston

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Preston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.

Kelly, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I think resilience has grown in me from choosing again and again not to give up. Even when I’ve felt weak or overwhelmed, there’s been a quiet part of me that refuses to stay down. I don’t always feel strong, but I’ve learned that resilience isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision.
My resilience has been built through life’s hard moments. Every setback, loss, or challenge became a training ground. Over time, I stopped asking, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ and started asking, ‘What is this shaping in me?’ That shift gave me strength.
My resilience comes from the people around me—family, mentors, friends—who’ve stood with me, spoken truth over me, and reminded me who I am when I’ve forgotten. I’ve learned to borrow strength when I need it and return it when I can.

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?

With a heart for people and a passion for purpose, I’ve spent the last 25 years working in diverse roles that center around growth, healing, and transformation. I began my career as an ESL teacher in North Africa and the Middle East, where I spent nearly ten years building cross-cultural connections through language and education. That international foundation deepened my empathy and adaptability—skills I carried into my later work with teen girls in recovery and their families, offering hope and support through some of life’s toughest chapters.

As a pastor—both on staff and as a lead—I’ve walked alongside individuals and communities through spiritual growth, crisis, and change. Today, I continue that mission through life coaching, working with individuals and couples who are navigating transitions, rebuilding trust, or simply trying to rediscover who they are. I’m also a licensed real estate agent, where I get the joy of helping people find the perfect home for their current season of life.

Whether I’m coaching, teaching, pastoring, or helping someone find their next front door, my greatest joy is helping people see their worth, discover their full potential, and find the courage to keep going—even when the road gets hard.

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

Looking back, three qualities that have had the most impact on my journey are adaptability, empathy, and spiritual discernment.
Adaptability became essential early in my career while teaching ESL in North Africa and the Middle East. Working across cultures, languages, and customs taught me to stay curious, flexible, and open to different ways of thinking.


Empathy deepened during my years working with teen girls in recovery and their parents. It’s one thing to support someone’s healing; it’s another to enter their story with compassion and without judgment.


Spiritual discernment has guided me through ministry, life coaching, and even real estate. It’s the inner compass that helps me sense what’s really going on beneath the surface, and how best to respond.


What I’ve learned through these developed skills: Wherever you are in your journey, keep growing. Keep listening. Keep showing up for people—and for yourself.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

If I knew I only had a decade left, I would spend it being deeply present with the people I love. Losing our oldest son four years ago changed everything. And for the past six years, our youngest son has been in a relentless battle with cancer, with no remission in sight. Our teenage daughter is walking through all of this with us, navigating loss and uncertainty at a young age. These realities have stripped away anything superficial. What remains is what truly matters—faith, family, love, and presence.

I would savor the time I have. I’d slow down, laugh more, cry freely, and create space for joy in the middle of sorrow. I’d keep holding my husband’s hand, after 28 years of doing life together, and be fully available to our children in whatever way they need. I wouldn’t waste time chasing what doesn’t last—I’d invest it in moments that do.

And while I would make the most of every day here, I would also live with deep anticipation—knowing that one day, I’ll get to see my oldest son again on the other side. That hope anchors me. Until then, I want to love well, stay open, and keep showing up—for my family, my clients, and anyone who needs to know they’re not alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.truehorizons.net/
• Instagram: @lifecoach.kellypreston
• Facebook: Kelly Rowles Preston
• Other: Instagram: @stansbury.realtors.preston
  Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/profile/preston%20greg

Image Credits

Kelly & Greg – beach in Mexico
Family (all 5 of us in 2016)
Claire & Jackson (our two youngest kids)
The four of us in Morocco in 2025