Meet Kendell “Mr. OVERECOMER” Myers

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kendell “Mr. OVERECOMER” Myers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kendell “Mr. OVERECOMER” below.

Hi Kendell “Mr. OVERECOMER”, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience wasn’t something I was born with — it was something life forced me to build. Growing up, I struggled to read until I was about 12 years old. While other kids breezed through books, I wrestled with words that didn’t seem to make sense. That season taught me how to fight through frustration, how to listen harder, and how to believe in myself even when no one else could see the progress. That struggle built a fire in me — the kind that doesn’t burn out when life gets rough.

At 17, life showed me how fragile it could be. Two people were killed in a drive-by shooting, and one of them was only five feet away from me. In that moment, I realized how quickly everything can change. I wasn’t supposed to make it out of that situation — but I did. That experience woke something up inside me. It made me see that every breath is a gift, and if I was still here, there had to be a reason.

Then, at 20, I lost my father to stage 4 lung cancer. Watching him fight through pain with faith and strength broke me down, but it also built me up. His courage became my compass. Losing him taught me that life is short, but purpose is forever. I carry his strength in everything I do — every word I speak, every young person I try to reach, every dream I chase.

So when people ask where my resilience comes from, I tell them it came from struggle — from not being able to read but refusing to give up, from standing five feet away from death and still choosing life, and from losing my father but gaining his strength. Every trial became training. Every pain became purpose. And through it all, God never stopped writing my story.

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?

I’m Kendell Myers AKA Mr. OVERCOMER — a Empowerment Speaker, Certified Purpose Coach, and founder of ItsTimeToStepUp, a personal development company built to help people break through mental, emotional, and spiritual barriers so they can turn their Pain Into SUPERPOWER. Our mission is simple: to wake people up to their potential and remind them that their story still matters, no matter how it started.

What excites me most about what I do is watching transformation happen in real time — when somebody realizes they don’t have to stay stuck, or when a person young/older who’s been counted out starts to believe again. I’ve lived through struggle — learning to read late, surviving gun violence, and losing my father — so when I speak, it’s not theory; it’s experience. I know what it feels like to want change so bad you can taste it, but not know where to start. ItsTimeToStepUp was born from that space — from my decision to stop waiting for a better moment and start becoming the man God called me to be.

Through our workshops, motivational events, and one-on-one coaching, we focus on mindset, leadership, and overcoming adversity. Right now, we’re expanding our reach with new youth SEL mentorship programs and our E.M.P.O.W.E.R. Series — a nationwide speaking tour designed to ignite hope and accountability in schools, churches, and community centers.

We also partner with organizations and local entrepreneurs to create impact events that combine inspiration with action — helping people not just feel motivated for the moment, but equipped to keep moving forward.

At the end of the day, ItsTimeToStepUp isn’t just a brand — it’s a movement. It’s about reclaiming your voice, standing on your story, and proving that no matter what you’ve been through, you can still rise.

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?

When I look back at my journey, three qualities shaped me more than anything else: perseverance, determination, and emotional intelligence. These weren’t things I read in a book — they were lessons I had to live through.

Perseverance came from the moments I wanted to give up but couldn’t. I learned early that life won’t hand you anything — you have to keep pushing, even when progress feels invisible. When I struggled to read as a kid, I had to sit with the frustration, the embarrassment, the feeling of being behind. But perseverance taught me how to stay in the fight until I saw breakthrough. Thanks to the help of my tutor and mentor: Cindy who also didn’t give up on me. It showed me that consistency beats talent when talent gives up.

Determination became my engine at 17, when life got real and danger was five feet away in that drive-by shooting. That moment reminded me that life can change in a blink, and you either let fear control you or you rise and move with purpose. Determination taught me to set my mind to win — that if I start something, I’m going to finish it, no matter how long it takes. When my father passed when I was 20, that same determination kept me from collapsing under the weight of grief. It made me build instead of break.

Emotional intelligence started around the time I lost my father, and honestly, it changed everything. It taught me how to read a room, manage my emotions, and understand other people beyond what they say. As an Empowerment Speaker and Certified Purpose Coach, Emotional Intelligence allows me to connect with people’s pain without judgment, to speak life where others only see limitation. It’s the difference between reacting and responding, between arguing and understanding.

For anyone just starting out, here’s what I’ll tell you — these qualities aren’t gifts, they are growth mindset that creates new perspective. You build them by showing up. Perseverance grows when you stay consistent through failure. Determination builds when you stop negotiating with your excuses. And emotional intelligence deepens when you slow down enough to listen — not just to others, but to yourself and to God.

If you can master those three — perseverance, determination, and emotional intelligence — you’ll be unstoppable. Because success isn’t about who gets there first. It’s about who refuses to quit, learns from their emotions, and keeps showing up long after the crowd stops clapping.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The last 12 months have been the most stretching and rewarding season of my life. My biggest area of growth has been stepping fully into leadership — not just as a title, but as a lifestyle.

I’ve learned that real leadership starts with serving. As a member of the Mental Health Committee for the Black Male Initiative (BMI), I’ve had the chance to pour into men who are fighting silent battles, teaching them that vulnerability is strength and healing is possible. That role reminded me that mental health isn’t just a conversation — it’s a movement, and it needs strong voices to keep it going.

As Culture Team Leader at A Place of Change Ministries (APOC) under the leadership of Dr. Eric Thomas — “ET the Hip Hop Preacher” — I’ve learned what it truly means to lead with integrity, consistency, and compassion. ET has a saying: “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” I’ve taken that to heart. Leading there has shown me that influence means nothing without impact, and impact begins when you walk what you talk.

I’ve also gone back to school to earn my Associate Degree in Psychology. It’s not just about the degree — it’s about sharpening my understanding of people so I can better serve, teach, and inspire. Growth doesn’t stop when you reach a goal; it starts again when you chase a new one.

And beyond the professional side, I’ve grown as a husband and step father of three amazing boys. Leadership at home is the truest test of who I am. Every lesson I teach them — about faith, hard work, and perseverance — keeps me accountable to live what I preach.

Alongside my wife, we co-founded Blissful Lemonade, our family handcrafted lemonade company. It’s more than a business — it’s a testimony of creativity, unity, and vision. We built it from the ground up, turning a simple idea into a brand that brings people joy and connection. It reminds me daily that leadership isn’t just about positions — it’s about producing fruit in every area of your life. Our three boys also help with the business as well.

So when I think about the past year, I see growth everywhere: in how I lead, how I love, how I learn, and how I live. I’ve learned to stay productive, stay consistent, and keep becoming the best version of myself — not for applause, but for purpose. Because real leadership isn’t about being in front; it’s about lifting others higher, starting with the ones who call you “Family.”

Last but not least, my relationship with God has skyrocketed. Without Him, none of this would be possible. Over the past year, I’ve learned that success without God’s presence feels empty. I made a decision to draw closer to Him for myself — not just through Sunday sermons or what I heard from others, but by opening the Bible on my own and letting the Word speak directly to me.

When I started reading scripture for myself, everything changed. I began to see how every part of my journey — the struggles, the losses, the victories — were all connected by His plan. According to Proverbs 3:5 “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not into your own understanding”. The more I studied, the more I saw how God had been guiding me the whole time, even in the moments that didn’t make sense.

Now, I don’t just chase goals; I seek alignment. I wake up knowing I’m walking with the One who created me to lead, to serve, and to inspire. My prayer life has deepened, my discernment has sharpened, and my peace has become unshakable.

Everything I’m building — from ItsTimeToStepUp to Blissful Lemonade to the legacy I’m leaving for my family— is rooted in God’s direction. I’ve learned that when you put Him first, He’ll take you places your effort alone could never reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ItsTimeToStepUp.com
• Instagram: @mrovercomer / @blissfullemonade