We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Vernon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.
Lisa, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
When I think of resilience, the first thing that comes to mind is the infamous line from The Color Purple when Oprah Winfrey says, “All my life I had to fight!” This impactful one liner told a story of strength and resilience despite the odds. My resiliency and pride stems from both of my parents. My mother, born in a small town called Aliquippa, Pennsylvania a neighborhood where everyone on their street owned their homes in the early 1940’s. That era was dominated by World War II and segregation was unapologetically pronounced nationally and globally. My mother described her childhood as supportive yet sheltered with strict rules where spirituality and education were threaded into the fabric of her family. The umbrella of rigid rules in a middle-class family sparked an interest in her to explore more and as soon as she was old enough, she moved to Illinois. My father was born in Birmingham Alabama in 1943, and was number 7 of 14 siblings. He was raised in the birthplace of the civil rights movement where he lived through overt discriminatory life changing events. As a child, I listened and watched to countless stories of his strength and struggle in a time where he had to prove to the world he was still a man fighting for justice, purpose, and peace. He was militant, yet soft on the inside, yearned to have a family of his own who were successful beyond the walls he could see. His laughter would fill the room as tears ran down his face. He was proud of each of his children and wanted nothing greater than for each of us to be great people with a solid education.
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 was born on August 9, 1968 to amazing parents, Marlene Walker and Omar Rasul, who were revolutionaries with strong personalities and the epitome of perfectly imperfect people. My birth name is Lisa Marlo Thomas. I was named after my mother’s favorite television show when she was pregnant with me, actress Marlo Thomas, played the lead role called That Girl, in the late 1960s. My journey of Social Work began years ago when I lost my childhood friend to gun violence in 1980. Her parents were our babysitters while my mom worked as a Registered Nurse raising my older sister and I in Harvey, Illinois. When my best friend passed away, I wanted to help her parents with the funeral expenses and swiftly began to collect change from whoever would donate to the cause. I found it fulfilling to help in a crisis was rewarding which made my trauma easier to digest if I poured my pain into helping someone else.
During my later elementary school years, my mother moved to Waukegan, Illinois with my sister and I in tow, to live closer to her brother who was an educator and administrator for over 40 years. I got a taste of their success by watching my Uncle, James Walker Jr., host elaborate gatherings that consisted of diverse professionals and their families, and community leaders all nestled in his decorative basement that curated festive monumental memories that I yearned to duplicate when I became older. My exploration of my future morphed into visual goals through the positive imagery of mentors and advocates who were instrumental in shaping my next chapter to ultimately attend college.
I attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Masters in Social Work. After graduating with my first degree, I planted myself in the Champaign-Urbana community. I found purpose in supporting children, families, educators, and stakeholders in an environment that was responsible for me becoming an eager leader for change. In 2003, I opened a dance studio, and continued to evolve as a School Social Worker after earning a Masters degree. In 2006, my family and I moved from Illinois to Texas to expand our careers and further our opportunities for growth. I began working as a Coordinator in a growing school district and continued to work by creating exciting events, programs, resources, and building capacity in a system I did not own. In 2020, Marlojoy was born when COVID hit the world and we all experienced secondary trauma. It was time to branch out, take a leap of faith and grow my wings on the way down. After reflecting on my body of work over the decades, my business partner encouraged me to become a CEO, brand my intellectual property, and leverage my services to control my destiny.
Marlojoy Solutions, LLC, is a social service small business established in Frisco, Texas designed to provide tangible mental health support by shifting the thinking process and building a bridge of possibilities through educational workshops, leadership coaching, social justice, and artistic expression. During the month of May, to promote Mental Health Awareness, we have expanded our brand to now include a new tenant called, Marlo on The Move. The purpose of Marlo on the Move is to celebrate and showcase businesses to bring visibility and accessible resources for families in the community. All of our guests will have an opportunity to share with our audience the services they offer which will be featured on our social media platforms the and Marlojoy youtube channel.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Over the past five years as CEO of my company, I am learning that building a business is a moving target teaching me life lessons that failing forward also means growth and leaning on my village is required for socio-emotional sustainability. Although the aforementioned prerequisites are imperative as a minority business owner, activating the top three “must haves” is essential when doubt comes waltzing in uninvited in an attempt to disrupt the overarching plan. First, stay spiritually connected and deeply rooted in a power higher than you. Being intentional about placing God in the center of my life has elevated me to floors and doors I could not have arrived to on my own. Acknowledging there is an eternal flame in the broken pieces of who you are that cannot be extinguished. Second, abandon your ego and surround yourself with people who are stronger in areas where you are weak. Being a lifelong learner takes practice and unconditional humility. Last, get into the habit of writing down your goals daily; be it big or small. Keep a notepad and/or journal nearby at all times. When you fully make a commitment to climb, the universe will sound the alarm and illuminate a pathway from within. Usher in self-reflection without judgement, honor earned breakthroughs, and embrace the theory of going back to the drawing board as another route on this journey. Remember whatever you pay attention to grows.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
One of my sorority sisters told me in a conversation a few weeks ago, that we have more years behind us than in front of us. I never did think about life in those simple yet powerful terms until she shared that prolific statement with me. It made me think that although I’ve accomplished great things in my life, defied the odds, and made countless mistakes, there’s still room for growth and expansion as I build my legacy. A decade sounds light years away, but it seems time passes by faster as you grow older. If I am blessed to see another ten years of my life, here’s a short list of reachable goals I would like to attain.
First, operate Marlojoy Solutions, LLC full-time and run my company with a team of innovators and visionaries to include my children who will take over and develop new tenants of mental health by becoming a beacon of hope and community equalizers. Second, I would love to get married again. Being single is teaching me that there are blind spots and healing in my quest of self-discovery of unconditional love that requires tenderness, time, patience, grace, stillness, and forgiveness. Third, move out of the country. We live in a big world full of amazing people and cultures that exemplify the many facets of God that live within each of us to shine hope in our quest for equatable love for all of humanity. Fourth, fully enjoy quality time planned and unplanned time with my children. As adults, my version of motherhood has shifted now they are older. They are all capable authors of writing their next chapters. There’s always a great story behind every scar, bump, and bruise. Failing is what builds character. I fully commit to being present as a passenger not as a navigator. Fifth, write that book sis! I have had the title of my autobiography in my head for years, and it is time to leave something tangible for the world to digest, laugh, cry, and cheer me on over and over again. It will definitely be a best-seller! Don’t believe me just watch.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marlojoysolutions.com
- Instagram: Marlojoy Solutions
- Facebook: Marlojoy Solutions.
- Linkedin: Marlojoy Solutions
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@marlojoysolutions08?feature=shared
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