We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sabriya Charles (Dobbins). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sabriya below.
Sabriya , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I have always been someone who was quicker to second guess herself than to trust what she was talking about. I noticed this about me very early on in life as I would find myself even questioning my own reality on a situation if someone insisted I had missed something. Oftentimes, they would be wrong, but I would find myself in this spiral questioning my own capabilities and my intelligence. It was in college that I began to find my own footing. I remember being the “queen of tutoring” of all my peers whenever exams would come up. Mind you, these peers would be coming from top-notch high schools and little ole’ me, I hailed from a local high school in my hometown.
It began to hit me that maybe I am more intelligent and intuitive than I thought I was! This idea slowly permeated my brain over the years, and my supportive community helped ensure it stuck! It was not until these last few years of my career that I understood what confidence and self-esteem were. It is the deep-rooted ability to trust one’s self. Not just simple trust but an immense, core sense of trust that did not waiver even if you do not get the outcome you expected. I think it was over the years of allowing myself to fall more gracefully, not beating myself up, when I learned I can trust myself. Almost like riding a bike and getting the hang of my body and balance. It was trusting myself to fall, knowing that I could make my way back. It was being okay with getting it wrong as it meant that I was trying. I learned that being confident in myself had nothing to do with being perfect. It had everything to do with how I saw myself after every good and bad thing I did. Self-confidence was loving myself no matter how short I fell.
While this was not an overnight journey, I do believe that self-trust is a muscle that you can build over time. It is a decision you make for yourself every time someone doubts you or second-guesses your abilities. I have ran conferences in the face of doubt. I have published a book, launched two companies, created programs, spoke in front of many, and I am just getting started! I trusted that I could do these things even though the process was messy. The habit of doing and listening to my inner wisdom has been invaluable to my journey.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My story began with my own struggles. As I navigated a deep lack of self-confidence over the years, I really struggled to maintain my emotional regulation. I would find myself going into emotional spirals that would take weeks to come back from. After working in various careers like marketing, research, real estate, and academia, I kept finding myself hitting a brick wall. No matter what I did, I was not happy. I felt stuck. It was not until 2019, when I moved to Belize briefly with my now-husband, did I discover my passion. I decided I wanted to create spaces for people to face their problems and to be prepared to deal with issues rather than run from them. I, myself, was a runner. But after my own therapy and self-work, I realized the power of facing the demons and monsters of my life. It was a freeing journey! Pre-pandemic, I launched a travel retreat company called Project Passport but quickly had to modify it when the pandemic hit. We converted to a corporate wellness company during the height of Covid and found early success in this transition.
Fast forward to the present!
I am a lot of things! I wear multiple hats, really! So, I am now a mental health professional (a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern), and I run a therapy practice called Fruits of Freedom Counseling. My practice is focused on providing therapeutic services to working professionals and emerging young adults of color to address mental health challenges. This practice is aimed at guiding my clients into the process of breaking the chains that are keeping them from moving toward the fruits of the life they desire. One thing I focus on in the foundation of my work is self-trust as I teach clients tangible strategies that require them to trust themselves to navigate through the past, present, and future. My favorite phrase: “You can only live in this one reality. One reality at a time.” We can focus on what we hope will happen or what did happen, but we can only walk one path at a time. In other words, we cannot live in should of, could of, or would of. Nor can we get so obsessed with a set future and lose sight of flexibility.
On the other hand, I run my individual and corporate wellness company, namely Project Passport, which focuses on providing people with preventative mental health tools and pathways to access the joy they deserve in their lives. I work with organizations around the country and some internationally to provide staff with tangible mental health tools they can use to cope with issues that may arise professionally and personally. We are in the process of relaunching the individual wellness piece! We have in the past hosted several community virtual events for individuals including Around the World of Mental Health, The Kaleidoscope Experience, Nourishment for the Soul, and many more! I am grateful for the work I have been able to do in both sectors, as mental health is for every single person! We hope to kick off our first travel retreats very soon!
I am also the author of a book called Purpose Does Not Care What’s In Your Bank Account, which guides entrepreneurs and people interested in business or non-profit work on how to use faith as fuel through this difficult journey. As a speaker, I often find myself facilitating a variety of workshops, including ones about my book, as well as topics like Boundaries, Accountability, Purpose, and so many more! If that is not enough, I am also a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of the Cumberlands!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One skill I would say has been so important for my journey is having faith. I have the faith in Jesus Christ as a Christian. For me, it has been integral because business is one of the places in life where, no matter how hard you work or what you do, there is a lot that is out of your control. Staying up extra hours will not guarantee you the client. People are fickle life is fickle. You have to have unwavering faith in your calling and your work. You have to believe you are here for something more because only a crazy person would keep pushing with no obvious results in front of them constantly. The best way to improve your faith muscle is to fortify your soul and to give up the things you cannot control to your faith beyond you.
Another core skill to have is adaptability. Starting my first business on the front end of COVID-19 was devastating initially as it wiped away all of my initial progress. However, because I was willing to adapt to the business sector option of my work, it allowed me to find a whole new aspect of my business that I did not know could exist. Being willing to adapt takes bravery and a willingness just to try. For one of my first big corporate bookings, I remember someone saying, “You think you can do this for my team at work?” It was at a stress event I was running for women virtually. I said “Yes” with no idea how I would translate it, but I did! It was the first time I had gotten paid that amount for my work, and I was floored by the value I brought that I did not realize I had. It is important to be willing to pivot quickly when you have to go from the smallest pivot to the largest one.
Finally, another skill I would say is important is the ability to talk to anyone. I know it sounds weird, but I feel like even I have become more socially withdrawn in the past few years. However, it is so important to push past my own blocks as you never know who is looking for you to be in their life. The best way to improve this skill is to periodically and regularly put yourself in settings where you have to talk to people you do not know. Mixers, networking, whatever you can find. It is not just to talk about your business but to get comfortable with your existence with others in space and time.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I am feeling overwhelmed, I turn to a couple of sources. Prayer is a big one of them, as I mentioned, faith being a big part of who I am. In addition, I talk to my community. Whether it is my husband, family, or friends, I reach out to seek that encouragement I may be desperately needing if I find myself struggling. I think overwhelm is more normal than we realize in the process of life and business. Sometimes, I pep talk myself and say things like: “It is okay, Sabriya. These things happen. You have got this girl!” Or I will repeat my phrase: “You are okay, you are okay.” It is important to be gentle and nurturing to yourself because you are your biggest love. Breathing strategies are always a great go-to, as five-finger breathing is my favorite. I am also a fan of taking mini-hiatuses if you can, where you shut down for a week or so just to regroup and then reboot again. During those weeks, I play games, read, and do everything I enjoy doing so that when I come back, there is a fresh new lens. You do not have to travel to take a hiatus! It is about just giving into your inner needs and your inner child, whatever they may desire at this time outside of work.
Contact Info:
- Website: sabriyacharles.com
- Instagram: @projectpassportllc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabriyacharles/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@projectpassport7687
