We were lucky to catch up with Shonta Bradley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shonta, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
The purpose behind starting Because, Butterflies R’ Blue stems from many personal experiences. I was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia in one of the toughest housing areas in the city. From my experiences as a young girl, I realized that I wanted to be more than what my environment labeled me as.
Early on, I was the friend that wanted to help my friends feel safe. We all lived in the same neighborhood, but unlike many of my friends moms’, my mom was not an alcoholic nor was she on drugs so our home was what we called the safe place. I would invite them to spend the night at my home if their moms were too inebriated because I knew that they would get beat up on or cursed out.
Though my mom didn’t struggle with alcohol or drug addiction, she, like many of our moms lacked the parental capacities to nurture me. My mom was a single mom who had to work, and she was often too busy working to pour love and support into me like I needed. This was true for many of my friends who in some instances, turned to older males and drugs themselves for comfort. Fortunately, I didn’t. I read a lot.
We were all exposed to everything in the projects such as poverty, crime, murder, police brutality, sex, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse, untreated mental health, teen pregnancy, and so much more. This was our reality, but would not be my fate.
Though my dad was in the home with us, I still identify my mom as a single parent because she literally did everything on her own from paying all the bills, handling all the responsibilities of me and my siblings, and buying food. My dad was addicted to drugs himself and exposed us to every type of drug. I can even describe in detail how to make crack cocaine. I can remember as far back as age 7/8 where my dad would cook crack in the kitchen and I would watch him. I grew to resent my mom and dad in some ways. My mom, for allowing my dad to use drugs and steal from us after she worked her fingers to the bone. My dad, just because he disappointed us so much. Life was not fair, but I knew that this would not be my ending.
What I remember most about my neighborhood was that I hated it. It lacked everything. We were underserved and underrepresented with a lack of mentorship or any positive programs to create opportunities for us to think outside of where we were and because our environment lacked so many positive outlets, it disproportionately impacted the young boys and girls, I desired to make a difference.
My purpose was also stemmed from many personal experiences with friends that I grew up with that turned to drugs themselves, that became teen moms and repeated the cycle of their moms’. Many uneducated and employed and living off a system that was designed to see us fail.
My purpose comes from my belief in pouring into one’s self esteem and spirit. I wanted to be a voice for my friends and a voice today for young girls who come from where I came from.
Because, Butterflies R’ Blue symbolizes transformation. It reflects my vision of helping young “ at risk” girls navigate their challenges and emerge stronger and more vibrant, like a butterfly taking flight.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My organization is Because, Butterflies R’ Blue. It was created as a result of a long desire to give back to “at risk” girls such as myself. My passion started as a young girl who always wanted to help my friends in some way; be the voice, be their voice, be a voice. As I grew into adulthood, I found myself knee deep in a career but feeling empty for not having followed my passion. This is where God begins to step in. He began to give me little nudges, but just like anything people do out of fear, I questioned him, and I ran from it though deep down, I knew this is what I am supposed to be doing.
In the Bible, when God called Moses, he pleaded with God that he was not the man he wanted to go out to his people. I was Moses. I asked God so many times was he sure… lol! I even gave him the names of people that I thought may do the task better. Imagine God shaking his head at me …. like girl! lol….
But God continued to remind me even in my unbelief that it was me…. It was me… it was me! The nudging grew stronger, and the passion grew stronger. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help or lacked the passion, I was fearful because I didn’t know where to start and I DID NOT want to disappoint God.
Through the course of a few years, to avoid feeling guilty, I did start a couple of nonprofits before my current one. They both lacked the fire I wanted though. At least that was my excuse. But after some time, I finally came to grips with a name, “Blue Butterfly”. I submitted this name and got rejected 5 times. So much so, the Georgia Secretary of State sent me a personal letter to say that I could not use the name “Blue Butterfly” no matter how many times I changed the spelling. I was so broken and yes, I gave up.
One day, my husband who always pushes me to be greater and follow my dreams asked me about my non-profit and I became upset. Like, why would he question me? I felt embarrassed and shame because I had given up after five rejections and I was no where closer that starting this thing that I had been before. Mind you, my husband wasn’t rude or mean about it. He was just reminded me of a dream that I mentioned out loud, but that reminder( because I had not done anything made me upset) Not with him though, I was upset with myself.
So I went back to God and began to pray and I asked God to give me a fire to get me started. I wanted a true fire this time and soon after, I was watching a movie on Netflix(I know now that I watched this movie on purpose to give me what I needed) but twenty minutes and thirty seconds into the movie, the father is reading a magazine that says” Because, Brooklyn”… and in that very moment, God said in my spirit just as clear “Because, Butterflies R’ Blue” It was my FIRE!
It is hard for me to put into the words what the next 24 hours felt like after submitting the name for approval. And literally, 24 hours after submitting, I got the approval. I was excited and nervous, but I knew that this was my FIRE that I had been asking God for and today, we are on fire for mentoring at risk girls. We are providing them with genuine love and fostering what we hope are lifelong relationships. We do so much with our girls but our main feature is our 3-day retreat.
Through our 3-day girls retreat, we provide our girls with the tools to increase self-esteem and self-worth. We also educate our girls on hygiene, understanding her body, dangers of social media/internet, table etiquette, financial planning, goal setting, teen pregnancy/ prevention, and sex trafficking. We bond while having fun and that is a method that I purposely wanted so that we could genuinely connect with the girls in laughter and love.
My long-term goal is a Butterfly Building that would allow us to have monthly sessions. The Butterfly Building will allow other girls in the community a safe space for learning, mentoring, tutoring, and being themselves among their peers. My everyday goal is to make an impact in the lives of others and leave my footprint on the world.
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?
My biggest advice for anyone is to do your dreams afraid. When I started this journey, I was afraid. That is why I ran from it for so long. God pulled me for years and out of fear, I would start then stop.
I have learned through prayer to walk in faith and not by sight. All the plans were and still aren’t together, but had I focused on my fear, I would never have started. “I am learning as I go, growing as I go”. Some things I think I know, I am making better and some things I absolutely had no clue about, I am learning. Every day, I am open to learn. My advise is, “Be open to learn”. I also advise to listen to those in your circle that hold you accountable on your dreams. My husband Jermaine was only encouraging me to follow a dream that I told him about and crazy ole me, I got in my feelings… lol!!
But now I know better. My husband encourages me everyday being a man of God himself that had a dream of starting his own business and now he runs a successful flooring business, Bradley Floorings of Augusta. So you see, why was I tripping when I have the perfect example of doing it afraid right in my home… lol!!!( Shout out to my amazing husband, Jermaine Bradley).
But seriously, Prayer is powerful. I prayed a lot. Pray your way through and have people around you that encourage you through your fears.
With my girls, what helps me the most is my ability to relate and be genuine. I struggled a lot as a girl, and I can relate to a lot of their stories.
I don’t mind being vulnerable and open.
I love helping and though my hugs are meant as a safe place for our girls, they give me a safe space to be me. To be the voice and the helper that I have always felt I needed to be.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Our biggest improvement in the last 12 months has been our ability to clearly articulate WHAT it is that we do, WHO we are doing it for, and WHY!
Because, Butterflies R’ Blue is not a typical non-profit. My team and I are all non-paid so what we do is strictly because we want to make an impact in the lives of young girls. WHAT we do is mentor and pour affirmations and self-love and self worth into our girls because we genuinely care. We take time to listen and pour into girls who otherwise may not ever get a hug or a listening ear. We motivate, we encourage, we support, we teach and provide many of the tools our girls need to be successful as young ladies and adults.
Our WHO is vulnerable girls in our community from ages 8-18 years old. Some girls who have trauma and some who just need a boost in self-esteem. And some who just need that circle of women and other girls that love on them and inspire them
Our WHY is the BIGGEST……… All of my team at some point, were the girls we serve. We were each “at risk” vulnerable young girls who have our own stories. Our why is easy, and we do it to decrease the number of at risk girls and statistics in our community. We each care and we each believe in the mission. AND WE ALL BELIEVE THAT
Because, Butterflies R’ Blue ; we can DO ANYTHING we put our minds too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://becausebutterfliesrblue.com
- Instagram: Because, Butterflies R’ Blue
- Facebook: Because, Butterflies R’ Blue
Image Credits
Because, Butterflies R’ Blue.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
