Meet Yvette Murray

 

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

Hi Yvette, 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?

I believe resilience is born through life’s challenges. As a twenty-year old, I lived in a bubble at home with loving parents, going to college, and seemingly finding my way through young adulthood. I lost my mother suddenly later that year which left me devastated, without purpose and my future unclear. I got back together with my ex-fiance to which I would later regret (a second time), dropped out of college much to his bad influence, and remained working full-time so I can support my newfound yet unexpected and unwelcome independence. I felt I had no purpose or drive and just numbed the pain with endless partying, It was a downward spiral that I saw no end and without intention to stop.

Shortly after the secondhand relationship ended, I met the man who would later became my husband. Years later we had two beautiful children. Becoming a mother definitely filled a lot of the void of living a life without purpose. However, my desire to keep working remained so I returned to work and continued climbing the corporate ladder. I also knew I still wanted to return to school at some point. I landed a job at. a state college in 2007 as a grant writer. I’ve been journaling since I was 11 years old so although I didn’t see it at the time, this position would later solidify my career as a writer and story teller. I learned a new skill that incorporated something I loved to do. I was also finally able to enroll back in school.

Five years ago I ended my marriage. It was a long time coming. I saw myself going on a different path for quite some time. I ignored my inner voice for quite some time and when I finally listened, so many doors of opportunity opened for me and felt I was given a new lease on life. I moved back to my hometown, landed a position as a fundraiser at a local nonprofit hospital, and continued going to school. The struggle was very real juggling work and school full time while financially maintaining a household on my own, and all while finding my way as a single parent to my children. Yet despite the challenges, my motivation is what drove me. I felt for once in my life I was doing everything I’ve always wanted to do and I knew the road ahead would be rough, and as a result, my resilience rose from those moments of almost giving up and surrendering to tho obstacles presented before me.

When the pandemic hit, my company downsized and I was flexed down to part-time. Another challenge presented itself but I immediately looked for alternate ways to supplement my loss of income. I began leveraging ways to incorporate my writing skills. I began blogging, utilizing social media more, writing resumes for those who needed it, etc. This is when my company Purpose Nomad was born. I began receiving referrals from former colleagues, connections within my network in the community, and friends requesting assistance with their various fundraising needs, mostly grant writing. My years as a grant writer finally paid off. Since then, challenges still rise but I’m now in a place of complete gratitude and fulfillment. I believe if it weren’t for these challenges, my resilience would have never taken shape. The key is to always listen to your gut, claim your inner tenacity, and grind through all the obstacles that come your way.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a grant writing and fundraising professional with over 16 years of experience in higher education, and the private, and non-profit sectors. My major responsibilities are to secure federal, state, local, and private funding for various programs and initiatives in education, healthcare, social services, capital campaigns, renewable energy, mental health, disadvantaged populations, and endowments. My major role is to research and identify funding opportunities through federal agencies, private, family, and corporate foundations, and local initiatives through various community-based partnerships. After years of working in the industry, I decided to start my own company doing consulting work for clients within various industry sectors. I also began traveling extensively while doing freelance writing and blogging about my experiences which are my truest passions.

The name of my company, Purpose Nomad came to be from a trip I took years ago that changed my life forever. I participated in a community volunteer project with my colleagues in a small, rural town just outside of Berlin, Germany. We built a playground for a kindergarten class that had no outdoor play equipment to play in during recess . The look on their faces and show of appreciation moved me to tears. I vowed I would one day start a company or nonprofit dedicated to avid travelers who want to explore the world with a purpose and give back to causes that mean something to them during their travels. While this concept of and part of my company is still coming to fruition, I consult with organizations that are making a difference in the world. I also continue doing my part through my own travels to explore with a purpose and show my deepest appreciation for the places I visit by giving back through volunteer work, donations, or public awareness.

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?

I believe the three qualities that molded me and had the most impact on my life thus far has been:

1) My thirst for knowledge – learning from key mentors in both my personal and professional life was pivotal in my moving forward in life,

2) Utilizing my writing skills to its fullest potential. Taking on tasks that are beyond my capabilities both challenge and motivate me to be better.

3) Staying true to myself (without ego) and utilizing my intuitiveness to guide me through life’s challenges has been key to the many blessings I’ve given through this journey thus far.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents were Cuban immigrants and they worked hard for many years and were able to give me and my siblings the most incredible childhood. I am so grateful that I have such beautiful childhood memories surrounded by love, a big family, and endless blessings. They provided me with a wonderful primary and secondary education, they. taught me the value of working hard and never giving up, and gave me the maternal foundation for when I had kids of my own one day.

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