We were lucky to catch up with Grace Onuegb recently and have shared our conversation below.
Grace, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
This question is loaded, but I will try to simplify the answer the best way that I can. Finding my purpose is an everyday journey that requires a level of transparency, vulnerability, and patience for myself. My purpose is tied to my identity, and I found my identity in Christ. For many years, I thought I knew who I was, but in reality, I did not, and I allowed society, people, and my life experiences to mislabel me. It was not until I rededicate my life to Christ in 2018 is when I found out who I truly am, which is the daughter of The Most High. Once I was able to identify that my foundation is rooted in Christ, then I was able to see who I am and what I am able to accomplish. Yahweh has called me to help individuals discover their identity, facilitate their healing process, and equip them to boldly walk in their gifts and their purpose. My purpose is also tied to the assignments that I have to complete in each season of my life. So, as I embraced what I needed to accomplish in each season, it would reveal even more of my purpose and who I am supposed to be connected to. In 2018, I started out as a Christian blogger and from there it went to speaking, coaching women, ministering to women, authorship, and then hosting an annual conference that helps women write their books. Finding my purpose started with me having an intimate relationship with God, so he could reveal to me who I am, my strengths, my limitations, and my assignments.
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 was born in Umuahia, Nigeria and came to United States at a young age. I currently reside in Dallas, Texas with my 15-year-old son. By profession, I am a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, where I diagnose and treat individuals suffering from mental health and substance use disorders. This year makes year 11 working in the mental health field and some days are challenging, but it is rewarding to see my patients become a better version of themselves and live the quality life they deserve. Ironically, in nursing school, I did not want to work in mental health nor oncology, because I did not believe I had the emotional capacity to help people in their most vulnerable state. God has a way of aligning you to where he wants you to be to serve others.
I am also the founder of Smilebiz LLC, a personal development company, where I guide high-performing women to the 4Ps of life through creating balance. Fun fact, Smilebiz LLC actually started as a Christian blog where I would illustrate to women through my writing how to discover their identity in Christ, deal with life stressors, and achieve emotional health through biblical principles and practical strategies. Through my passion for writing and seeing how the blog impacted many women, in 2019, the blog became a business. Even though, I have always had an entrepreneurial heart, I never imagined I would be a business owner. Nevertheless, I realized my business is bigger than me and part of my purpose. Through the business, I have been able to make positive impact for women who felt undervalued, overlooked, and were limiting themselves from walking in their purpose and completing their goals.
Through our business, we offer a solution-based course to help women thrive in all areas of their life with ease. We also created a program called Woman Arise Academy which houses multiple signature courses on various topics from stress management to leadership. Also, I offer speaking services and have spoken on various platforms and my signature topics include but not limited to, mental health awareness, purpose, life-balance, faith, women empowerment, and healthy relationships.
I am an advocate for individuals activating their voice to share their stories, because there was a time where I did not want to use my voice to share my story. I am a published author who understands the importance of sharing our stories. Your story can help someone else overcome their challenges and inspire them to share their story. I wanted to help women who desire to share their stories by writing their books and speaking on stage with their signature story. In 2022, I launched Own Your Story Meet and Greet where we help women who desire to write their book, but struggle with mental blocks that are hindering them from getting started. Our mission is to help as many women overcome these challenges, by seeing and hearing from other female published authors who have been in the same place as them but are now published authors. We all have a story within us, but unfortunately, we allow doubt and fear to keep us stuck. This year we will be hosting the 3rd annual Own Your Story Meet and Greet in Texas on August 17th, 2024.
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?
One quality that has been most useful to me is being teachable. No one knows it all and learning new things will always be part of our life journey. Being teachable not only helped me mature as a person, but it opened doors and access to opportunities and people that I would not have had access to if I did not seek out the knowledge I needed. Also, active listening is so critical in our journey. Everything I do from my career, business, and ministering requires to be an active listener. I have to hear the verbal and non-verbal cues in order to meet the individual’s needs. I would not have gotten far in my career without listening. Effective communication plays a significant role in what I do. Willingness to serve and partner with others has opened avenues for me to collaborate on different projects. I had obtained many speaking engagements just through my network, someone pitched me for a feature in magazine, or highlighted for a speaking engagement. The best advice I can give is staying in a place of humility. I know sometimes pride can get the best of us, but arrogance and ignorance can stifle one’s growth, limit opportunities, and prevent you from asking for help. I always recommend doing a heart inventory to make sure we are not exhibiting prideful behaviors or thoughts. And when it does come out, because we are human and will have human moments, examine yourself to see what triggered it, forgive yourself and others, ask for forgiveness, have more gratitude for the positive things in your life, and find ways to be of service to others.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
This may sound like a cliche, but the Holy Bible has played the most important role in my life. I have read many books, and it is one book that will have you examine yourself through introspection to see your strengths and limitations. There are many lessons that can be taken out of Word of God. One impactful nugget comes from James 1:19 which states “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”. This is an instruction that will teach humility and respect for others. As the saying goes, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. When you are listening more and talking less, you will be able to grasp knowledge and direction on how to solve problems. Also, it gives you an opportunity to ask clarifying questions to be able to understand another person’s perspective. Many misunderstandings happen, because an individual or even both parties heard something that was not even said nor implied. Nevertheless, our perspective can distort what is being received and can cause all types of emotions. When we posture ourselves in a place where we can receive in a healthy way and willingness to actively hear, the results of our conversations would be a lot more positive.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smilebizllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womanarisetribe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womanarisetribe
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceonuegbu/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqX8Wbi9E1FNWop11EBel0A
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/204288487597930
Image Credits
Olylive Photography
