Story & Lesson Highlights with Denice Martin-Thompson of NY

We recently had the chance to connect with Denice Martin-Thompson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Denice, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to walk fully in what God placed inside me without shrinking or second-guessing the timing. For years, I knew I had something powerful to give: words that heal, spaces that transform, and programs that restore. But fear of not being “ready enough” or “resourced enough” kept me playing small.

Now I understand that God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. I’m being called to lead from the front through my nonprofit, H.O.P.E. (Helping Overlooked People Evolve), and to continue building spaces where young people can heal, discover purpose, and evolve from the inside out.

This calling once scared me because it felt too big for one person to carry. But now I see it’s not about carrying it alone; it’s about trusting God’s blueprint and moving when He says move. I’m no longer hiding behind preparation. I’m showing up, even when it’s uncomfortable, because I know this calling isn’t about me. It’s about who will be freed through my yes. It takes courage to step out in faith, but it’s a courage we all possess.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Denice Martin-Thompson, though most people know me as Dee. I am a wife, mother, poet, artist, educator, and visionary leader who believes healing begins when we permit ourselves to evolve. I’m the Founder of Dee’s Passion Filled Experience, LLC, and the Executive Director of H.O.P.E. (Helping Overlooked People Evolve). This faith-rooted nonprofit serves court-involved and system-impacted youth across New York City.

By day, I’m a literacy specialist working with court-involved youth, helping them rebuild confidence in their voices through reading, writing, and self-expression. By night, I pour that same energy into creating programs, poetry, and spaces that heal. My work is deeply personal because I’ve lived the very transformation I now teach through reflection, restoration, and faith.

As an author, I’ve published multiple titles, including Get Your S.H.I.T. Together – A Journey of Strength, Hope, Intentions, and Tenacity, and I Need YOU to Listen – Poems Released from This Season of My Life. Each book captures a different part of my becoming and the lessons I now pass on to others.

As an artist, I’ve experienced the transformative power of creativity in my own life. It has returned to me in this season in a powerful way through visual storytelling, design, and the kind of art that speaks with and without words. Everything I create, whether through poetry, painting, or programming, reflects my belief that art, like healing, begins from the inside out.

Right now, my focus is on deepening the impact of both my LLC and nonprofit, expanding H.O.P.E.’s reach, and continuing to create spaces where youth, adults, and communities can grow from pain to purpose. My journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s purposeful, and I am determined to continue until the overflow becomes the norm, not the exception.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I used to believe that I had to blend in with the people around me. I wanted to be accepted, to be loved, to feel like I belonged somewhere. I craved connection, especially friendships, because I thought being part of a group meant being seen. It wasn’t until a particular incident in my teenage years that I realized the importance of self-acceptance and individuality. This moment was a turning point in my life, setting me on a path of personal growth and understanding.

Now I understand that belonging doesn’t require blending in. Solitude has become sacred to me. It is where I hear my own thoughts, find clarity, and gain conviction about my next steps. I don’t need constant company to feel whole. I’ve learned that peace, the kind that brings calm and reassurance, doesn’t come from being surrounded; it comes from being centered through self-acceptance.

I’m what you’d call an ambivert. I can be by myself, and I can also thrive around people. But I no longer feel the need to shrink or shift to fit in. I was created to stand out, and that’s not just okay, it’s empowering. Embracing my individuality has given me a sense of confidence and inspiration.

When I think back to my Catholic school days, everyone wore the same uniform, but I see now that we were never meant to be the same. We were meant to express what makes us different. I can’t be anyone else but me, and I no longer have to strive to do that. I get to be Dee, and that’s enough.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me where my true strength comes from. It showed me how resilient I am and reminded me that my scars are beautiful. It taught me how to love myself and how to love with boundaries. It taught me how to be still, how to pray more, and how to worship on a deeper level.

It also taught me perseverance, how to turn pain points into positions of possibility. Suffering has taught me that when I finally reach the places I’ve been striving for, I will protect them. It has taught me my worth and reminded me that not everyone who sees your light has pure intentions. Some people recognize your value before you do, and they’ll try to use or manipulate it.

Through it all, suffering continues to teach me vigilance, discernment, and deep listening. It’s teaching me to observe more than I speak and to trust what God reveals in the quiet. These lessons have shaped me in ways that success never could.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m deeply committed to helping overlooked people evolve, and I understand that this kind of work takes time. Through my nonprofit, H.O.P.E. (Helping Overlooked People Evolve), my team and I are building spaces where healing, literacy, and purpose meet. Through my LLC, Dee’s Passion Filled Experience, I’m creating experiences that help people reflect, write, and rebuild from the inside out. This unwavering commitment is the foundation of my work.

My journey as an educator has not only shaped my ability to fully embrace my roles as CEO and Executive Director, but it has also enriched me with invaluable perspective, patience, and a deep understanding of the people I’m dedicated to serving. Each lesson, conversation, and breakthrough moment with my students contributes to the vision I hold for both of my organizations.

My commitment to the growth of my organizations is rooted in patience and faith in divine timing. I understand that what I’m building is not a quick fix, but a lasting solution. I firmly believe that purpose is not bound by time; it evolves, just like the individuals I serve.

And in this season, as art has found its way back into my life, I’m realizing that even I’m still evolving. My creativity has become a reflection of my faith, a reminder that beauty can rise from the slow seasons and that every unfinished thing still has purpose in the making.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I was a woman who loved deeply, lived purposefully, and never stopped evolving. I hope they say that I showed others how to rise again, even after life tried to break them. I want them to say that I didn’t just talk about healing, I embodied it; that I created spaces where people could rediscover their voices, reclaim their power, and remember that they were never overlooked in God’s eyes.

I want the story of my life to reflect courage; the courage to walk away from what wasn’t aligned, to forgive even when it hurts, and to build something that would outlive me. Whether it was through my writing, my teaching, or my work with H.O.P.E. and Dee’s Passion Filled Experience, I want people to remember that I poured light into dark places.

More than anything, I want them to say that I left people better than I found them, that I reminded them they were seen, loved, and capable of evolving, no matter where they started.

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