Story & Lesson Highlights with Norine Fahie of Peoria, IL

Norine Fahie shared her story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Norine, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Yes! I just launched my first book, The Bonds of Sisterhood: A Guide to Building Your Tribe. I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it with all the adversities in my life. I wanted to uplift women, which in turn uplifted me. Every chapter begins with my personal story, then goes on to share some sister wisdom. It ends with two introspective questions that engage the reader with the material and give them the opportunity to write their thoughts on how they can build their own tribes. It’s super personal to me because I love amplifying voices, but I also love people holding themselves accountable. It took 2 1/2 years for me to write this because I wanted it to be relatable to women of all ages.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Norine Fahie, and I am a passionate advocate for sisterhood and empowerment. With years of experience in mentoring and community building, I have dedicated my life to fostering meaningful connections among women. I grew up in a home with four sisters. It doesn’t make me an expert on sisterhood, but it gave me an eye-opening and bird’s-eye view of the dynamics within female relationships. Navigating each relationship with my sisters and my mother gave me insight into how to manage friendships going forward.

I am also the founder of the Save Our Sisters Group (NFP), and I amplify women’s voices as host of the Save Our Sisters Unplugged podcast. Both platforms serve as vehicles to inspire healing, foster empowerment, and provide a safe space for women to share their stories, break cycles of silence, and move from trauma to triumph.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy the empty-nester lifestyle—gardening, reading, writing, meditating, and going on fun adventures with my husband. I’m also a proud mom of three amazing adult children and “Mimi” to the cutest grandchildren, who completely light up my world. I have a heart to inspire, and my goal is to encourage women everywhere to embrace their stories, build strong bonds of sisterhood, and walk boldly in their purpose.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory wasn’t that long ago. Maybe about eight years ago! I gave myself permission to share what has happened to me. To amplify voices, I needed to amplify my own. I grew up in an environment where you didn’t tell anyone what was going on in your household. However, once I freed myself, I wanted to free others. This is the reason why I created spaces where women can share their stories to inspire others to share theirs. Empowering others empowers me.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
When I first started my podcast, I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted to create a platform for women to share their stories, but I didn’t understand marketing, social media strategy, or even what SEO meant. At the time, I wasn’t getting any exposure and felt like maybe I should quit before I got too deep. I also assumed that since I had about a thousand Facebook friends, I’d get a thousand downloads every time I released an episode—but that wasn’t the case.

What changed things for me was putting myself out there: interviewing on other podcasts, showing up more consistently on my YouTube channel, and learning how to connect with the right audience. I’m not exactly where I want to be yet, but I’m definitely far from where I started. I’m so glad I didn’t give up, because now agents are reaching out to me directly to have their clients share their stories on my show. That’s an amazing feeling and proof that growth comes with persistence.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Sisterhood and community care are very important to me. I grew up watching my mom and the women around me always show up for each other, and that shaped who I am. Now, through Save Our Sisters, my podcast, and mentoring young women, I carry that forward by creating spaces where women can share, heal, and lift each other up. At the end of the day, we’re stronger when we stand together, and that’s something I’ll never let go of.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
OMG…I’d have to give up dairy and fried food, finally! The older I get, the more I realize I can’t eat the same things I used to. That would mean no nachos, no cheese, no good butter. Fried chicken would be out; no Johnny cakes. I’d have to be solely plant-based. All the good stuff would be sucked out of my life because I would love to be fabulous and as healthy as I could for as long as I could. However, God is not through with me yet! I still have a purpose to fulfill!

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Image Credits
Shaun V Photography

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