H.O.P.E. Peer Coaching

About The Host

For most of my life, I was searching. I tried on different careers, picked up skills along the way, and each time convinced myself I had finally found my place in the world. But every time, the work started to feel like a performance — like I was playing a role that belonged to someone else. Becoming a wife and mother added more weight to what I was already carrying alone, and I kept moving anyway, the way so many of us do. ​ It wasn't until I was 31, in the middle of the worst depressive episode of my life, that I was diagnosed with ADHD — and for the first time, I started to understand myself. That fallout became my foundation. Taking off the masks, slowing down, and learning about my own mind and body led me to everything I do today. ​ I spent over eight years in the insurance and financial planning industry. I thrived at first because I genuinely wanted to help people — but I was terrified to be fully seen. The autonomy I had over my work felt like freedom until it became the thing that sent me over the edge. Everything had to fall apart before I could see clearly. ​​ Founding MentalBlkMom,Inc. ​ My recovery gave me purpose. And as I healed, I kept hearing the same story from the women around me — Black women pouring everything into everyone else, at the expense of their own mental health, their finances, and their peace. I knew I had to do something about it. I founded MentalBlkMom, Inc., a nonprofit organization created to support the mental health and financial wellness of Black mothers. I became a student of the psychology of Black women — studying the cultural stigma around mental health in our community, the systemic barriers we face, and the unique weight we carry. That research deepened my commitment and led me to become a Certified Peer Specialist for Mental Health (CPS-MH), a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), and a Financial Services Certified Professional (FSCP). ​​ The H.O.P.E Coaching Model -  Peer Support Differently ​ But I didn't want to do peer support the traditional way — inside a behavioral health facility, behind closed doors, inaccessible to the women who needed it most. I wanted to meet Black mothers where they are, with non-clinical, lived-experience-based support that actually fits into real life. That's how the H.O.P.E. Coaching Model was born — a framework I developed to help mothers in recovery transform overwhelming goals into small, sustainable daily habits, one session at a time.