We recently had the chance to connect with Yolanda Ivy and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Yolanda , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I was recently married 5 months ago, and I have enjoyed every single second of the amazing gift God has given me in my husband, Prentice.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Yolanda D. Ivy is a lover of preaching, counseling & coaching and is the wife of Prentice Ivy Jr. As a licensed evangelist, counselor, and educator; it is her passion to empower others through their faith. Currently pursuing her doctorate, & a professor and director at Saint Louis University, Yolanda assists students in the navigation of life. Through her program No Caves, it is her mission to help you discover your gift, define your goal, and demonstrate your growth! One of her passions is to write books and help others write and publish books! Yolanda is the author of “Come Out of the Cave” “Breaking Up With Comparison” “Born To Be Wild” “New Kid On The Block” and her latest book, “I’m A Big Deal.”
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with Jesus Christ has shaped how I see myself. My faith has expanded the ability to see myself breaking barriers. My inspiration was crafted by faith thrusting me into purpose. During the pandemic, I stepped out on faith and started my life coaching business, my ministry, and my books simultaneously. I was uncertain about the destination, but had faith in my destiny. When you make an idol out of certainty, you limit your capacity and I had a hunger to expand. Faith thrives in uncertainty and I chose to make moves on a maybe.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
My motivation through suffering is embedded in my appetite to show up in discomfort. I experienced a tumultuous break up that forced me to start over in a foreign state. I soon realized that when God gets ready to stretch you, He puts your plans in places that challenge your comfort zone. He desires to bless you with a plan that He’s been working on before you were even born. Can I tell you that our environments are irrelevant to God’s choice. What do I mean by this, wherever you are, God is with you. And when you are in a season like this, you can only pivot from your plans when you realize you don’t own it. You know we can be attached to something that God has no intention of revisiting.
I’ve learned in this season of starting over that you should never allow your inexperience to shift your appetite. Just because it wasn’t my background doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be my future. I knew that there was a tribe of women that were waiting for me to show up in order to get started.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
One cultural value that I constantly protect at all costs is that faith without works is dead. I learned that I needed faith to navigate transition. It takes courage to be the new kid on the block. And some people would rather stay in what they’re used to than try something new. Some people would rather die in a famine than be an immigrant in a foreign land. God will not always use what you are familiar with. Sometimes He will use the unfamiliar. We have an idea of what our destiny is but have a misconception of the vehicle that God uses to get us there. Your destiny always feels like immigration because your destiny doesn’t look like your history. When God moves you into your destiny, you step into it as an immigrant because it’s new. Never be afraid to try something new just because it’s unfamiliar. Just step out on faith.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope my story of trusting in uncertainty is shared throughout the world. My journey of transition has been uncomfortable, but worth it. If God doesn’t give you things you’re scared of then faith don’t have a job. Faith thrives in uncertainty. Just because I have never done this, doesn’t mean that I can’t ever get it done. Sometimes God will leave your purpose in the foreshadow of your mind, so you don’t talk yourself out of the promise. What have you talked yourself out of because you didn’t know how to start? What have you talked yourself out of that you didn’t think you were qualified? He wouldn’t assign you to it if He didn’t assess you for it. I will leave the legacy of trusting in transition and knowing that change is a gift, but transition is a skill.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yolandadmercer.com
- Instagram: @yolandadmercer
- Linkedin: Yolanda D. Ivy
- Twitter: @yolandadmercer
- Facebook: Yolanda D. Ivy
- Youtube: Yolanda D. Ivy
