Meet Dr. Brenda
Passion and persistence are the keys to building a fabulous life.
Add in a bit of good fortune and you will be unstoppable.
Adversity. Now that’s a word I know well. Like many, my life has been shaped by adversity.
As a young girl, I dreamed of a life beyond the family farm. Education would be my way out …or so I believed.
At the age of 30, I earned my doctoral degree in Sociology. With the new PhD in hand, I was ready to set the world on fire. A month later I was downsized from my university job and entered an anemic academic market in the midst of state budget cuts. I slipped into poverty as career prospects grew dim.
Three years and four states later, I finally caught a break, landing a position as a Crime Analyst. And less than a year later, I drove to the outskirts of the nation’s capital and began my dream job, carrying out national-scope research on justice system issues. Eventually, I made one more career move, spending more than 16 years researching and promoting court reform.
My career was wildly successful - I received national awards and even testified in front of Congress. But I was worn out from the work trips, long hours, dysfunctional workplace, and the slow pace of reform. And I had become increasingly distraught by the political landscape of divisiveness and negativity. I turned to writing as an escape, launching The Five Journeys in July 2017.
Later that fall, for the first time ever in my career, I took a month of vacation. I had an amazing time, and when I returned to the office, something had changed. Vacation had brought COLOR back into my life…work was filled with BEIGE. I fell into a rut. And that’s when the 30-Day Challenges were born. The Challenges finally outgrew my website and are now housed at Better Life Challenges.
In the spring of 2018, my career came to a sudden end. In hindsight, I had been preparing for a new life for quite some time. I had built enough financial freedom to take a giant leap, so I created the Dream Big Money Academy, where I offer fun online course to help others become financially free and live the life of their dreams. Plus, I became a financial coach, which gives me the opportunity to help people master their money on a daily basis ( Dr. Brenda Money Coach).
In 2020, I got tired of working from the dining room table, so I got rid of the table - and the house! I now travel the country in an RV, accompanied by my three sweet cats. And to encourage other women to act on their dreams, I created the Gutsy Women Club.
Life has certainly taken twists and turns and I’m holding on tight for this wild ride! I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Life is good!
Brenda