I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Shalon Barnett, an International Speaker, successful entrepreneur, published Author, and Certified Reinvention Coach helping women reinvent their lives after what others deemed as insurmountable odds. Shalon uses her experience and training to teach other women how to overcome their biggest challenges and fears.

 

Shalon's personal story is the driving force behind her commitment to coach and mentor others beyond the choices and situations of their past. She has faced the emotional impact of financial loss, a lack of identity, abandonment, incarceration, and areas of abuse.

 

She is the Founder and Executive Director of Shalon's HOPE, established in 2016 with a passion for seeing women transform their lives. Shalon believes no woman should be without a place to live, so she created Shalon's Hope, a nonprofit organization, to provide residential housing to women with a history of abuse, bad relationships, and criminal records. She is also co-owner of North Tampa Pharmacy and a registered pharmacy technician. Shalon has helped thousands with their medications and medication management, and she is a silent Philanthropist who has assisted many without them knowing where their help originated.

 

Shalon's HOPE empowers women and helps them overcome a history of abuse, bad relationships, and criminal records. Shalon shares her story of poverty, battery, and shame. "Helping Other People Excel." Shalon has received numerous awards, including the Women Empowerment Network Diamond Award and Tampa Vibes Influencers Award. The local news stations continue to showcase Shalon's annual fundraiser, the "Hope Forward Luncheon."

 

She is a co-author in the Dear Fear anthology and is highly active in her local community, supporting children and women in various ways. She donates to many organizations, including the Cornerstone Ministry, Tampa Voices Matter, and many more. Shalon's platform is about H.O.P.E. - Healing, Overcoming, Purpose, Empowerment, and helping others excel. Shalon is a true testament of hope realized and fulfilled.

 

I had the distinct privilege of interviewing the visionary Shalon Barnett, where she shared her extraordinary journey displaying the true mission behind her story, which I am very excited to learn and share. Please connect with Shalon today for more information regarding the impactful mission.

  

Q: Tell us more about the Hope annual fundraiser” and what is the legacy you want to make?

 

The purpose of the Hope annual fundraiser is to raise funds for Shalon’s Hope so that I don’t have to turn any woman away. The funds are used to provide household items, cleaning supplies, non-personal items, internet services, and all the upkeep of the home. If it is essential for daily living in the house, we need the funds to help provide it.

 

Having gone through my own homelessness journey early on, it’s important for me to ensure that no woman is without a place to live. That is the legacy I want to make.

 

Q: Why is donating and supporting the community so important to you?

 

I’ve always been the type of person who wanted to support others. I believe it is in my DNA to give and to help others who have a need. It is true that what goes around comes around, and what you put out comes back to you. So, why not give? It feels good to me to be able to help others. It brings me joy when I know I’ve helped someone with something they may not have been able to do for themselves. I’m grateful to even be able to support my community through my time, my gifts, and the finances God has blessed me with.

  

 Q: How did you despite some of the life challenges you’ve encountered while becoming an entrepreneur and a pharmacy technician and still have time to help others?

 

It’s simple! I made time. It’s easy to say, “I don’t have time.” It’s so much harder to make time. I’d rather tackle the hard thing and sacrifice in other ways so that I have time to help others. When you have gone through some of the things I’ve gone through, it makes it even more important to help others come out of a dark place and find hope in life.

 

Q: How has your Hope mission changed your life and others?

 

H.O.P.E. is an acronym that stands for Heal, Overcome, Purpose, Empowerment. My mission is to help others heal from old mindsets, overcome past and current challenges, discover the purpose God has for their life, and to go out and empower others once you’ve found hope. This mission allows me to support others who want to do all these things to reinvent their life, like I was blessed to be able to do. I went through my own HOPE journey so that I could help others find hope, and that is one of the things I do daily for the women in the home as well as those I coach as a Reinvention Coach.

 

  Q: What’s your favorite life approach quote and why?

 

 "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." ~ Desmond Tutu

I make it my mission to always see light in darkness. Light invades darkness, so if I bring light wherever I go, it has to break through the darkness so I can see my way out of anything that comes my way.

 

Q: What’s your preferred way to connect with people?

 

I prefer face-to-face contact because it allows me to better experience a person’s spirit. When I am in a person’s presence, I can feel what they are going through. I can better connect with them. Even today where we must do so many things virtually, I would rather be on Zoom with someone where I can see them versus on the phone where I can only hear their voice. There’s something about being in a person’s presence that is important to me, so I make it a point to interact face-to-face as much as I can.