Ready Set Collaborate with Wanda Pearson

The Lumina Effect with CoCo Collier: Building Community Through Purposeful Connection

• Wanda Pearson / CoCo Collier • Season 15 • Episode 76

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Ever found yourself fighting against a calling that feels too big, too demanding, too disruptive to your carefully constructed life? Coco Collier knows this tension intimately. After battling uterine cancer and finally settling into a peaceful rhythm, she found herself repeatedly approached by strangers sharing stories of their darkest moments – divine appointments that couldn't be dismissed as coincidence.

"I was throwing a temper tantrum and telling God no, pick anybody but me," Coco confesses with disarming honesty. Yet these encounters only intensified until she surrendered to the vision that would become Illumina of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit creating transformative retreats for women in crisis.

The results have been nothing short of miraculous. From mothers of special needs children who haven't had a break in 15 years to women leaders seeking deeper connections, Lumina's retreats create sacred spaces where walls come down and authentic healing begins. One exhausted mother took four naps in a single day – finally experiencing the rest she desperately needed in a community that understood her struggles.

Coco's approach to ministry is refreshingly practical. She shares her system of "buckets" for managing multiple passions, her practice of reading her body's signals, and her commitment to pushing through what she calls "fear bubbles" – those moments of terror before breakthrough. "Once I pop through that fear bubble, something magnetic happens... it's transformational," she explains, encouraging listeners to embrace bold confidence in divine guidance.

Whether planning mission trips to Guatemala or teaching women to leverage technology for their businesses, Coco embodies her advice: "Being bold brings bountiful blessings." Her journey reminds us that sometimes our greatest impact comes not from our carefully laid plans, but from saying yes when God interrupts them with something better.

Ready to find hope in connection or answer your calling? Follow Coco's work at luminaofhope.com and discover how collaboration with purpose can transform lives, including your own.

 CoCo Collier Contact Info


 

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. This is where ideas spark, connections grow and collaborations fuse success. Tune in for inspiring stories, expert insights and game-changing conversations. Let's build, connect and thrive together. Remember collaboration is the key to success.

Speaker 2:

Hello and welcome to Ready Set Collaborate podcast, and I'm your host, wanda Pearson. Today, I'm joined by the incredible Coco Collier, a powerhouse of purpose, passion and collaboration, whether she's leading, creating or inspiring. Coco is all about impact. Get ready for a powerful and uplifting conversation with my guest, coco. Coco. Say hi to the audience. Hello everybody.

Speaker 3:

So happy to be here. Thanks for having me, Wanda.

Speaker 2:

Oh, you are welcome. I really admire what you're doing because we're in the same kind of soul here, because I, like you, know my work is social work as far as mentoring and what you're doing, because we're in the same kind of soul here, because I, like you, know my work is social work as far as mentoring and what you're doing. And we're going to talk more about you because I'm going to read your bio of what you're doing to help women to have some kind of outlet to be able to endure their lives too. I really appreciate you being on the podcast and some of my people that haven't been on your podcast yet. I pulled you in first, coco, thank you you. I pulled you in first, coco, thank you. It's dear to my heart what you're doing. I really appreciate what you're doing here. Let me read your bio.

Speaker 2:

Coco Kaya is a founder of Illumina of Help, a hundred percent volunteer led nonprofit body empowering women through retreats, mission trips and real life encouragements. She's also a speaker, book coach and faith-based motivator who teaches on topics such as AI. Thank you for that training girl. You're welcome. Canva a personal branding and self-publishing. From launching a nonprofit to building a movement rooted in hope, coco's mission is to help women rest, connect and thrive right where they are. I love this, coco, because it really tells you. It gets down to the degree of what you're doing, thank you. In fact, I think we really need to speak to June, because you'll be a good speaker at her event as well. I'm going to introduce you to her again. Welcome to the Ready Set Collaborate podcast. I am so excited to have you here.

Speaker 2:

Tell me a little bit more about you before I get into the dive into the questions that I'm going to ask you, something that I didn't ask you or you told me about.

Speaker 3:

Oh man, there's a lot about me, but one thing that some people don't realize is I am a preacher's kid and my dad's dad was a minister as well. Sometimes I can get a little bit how do I say? It sounds like I'm putting out a sermon, when I don't mean to be putting out a sermon, but it is what it is Just a little bit about me. I have two kids. My daughter is getting ready to go to college this fall my oldest and then my son is going to be starting high school, and I'm in that weird phase. It's just weird. Things are weird right now.

Speaker 2:

No, that's awesome. Things are weird right now. No, that's awesome. That's awesome. And you don't even look like you have a college student going to college. Oh, you're so sweet. No, that's awesome. And congratulations to your daughter, because I know it's a lot of graduations going on. We don't know how our kids are going to turn out, and I have two daughters the same thing, both of them, I said, college is not an option of not going. Both of them graduated.

Speaker 2:

In fact, one of them, she's my graphic designer, which you see, my WP Associates logo as well as my QR code, but she actually creates the pliers that I send to people when they do a podcast. So she does that. She's a graphic designer, as well as her husband Like I said, you never know what they're going to be doing and the other daughter. She is actually my interior designer. She also makes my promotional items. It's a family.

Speaker 3:

It's a family. I love it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's a family affair, but no, this is interesting. And really your son, he started in a journey going to high school and I know that's a big step and he's probably oh, yes, oh, what do I do, mama?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's new to me, that's for sure. It's been so many years.

Speaker 2:

It's good that your daughter can help him. That's true. Let's start with the end of your hair. Let's start with your story. What led you to work what you're doing now? Oh man.

Speaker 3:

There was a few things I actually had. These conversations started happening about December of about a year and a half ago, I want to say, in our community, in our neighborhood. And they started when I would leave my house. I'd be at a grocery store or a gas station or Barnes and Nobles down the road and, for whatever reason, some complete stranger, a woman, would come up to me and we'd just start a conversation with me and we start talking and the next thing I know it's 45 minutes to an hour later. And the common denominator that I started noticing, this pattern I started seeing, is they're sharing about a time in their lives where they experienced hopelessness, the darkest time in their lives. And these women their ages ranged from as young as 18, as old as I think 81 was Winifred, this one lady I met at Barnes and Nobles. They started occurring here and there and big pattern right, and I started feeling like God was calling me to start a nonprofit to help give women hope and connection. Because there's one thing I've learned over time and I'm going to not sound a little preachy here, but the devil wants you to think that you're the only one going through what you're going through and that's simply not the case. It's a lie that he tells and shares with women and everyone Right, and so we got to stop that. We got to stop that, and we can do that by giving them spaces to connect and share their stories. They actually know what I'm talking about. They're in the same exact situation as I'm in and he was starting to point that in my direction, out that time I had made some radical lifestyle changes.

Speaker 3:

I'd finally gotten my life into a nice, easygoing pace. I had uterine cancer three years ago, diagnosed with all these autoimmune things as well. I made radical lifestyle changes, stopped working at law firms, started working for myself as a consultant, published a couple books, very centered, grounded, a lot of time outdoors. My life was nice and cushioned for the first time in forever. Right, I didn't want to do it. I was basically throwing a temper tantrum and telling God no, pick anybody but me. It sounds like a lot of work. I don't know anything about a nonprofit. My life is easy right now.

Speaker 2:

What are you talking about? We're in a good place.

Speaker 3:

And so he's like that's fine, baby, you just keep being you, do you boo? And if anything, it was almost like a joke because he dialed me up, and what I mean by that is the encounters increased, they doubled or tripled. They also started happening when I would go on vacation or work trips and so much so the final conversation sold me and slid me into that final moment where I said all right, god, I give up, I'll do it, I'm all in. And once I verbally said that out loud and stopped throwing a temper tantrum, stopped throwing and stopping my feet the doors had been opening left and right. Once I said yes to him and that's how we started Lumina of Hope.

Speaker 3:

I knew there was a Lumina in it, I knew hope needed to be in it some way somehow, and I knew we needed to do retreats. That's what I knew and I ran with it and I said yes to him. February 27th of last year let's see May, we filed for our 501c3 approval June. We received it and we've made a huge impact in the short amount of time that we've been around. I joke that we are starting to enter our toddler phase. We just finished the baby stage and I'm so excited because we are running. We went from crawling to running and that's where we're at and that's how I started Lumino of Hope Foundation.

Speaker 2:

That is. That's awesome. And I totally understand when you say God said cause, I said no, I don't look at this. I ain't planning on doing no podcast, I'm not writing a book, but God said yes, you will. Yes you will.

Speaker 2:

You can't fight with me. Actually it's funny you talk about. I just told my girlfriend I'm never writing a book. One of my clients called me and she's a minister. She said, Wanda, God told me to call you. I said, OK, what did he say? He wants you to be in our book, which was Audacity to Shine. I love the title. It was 10 of us that did that book and that was the first time I actually started writing. I was always writing in a journal or whatever. But when he says, yes, you will.

Speaker 2:

And then I got into another collaboration book, which is Impact of One Voice, and this young lady she was from California, I hear what you're saying I said I'm never doing this again. I know I wrote my book God's Grace Through the Fire, from Struggle to Triumph, and now I am actually writing my fourth book, which is Forgiveness, and this is really something. And actually I'm going to be having a book, a pre-book launch, relaunch with my book and then talking about God's forgiveness. I hear you, you about God's forgiveness. I hear you. You can't ignore God.

Speaker 2:

He's telling you, you just got to do what you got to do.

Speaker 3:

He's got a sense of humor, that's for sure.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he does, he does. I'm like, even speaking, I was dealing with abuse and somebody telling you you're not going to be anything and then to say I am doing something. I know God is behind this whole thing here. We are God's child. He knows what he wants, he uses us. And then you I can see why people come up to you with the smile that you have, that you're inviting to people. I can see that. So that is awesome. That's an awesome story. Let's talk about collaboration. Collaboration is the key to growth. Can you share one meaningful collaboration that helped elevate your purpose?

Speaker 3:

Oh, gosh, just one collaboration. Okay, I'm trying to think of what's the best collaboration, oh man. And let me just talk going way, way back the way I've always viewed the different roles that I've had throughout my career and the different jobs that I've had. Just like that work relationship with your boss, there's different. Collab I view as a collaboration. You're there as a team to work towards a common goal. And and everything I know about collaborations comes down to one leadership role that I had with this lady named Jane Perry when I was in my 20s, early 20s, and she was the HR director and she showed me and taught me how to work and collaborate with other team members in a way that I'd never experienced before and it's forever been a way that has blessed me and helped me pursue the right collaborations and realizing that not every team member or collaborations or partnership is going to be the right fit, and we have to be okay with that. We have to figure out what that looks like, what's a healthy collaboration partnership and I've had several throughout the years and I can't really narrow it down to just one. I just want to say that, just like with my relationships, whether they're work related or friendship related or whatnot. I always view everything.

Speaker 3:

After that moment. I evaluate how was that experience? Did that help us reach our goal? Did that help us better ourselves, them myself, et cetera. And I tried to decide if it wasn't a good fit, why wasn't that a good fit? Did it give you an icky feeling? And that's how I view collaborations and partnerships and how I pursue them or I don't pursue them. And I think, over the journey, my journey, I've really grown comfortable having uncomfortable conversations and saying you know what I love what you're doing, sis, but this just isn't a good partnership for us right now. That's hard to do, but yeah, I just can't. I don't know, I can't. Wanda, you put me on the spot. I don't know if I can narrow it down to just one in particular one.

Speaker 2:

It's just all these lessons I've working in the corporate. I work for corporate. I learned being a team leader. I had to collaborate with. I went to Rio de Janeiro three times. I had to collaborate with them and us here. I totally understand. Yeah, that is a hard's. So much to it. We at Lumina of Hope we had a women's leadership retreat last November and every retreat is so different. I feel like again.

Speaker 3:

I'm always bringing up God, but I feel like he puts in the room the people he wants in that room. And what I love that we saw come out of that because that was our very first retreat away was that here's a group of 15 women that are game changers in their community. None of them, really a couple of them maybe have heard of each other, but they weren't close at all. We did not have to push anything. These relationships were just very organic. They connected in ways that I better, ways that I could have even dreamt for them and imagined for them, and seeing that happen at the retreat and how important it was for them to be with like-minded people, to connect on this deeper level, we see them drop their guards as well and dig a little bit deeper and build those friendships. And afterwards what was beautiful is that we've been able to see the actual business that's developed organically from that one moment, that one retreat. We've also had a retreat for our mothers that have a child with special needs, and that was an entirely different retreat. We have 15 women attending that retreat on sponsorships and, I'm sorry, scholarships, not sponsorships, scholarships and that was a very different retreat. That was a five day four, night one.

Speaker 3:

And what we noticed, this pattern is that some again, women that have a child with special needs. That's the common denominator, that's it All right. And so for many of them, these women have not been able to have time away for 15, 20 years on their own, because they have nobody they can leave their child with to care for them comfortably. For so many of these women, what I heard, they were so nervous to first of all make that commitment, so nervous the day before the day of to get in the car to drive there. We don't know anybody here. What if we don't connect with anybody?

Speaker 3:

And what was beautiful to see is how, by that third day again, people's walls were coming down. They were opening up their conversations, their spirit, what they're feeling, what they're going through. Some of them are seeing some similarities to the person, the woman that they're speaking with. Right, there's so much rest that happened, healing, encouragement and the connection that needed to give them this new hope. They've been running on an empty gas tank for years, but out of the simple five days and four nights, that's all they needed. It gave them new hope, new purpose.

Speaker 3:

One of the women she took four naps one day. She's a young mama, has three kids, one of them very much on the spectrum there. Four naps in one day that's how tired this mama was, and we had conversations with so many of the women and they feel invisible, they feel unseen, they feel like they're misunderstood, they're not heard in their community, they feel sometimes helpless, and seeing them connect with other women who are experiencing the same things and actually get hope out of that was absolutely transformational and it was such a special moment to see. So I am a firm believer in these retreats. There's some magical, beautiful moments that come out of it and I'm so thankful that we're able to provide what we're able to provide to these women.

Speaker 2:

I love it. That is, you're an angel to them Providing that, and I love that. It's faith-based, the leadership that you provide and building something bigger than you're building, what God and God. That's what God picked you to do, what you're doing.

Speaker 3:

Well, Earl I, he tells me, he reminds me over and over again. I don't have to have the words because, again, I had a speech problem for many years. And that's one of my hiccups is being nervous I'm going to miss, I'm not going to say this. The right thing, right, you don't have to have the words, Just like Moses didn't have to have the words, he had the heart. And you have to have the heart. You have to to a choice, a decision, an action moment, and that's a pattern in the Bible. My choice was to show up and if I show up he tells me, reminds me time and time again I'll put the words in your mouth.

Speaker 3:

I'll put you with the right people and he's doing it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he is and I tell you it's just amazing, like what you said, what you're doing and he's blessing it. He's bringing you the people to actually help you sponsor some of the retreats that you're having. I've never heard of this as far as what you're doing for women, that actually I have a grandson that's Take turns. We go out and babysit in North Carolina. Then they have my son-in-law's mother that babysits them because she has four kids and I mean the 20 year old was just up to but he's 15. That is something that you because you all they need a break and my daughter said mommy you just don't know her.

Speaker 2:

She got four. I said, my God, what the heck was wrong with you. I mean I had two like my daughter here. She had two. That was a lot. I am so proud of you, of what you're doing, thank you. That is awesome. It's really awesome. So glad I met you. Let's talk about Mama's Mission Trips and Miracles bringing women together across borders, the different borders. You're going to another country.

Speaker 3:

Yes, we are going to Guatemala next year in April. It's so amazing because some of the mamas, some of the women that have attended some of our community events, this conversation just popped up at this one fundraiser one day and this one lady was like she actually is faith-based. She said I go to church and our church does a couple of mission trips and I want to do a mission trip but I don't want to go build a house. I've never even been on one. I don't want to go with a bunch of strangers, I don't know, and a bunch of men and all this stuff. And but I would, I still want to do it, but I have all these, these reservations about it.

Speaker 3:

Next room, 15 minutes later, completely different woman brings up a conversation of again a desire to go on a mission trip. I mean I would love it if my daughter and I could go do a mission trip together with just us. And then I'm like, okay, this is again our God is so dope. And I think this is a God is so dope moment, because there's a reason why we're having these conversations 15 minutes apart, two different women, two different rooms next to each other, and I was like why don't we do it. Why doesn't Lumino of Hope do a mission trip? I was like, I've been on personally many mission trips right, my daughter as well, and we are more than capable of doing this, so why don't we do it? Why don't we show up? And so that's what we're doing. We're showing up and it is a mission trip to Guatemala to serve single mamas and their children. It's for women only, and if they have a daughter and they want to bring their daughter, they can. You have to be 13 or older. There's four young teenage girls signed up right now. My oldest will be going there and leading them as well. She actually was born in Guatemala and this will be her first time going back to Guatemala, and so a very spiritual back to Guatemala, and so a very spiritual, special, emotional moment for all of us, but super excited we're going to do. It's.

Speaker 3:

The beauty about it being Lumina of Hope's mission trip is we get to design the things that we want to do, and we don't have to go and do that hard labor that some of the women's bodies are not ready for, right, baby mission trip, first one. So we get to customize that. What's beautiful is we're one day going to spend time putting water filtrations systems together. Then we'll go to these women's homes and install them. So we can do that one day.

Speaker 3:

And that's not real labor, intensive labor or not, but it's not just to install. We're there to minister, to have conversations with the mamas, to play with their children, to bless them with some hygiene products, some clothing as well, and that's just one day. Another day we're going to do a VBS Vacation Bible School type thing for some of the kids at this compound and that's going to be an amazing moment. Another day we're going to do a sports camp for kids to come in and we get to minister to them that way. So it's going to reach some different type of kids, right, maybe do some art stuff, and I'm so excited to see that happen, and that's in April of next year.

Speaker 2:

Wow, that is exciting, girl, you're on a roller coaster here.

Speaker 3:

As long as God gives me energy, roller coaster here.

Speaker 2:

As long as God gives me energy, I'll do it, I'll go I am so proud of you that you're doing that, because a lot of women need that. They need that and they don't think that they can do it, but you're giving them hope and that's why I like the aluminum of hope that you have as far as your name here. So how do you balance ministry, motherhood and managing multiple projects? How do you?

Speaker 3:

do that. I've worked really hard at learning how to balance that.

Speaker 3:

I will say that I work hard at reading my body, reviewing, doing almost like a personal scan. How's Mama Coco doing? That's what my son's friends call me, Mama Coco. How am I doing? Am I taking time for myself? Because it's taken me every bit of my 40, some odd years to learn that I was the last person that thought I wasn't taking care of myself. Because it's taken me every bit of my 40, some odd years to learn that I was the last person that thought I wasn't taking care of myself. I was taking care of everybody else but myself. So I have to make sure I do check-ins with myself and reflections and make sure that I'm remembering to give myself some self-care time.

Speaker 3:

I am very organized and I've always been a person who loves lots of projects, because I've always identified myself as a multi-passionate individual. So I always have what I call these buckets of projects, passion projects, and so my buckets shuffle around and so I do good at blocking my time. I'll block my time and say okay and I'll do the do not disturb. And this is when I'm going to focus on this bucket which is nonprofit related, this bucket which is book related, this bucket which is kids and managing the household related and I work in that system, and if that system starts to break, I hit the pause. I do not disturb.

Speaker 3:

For a couple of days I reset, go out in the woods, do some hiking, come back with some clarity. All right, I need to change things up. I need to be more restrictive on who gets to spend that time with me. It's not given to just anybody. I have to be selective and I do it in a nice kind, polite way. But when everybody wants to have a piece of you, you start giving out too many pieces. There's not going to be anything left of yourself, and so I'm very selective on who I spend my time with.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome, Because actually that's what my family told me when I was in Chicago. Wanda, you got to slow down, you got to step back. I said, but I'm okay. I said God has shut you down if you don't.

Speaker 3:

He does have a way to do that, I know what they mean.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I had so many of my cousins and my brother. You need to stop doing this. You need to stop doing, I said, but this is what God told me to do as far as that. So yesterday I was in my PJs all day yesterday because I had to regroup.

Speaker 2:

I had to regroup and start working on the project. I got a lot of projects I'm working on, like Saturday, next Wednesday, I have a, I'm on a TV station, so there's a lot of yeah doing that. I have to say, okay, let me a TV station. So it's a lot of doing that. I have to say, okay, let me slow down. And it's funny that you say that, because that's actually what I'm going to be speaking on Saturday. As far as that yeah, so as far as taking care of yourself, because you see, and it's time to say no, no, I do, that's a big no. And it took them from one of my girlfriends. She said, monda, you, it, that's a big no. And it took them from one of my girlfriends.

Speaker 2:

She said monday you got to learn how to say no. I said okay, and then I tell my husband no, and then I feel bad and then I do it sometimes you gotta fake it till you make it and you keep practicing, you get.

Speaker 3:

It gets easier, yeah yeah, it really does.

Speaker 2:

Now what? Let me ask you something. So how has your faith shaped your business and nonprofit journey?

Speaker 3:

It's my faith shaped my business and my non oh man it's. It affects everything. It really does and, just like you, you just shared with me how your family's telling you need to slow down. You need to slow down, but God's told you what you need to do and so, respectfully, sometimes we have to tell other people, even if it's your family sorry, god's got me on this one Like I've got that confidence in God that he has me and, and thankfully, that faith is what gives me new energy and gives me purpose.

Speaker 3:

I joke about it because I had friends like how are you going to do this when you've got your consulting business? I get it that you need to do this and you want to do it. And if you say you're going to do it, you're going to do it. Coco, they know me at this point, but they also know that I've had struggles with autoimmune stuff. I've had the cancer stuff, the lack of energy things, all this stuff. Right, since I said yes to God, what's beautiful and what's faith is that's a that comes to play about. This is, since I said yes to him, he's given me that 20 year old energy and if I need, especially while I was launching Lumina of Hope.

Speaker 3:

There were times where I worked all weeks, all weekends, because I was also doing my consulting business. There's times when he would wake me up at 3am and be like get on your computer, you're going to write this stuff, you're going to send this up, you're going to update the website, you're going to put this and that. And I was fine, which is weird. He gave me the energy, he gave me the clarity and he also teaches me when to hit the pause button, how to read my body, my signals. Okay, mama, all right, mama, it's time for you to get those PJs on. We need to regroup, we need to reset. All right, downtime. And then it's two days later. He's like all right, let's hit that pause button again and you're going to hit the play and you're going to keep going. You're going to go on a fast forward now, because that's the energy he gives to me.

Speaker 3:

So my faith has played a huge role. Like our women's leadership retreat was not necessarily faith-based. We're still praying in the sidelines and I still see God show up and so many. What I call is like God is so dope moments. I call is like God is so dope moments, and that is phenomenal to see. How do I explain what a God is so dope moment is? You could say, okay, what is the most wildest, strangest thing? That's a weird connection that comes full circle back to you. That's a God is so dope moment. I'm probably over 200 god is so dope moments at this point too many to keep track of. That's how he shows up and how my faith plays in lumina of hope and in my relationship and my life that is awesome, I tell you.

Speaker 2:

I love hearing what you're saying. But now you, you do another thing, because you actually came to a viral woman group and taught canva and ai personal branding. So is that part?

Speaker 3:

of your business.

Speaker 2:

As far as what do you do in Canva? Canva is my personal assistant. I'm sorry, my AI is my personal assistant.

Speaker 3:

AI helps me out a lot.

Speaker 2:

I tell you when you get stuck.

Speaker 3:

You're dusty.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, because they know so much about you already.

Speaker 3:

They do. It's almost scary.

Speaker 2:

Tell us a little bit about that, and then we're going to slow it down because I want to ask you a question. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3:

One thing again since I said yes to God on February 27th of last year, one thing that he has pushed me. Well, he has pushed me into so many uncomfortable moments in conversations and pushed me to what I call is like a fear bubble. He's pushed me so much so that I know that there's something I'm completely, entirely dreading. But once I pop through that fear bubble, make it to the other side, there's something magnetic that's transformational, that happens and it's going to leave me for the better good. It's happened so many times now that I don't stay in that fear bubble. I push through that fear bubble very quickly and when it's something that scares me, I maybe get scared for only three seconds versus three months now because I know there's something really good on the other side of that the me speaking in front of everyone for that one event. That's my second big event that I spoke at that. That's a fear bubble moment for me because, again, I had speech lessons for four and a half years as a child.

Speaker 3:

I'm a preacher's kid. We were put up on stage early. I was always a singer. I always sang and led. You know, praise and worship did the choir thing, harmony thing, right? Speaking I rarely ever did, and so that's always something in my head.

Speaker 3:

If there's something that's still pulling you back, holding you back, it would be public speaking, and that was a huge moment for me because I'm very passionate and confident in Canva, ai, chatgpt, all that stuff and my whole business is on how I can help small businesses excel, streamline their processes. It's very easy for me. This is something I've always taught other small businesses to do and their team of employees to do. But I've never been up on stage, I've never had the microphone in this type of field, and I'm speaking and I'm teaching. That was a whole nother level.

Speaker 3:

There's something beautiful that he reminds me time and time again that I just have to show up and let me tell you, I pray. I pray the hours if you knew the hours I'm logging praying up leading up to that speaking event. It's ridiculous. You would think I was dying or something, because it's next level and God does take over. He shows up, he takes over my body. He takes over my words, the words in my mouth, my body language. You know how it's projected. All of that he takes over, shows up and then it's like I blink and I'm out of this trance almost I was like what just happened? I just did it, like really God did it, he really showed up and he shows off, and that's what's beautiful and that's what I enjoy about doing things like that.

Speaker 2:

Oh, he does Everything that I'm doing, like I'm speaking on Saturday. I was like, okay, what do I do here? Just like this podcast?

Speaker 3:

I didn't think I could do this.

Speaker 2:

It was just like oh my God. I said, this is a-. Girl, yes I didn't expect to do.

Speaker 3:

My phrase for this year and it sounds like it could be your phrase, or should be your phrase, or should be your phrase is being bold brings bountiful blessings, and that's my reminder to be bold, because I can't be a spokesperson for Lumen of Hope and the women I'm trying to serve and help and connect with if I'm not bold and I'm not brave enough to show up and start talking. So, kudos to you for being bold and showing up and doing it.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, I love that you got to send me that phrase. What advice would you give someone who feels called to do more than where they are? What to start so?

Speaker 3:

yeah, absolutely. So that's an easy. It sounds easy. It was hard, remember? I threw that temper tantrum for months.

Speaker 3:

So my thing is you've got to have confidence. You have to have confidence and enough in God that he's got you. And here's what's beautiful in that confidence that means you don't have to stress, you don't have to worry, you don't have to be fearful, because he is fearless, he is limitless. The only limitations and restrictions you have in your life, or you think you have in your life, are the ones that society has told you and that you've listened to and you've let the devil tell you about, because he's a God of abundance, right? So once you have that confidence, you just say yes to him. And guess what? You don't have to worry about all of that. He will literally line things up, open the doors that need to be open and he will close the ones that need to be closed. And you've got to be comfortable and have that confidence in him. He's got you. Let him do it. Stop stressing about it. Let him do it. He'll open those doors and show you which way to go.

Speaker 2:

I love that confidence, confidence.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, that's a good word. That's a good word. I love that. It is a good word. That's a good word I love that.

Speaker 2:

It is a good word. I love it. Yeah, so just for fun. What's one thing most people don't know about coco coyer?

Speaker 3:

oh, okay, so I will. This is kind of I'm. I am a little bit of a nerd. I'm actually a big nerd, I'm a closet nerd. I love sci-fi, dystopianian novels, things like that. Videos, movies I grew up watching Rambo and all these other stuff. There's probably that. And then I'm also a little bit of a tree hugger. Most people have their photos. They're scrolling through it and I do have photos of my kids and my dog and all that stuff, but I have a lot of photos of trees and mushrooms that just make my heart happy, okay.

Speaker 2:

That is awesome. Yeah, I love that and I like Rambo, I love Marvel, but I'm the same way I love those. I love karate, martial arts, I love all those type of movies. Now my husband I said you want to go see? No, I don't want to go see this, but he goes whenever I want to go see. No, I want to go see this, but he goes whenever I want to go.

Speaker 3:

But oh, let's go see. Let's go see movies together we can be movie buddies exactly.

Speaker 2:

I would love that. I would love that. So I am so happy that you came on the show, but tell the audience how they can get in touch with you, because you got so much to share and how they can actually with your non-profit. What they can do is for you to help your nonprofit.

Speaker 3:

The easiest way to learn more about Lumina of Hope is by going to luminaofhopecom. You can see about the retreats we're doing, things in our community, the mission trip as well, and learn more about sponsorship and scholarship opportunities. You can also go to our business pages. We're on LinkedIn and Facebook and Instagram, but you'll hear a lot more probably by following me on social media. Is Coco Collier just C-O-C-O-C-O-L-L-I-E-R, and I usually post most of the stuff on my personal account. I'm very passionate about igniting other people's passions. That brings me joy. I want very passionate about igniting other people's passions. That brings me joy. I want to see every person, especially a small business, be successful, and I also am passionate about helping women just find some hope in the darkness, some light in the darkness, to learn how to bend that darkness, and that's where my Godfidence comes into play. You can find more about me at Lumina of Hope or you can go to cococauliercom either one.

Speaker 2:

Hey, all right, this has been a treat here. Coco, thank you for being here and sharing your such a powerful insight. Your words remind us that purpose and partnerships go hand in hand. Right yes To everyone, listening, keep showing up, stay in line and remember collaboration is the key to success. I'm Wanda Pearson and we see you next time on the Ready Set Collaborate podcast. Also, make sure you all follow and, with Coco here, follow her. I'm going to have it in the show notes, but follow our podcast. I have so many incredible guests on the show. Incredible guests on the show. Thank you again, Coco. I appreciate it and I'm going to have you on again because I want to see the updates on that trip that you're planning there. I love it.

Speaker 1:

I would love to Thank you Bye, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

That wraps up another episode of Ready Set. Collaborate with Wanda Pearson. I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights to help you build meaningful connections and successful collaborations. If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, share and stay tuned for more great discussions. Until next time, keep collaborating and making an impact.

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Wanda Pearson

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