Team. Totally Exceptional And Magnificent!
Delmar Johnson and I connected five years ago after hearing me speak at Tory Johnson's Spark and Hustle conference in Texas. She helped me refine my intern program, recruit from local colleges, hire every employee, expand to contractors, complete hiring packets and stay focused on the culture of my brand. It is hard for entrepreneurs to trust at times because when you are pouring in 100% you don't want to risk things falling apart. You wonder if people will care as much as you do. I learned that you simply CAN NOT do it alone and until we begin to trust , we can't get help. I'm still extremely protective and my team supports that. They are patient with me and accept me as an imperfect leader. I'm human and so are they.
Delmar has poured in endless hours to provide virtual administrative support when we began to grow faster than expected while teaching and being a caregiver. She has been such a reliable force and she believes in the vision. I spoke to her a few weeks ago and she sounded empty. I dug in a bit to assess. I sensed a fragile spirit who needed a BREAK. While we were celebrating and planning our expansion and office move here in Atlanta, she was struggling to hold it all together in Memphis. I realized that the team leaves rejuvenated after our meetings but virtual team members are expected to keep pushing without the support of those shared moments.
We decided to ask her to come here for a weekend. We put our heads together and celebrated with a PAUSE AND PAMPER weekend. Zakiya Kyles your gift to serve, M Semoine Chandler your gift of execution, Rhonda Glaze your gift of ministry, Adia Weaver Wright your gift to pamper, Cherika Hines your gift of radiant joy, Shakira Stephens your gift of loyalty and quiet support all made this weekend memorable. I reflected over the weekend then over the last 5 years and I simply smile and hope our partnership will continue to serve many. We understand what it takes to trust, ask for help, hire help, fire help, and become family. It's a ride and it wouldn't have been the same without an HR veteran that approaches her gift with the spirit of ministry.