This guest post is by Audrey K. Chisholm, J.D. Audrey is the President and CEO of Revolution Leadership, Inc. (RL) in Orlando, FL.
God has placed a desire within all of us to pursue an extraordinary destiny (e.g., start a business, buy a house, go back to school, invent something, run for public office, go to seminary, or write a book). What stops us from pursuing it? Many of us think we need more money, more education or a better background in order to pursue our destiny. Or we have tried pursuing it only to run into setbacks, failure and disappointment instead of the victory we envisioned.
I know that feeling all too well. When I was 17 years old, the Lord spoke to me plainly and gave me the business plan for my non-profit organization – Revolution Leadership, Inc. (RL) God showed me that I would start a nonprofit that would teach high school students about leadership, entrepreneurship, and investing and would award college scholarships to students that completed the program. I saw the program growing to become an internationally acclaimed nonprofit organization that would change the lives of young people from across the world.
However, the excitement of my destiny did not prepare me for the process. I spoke at almost every community group in my City and did not receive a single donation. Serious donors were not willing to contribute to a 17 year old with an unincorporated business. I could not afford an expensive venue and many parents would not bring their children to the small church that was willing to host the retreat for free. I could not afford a fancy website, glossy flyers, or major publicity. Finally, the students I wanted to reach simply were not interested in learning about leadership, investing, business, or attending college. Consequently, the day of my first retreat, I found myself alone at the church without any registered students and without any contributions toward our scholarship fund other than my own.
God already knows that the vision He has given you is bigger than your means, intellect, education, resources and experience. That’s why He gave it to you. He wants to prove Himself to you by supernaturally opening the doors for you. That way, you can give Him the glory for your success as opposed to crediting it to the trust fund your parents left you or your own ingenuity.
Instead of leaving the church that day, I stayed at the request of my father. In that moment, I remembered that God does not make mistakes. I knew that He was the one that told me to host the conference and I refused to doubt. Resolute as before, I remained in the empty church. That’s when I witnessed God work a miracle right before my eyes. I saw a minivan pull up with a group of 12 students. God’s plan for my destiny came to fruition! Plus, the church that hosted my first retreat agreed to match my donation to the scholarship giving us sufficient funds for a scholarship. Thus, marked my first ever “Revolution Leadership RetreatTM.”
Eight years later, Revolution Leadership, Inc. is now a thriving nonprofit organization. Every summer, we host a leadership conference and expose high school students to young entrepreneurs and business leaders that share their success secrets. Over 100 students have successfully completed our program. We have been featured on television on Central Florida News Channel 13, covered in countless newspapers and magazines. We have fundraised over $6,000 to award in college scholarships. We have an active board of directors as well as a dedicated team of volunteers and interns. We received our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the I.R.S. Students that have attended our leadership conference have gone on to become: business owners, financial investors, motivational speakers, youth leaders, political activists, and more!
This success did not come over night. Here are 8 essential principles that God has taught me along the way that will also guide you in your pursuit of your destiny:
- Be Organized– When God speaks, write down everything He says. You can use His words to remind you of your destiny and encourage you along the journey. (See Habakkuk 2:2)
- Be Willing to Work/Research – Getting the idea is just the first step. Next comes praying and seeking God to show you the people to talk to in order to find the resources that you need. Be willing to research, read books, and ask questions. (See 1 Peter 1:13)
- Be Willing to Start Small – My first conference started off with me not having any students registered to attend. Celebrate small accomplishments and be proud of them! Everything that is big was once small. ( See Luke 1:37)
- Be A Good Steward – Learn to manage the resources that God gives you – no matter how small they may seem. Don’t complain about what you don’t have. Think creatively and educate yourself. Once God sees you doing something with a little, He will open up doors for you to receive more. (See Matt 25:14-30)
- Be Willing to Endure Opposition – Nothing comes without a fight. Be willing to endure criticism from those closest to you. Expect for doors to be closed, for people to doubt your abilities, and for plans to fail. Just because it doesn’t work the first time – doesn’t mean it’s not destined to work at another time. (See 1 Peter 4:14)
- Be Willing to Give God Credit – Always remember that your success comes from God and He is the only one entitled to any credit. (See Isaiah 42:8)
- Be Willing to Help Others Get Where You Are – Don’t wait until you have “arrived” to help someone else. Make it a habit of giving back to others, even on a small scale, throughout your journey to the top. (See 2 Corinthians 1:4)
- Don’t Doubt God’s Plan for Your Life-Despite how bad things look, trust the words God has spoken to you and keep pursuing your destiny!
Contact Audrey via email and visit Revolution Leadership or her website for more information. Channel 14 News in Orlando interviewed Audrey in this YouTube video – check it out!
