Six weeks ago, I started the Daniel Fast, as I have for Lent for the last five years, but this year felt different. By day four, my prayers led me to the discipline of stewardship and a question: Am I being a good steward? I would like to believe I have been, but the reality of this burning question felt familiar, like a crossroads I had been at before.

So the question is, how are we managing what God has given us, and is the result bringing glory to his name? The question of stewardship comes when you are faced with the choice between good and God. The reason this question felt familiar is that it's not the first time I've had to answer it; it's just the first time I feel like I'm getting the answer correct.

Let me tell you a little story.

At that point, I was two years into the Elements of Aliel journey, my now shuttered plant-based skincare brand, and seemed to be going in the right direction. Then, one night at an hour when I would not normally be awake, I felt an urging from God. It felt similar to how the Bible describes Samuel's call in 1 Samuel 3. It is one of the few times I know that I literally heard the voice of God. As I lay awake, I heard the Lord tell me to write. Immediately, my brain began to run through the question: about what, why, and then what. But after a few nights of this, I began to write, and seven days later, the first draft of my first book was complete.

This was the beginning of my assignment to serve God's daughters, though I didn't realize it at the time. With help and encouragement from my grandmother and the first lady of my former church, DIVA moved from a draft to a self-published devotional about a month later. From there, opportunities opened up: I began teaching Sunday school on the book's principles and speaking at women's events and churches. I even sold a few dozen copies. (I still have some if you're interested.)

Soon, however, I faced a crossroads about my next steps. I couldn't reconcile DIVA with Elements of Aliel; they felt like complete opposites. Building both at the same time seemed overwhelming. I had a choice to make — and while neither path would have been wrong, one was clearly God's direction.

I chose good, and decided to focus on the skincare brand. I packed the extra copies of my book away and put all of my energy into building Elements of Aliel. From that day forward, building the brand felt harder. Every time I took two steps forward, it felt like I was taking three backward. I rode this rollercoaster for six more years before God said, "Enough is enough."

After some prayerful consideration, I shut the brand down. To many on the outside looking in, it made no sense. Why would you shut down something successful? I would tell them that it was because of COVID. The stress of being home with three young kids and trying to run a business was too much. The reality is, I finally listened when God went from a whisper to a scream that this was not my path.

At one point, I thought I could pivot and create a wellness brand that incorporated parts of the skincare but took a more holistic approach. That's when I was accepted into the first cohort of the Goldman Sachs Black In Business program. When I applied, this wellness brand made sense. By the time I got to New York, I knew in my heart it wasn't right. About halfway through the program, I admitted to my business advisor that the business I started with was not what I really wanted to build.

With her help and a whole lot of prayer, Legacy Consulting Co was born. I finally felt like I was building something with purpose. When I signed my first client in the summer of 2022, I couldn't believe someone was willing to pay me to help them with their business. Eventually, I realized that it wasn't the business I was helping them build; it was a life of impact and income. I had found a way for all of my gifts, talents, and experience — though seemingly unrelated — to come together and serve others.

You may wonder why, after my 2022 revelation, I didn't act right away. The answer is that I slipped back into what was comfortable. Building something new can be scary, and as an introvert, it's often uncomfortable for me. When a friend asked me to help build a very special project in late 2022, I jumped at the chance. This let me use my gifts for a good cause.

For the past few years, I helped build the operational structure of CocoLife, a maternal health non-profit dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized people. It has been a joy and truly fulfilling, but ultimately it is only a small part of what I know I have been called to do. I've learned what it takes not just to be a solopreneur but to build an organization from the ground up. I've learned how to make difficult decisions, and when to trust my instincts or the data. I also realized that you can't always grow from behind the scenes. While I loved the work, its demands meant putting other things — like my biblical studies — on hold. God has used every step as a lesson, and I truly believe my time at CocoLife was meant to teach me much.

Now, I've decided to shift my energy back to my own venture, approaching it with greater intention. I'm not leaving — I'm simply reprioritizing.

So join me next week as I officially kick off the Good Steward Diaries — a series that is part devotional, part business strategy, and 100% rooted in faith. This is a culmination of everything I have learned about life, business, and faith over the last 13 years. My goal is simple: to help you live with purpose and become a good steward, so that when your time is over, you will hear: