WHO IS JOY?

I’ll start with titles, although a title will never define me, as I have recently discovered after 37 years. First, I am a WIFE - mostly a predictably, unpredictable but beyond passionate wife who loves nothing more than a slow dance in the kitchen! I am part yelling MOM, part Pinterest Mom, and part “I can’t do this today Mom”; a Mom who wants more than anything for her two boys to just be kind. I am a caring DAUGHTER who doesn’t answer her Moms calls nearly enough but continues to receive daily prayers in return. I am a SISTER to 4, who TRULY believes she has THE BEST siblings life could offer and a sister who would be lost without the most meaningful and encouraging conversations. I am a lucky GRANDAUGHTER who cherishes each and every moment and story told by one beyond amazing woman. I am THE FRIEND who will drop it all and listen. Listen until only silence and emotions remain. If needed, advice will be offered! But mostly I know exactly how to add just a little spice to any occasion. My day starts with a coffee and usually ends with a glass (or two) of wine but is filled in between with all of the REALLY “good stuff”. When all is said and done, life is meant for memories, PeakJoy moments. Those moments and memories, big or small, are what I live for. (So long as it can be quiet before my cup of coffee is gone in the morning, there is a dance party happening in the living room at night and I can take pictures of it all!)

THE WHY?

Last year (2018) started a series of the same question being asked by a random sample; family, neighbors, close friends, acquaintances and messages from Facebook friends. “You are glowing”, “Life is treating you well”, “What’s your secret?”. I had to take a step back to reflect on exactly what had happened in the past year. And here it is…complex but very simple… I chose ME and decided to really start living. Not as one of the above titles of Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, Friend or with a job/career defining me.

I embraced the song, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”. I tried new things - started running, working out, going to Hot Yoga. I made it a point to try new foods and started listening to an abundance of different music genres (I still can not dig deep enough for the love of Prince). Contacting and connecting with new friends was in part another element of this attempt to discover who this new Joy was. I focused on reading, journaling and waking up EARLY - YES, you read that correctly…EARLY. And I set this crazy goal to participate in a snowmobile race in a bikini, raising money for charity. Who was I and where had I been?

After making a trip to a leadership conference in Orlando, this rockstar, amazing, best husband ever encouraged me to take my strengths and passions and share them with the world. He called my new transformation PeakJoy! I was at the highest point I’d ever been and it looked and felt like nothing I had ever felt before; beyond amazing. Then he asked “How did you get there?”. Answer it and then help others achieve their own PeakJoy. So here I am - here is PeakJoy - eager, excited, a tad nervous but with ambition, optimism, and confidence to help YOU elevate in some facet of your life so that you too can reach the highest altitudes that life has to offer!

MY PASSION

PEOPLE - I. LOVE. PEOPLE! (OK, and also music. I. LOVE. MUSIC. Perhaps in another decade I’ll work on my musical career.) Every person that I meet, I want to just listen to them and hear their story. I enjoy getting to know, really KNOW people. Not surface level, weather version of people, but WHO they are.

  • I love the young, nose picking Kindergartners that I get to substitute teach. They let me be ME - my quirky, fun, singing and dancing self. They are excited to see me standing outside their door and above all, they are eager to learn - not only the phonetics of the letter '“c, cat, c” but they take in my brief teachings about our daily choices, respect and spreading kindness. To reach children at the beginning hits me deep! Whitney Houston sang it best “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way” and with Peak Joy, I truly hope I can do just that.

  • I love teenagers with a capital A for attitude. Mostly because I still carry some of mine with me! More than anything, even more so than love, what does a teenager want (or any of us for that matter)??? They want validation - that it is OK to be exactly who they are. PeakJoy will accept and recognize each and every individual in just that manner. We will discover, grow, elevate and then make an impact - in daily life, at school, within families and throughout communities. My teenage years were “rough and dark” to say the least - I get it and I will go there with them.

  • The “in between years” of college and just after are scary. The uncertainty of it all can put up blinders. Looking at everyone else and trying to figure out where you fit in can drive you in a direction that may not be your own destination. PeakJoy provides valuable insight and coaching to allow anyone meaningful, productive perspectives which will allow them to grow and elevate themselves toward Peak Performance and Success.

  • I LOVE MOMS! I admire them ALL! The uniqueness behind every Mom deserves an award. I could write a book here on every aspect that amazes me - Single Moms, Full -Time working Moms, Part-Time Working Moms, Moms with home businesses, Stay at Home Moms, PTA Moms, Moms of infants, Moms with toddlers, Moms with kids that are 2 and 20! We are all in it TOGETHER! And PeakJoy is here to help fuel some fire that is waiting to be lit, just like mine was. If you are a Mom and you are reading this, you are amazing, BUT you are so much more than just a Mom! Lets take action in getting you to the next altitude.

  • I love career driven individuals. The ones out there setting goals and working daily to achieve some degree of measurable success not only for themselves but for their teams and companies. I understand the daily grind and the chaos and stress that accompanies it. The challenges of employee relations, communication barriers and balancing all aspects of life with career can get one stuck. PeakJoy offers the coaching and training to assist in pushing through barriers and resetting goals allowing only elevation.

  • I love people that I don’t even know; the cashiers at the grocery store, the bartenders, the drive through workers, the regulars I see at the gym. They all are fascinating and unique and bring something to my life and the pages that fill each chapter of my life story.

Did I mention that I LOVE PEOPLE! It all starts with PEOPLE.