Felicia Williams Brown shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Felicia, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently, my spouse and I earned our certifications for sailing both a monohull and a catamaran. It was an incredibly thrilling and demanding experience. I’m extremely proud of this achievement. Can you imagine me as a captain?
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Felicia Williams Brown, and I am deeply devoted to personal growth and transformation. I believe in transforming challenges into a purposeful mission of service. As the founder of Pioneering Change Consulting and Earth & Essence Healing Arts, I have cultivated a unique space that integrates practical support with spiritual wellness.
Having navigated the complexities of motherhood with a child on the autism spectrum, experienced the journey of being a remarried widow, and faced the struggles of spiritual suppression, I possess a profound insight into the diverse challenges many women face during pivotal transitions in their lives.
What distinguishes my work is its emphasis on often overlooked intersections — such as where caregiving meets personal identity, where grief can evolve into new beginnings, and where courage aligns with spiritual development. Mothers of children with autism frequently find themselves losing their sense of self beyond their caregiving roles; we are dedicated to helping them reconnect and broaden their identities. Remarried widows encounter unique hurdles in honoring their past while embracing new experiences, and they need a supportive environment to navigate these challenges. We provide that safe haven. Additionally, many women have faced spiritual suppression and may feel hesitant to explore their spirituality. We empower them to confront stigma and encourage exploration of their spiritual paths.
Pioneering Change Consulting operates through three interconnected branches:
1. Pioneer Knowledge: This branch offers educational resources, including online self-paced courses, trainings, and workshops.
2. Pioneer Connections: Here, we foster supportive online communities and engagement initiatives.
3. Earth & Essence Healing Arts: This aspect focuses on integrative healing services, providing a sacred space for transformation and spiritual growth. We offer intuitive coaching, personalized ceremonies, end-of-life planning, and death doula services.
Through Pioneering Change Consulting, I am creating the comprehensive support system that I once yearned for.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I used to worry far too much about how others perceived me. My desire for everyone to like me and be happy with who I was ran deep. I yearned for acceptance and understanding, even though I always sensed that I stood apart from the crowd. I often felt like an enigma — a puzzle that people were eager to solve. While I had my charm, there was so much more to me that others didn’t quite grasp. These feelings and behaviors were my way of navigating a harsh and demanding world. It makes me wonder: who was I really before everyone else shaped my identity? At my core, I’m a spiritual person who values connection with others, cherishes nature, and thrives on the freedom to express myself in my own unique and creative ways. I crave the safety to be my true self and to create environments where others can explore their own identities without fear of judgment or stigma.
My transformation from seeking approval from others to fostering spaces that celebrate authenticity truly defines who I am today. This has become my unwavering truth, even when it was buried under the weight of societal pressures.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
What lessons did my suffering impart that success never could?
Everyone experiences pain, and no one’s hardship is greater or lesser than another’s. Throughout my life, I’ve faced a myriad of challenges: the heartache of infertility, the loss of pregnancies, the tragedy of burying a young child, the grief of losing a husband after 25 years, the pain of losing the support of family and friends, the struggle to maintain my dignity in the face of rejection and judgment, and the complexities of family estrangement. In these moments of suffering, I discovered radical acceptance; I learned what it truly means to stand alone and how to persevere even when the burden feels unbearable. I uncovered a strength within me that I never knew existed. I thought suffering like this would break me, but I was fortified in ways I didn’t understand. Consequently, my appreciation for life has deepened and is rooted in what genuinely matters. I’ve been opened up in ways that allow light to shine into the darkest corners I once feared to confront. I’ve come to understand how to embrace both joy and sorrow simultaneously. I’ve grown resilient and adaptable, like water.
Through my suffering, I’ve encountered indescribable pain, feeling completely “turned inside out” during difficult times. Yet now, I recognize that this process of being “broken open” has illuminated areas of my life I once avoided. This is something success could never do.
As I’ve walked my spiritual path, I’ve shifted from bracing myself against life’s waves to flowing like water itself. Learning to hold joy and pain together has empowered me to transcend feelings of worthlessness and defeat. This transformation came not in spite of my suffering but because of the way I chose to grow through it. My suffering has in many ways given birth to my business and the services that are provided.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
Is there a belief you once held firmly that you now see as misguided or overly simplistic?
I used to be convinced that aggressive marketing was the key to my business’s success. I mean, how else could I help people if I didn’t reach out to them, right? But I quickly realized that I have an aversion to sales. To me, sales felt like trying to persuade someone to trade their hard-earned money for something I was offering, often by convincing them they needed it. This perspective was shaped by my own experiences as a customer, and I didn’t enjoy feeling like I was just a means to an end — profit.
Over time, I’ve come to understand that genuinely investing in my business and being authentic will naturally attract those who need what I provide. They will discover me and appreciate the value I bring. When that happens, they’ll willingly exchange their resources for something meaningful that enriches their lives.
This shift in thinking has profoundly impacted both my life and my understanding of what it means to run a business.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
In my line of work, there’s a chance that people might not fully grasp that my mission goes beyond just healing — it’s really about transformation and growth. It’s less about fixing what’s damaged and more about guiding individuals to reconnect with their true selves. Some may overlook the fact that my method doesn’t focus solely on overcoming challenges in the usual way; instead, it’s about embracing and expanding alongside them. Additionally, many might see my spiritual practices as separate from the practical support I offer, when in reality, these aspects are intricately woven together in both my personal journey and my efforts to assist others.
On a personal note, people might misunderstand that loving my current husband doesn’t diminish my love for my deceased husband – not realizing that my heart expanded rather than replaced one love with another. They may also struggle to understand that when I set boundaries — even with family — it’s not about shutting them out, but rather about honoring my own healing process. I’ve had to learn to trust my spiritual path, even if it doesn’t align with what others expect or approve of. Ultimately, I’ve moved past the need for external validation, although the road hasn’t always been smooth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pioneeringchangeconsulting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pion.eeringchange/
- Twitter: https://x.com/PioneeringC
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pioneeringchangeconsulting
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@unbroken-myptgstory
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@2023pioneercc
