Inspiring Conversations with Leah Forney of SAAVE ME

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Forney.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sure, my story starts with childhood trauma. I grew up the daughter of two addicts. As a child, I felt abandoned and rejected. I used writing as a way to cope with my feelings of not being raised by my mother and father. Writing was my way of escaping my reality. It was an outlet that allowed me tap into my creativity. The writer in me was awaken in 2016 when I penned my first book, Unapologetically Me: Living, Owning, & Walking in my truth. In this book, I talked about my complexed relationship with my now late mother. This book led to me writing 8 more books. Each of my books revealed a different part of my life and healing journey. I used my books to help me to get more visibility and exposure. I started teaching myself how to pitch to the media. This skill led me to coaching other women entrepreneurs on how to be their own publicist by mastering the art of pitching. in 2023, I decided to pivot away from coaching other to building up my consultant and expert trainer business, where I began to offer my expertise in sexual assault prevention and education. This pivot has allowed me to revamp and get ready to relaunch my non-profit called SAAVE ME, which focuses on Sexual Assault Advocacy for Victims Everywhere. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart. It comes with a lot of trying and testing as well as some mindset shifts. Early on, I had a lot of fear and doubt because I didn’t know anyone who was doing what I do. I felt like I needed a blueprint to follow when the truth is I needed to believe in myself and be willing to try and stick with it. I definitely had to shift my mindset. Scarcity kept me from making money the first 4 years of my entrepreneurial journey. I would only sell my books and have a coaching client here or there, but not consistent. It wasn’t until 2022, after making a decision that it was time to stop playing small and safe, that I began to fully show up as the expert that I am today. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
SAAVE ME stands for Sexual Assault Advocacy for Victims Everywhere. It is a pending 501c3 nonprofit organization that started in February of 2018 between myself and our co-founder, the late Carmen Hendrix. Carmen and I are both Sexual Assault Survivors, and we wanted to create a community for other survivors to feel safe and supported. We launched our first PSA series in April of 2018. When Carmen passed away in September of 2018, I took her death pretty hard. I stopped operating in SAAVE ME. In 2024, I felt that it was time to relaunch this organization because I had built a brand where people knew me for my sexual assault prevention and education work as well as my advocacy. I wanted to continue what Carmen and I had started. I am most proud of the work that I continue to do in sexual assault prevention and education by empowering schools, colleges, and organizations to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning & workplace environments. SAAVE ME is an organization that is for the survivors and focuses on creating spaces where they feel heard and validated. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I grew up in Queens, NY. My favorite childhood memory is just being a kid. Being able to play outside with my friends doing things like hopscotch, jumping double Dutch, getting wet with the fire hydrant water, and eating ice cream. I didn’t have a care in the world. These things always remind me of great it feels to be a child with no worries, cares, and/or bills. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leahmforney.com
• Email: Info@leahmforney.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/@leah_m_forney
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/@leahmforney and https://www.facebook.com/SAAVEMeMovement?mibextid=kFxxJD

Image Credits
Shenna Hair of Shair Photography