Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Adams.
Chelsea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story of becoming the founder of I Am She began on August 14th, 2015 when my ex broke up with me. It was at this time that life, as I knew, seemed to be over. I didn’t know at the time that I would begin a journey toward discovering myself. On this journey, which is still ongoing, I’ve learned how to become the woman God made me to be. I’ve learned how to overcome eight years of homelessness – living in one bedroom and sharing one bathroom with my mom after she and my father split. I’ve learned how to overcome the hurt and pain of a relationship that I believed was eventually going to lead to marriage. I’ve learned how to forgive myself for all of my mistakes and failures, but more importantly, I’ve learned how to find who I am from the one who created me and everything in the earth – God.
My story is not one of a picture-perfect girl who had everything and never had issues. I tried to make my story like that, but it never worked. I’ve gone through so much as a 22-year-old that used to make me ashamed and embarrassed, but I’m a person of faith. My faith is not because of the fact I grew up in church or because of the hate preaching that college students, like myself, see on campus every day, but it comes from a place of personal experience. This journey of becoming who I am today is majorly impacted by my relationship with Jesus Christ and I have to give all the honor and glory to Him for where I am today.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oftentimes, I personally battle with mental and emotional issues where I feel inadequate, unqualified, and just not worthy enough. I’ve done some terrible things in my life and a lot of times I don’t feel as though I should be the one to represent God, but I’m reminded of the account of a woman named Esther who was an outsider in a small town. She was chosen to be the queen of a city where she used her position to change the lives of those from her hometown. She put her faith in God and because of that God used her to do powerful things in the world despite her past. As the founder of an organization, I’ve learned the importance of self-care, research, and asking for help. I’m not superwoman so I can’t do everything by myself and I have to be willing to ask others for help. I have to learn to take care of myself because I can’t serve others if I don’t first ensure that my sanity is intact.
My advice for any young woman seeking to be a leader, especially a spiritual leader, is to first focus on your relationship with God. I live by these words – “You are a daughter first before a servant.” I don’t lead because I want a stage or to make myself famous, but I serve because I truly love God and I want people to experience what I’ve experienced from my relationship with Him. If you are a Christian, then my greatest advice is to keep your eyes on God and you can’t go wrong. Lastly, get planted! As a Christian and as one who wants to lead others, it’s important to get into a church family who is loving, caring, encouraging, but who also teach sound doctrine and are willing to challenge you to be better in your everyday life. In our generation, we don’t like authority or being corrected, but I’ve found that my greatest success has come from my willingness to listen to my leaders and trust their heart because I know that God wouldn’t place certain people in my life if I couldn’t trust their hearts. For me, that is Victory Church ATL under the leadership of Pastor Philip Mitchell.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am the Founder of I Am She Movement, which is a ministry for young women ages 18-24. Our organization is geared toward helping women become the woman they were always called to be despite the things they’ve gone through. Currently, I am a graduating Senior at Georgia State University with my major being in Religious Studies and my minor in Nonprofit Leadership. I work at a retirement center here in Georgia in which I assist elderly patients in their day-to-day tasks. I am most proud of my resiliency as the founder because it can be an intimidating task to lead an organization and it’s easy to give up when things don’t look promising, but I’ve committed my life to this assignment and there are so many women who are being impacted so I won’t quit!
What sets me apart from others is my age. I’m only 22 years old and I’ve already decided the path that’s best for my life. I used to hate the fact that I was so young because it seemed as if no one else was doing what I was doing and I wanted so desperately to seem “normal”. But, I am not normal! I’m quite extraordinary and it’s not because I have any special superpowers, but because I was created by the Creator of the universe.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Growing up, I saw a lot of situations that many children shouldn’t. I’ve seen the effects of drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and so much more on the lives of those close to me. Seeing that as a child has the power to distort your perspective and cause you to grow callous to certain people in your life. For me, I grew up guarded. I didn’t want to let others in beyond what I was comfortable with because I was afraid of being hurt or becoming like those who I saw. This set me up for success because it eventually pushed me closer to God. Not to mention, I wanted to be the one to stop this pattern of destructive behavior from reoccurring in my own life and the life of my future family – I wanted to be the “Curse Breaker.” As I grew in my relationship with God, I began to receive the tools necessary to not go down the same path as those before me. So, I’m thankful for my childhood because though it wasn’t perfect I learned a lot that has propelled me into the woman I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: iamshemovement.com
- Email: info@iamshemovement.com
- Instagram: _chelseaslife & iamsmovement
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamsmovement/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_chelseaslife
- Other: victorychurchatl.org
Image Credit:
Chelsea Adams
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