Today we’d like to introduce you to Ulonda & Bernard Marshall.
Hi Ulonda & Bernard, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
This journey started out for us at a very young age. We come from humbled beginnings, me a Georgia native and Bernard from Trinidad and Tobago. I believe that following in my family’s footsteps as an entrepreneur was imprinted in my DNA. My mother owns a catering service, in prior years my aunt turned a small property into a Day care center and a Uncle who once owned a Trucking company and still is operate a Landscaping business.
My mom inspired me to not settle for just working a 9 to 5 but build a business and never allow someone to tell me I can’t do something. Early in my adolescence years I knew I wanted to own a business, which led me to completing Cosmetology school, but also furthering my education and skills in the legal area. Pursuing a passion in beauty industry, I passed the cosmetology exam to become a licensed hairstylist. After landing a position with an upscale Salon in Macon, Ga I enjoyed the art of it. I loved interacting with my customers, but hair wasn’t a priority for my clients they wanted to share their life issues and personal situations and here begun my unstructured coaching sessions.
I ended up branching away from the physical salon and wanted to do things my way. This allowed me to set my own hours and determine my income. Subsequently, a business plan was developed, and Serenity Salon Mobile Spa was born, the objective was to give people a spa like experience while being on the go. My services were contracted with various healthcare facilities throughout Georgia providing hair, nails and massage services to Elderly and Seniors and some celebrity clients.
Even though I enjoyed my new passion, I still felt unfulfilled spiritually and emotionally, something was still missing. After ending a 15- year marriage, there were periods in my life where soul searching was much needed. It was after going through that period of darkness when I met my present husband whom I love with every part of me. Bernard entered my life 4 years after my previous marriage, and I was ready for what he had to offer. I was solid and whole with who I was and ready to take on a new relationship. We knew immediately that our union would grow into something deeper than friends. There were many ‘coincidences’, where our relationship was concerned for instance Bernard’s last name is Marshall and so is my mother’s maiden name. The initials of our names reflected what we both believed was required in humanity which was authenticity. The first letters of his name are
‘Be’ and mine is ‘U’ and this is one of the core principles that guides the coaching component of our business which is to ‘be you.’
He has been my biggest cheerleader and I am his. Life can be strenuous and challenging with the responsibilities of work and family, as such finding balance and selfcare is important for homeostasis and harmony. My forte’ is relationships and family dynamics. We are both certified Master and Life Holistic Wellness coaches.
The things we’ve accomplished in a short time has amazed me. We’ve facilitated training workshops, online coaching, mentoring and seminars. It is important to connect with a partner that have the same invested interest as you do where you can share in each other’s vision. I am in process of writing my first book which will be published in 2023. Bernard who goes by the pseudo name “Gurman” is a published Author of a non-fictional book “The Third Testament: A Meta-paradigm” which can be found at all major booksellers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other local bookstores.
Bernard a philosopher, public speaker and teacher. From an early age he has been asking the existential questions and has been a perpetual seeker of the esoteric. His background is also paramilitary, beginning as a young cadet to working as a Police Officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service where his responsibilities included providing personal security for Head of States and VIP’s, his last assignment being with Dr. Keith Rowley the current Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago before his transition to the US in pursuit of purpose.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all, it wasn’t a smooth road, we both were single parents during a period in our life and as much as people thought we had it together, we were bleeding on the inside. We’ve had our share of restless nights but were eventually able to readjust and take control over our lives. Our experiences now act as a GPS navigation system which ensures victory in both our business and personal life. Not only do we depend on each other strengths, but we provide a mirror for each and know that we are divinely connected in more ways than one.
We’ve been impressed with Serenity Wellness & Gurman Consultancy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We want people to know that we are a couple that dive deeper within the root cause and not provide a band aid, since most of what society identifies as problems are actually symptoms of the problem and not the problem itself. It is our objective to see people heal from their various traumas which in most cases begun in their formative years. Our goals is to assist people in transcending, shifting from knowing to being, and gain an understanding of the essence of what they are so they can be who they were designed to be. Not only is our business multifaceted, but we encompass both a micro and a macro perspective embracing the psychological and sociological as well as the perspective of the scientific and the spiritual in our teachings and coaching.
How do you define success?
We believe in the words of Earl Nightingale who said that “success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” In our business this worthy ideal includes helping others overcome deep-seated issues and challenges, surpassing conditional habits and patterns which works contrary to one’s goals and objectives and live a fulfilled and intentional life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.IamCoachU.com and www.IamGurman.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ulonda.Marshall101
Image Credits
CarlHenryPhotograhy
