Today we’d like to introduce you to Renita Walker.
Hi Renita, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Love iz the Way, LLC is a business that expresses my personality and unique gifting in three primary areas:
1. The Funky Chaplain – I came to Atlanta in 2014 to complete a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) residency after working for about four years as chaplain in Kansas City. CPE residencies are training programs developed for religious clergy to learn to become professional chaplains eligible for board certification. From there I continued to engage training while providing compassionate care to families, patients, and staff at several local hospitals. I have been working as a chaplain for 12 years now and am a trusted voice on any interdisciplinary team. Being a chaplain has undeniably shaped the way I engage the world – with love, compassion, and grace for myself and for others.
2. RedoxRenew – During a period of unemployment RedoXRenew was born out of necessity: I needed income and knew I had a marketable skills as a seamstress, designer, and creative. In 2017 I sent my creations down the runway at a local fashion show and I was hooked to pushing my brand forward. Wearing my unique designs is actually how I earned the moniker “The Funky Chaplain.” You can expect to see me in the bright colors and patterns of Ankara (West African) print wearing anything from a boxy sheath dress to MC Hammer pants. I have a good time bringing a dose of sunshine and joy with what I’m wearing.
3. Ya-Ya: The Intergalactic Sojourner Truth – Ya-Ya was born as an aspiration. I was a young 25 years old, reeling from a number of traumas, and Ya-Ya became the healed person I believed I could be. For years she existed outside of me as a character I would play. However, the stress of the last few years has encouraged a kind of integration of all the pieces of myself. Ya-Ya is not a character or even a secret identity anymore. Ya-Ya is me: a freedom fighter unafraid to speak truth to power, walk with those who are hurting, and proclaim freedom to those in bondage. It’s the same thing I do as a chaplain, except to music! Lately, I’ve been having fun leaning more fully into how energized music makes me feel. It’s refreshing after several years of draining stress working inside a hospital during covid. My goal this year was to get booked and I accomplished that! January 28, 2023 6:00pm I’ll be performing at Kat’s Cafe with Miss Miller, Jonathan Double J Jackson, and JHIGH!! I’m super excited about that!
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?
It has NOT been a smooth road! I was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and suspected LUPUS, but I’ve been sick for years. One of the biggest struggles is trusting that my dreams and goals will happen in a way that honors my limitations. My road will be one that uniquely allows me to impact who I’m here to impact without sacrificing my health.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
One of the services I’m most proud to offer is grief support counseling. I am careful to communicate I am not a therapist. I am a hopeful companion here to walk with grieving people, provide them with a safe enough container to hold and process their grief, and help them learn wholistic tools to manage the impact of grief on their lives. As a chaplain for 12 years, I have the experience of providing dedicated time and space to people grieving a number of significant, life-changing events. Grief and Loss are difficult. I’m here so you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?I am a fan of calculated risk-taking. I love to be in control too much to engage in spontaneous risk-taking. I need to perform a risk analysis first lol! But I honestly admire risk-takers; much of what we know as normal today wouldn’t exist if people hadn’t taken risks.
Pricing:
- $65/hr Grief Support Sessions
Contact Info:
- Website: renitawalker.com
- Instagram: @ya_ya_lives
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renita.walker.9
- Youtube: @YaYa-TheFunkyChaplain
