Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Collier.
Toni was born and raised in Houston, Texas. “I rep it very hard,” she says. She grew up in a blended family with three older half-siblings, and her parents went above and beyond to make them feel close-knit. But when Toni was in third grade, her mom had a stroke that shook their family foundation. “I took care of her a lot growing up. I grew up fast, learned to drive fast, took on a lot of responsibilities fast. I missed a lot of my childhood, but I wouldn’t take it back,” Shortly after graduating with a business degree from Sam Houston State University, Toni dropped her plans for law school and got married at age 19. The marriage brought her to Atlanta, the city she now calls home. Her marriage ended up causing a lot of trauma and pain in her and while it didn’t last, her love for Atlanta did. It was in Atlanta that Toni began her ministry. “I was the youngest person on our youth ministry team. I got my start all because of a guy named Carlos Torres. He changed my life. He believed in me, mentored me, and taught me all the ropes of youth ministry. He allowed me to be young, creative, and to think outside the box. He allowed me to lead the youth ministry of our church and even go out and have tons of speaking opportunities. It was truly a God wink and gift to my life.”
“It was hard leading people older than me, but there was so much grace for it. I had a leader over me who believed in me and would always affirm my leadership. I had incredible volunteers who would follow and trust my leadership, and I worked very hard,” she said. Eventually, Toni got remarried, and her husband Sam Collier became her biggest advocate.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh, nah. It was definitely a struggle! In the 3rd grade, my mom had a stroke that led to many health complications throughout elementary, middle school and high school. I ended up taking care of her and missing out on a lot of childhood innocence because of it. My dad was pretty verbally abusive, never proud and worked most of the time. I sought validation in all of the wrong places. Lost my virginity at 13, started smoking weed at 15, left the house and put myself through college at 16 only to end up choosing a man over education. I ended up in one of the hardest seasons of my life, transitioning from a church that caused a lot of church hurt, broke, and went through a really hard divorce.
Toni – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
With a degree in business logistics and entrepreneurship, I’ve used my talents to help ministries, leaders, and non-profits in the areas of student ministry, creative marketing, leadership, innovation, strategic planning, and diversity and inclusion. I’m a speaker/communicator, a host, a teacher, and a faith advocate. I’ve had the opportunity to proudly stand on stages like North Point Community Church, Chick-Fil-A, Orange Conference, and MomCon. I have a Blog and interactive devotional brand called Broken Crayons Still Color. We are here for the hopeless woman.
For the broken, the disqualified and the imperfect.
So, we’re pretty much here for all women. 🙂
We believe the world has lied to us. It’s planted a narrative deep in our feminine hearts that perfection is the gatekeeper to action, success, and influence. Ladies, that’s just not true.
We know that there are other women out there who are in valleys thinking that their brokenness discounts them. When there are stories all throughout the bible, showing broken people, broken women that God empowers to do life-changing, world-shaking things. We want that truth to be told to as many women as possible.
Our hope is that in a world that says we have to be perfect to be used, we’d all walk boldly in the truth that God will use us right in the middle of our mess. No matter what your story of brokenness is, if you’re reading this, God Still has an incredible plan for you. For all of us.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I’m an achiever on the enneagram so I’m all about success and winning. For me, success is: 1. Being aligned with your God-given purpose 2. Only occupying the space that you were meant to occupy. 3. Clearly defining your goals. 4. Developing a strategy to complete those goals 5. Staying consistent in it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brkncrayons.com
- Email: contact@brkncrayons.com
- Instagram: @tonijcollier
- Other: @brkncrayons
Image Credit:
@benniebatesphoto
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