Today we’d like to introduce you to Marion Y. Johnson
Hi Marion Y., we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Marion Y. Johnson. I am a Certified Life Coach and Life Redefinition Strategist
The Redefine Me Movement™ supports women in redefining and reclaiming their lives after significant life transitions and losses. Through our coaching program, which has graduated 60 women, we teach essential life skills and coping strategies to help them restore their lives after experiencing loss and life transitions. We specialize in three key areas of loss: the loss of loved ones, relational loss such as broken relationships or divorce, and the loss of purpose or direction. Essentially, I help them undergo a rebirth or fresh start.
My sister passed away, and I had to go through the grieving process myself. She passed away from cancer almost ten years ago, and I went through a tough time where I lost my passion and purpose. It felt like depression was knocking at my door. My sister was my “why,” and without her, I felt like I had lost the wind from my sails.
Even though there were people around me who I could still fight for, it wasn’t the same. I had to go through the various stages of grief, and during that time, I had a moment of clarity. I was cooking one day when God spoke to me, inspiring me to start this movement. I had run a women’s ministry for 15 years before my sister passed, but I stopped after her death.
I needed a rebirth or redefinition of my life and had to fight back to the core of who I was. Living a life centered around my core values and beliefs lights me up and brings me joy. Helping Black Professional women of faith thrive after loss, grief, and transitions allows me to cultivate the core value of leadership.
Recently, I experienced another redefining moment where I came to terms with the possibility that I might not have children. I had been tormenting myself over it, with triggers like Mother’s Day or OBGYN visits reminding me of my unfulfilled desire for a family. But I came to terms with the importance of accepting life as it is, rebuilding it, and redefining it to mean something else. Now, I proudly see myself as a “momtie” to my nephew, my sister’s son, fulfilling a different but meaningful role in honor of my sister. These were the longer and deeper reasons behind starting the Redefined Me Movement.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey for the Redefine Me Movement has not been smooth. As a Black professional woman of faith, I understand firsthand that the struggles we face after significant life transitions or losses are often complex and deeply layered:
I found myself grieving in isolation, or in other words, unhealthy grieving. While carrying immense responsibilities in our careers, families, and communities, I realized that the world expected me to be strong, resilient, and unshakable at times. But that strength often leaves little space to process pain within.
I also found myself feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained. After a significant loss, the emotional toll can feel constraining. Many of us continue to pour into others, neglecting our healing. This constant giving leads to burnout, emotional exhaustion, and a disconnection from the vibrant, faith-filled woman we once knew ourselves to be.
Lastly, I struggled with faith and purpose. Grief often shakes the very foundation of our faith. We question our purpose and wonder if we’ll ever feel whole again. The passion and confidence that once fueled our lives become wavering due to the heaviness of loss, making it difficult to see a way forward.
In my work with the Redefine Me Movement, I aim to break these patterns. I create a safe, nurturing space where women like me can finally let go of the need to always be “strong” and focus on healing together.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our Mission Statement is to help Black professional women of faith navigate and overcome the challenges of loss and life transitions through compassionate, guided support and self-discovery tools. We aim to help each Black professional woman of faith redefine and reclaim her life’s purpose, leveraging her faith and our strategic guidance to foster healing and growth.
Our Vision Statement is to be a beacon of hope and a safe space for transformation for Black professional women of faith. Enabling them to redefine and realize their fullest potential in the aftermath of loss. To create a movement where these women lead lives of purpose and joy, supported by a community that values resilience, faith, and personal evolution.
We will accomplish this via in-person & virtual group coaching sessions, workshops, retreats, podcasting, and annual
conferences.
PURPOSE STATEMENT:
Elevate Black women from loss to empowered living.
Core Values: Community, Personalization, Authenticity, Personal Evolution, Integrity. Transparency
What sets us apart from others is the genuine authenticity and sisterhood you feel and experience at each of our events. We create experiences where personalization, growth, and the space to evolve will happen at each event. This is our niche. We make sure that each woman is SEEN, HEARD, and ENCOURAGED! This is what we pride ourselves on and what we are proud of.
How do you define success?
I define success not by external achievements but by internal transformation. Transformation happens, and healing is redefined when women shift from seeing loss as a defeat to recognizing it as a stepping stone toward growth, resilience, and a new chapter in life.
Success is also helping women reignite their passion, rediscover their faith, and reclaim their purpose. It’s about watching them move from feeling stuck and defeated to living a life filled with hope, purpose, and fulfillment.
Lasting success can also be found in having a solid community. A critical marker of success for me is when women no longer suffer in silence. I have succeeded the most when my core value of safety is present and felt.
Ultimately, success for me is not just about personal transformation; it’s about creating a ripple effect where women support and uplift others and themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redefinememovement.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redefinememovement/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariony.johnson1
