Hi Everyone . . . . . I’m LaVerne,

I was born and raised on the South side of Chicago, with short times in a few other cities before my teenage years. I am a child of God, a daughter, sister, mother, grandma, and friend. On my life journey, I’ve been a student, a wife, a sales associate, teacher, small business owner, workshop designer and facilitator and  diversity training facilitator.

I’m a person who loves life and could be described as “carefree”.  I love when my family, my kids and all my grand-kids are around!  My free time is spent doing the things that I enjoy, like going to the beach, catching a movie, reading a good book (I like a variety of genres),  traveling and learning new things.

I’m also a handy-woman, so I own all kinds of power tools. Making things is one of my therapies and ways to relax. I also make jewelry, sew, crochet a little and a few other more crafty things.

I would say that I had a good life growing up, not realizing, while I was growing up, that we were probably considered poor by society standards. I left my hometown of Chicago, going off to college as the first in my family to attempt and achieve that goal.

In my most recent life, I’m a retiree. I live on an acre of land in an old farm house which had to be renovated before I could move into it, and there are still never ending projects!  Over the past several years, I spent some of my time providing full-time care for my mother, until her passing last year.

Embracing My Journey. . . . .

My journey into life outside the “nest” presented many new experiences, from which I learned lessons for life, some the hard way.  At the same time, I began to see that there is a lesson in every experience, even if it’s not clear at the time you’re going through.

In my adult life, hardships have not been absent.  I’ve overcome personal challenges which could have derailed the direction of my life and left me with the mentality of a victim.  Instead I gleaned valuable lessons and insights which have brought me to this place in time.

Our life journey can lead us in many directions.  We can embrace the journey and move toward fulfillment and a life of bounty. We can thrive! We can live our best and bountiful life if we are not afraid to take steps on the path that may be unfamiliar and sometimes even a bit scary.

One of my scary stories. . . . .         

Many years ago, I purchased a business with everything that I needed to lead workshops related to starting a home-based business.  I was so excited as I met with the original owner!  I made my purchase and headed back home to look over the materials for my new business venture (this was before the days of online transactions).

Back at home, my excitement began to slip away as I thought about and realized what I had done. I was basically a shy person and the idea that now I would have to stand in front of a group of people and actually lead a workshop on home-based business had me petrified!!

You see I had operated several businesses from home, but I only had to sell my service or product to an individual or a small group, not make a presentation or lead a workshop. Needless to say, even though it was quite scary for me, I moved forward, forcing myself to schedule my first workshop at a local university.

I made it through that first workshop, on a prayer, and realized that I really loved it. My reviews were great and I continued my relationship with the university for many years.  Unknown to me, this venture would place me on a path that used not only my spiritual gift but other acquired skills to begin a new journey of living into my purpose.

Intentional Growth Journey. . . . .

Over the years as a workshop facilitator I have designed and/or facilitated many different workshops on a variety of topics. Workshops that have taken the participants on journeys of personal growth, related to mind, body and spirit, sometimes beyond what they ever imagined. In the process, I have continued on my own journey of personal growth that has become more intentional as time passed. 

Traveling my life’s journey, I learned strategies to move forward, taking intentional, and sometimes difficult steps to grow and thrive.  I’ve learned what it is to be content in every situation and how to live a life of bounty.  I began to realize that all of my experiences, training and gifts don’t mean anything if I don’t help someone else on their journey as well.

I discovered that my passion, and one of the things that I love in life, is helping others realize and embrace their own intentional personal growth. That’s one of the reasons this blog now exists. Hence, Compass to Bounty. . . . journeys to Growth! The journeys on this site explore growing in mind, body and spirit. 

I invite you to explore the site, the blog, use the resources and ultimately embark on a journey of your own….an exciting journey that will lead to a life of increased peace, purpose and fulfillment. A life in which you Thrive and Grow!! A life of Bounty!

Your Future Pilot to Transformation,

BA Design ~ MA Ed ~ Certified Life Coach ~ Workshop op>