Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Howell.
Hi Sandra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a helper, my goal in life is to help as many people as possible! Even if it is only one life in which I’ve made a difference it would all be worth it! I’ve had to slay many Goliaths to get where I am today. I am a great slayer of Goliaths! We all are! If we wake up the next day we did something huge! Keep waking up!
The roller coaster of life is something that will always be, so I decided to hop on board and go with it! After a near-death experience, while having my twins 3 months early and given the chance to stay on this Earth with them, and the rest of my family, I decided it was time to step up and make the difference that God wanted me to. Trust me, it’s been hard work with many prickly thorns along the way, but the roses, in the end, are so worth it!
I have always been one that struggles with me, me being good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, you know all those things that fit that perfect perfection that we as women feel we should be. If I could take the pain away from someone else so they didn’t have to feel the way I had felt at times I would do it in a heartbeat! But there does come a point when one has to just be good with who they are. In order to help others, you have to have some hope within yourself.
I started thinking of ways that I could help other women to know that they were important and good enough. I wanted to inspire them to know how good and important they all were! I wanted to inspire my 4 daughters to know they could take on the world and slay their own Goliaths! I couldn’t stop thinking about it! Suddenly there I was with Stepping Stones Inspires, LLC. Now the hard part, learning how to put on events pretty much alone.
I had an amazing mentor that helped me along the way, as well as family and friends to volunteer. I got all my sponsors myself to pay for my events and speakers, nothing ever leftover, but totally worth it! I had amazing people that listened to my messages and texts of the goal I wanted to accomplish, and, guess what? They agreed to help me! I was shocked! My hundreds of hours preparing worked!
My guests included many locals as well as Jenny Oaks Baker, Madilyn Paige, and other more famous people than I thought would ever listen to or help little old me!
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?
Nothing has been smooth about my roller coaster ride for sure!
Those Goliaths were huge and terrifying! My depression, anxiety, and PTSD came out of the woodworks several times and I wondered how I would ever make it! But you know what, I did it, not only once but twice! My Inspire conferences turned out amazing, and at the end of it all I survived, and I helped people! My life goal! I hoped and prayed women would be inspired.
After the conferences they came and thanked me, my mom cried, and then I knew something good had come from it even though I felt inadequate many times. I wanted to give up many times. People kept helping and donating from my amazing community so because of that I did not give up!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think being an ordinary person that just had goals has been a huge part of my success. I have taught several classes as well after my conferences and hope to do more in the future. It’s hard work but so worth it! I definitely have an entrepreneurial spirit. I also have had to come up with other things to keep my business going.
My husband suffered a spinal stroke in January of 2020 and suddenly he was permanently disabled. I had to become very creative, very quickly to become the main income in my household. So with the ideas and help from my sister and mother a homemade caramel business it was! 2 years later with the help and support of many, we have gotten by.
We have 18 flavors and several other yummy treats. We thought it would end but people keep ordering! I have learned we can do hard things! I even started school again. I never thought I could do any of this! Miracles can happen and we are all good enough!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
To me finding the silver lining is very critical and essential! Keep slaying those Goliaths! Always get up! And keep your hands and arms in that coaster at all times, until you make it! And when you do, have the courage to raise those arms as high as possible and scream louder than you ever have before!!
And please, please, be a cheerleader for all the women around you! Be happy with their successes! Tell them you love and admire them! Let them know they made a difference! There is room for everyone in the world! It is big enough and always has room for more dreams, successes, goals, and ideas! Help each other! And be forgiving no matter what!
Finally, those Goliaths will always be there! Don’t build walls with your rocks! Let them go, use them to sling and slay away those many Goliaths that get in your way!! The world needs us!!
Contact Info:
- Email: 74sadie@gmail.com
Image Credits
Ali Dudley Photography, Kim Christensen Photography, and Kori McKee Photography
