Never in Your Time... Always in Perfect Time!
Kristle Shanell’ s THRIVE is in full bloom! Of course she is a single mom because we are featuring her, but she is also a singer, songwriter, radio and TV host for“ The Kristle Shanell Show”, event host, mentor, speaker, HIV & AID’ s advocate, STD’ s advocate, addiction advocate, mental illness advocate, and event planner and coordinator. She is using everything she has been through to THRIVE in her life. After talking with Kristle it was clear that she was purposed to be who she is today and she is not just THRIVING in her life but she is also“ pollinating” other people so they can THRIVE. Check out a piece of the conversation between Ms. Pink and the THRIVING Kristle Shanell.
Ms. Pink: How many babies do you have and what’ s the co-parenting relationship like? Kristle: I have one child, Elijah who is 8 and one in heaven that I miscarried at 4 months. My son’ s father isn’ t in his life, but I’ ve made peace with that because God has blessed me with a man that has stepped in and be a father figure to my son. At the end of the day it is my son’ s father’ s lost and someone else’ s gain.
Ms. Pink: How do you co-exist everything you have going on? Kristle: It’ s hard. My son suffers from chronic asthma, bronchitis, and allergies so I’ m constantly at the doctors and taking care of him. Some days I just zone out to have a peace of mind and try and make it work. But life will always happen. My mom is battling breast cancer; I suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic arthritis so I’ m always juggling all of the family medical issues with work and my endeavors. There are days when I just don’ t want to do anything, I don’ t even want to have a conversation with my son and that’ s okay. I literally talk to myself most days and keep myself focused and motivated to push through every single day and never give up.
Ms. Pink: This is the truest example of THRIVING on
YOUR terms. You aren’ t doing it on someone else’ s terms or trying to achieve what they want, but you are focused to move forward and flourish in your purpose. You didn’ t just stop at the purpose you moved forward in everything. Kristle: When I started with Sun Trust I was a teller and then I worked my way up to a teller lead. And then they restructured and I became a teller again. And now 11
years later I am the second in command in the branch. There was a point during the journey when I didn’ t want to go forward, move up because I just wanted to focus on my son and his sickness. But then I saw this opportunity and I doubted it because it was going to take me farther away from my son, but I had to plead the blood of Jesus over Him and do what was best for us. Ms. Pink: You are truly using your pain to fuel your purpose. You are not just using what you’ ve been through but you’ re also using the things you have experienced as a friend of someone who is going through to change the world and THRIVE. It’ s a true testament of you blooming in your THRIVE. You are in full bloom like the flowers in Spring you are opening yourself up to allow people to come and take something from you so they can THRIVE! Do you ever have those ah-ha moments of I’ m really doing this? Kristle: Absolutely! On my radio show I am always trying to motivate, empower and inspire. I tell people all the time that it doesn’ t matter if the person is homeless or a prostitute, I was both. So at times I get the WOW I’ m doing it feeling. always make sure that I share that yes, I am a Domestic Violence survivor / overcomer I was an abuser first. I hit him first and more than once, and I had to pay for that. So I have to be honest and share that because we need the truth to motivate, empower and inspire others.
Ms. Pink: There’ s so much power in hearing you share your story and taking ownership of it. The accountability and responsibility you take is where your true power lies. You shared that one of the things that you have overcome and talk about is prostitution, because that was part of your life. Kristle: It’ s my story. How can I help the next person if I keep quiet and silent about it? I was an in-house prostitute it came to me. But at the end of the day I had to do a 360 life changing experience for my son. God gave me many dreams and visions about how my life would end. If I don’ t change
THRIVE MAGAZINE 9