Today we’d like to introduce you to Imani Wilson-Peterkin.
Imani, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey has not always been easy, but through it all, I have overcome so many obstacles. I was once a young, broken, and lost young girl who was going down a road of destruction.
I remember being put on suspension from college due to having a poor GPA, being a young mom with poor credit with nothing to my name living out of my car, and the constant battle with depression and anxiety. It was nothing but God’s grace and a grandmother’s prayer that I was able to change my life around.
When I had my daughter, something truly sparked in me. I knew the path of destruction that I was going down had to stop with me because I knew she deserved better. I went back to college and obtained my Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, restored my credit, and I finally found peace. It wasn’t easy but I knew it had to be done.
With all of my life experiences at such a young age and now being a mom to a little girl, I wanted to create a space for young girls who may be experiencing similar adversities to find a safe place where we can pour back into them and heal. This is where the creation of Brown Girls of Tomorrow came from.
I feel that sharing my story could change the trajectory of a youth’s life by showing them that they can overcome any obstacle. With the support of my husband, family, friends, and mentors I remain motivated to keep pushing forward.
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?
Honestly, it has not always been a smooth ride. I am an introvert by nature and there have been times when I truly had to come out of my comfort zone. For example, speaking in front of a crowd. In the beginning, this was a major struggle for me, but I realized my why was bigger than my fears.
I now find myself volunteering to speak and continuing to truly step out of my comfort zone. Outside of me being terrified of public speaking I had to find my own voice in the process. In the beginning, it was hard for me to find my own voice because I can honestly say I am my worst critic and I realized some of it stemmed from childhood.
I didn’t feel I added value that is until I open my mouth and spoke. When I started to speak from within and deliver what was on my heart to say I realize that I had more value than I thought. I’m thankful for every road bump because it has only made me stronger and wiser.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do? What sets you apart from others and what are you most proud of?
Outside of being a mom and business owner, I am also a community activist that fights for change in the community.
This has always been something that I have been passionate about since college and I am now in a position to make great change. In addition, I am a program assistant which I love because it aligns with what I am already doing.
What sets me apart is my determination to never give up no matter the obstacle and to always stay true to myself always. I have faced many challenges even here recently and instead of giving up I re-evaluate the situation, dust myself off, and keep going.
Staying true to myself has always been key to me because like my Nana always “there will never be another you”. It’s easy to lose who you are when you begin to get into the spotlight but it’s always important to hold on to your values and who you are.
I’m most proud of being my young self’s wildest dreams and giving God my yes. If you would have told me even 4 years ago that I would have two businesses, starting grad school, etc. I wouldn’t have believed you. I am thankful I gave God my YES and never looked back.
He took my yes and has truly shown me that everything I’ve ever encountered was for a reason and my story is where it begins.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
As someone who was born and raised in Columbia, I could be a little biased, lol. Columbia has truly evolved since I was a young girl and to see how much we have evolved this far is inspiring. One thing that I love about Columbia is that there is always something fun going on and something to do.
In addition, I love that there are so many different entrepreneurial events going on almost weekly to help entrepreneurs grow and flourish. From these types of events, I have not only met amazing like-minded business owners, but I have made lifelong family in the process.
I’m a foodie so I have to say we have some really good food spots to eat at and there are so many different places to choose from. I can’t say that there are many dislikes about Columbia because Columbia has molded me into the person I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.browngirlsoftomorrow.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterkinconsultservices/ and https://www.instagram.com/browngirls_of_tomorrow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/browngirlsoftomorrow/ and https://www.facebook.com/PeterkinConsultingServices/
Image Credits
Snow Whittaker
