My name is Mayra Austin, CEO and Founder of MLC From The Heart, and this is #mygivingstory. A few years back, I found myself in a predicament. I had made (what I thought) was an intelligent career move to join a franchisor with a very promising business model.
It turned out this would be one of my most significant life lessons on how not to treat people, how positional leadership can impact a strong business model, and how to follow your sense of purpose, because it is a gift.
The workforce culture I found myself in was completely toxic. There was NO professional or personal growth taking place there.
It was what John Maxwell refers to as a dividing culture:
'Dividers seek to make themselves look or feel better by making others feel worse. They damage relationships, fracture teams and organizations, and create havoc in people's lives.'
I found myself greatly disappointed, anxious and honestly feeling oppressed by a top down system that was role driven versus value driven.
I kept thinking over and over again about what to do, had sleepless nights and was completely miserable.
Suddenly after much prayer and thinking, I came to the realization that I had the power to change my path and create something meaningful with this experience. I could create something for others not to feel the way I did in that moment. I knew in that moment, that my lifelong experiences and struggles were meant for something.
I called upon 2 long time friends. I was nervous, but excited. This made the vision real.
I did it! I said the words out loud to them:
'I want to start a nonprofit organization that helps people succeed in the workforce and gets them to where they want to go, do you want to be a part of it?'
Their answer was a resounding yes and that was the beginning of this amazing journey.
We formed MLC From The Heart, a nonprofit organization that helps people in the community become professionally and personally developed to reach their goals and reach sustainability in the workforce.
The rest of my journey, however, was nowhere near complete. This was just the beginning.
To this day I cannot believe the obstacles I have personally and professionally overcome as the MLC From The Heart story unfolded.
While MLC From The Heart was growing, I decided that the toxic environment I was in would not serve my God given purpose to drive change. I made a decision, after much turmoil, to resign my position with my employer and move on to uncharted waters. I did this because I refused to compromise who I was and who I was called to be.
Before and after making this difficult decision, came much heart ache, anxiety and character building.
During this process both my grandmothers passed months apart from each other, I was diagnosed with a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, was unemployed, and was in a car accident.
As we all know: When it rains, it pours!
The next few months were difficult, EXTreMELY difficult, but MLC From The Heart kept growing and impacting the community positively.
I share this very personal experience, because I know there are others out there who are experiencing hardship.
Review from #MyGivingStory