Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonvoana Evans.
Hi Jonvoana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, my name is Jonvoana Evans and I am ambitious, bold, creative, unique, and FLY! I love starting an introduction like that because it’s a quick depiction of who I am, and not what I do – which is what most people expect. I’m a firm believer that what we do, is not who we are, but who we are makes us great at what we do! So here’s my story.
I had the role of a life coach long before assuming the title. In 2010 I went through what felt like, at the time, one of the most challenging times in my life. I was going through an ugly separation of a 10-year relationship and 7-year marriage. I felt suffocated as it wasn’t producing the results I desired. We created 3 beautiful daughters that were now the focus of all the decisions I would make from that point going forward. I walked away from everything because I knew we deserved a better situation—a better life. Not that he was or is a horrible person, but no matter how much oil and water may be good or valuable on their own, they just don’t mix. Once walking away from that point in my life, I realized that I didn’t know who I was. I had been everything to everyone else; a mother, a wife, an employee, a loyal church member, a daughter, etc. I knew my name but didn’t understand or know who I was at my core. I was consumed by all the roles and titles but never took time to get to know me; everyone else was first. This was a problem! I concluded that this was my reference point for why I felt it was acceptable to get into an incompatible relationship. Knowing this, I had to make a change!
My daughters and I stayed with my sister in her 2-bedroom condo, sleeping on the floors and couches. The housing market crisis left me jobless. One night I cried myself to sleep in the closet (it was a walk-in one), and I saw a tiny bright light, and I heard the words softly whispered, “You Are Not Alone.” At that moment, I felt great peace and encouragement! As I reflected on what happened the previous night, I knew there had to be other women experiencing something similar. I felt like I was now being commissioned to remind them that they were not alone. So, I decided to start a women’s organization called YANA. My best friend and I partnered our organizations together, as they shared a similar mission. And that’s when YANA FLY (You Are Not Alone First Loving Yourself) was born. A few months passed, and she decided to assist younger girls instead. So, I continued to carry the mantel and developed the brand with a curriculum, tips, tools, and strategies for years to come.
In our group meetings, I’ve coached and mentored over 35 women in all areas and facets of life through YANA FLY. I did this while improving my own quality of life by getting a place, vehicle, and income! After about 4 years, I dissolved the formalities and committed to taking some focused time to become FLY (First Loving Yourself), as it became overwhelming. I am grateful to God that I recovered from everything and more during this period! I had a degree in IT but decided it was time to excel in the industry. I obtained coveted industry certifications and then a 6-figure paying job as a Cyber Security Systems Engineer. I accepted a new love into my life. I have been gratefully married for the past 4 years to Dr. Robert Evans, III, with our beautifully blended family of 6 children. Our home is a beautiful 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom blessing. More importantly, came to know who I am. Even with having a remarkable career that allowed me to travel and experience things I only dreamed of, there was still a void. I wasn’t impacting the world as I desired.
I put a plan in place to transition back to my first love, helping women navigate this exciting thing called life by getting unstuck and FLY. A significant downsizing moved my plans along quicker than I expected. IT WAS A SIGN! I initially started with IT Career Mentoring & Life Coaching, marrying the two together as they work hand in hand. I helped several people get the 6-figure salaries they desired. And then there was the pandemic, which was a blessing in disguise for me. Now I focus more on my “Butterfly Queens,” aka clients. I partner with them to create strategic roadmaps to efficiently reach their goals while leveraging their strengths and strengthening weaknesses.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I was born in South Carolina but came to Maryland when I was 10. I was raised in Baltimore City, attending Sarah M Roach Elementary, Calverton Middle, and Frederick Douglass High School. This area of Balimore and these schools were and still are notorious for their violent reputations. I Matriculated to College of Notre Dame of MD, Graduated from Strayer University, and even took some courses at BCCC at one time. My point? When you’ve been raised in an environment full of hardship and hurdles along the way, it’s up to you to decide how you will deal with them. There were many obstacles and challenges throughout my life. I was raised in a single-parent household with 3 siblings. My mom did her absolute best to make sure we had the necessities.
Attending a High School that had slated most of their students to not graduate, go to jail, get pregnant, or be killed presented challenges of its own, especially if you didn’t desire any of those options.
While going through the divorce, I lost my home to foreclosure and my credit was shot!
While in the predominantly white-male industry of IT, I dealt with inequality and constant questioning of belonging. Not because of a lack of knowledge, but because of the presence of color and gender.
When deciding to transition from such a lucrative career into life coaching, I was told I was crazy. But I knew that if I didn’t follow my heart, that would be even crazier! Do you chase the income or the impact? I chose the impact because I’m confident it will eventually produce the income.
The beautiful thing about my obstacles at this stage is that I have my king, my husband, my very best friend to be there to help me tackle them. My entire story is filled with challenges and obstacles, but they were necessary parts of my life. I created an affirmation that says, “It was not meant to deter me, define me, or destroy me. It was meant to develop me and for that I am grateful!”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Life Coach Von, LLC?
First, I would like to provide insight on life coaching, as I’m often asked about its benefits. When people are feeling depressed about work, stressed about life, or experiencing anxiety due to uncertainties or thoughts of the future, generally they will seek out a therapist or a counselor. Though I am not a therapist and I do not diagnose, what I have realized is that much of why they are feeling that way is because they are finding it extremely difficult to reach their goals. Some people don’t even know what their next steps are. Most describe that feeling as “stuck.” That’s where I come in! A life coach partners with you to see things from a different perspective and to help you strategically align your goals with action. A life coach is an accountability partner, a sounding board, and often a necessary addition to your health and wellness team because you can have a therapist and a life coach. As a life coach, I partner with ambitious women to clarify that “THING” that’s missing in their lives, getting them “unstuck” and ultimately helping them to become who they truly want to be!
I have been passionately mentoring and life coaching for over 15 years. For 20 years, my career was focused on excelling and obtaining certs in the IT Industry. Helping others successfully navigate their lives became my priority and purpose and would not be forgotten in the shadows. My proclivity to inspire transformation always tended to propel to the forefront! With my coaching, I have had countless success stories of clients learning to embrace their journey, transform their mindsets, and excel in their career and personal goals. As a Certified Life Coach, I am dedicated to empowering women, normally referring to them as “queens’, by providing the best products, services, accountability, and resources available.
While taking pleasure in being a wife, a mother, a momager, multi-business owner, amongst a host of other things, I understand the importance of being F.L.Y (First Loving Yourself). Nonetheless, I am committed to instilling this one important principle into all my clients, “I can give my best when I have it to give.” I have the natural ability to inspire my “Butterfly Queens” aka clients and those I meet to achieve their personal life and career goals, even if they haven’t identified them yet. I have unique proven approaches that cause them to be confident, consistent, and eager to accept the next challenge and stages of life that are sure to come. Treating each, as if they were my only client, I become their accountability partner. By being their “AP,” my clients understand that stopping at one stage of life isn’t an option because there’s a predestined purpose for their lives that they must experience; and it all starts with being F.L.Y (First Loving Yourself).
F.L.Y is a concept that I use to help put things into the perspective that it’s hard to feel a true sense of fulfillment in life if you don’t take care of yourself. Being FLY is not about forsaking all others, it’s about prioritizing your wants, needs, and desires. Understanding this allows my Butterfly Queens to enjoy and embrace the transformation process!
In addition to my 1:1 coaching, I have written transformative mindset eBooks (How to Pimp your 9 to 5 and Make Time FLY), journals (45-day FLY Journal), and beautifully designed and vibrationally aligned affirmation cards (FLY Mindset Deck & Financial Abundance Deck), a mobile affirmation app (FLY), just to name a few. I continue to host various group sessions, webinars, conferences, and retreats teaching the importance of a positive mindset and how with the power of thought and affirmations, your life can be changed. Also, I take pride in having appeared as a guest speaker on various podcasts, webinars, radio shows, virtual and in-person conferences.
What set’s me apart is my newfound love and desire to implement Neuroscience in my coaching. While learning and understanding how the brain works, it allows me to assist my “clients,” with breaking through barriers that have been plaguing them for years. It’s important for them to understand that they must give themselves grace. The feeling “stuck” is just the result of a learned and practicedbehavior, and now that you want to do something different, you feel paralyzed. The brain is just doing its job! I have been reflecting my learning on my YouTube channel, “My Mentoring Minutes, with Life Coach Von, discussing things like Fighting Fear! I will be certified in Neuroscience coaching and leadership before the end of 2022.
The thing I’m most proud of brand-wise are: My authenticity, my creativity, and my belief that there is no box! I show women their power by just being themselves!
Another thing is the 5 Pillars of FLY. I developed these while reflecting on the root of why I accepted things that were not in alignment with my goals and values. I’ve used this blueprint to change so many lives!
1. Self-Awareness (The identity stage): Getting to know you by way of self-reflection
2. Self-Forgiveness (The emptying stage): Forgiving and letting go of past mistakes
3. Self-Correcting (The cleansing stage): Creating healthy boundaries and limiting access
4. Self-Love (The filling stage): This focuses on the self-development portion and aspects of self-care
5. Self-Commitment (The maintenance stage): Embracing the importance of honoring your commitment to yourself.
Then you keep doing this cycle over and over! First LovING Yourself. ING makes it continual!
Finally, for the impact that I’ve caused! Check out my Google Reviews!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
First is “Let them tell you no.” This is a creed and statement that I created and live by. We have the tendency to count ourselves out, even before pursuing things. The old-world adage, “Closed mouths don’t get fed,” is so cliché but is true. There are people that have the solution to your problem, but in fear of rejection, you don’t ask. This applies to both finding a mentor and networking. In my eBook “How to Pimp Your 9 to 5 and Make Time FLY,” I discuss a theory I developed called “The Stack Theory” or KNC Theory for short. Stack your knowledge, your network, and your coins. The second principal, Stack Your Network, I share the story of how I was able to get my first 6-Figure paying salary. It was because I was adamant about sharing the things that I’ve learned with others, that when opportunities became available, other people were always throwing my name in the hat!
I understood the importance of knowing the right people and mentor, that I wrote a free checklist called, “What to look for in an Accountability Partner (AP). Research proves that having an accountability partner increases your chances by 95% of achieving your goal. Different people have different needs, so it’s challenging to state exactly what people should look for. Instead, I ask questions, and based on the individual’s desire, they will know if this person is a good fit for them.
In short, here’s the list. The checklist has more context.
1) Can you trust them?
2) Are they knowledgeable?
3) Do they have the time?
4) Do you respect them?
5) Are they passive?
6) Do they see great potential in you?
7) Do they currently struggle in the same area?
And here are a few other tips I offer, once you find one.
– It’s best to have several for various areas, so no one experiences burnout.
– When meeting with them, be concise and prepare ahead of time.
– Send an email/notification prior to the meeting so they will be aware of what you want to discuss.
– Set up a regularly scheduled cadence. (Ex. Every 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm for 5 months) Avoid “playing it by ear.” If you don’t need it as time draw near you can always cancel.
– Unless agreed, avoid meeting for more than 60 minutes.
– Don’t forget to show gratitude, (either by a token, a thank you, by showing results, and not wasting their time goes a long way.)
– Understand what they expect in return.
– Know your personality type.
One last thing I’d like to really press upon, is even with having a mentor, if you are truly in tuned with yourself, always double-check you gut!
Another creed that I live by and teach my children too, is that if you can’t find what you are looking for, create it. I’m sure someone else is looking for it too! Sometimes we wait to “fit in” or be accepted. When it comes to networking, you may have to be the pioneer to attract other like-minded individuals. I had a desire to connect with other women in my community. I didn’t find anything I desired to be a part of. I decided to become intentional with my networking efforts. Shortly thereafter, I was asked to help launch and be the Co-Lead of The Prince George’s County, MD Women’s Business League, which is a national organization! Now my amazing Co-Lead and I are creating a safe space for ambitious women to collaborate and leverage each other’s strengths and resources!
Pricing:
- Life Coaching Consultation $30.00
Contact Info:
- Email: info@lifecoachvon.me
- Website: www.lifecoachvon.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachvon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifecoachvon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeCoachVon
- Other: https://g.page/r/Cb2OOzqj-y9PEAg/review
Image Credits
Jermaine Gibbs
