Welcome! Get MOTIVATED!! My purpose is to Motivate-Inspire-Elevate YOU!!
About Lisa M. Byrd - Motivational Speaker
Childhood
Lisa was born in Cumberland, Maryland. Her mother was her biggest role model. She was a single parent raising three children and Lisa was the middle child. Lisa's family lived in Benjamin Banneker which was income-based housing. Lisa's mother worked and did whatever she had to do to take care of her family. She even graduated from a business school and whenever possible tried to take college classes. When Lisa turned 13, she started having seizures. Initially, it was a difficult adjustment. She was having 4-5 seizures a month if not more as doctors were searching for the right medicine combination. It was difficult, but it didn't stop Lisa.
Her mother stressed the importance of education. Watching her mother inspired Lisa. Three days after graduating from high school, Lisa moved to Winchester, Virginia where their were more employment opportunities.
College and Tragedy
Lisa immediately found work. She worked various jobs. Working in a factory made her decide enough is enough and it is time to attend college. While Lisa attended community college, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After classes, she would go straight to see her mother every day. When her health declined, she managed her bills and took her to her doctor appointments. This was an extremely difficult time for her because she was very close to her mother. In her last days, she stayed in the hospital with her sleeping on the couch. Not long after being hospitalized, her mother died. But before she did, she told Lisa do whatever you have to so you can get that piece of paper!!! Lisa went into a deep depression. In addition, she had financial struggles because she gave up her full-time job to focus on degrees. What her mother told her, God's strength and encouragement from Dr. Brooks gave her the extra drive to graduate from community college and a university. Because Lisa was thinking of her mother, she didn't just graduate but she graduated with Cum Laude at Lord Fairfax Community College and Magna Cum Laude at Shenandoah University!! She did all this while working two campus jobs, playing basketball and walking from home to the campus. Lisa graduated at the age of twenty-nine.
Employment and Motivators
In a about a week after graduating from Shenandoah, Lisa began her first career job! Since then she has gotten married and had two children. She also has worked in various jobs within her career that has allowed her many opportunities to progress, learn new things and meet famous people such as some Tuskegee Airmen, Frederick Douglass IV, Martin L. King, III, Dr. Willie Jolley and more. Lisa did NOT allow her tragedies and setbacks stop her from achieving her goals. She has continued to reach for higher and higher goals. Throughout Lisa's career she has been a volunteer motivational speaker. Right now, Lisa works for Zenetex, LLC as the Technical Point of Contact for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) SharePoint site. She speaks to Lieutenants, Commanders and more from RAN. She has come a long way from living in income-based housing. Her number one motivator is God. Some of her major role models and motivators are her mother, Dr. H.M. Brooks, John and Susan Smoot, Sheila Evans, Dr. Willie Jolley, Ms. Bobbi Peck and Darryl L. Powell. I thank all of these people.
Lisa has overcome many challenges. She would like to share her strategies and testimonies to help others overcome as well.