Stephanie Mcneal

What is the name of your brand/ business?

The Freed 2 Love Podcast

Tell us about yourself and your business.

Stephanie McNeal is a certified relationship educator, licensed in Identity and Destiny, former Women’s Ministry Leader, Podcast Host, Speaker, and Author. And for over 10 years, she’s been known as a Forgiveness Coach and fully embraced her call as a Minister of Reconciliation. But none of those credentials mattered because one day, she was confronted with the truth and realized that although forgiveness was on her lips, it wasn’t in her heart. It was her ministry, but it wasn’t her mastery until she changed her mindset. Today, she is the author of her memoir Freed 2 Love - How Forgiveness Can Heal You From Broken Pieces to Master Peace, speaker and podcast host of The Freed 2 Love Podcast, and teaches her powerful mindset shift - P.R.E.S.S. (an acronym for perseverance, resilience, endurance, submission, and supplication). This powerful mindset shift empowers people to walk out of their forgiveness lifestyle daily. This translates in their lives to peace, freedom, and success. She inspires legacyminded women to increase their emotional and spiritual growth so they will be freed to love - God, themselves, and everyone else.

When did you know that business/entrepreneurship was something you would do?

Growing up in my family business, I always saw myself as an entrepreneur. I started my first business in 1998 and after working for a non-profit company, I launched this business in 2012.

Starting seems to be a very difficult part of entrepreneurship, how were you able to finance your business in the beginning?

As with the majority of businesses, 77% of businesses started selffunded. I was able to start my business with my own as well as funds from my family.

What has been the motivating factor for you?

My primary motivating factor has been fulfilling the call of God in my life. I believe that God called me to be a minister of reconciliation and it has become my life’s work.

What are the challenges you’ve faced as an entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is a challenge by itself. Especially if you are a CEO. You wear many hats and some of the challenges have been, of course, funding the business for growth and expansion. Also, because I am the brand, I struggled for many years with imposter syndrome.

One of the major challenges was although I was called to be a minister of reconciliation, through the circumstances of life, not to mention a history of bitterness from my family, I had become a bitter person. So, when I got the call, I realized that I had to do the finished work of forgiveness before I’d ever see success. Therefore, I invested a lot of time working on myself so that I can show up authentically and transparently healed and whole.

The covid-19 pandemic affected businesses worldwide, what are some of the things you’ve done to keep your business running?

My primary motivating factor has been fulfilling the call of God in my life. I believe that God called me to be a minister of reconciliation and it has become my life’s work.

If I had the faith that I have now, the things that I had planned and wanted to do before, I would have done them and not wasted so much time on things that weren’t fruitful.

Being a part of a community of Christian entrepreneurs and working within a mastermind group was instrumental in keeping me motivated, accountable, and moving forward. I highly recommend it because entrepreneurship can be so lonely and oftentimes your friends and family cannot relate.

What do you love most about being an entrepreneur?

I love the freedom to be able to create something that changes people’s lives.

How highly do you place god in your business? And what values do you uphold?

I look to God as my source of wisdom, vision, and direction for my business. I know I said earlier that I am a CEO, but God is my CEO. I cannot move in confidence without direction from Him. My Top Values ● Peace ● Health ● Trust ● Family ● Pleasure I find that when I operate in alignment with my values, my life is so much more fulfilling and better.

What do you think you should have done differently when you started your business?

I was so insecure when I first started my business because it is of such a personal nature. If I had the faith that I have now, the things that I had planned and wanted to do before, I would have done them and not wasted so much time on things that weren’t fruitful. I would have just listened to The Vision that God

was giving me and executed it. I would have relied on Him for the results and just relied on myself for the execution. Secondly, finding your ideal client is imperative to your success. A lot of people start businesses, and they think that everybody is their market, and that is simply not true. There is a perfect psychographic and demographic of people that is ideal for your business. Stick with that.

What is your worst failure as an entrepreneur, the lowest moment? How did you overcome it?

My greatest achievement as an entrepreneur is the transformational work that I do with women. Being able to come alongside a woman, inspire and lead her to do her spiritual and emotional work.

I would say one of the worst moments was about a monthand-a-half ago. I was about to celebrate 10 years in business. I had just launched my book, but right after I launched my book I took a job. I took that job because I was tired. I was tired of my friends looking at me sideways (I felt) because my business was not the way it should be after working for nearly 10 years. So basically, I was pleasing man as opposed to pleasing God. I left the job after initially taking the job because I was mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally exhausted. I was tired of standing in faith for the success that I thought I should have by now. So, there I had just left the job and realized I had lost the momentum that I have been building up to that point. So, although it wasn’t starting all over, it felt like starting all over. It felt like a failure.

What has been your greatest achievement as an entrepreneur?

My greatest achievement as an entrepreneur is the transformational work that I do with women. Being able to come alongside a woman, inspire and lead her to do her spiritual and emotional work. To see her do her work and it results in her light coming on which used to be dark and her life-changing for the better is the greatest honor, achievement, and most gratifying work that I can ever do.

What advice do you give to a college student who doubts his/ her chances of success if he/she starts a business?

I think that college kids right now have the greatest opportunity for business success. It seems like entrepreneurship is trending right now. They have the vitality, technology, and resourcefulness of youth in their favor. No longer are people expecting to get a job and work that job for 40 years and then retire. My advice would be to go for it! Do it while you are single and have no responsibilities of raising a family or a spouse.

Contact information

Facebook Link - https://www. facebook.com/stephanieymcneal/ Twitter Link LinkedIn Link - linkedin.com/in/ stephanieymcneal/ YouTube Link Instagram Link - instagram.com/ stephanieymcneal Website Link - https://www. freed2love.com/ Email Address - stephanie@freed2love.com Business Phone Number - 727.619.4769

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