Motivational Speaker Michelle Booker

Michelle Booker is a San Francisco, California native. She was a competitive gymnast until the age of 11. She was raised in the 80’s when the movie Poltergeist came out so she’s extremely afraid of clowns. When she received her acceptance letter to attend Lowell High School (a prestigious college preparatory school in the San Francisco Bay Area), she was upset because she wanted to go to the Catholic school up the street where they wore the little cute skirts. She’s now very glad that her mother forced her to go to Lowell and proud that she graduated from such a highly esteemed school. She attained a B.A. in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Clark Atlanta University. She’s an active member of Off The Field Players’ Wives Association (the official organization of NFL Wives.) She’s a huge thrill seeker and would love to cross skydiving off of my bucket list. She’s a certified HOT HULA fitness instructor. She loves butterflies, but if one were to ever land on her, she would probably break her neck trying to get away from it. When she’s stressed out or feeling kind of down, she likes to throw on some music, dance around and sing at the top of her lungs, which would be pretty embarrassing if anyone would ever walk in on her because she said she can’t sing worth a lick. She can dance though! She loves to watch the sunrise because to me, it represents hope and a fresh start with endless possibilities.

OTR/Hannah: Hello, Michelle. How are you?

Hi Hannah! I’m doing great, thanks.

OTR/Hannah: That’s awesome. So, for those who aren’t familiar with you, please enlighten them about who Michelle Booker is

Well, in a nutshell, I would describe myself as being a passionate and ambitious free spirit who loves helping others feel good about themselves.

OTR/Hannah: You’ve been married to a pro football player. What is the biggest stigma that you’d like to dispel about football and basketball wives?

I was married to a professional athlete for 12 years, so needless to say, I’ve been around a fair share of athletes wives. The main thing I would like for people to know is that not all athletes wives are about the drama that is portrayed on T.V. A lot of what goes on in those shows are simply for the ratings. It’s not all about the gossiping, glitz and glamor. There are lots of wives out there doing some really wonderful and positive things. Volunteering time helping out various charities is a way many of the wives chose to give back to their communities. Several work very closely with foundations that support causes near and dear to their hearts. Others have even started their own non-profit organizations. Those are the type of things that should be highlighted, not the stereotypical negativity.

OTR/Hannah: Why did you decide to want to become a motivational speaker?

I believe that we’re all here to fulfill a very unique and specific purpose in life. I further believe that my purpose is to serve as help to others along their life’s journey by spreading a positive message. I’ve learned some very valuable life lessons throughout my own personal journey. If by sharing my experiences with those going through similar situations can help inspire them in any way, then the things I went through would not have been in vain. Simply put… my life is my message and I’m here to share it. Plus, I love to talk!…lol.

OTR/Hannah:You speak about sense of self. How did you find your sense of self and how do you plan to accomplish this message to women who are in search of their sense of self.

I went through a phase in my life where I felt very lost and disconnected from myself, so I decided do some serious soul searching. In an effort to try an establish some type of reconnection to myself, I started talking to my close friends and family members who knew me best. As we reminisced, I was reminded of the things I was passionate about as a child. I slowly began to realize that those same childhood passions still existed, but had been surpressed. Feeling the urge to further get in tune with my “inner self”, I took on a holistic approach to self discovery. I started to become more aware of the things I was putting into my body and established healthy eating habits, I tried many different types of fitness classes and explored various alternative healing methods. I called this my “exploration phase.” I’ve taken the kowledge that I gained during this time and I’ve implemented those methods into Sense Of Self Wellness. It’s through my workshops and retreats that I’m able to provide women with the tools and techniques needed to discover their own sense of self.

OTR/Hannah: You’re also a mom. How do you juggle with motherhood and being a career woman?

Hannah, I have to admit, I was totally out of whack for a long time. I, like most women, am a big time nurturer. I gave, gave, gave to everyone else, but always put myself on the back burner. That way of doing things was slowly but surely leading me down a road towards total burnout. I had to learn how to restore some type of balance back into my life in order to maintain my sanity. It was hard at the beginning. Putting my needs before others was a foreign concept to me. I dealt with overwhelming feelings of guilt until I realized that if I didn’t take care of my mental, physical and emotional needs FIRST, I would be of no benefit to anyone else. I finally got use to the idea and now make sure I always set some time aside just for me. I also figured out a way to include my kids with things I’m working on by giving them small task to complete.This helps them feel like they’re contributing and also allows us to spend some time together. My little girl loves picking out what I’m going to wear when I’m aked to speak. Lucky for me, she has pretty good taste. I’ve even let her participate on stage during one of my speaking engagements. She did great and the audiance loved her! She’s a natural talent with not a shy bone in her body.

OTR/Hannah: Do you intend to write and publish a book about Sense of Self Wellness?

Yes, I do. It’s going to be a “How To” guide on discovering your life purpose in reference to my personal journey. It will also include self care tips.

OTR/Hannah: What are the many things people do not know about you?

Let’s see… I’m a San Francisco, California native. I graduated form Clark Atlanta University with a B.A. in Fashion Design and Merchandising. I’m an active member of Off The Field Players’ Wives Association (the official organization of NFL Wives.) I’m a certified HOT HULA fitness instructor. I was a competitive gymnast until the age of 11. I’m a huge thrill seeker and would love to cross skydiving off of my bucket list. I love butterflies, but if one were to ever land on me I would probably break my neck trying to get away from it. When I’m stressed out or feeling kind of down, I like to throw on some music, dance around and sing at the top of my lungs, which would be pretty embarrassing if anyone would ever walk in on me because I can’t sing worth a lick. I can dance though! I love to watch the sunrise because to me, it represents hope and a fresh start with endless possibilities. I was raised in the 80’s when the movie Poltergeist came out so I’m extremely afraid of clowns.

OTR/Hannah: What more can we expect from you in the present and future?

You’ll be seeing my face around a lot more as I travel around the country spreading the important message of self awareness. You can also expect more Sense Of Self Wellness retreats and workshops coming up in the very near future.

OTR/Hannah: What is your advice to budding professionals?

I would encourage them to identify their unique gifts and talents. In doing so, they’ll be able find and pursue a career that they’re truly passionate about.

You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her site here: http://yoursenseofself.com/