We’re looking forward to introducing you to Mrs. Phyllis Jenkins. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Mrs. Phyllis, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity matters most to me. It’s the foundation of everything else in my life, and work is built. When I think about the word integrity, I also see the word grit tucked inside. It takes grit to stand firm in what you believe, to follow through when it’s difficult, and to stay true to your calling when no one is watching.
Integrity has shaped my “why,” guided my decisions, and protected the trust people place in my name and my brand. Intelligence and energy are valuable, but without integrity, they don’t have anything solid to stand on.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Phyllis Jenkins, founder of Powerful Journey, where I help women turn their life challenges into life-changing messages. I believe every woman carries a story that can guide, heal, and inspire someone else, and my mission is to help her bring that story to life—whether through writing a book, sharing her message on stage, or building a purpose-driven brand.
What makes Powerful Journey unique is the heart behind it. I don’t just coach writers and authors; I walk with them. I’ve seen survivors, caregivers, widows, dreamers, and everyday women discover their voices and step into a confidence they didn’t know they had. Watching someone realize, “My story matters,” never gets old.
Today, I lead programs like the Writers’ Journey Community, Author’s Academy, Speakers Academy, and our annual Powerful Journey Women’s Conference. Each one creates a safe and encouraging space for women to grow, write, speak, and flourish.
Currently, I’m working on expanding our programs, gathering authors for new anthologies, relaunching my book, ‘From Vision-2-Victory with a companion workbook, and preparing for our annual Powerful Journey Women’s conference on April 25, 2026, at the Collin College Conference Center in McKinney, TX. My passion is simple: helping women rise, write, and reach the people who are waiting on the other side of their story.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I learned my work ethic from three of my greatest teachers: my parents, Rev. Rudolph and Margaret Byrd, and my Aunt Mildred Ida Byrd Pugh. They showed me that real work isn’t just about tasks, it’s about character. They taught me to work hard with honor, to protect my integrity, and to never take the lazy route.
From them, I learned to give my best, to show up early, and to follow through. They also reminded me that retirement doesn’t mean you stop adding value. You keep going. You give back. You serve your community. You stay generous and gracious. And you help others rise whenever you can.
Above all, they taught me to “work as unto the Lord,” and that mindset shaped everything I do. Their example continues to guide me, and I’m grateful for the legacy they placed in my hands.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized it held a purpose far greater than what I had survived. I’ve faced several illnesses throughout my life, including a brain aneurysm. ( You can read more about the lessons learned in my book,
‘Brain Aneurysm: What Did You Come to Teach Me?’)
Through every battle, my lifeline was prayer, family, and writing. I’ve journaled since childhood, and it has always been both healing and revealing. It shows me the lessons I’m learning, the courage I’m gaining, and the strength that’s quietly growing underneath the struggle.
As I began sharing those lessons with others who were hurting in similar ways, something shifted. I watched people feel seen, encouraged, and empowered by the words that were born out of my own valleys. That’s when I understood: my pain wasn’t meant to be hidden. It was meant to be used.
That realization fuels the work I do today. In the Writers’ Journey Community, we create a safe place for women to put their stories on the page. We write, we cry, we laugh, and we honor the power of telling the truth. Many of those stories become manuscripts, and through the Author’s Academy, we guide them all the way to publication, turning their pain into purpose and their lessons into a legacy.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the publishing and storytelling world is the belief that people, especially women, can heal, write, and publish powerful stories with templates, pre-recorded videos, and blueprints alone. My industry often acts like it’s still living in yesteryear, where “just follow the steps” is supposed to be enough. But when a woman is writing from pain and sharing her truth publicly for the first time, a checklist won’t carry her. She needs something deeper.
That’s why I use the acronym L.I.E.S. to describe the misconceptions that hold writers back:
L – Lone-wolf Myth:
The lie that women can write their most vulnerable stories alone. They can’t. They need community.
I – Instructions are Enough:
Guides and templates have their place, but they aren’t enough when someone is sorting through trauma, courage, and truth.
E – Everyone Will Understand:
The industry assumes people can “just write,” but a woman telling the story she has never spoken out loud needs to feel seen, heard, and safe.
S – Success is Solo:
The idea that you reach the finish line by yourself. In reality, writers thrive when they’re encouraged, celebrated, and supported every step of the way.
The women who come to me are writing from pain, purpose, and lived experience. They need gentle accountability, weekly (and sometimes daily) writing prompts, and a safe community where they aren’t judged. They need someone to remind them that their story matters, because for someone else, that story will become a lifeline.
That’s why the Writers’ Journey Community exists. It’s a sacred space to write, cry, laugh, and grow. It’s why men and women are in separate groups. Women deserve a protected place where their healing and writing can unfold freely.
And it’s why our Powerful Journey Women’s Conference is so special. It’s their day. They are the featured speakers, stepping onto the stage with confidence to tell their stories and launching their books into the world. We celebrate them because their courage deserves to be witnessed.
In our world, success isn’t about templates. It’s about transformation. And that happens in community.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I can say without hesitation that I’m doing exactly what God created me to do. Encouragement has always come naturally to me. As a little girl, I filled my diaries with thoughts, stories, and prayers long before I realized those pages were shaping my life’s calling. Writing has always helped me make sense of my own journey, and now it allows me to help women transform theirs.
Guiding women as they tell their stories, heal through their words, and publish their books feels like home to me. It’s the work that fits me; spiritually, emotionally, and purposefully.
Being a philanthropist is just as natural. I grew up watching my parents give generously, so giving back is part of my DNA. Through my business, we award two annual scholarships: one to a single mom raising a special needs child and another to a graduating high-school senior. It’s my way of sowing into the next generation of dreamers and leaders.
And I still encourage people to dream big, because I’ve lived long enough to know that dreams don’t have expiration dates. One of my childhood dreams was to be a New York model. This year, at age 68, God made that dream come true. I walked in two New York Fashion Week shows and took part in the Crowns Magazine Parade of Queens in Times Square as the National Holiday Angel 2025.
So yes, I’m doing what I was born to do. I’m living my purpose, and I’m helping others step into theirs. And I’m grateful for every moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://phyllisjenkins.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phyllis_jenkins/
- Facebook: Phyllis Byrd Jenkins
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookCoachPJ
- Other: Join the Writers’ Journey Members’ Club-
https://bit.ly/3hGgb7oYoutube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/phyllisjenkins
PJ Documentary Video:
Schedule an appointment:https://calendly.com/pjmasterclass2020/coachingsessionwithpj
Image Credits
Photographer: Ethan Yizong Xie, Ellicia Photos
