Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Denman.
Leslie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey started with a diagnosis of breast cancer when I was 29 years old. That diagnosis was the launch pad for me discovering and stepping into my divine purpose.
That journey and desire led me down a path in which I would experience some the most beautiful and challenging moments of my life. Girls Living Life On Purpose would be birthed with five girls in a recreation center in Dallas, TX.
Fast forward a few years, and we would serve over 2500 girls (and boys) in Dallas/Ft. Worth and surrounding areas and be featured in Essence Magazine.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth ride, we have had our share of challenges with securing adequate and consistent funding and other resources but to be able to impact as many lives as we have has been worth it.
Girls Living Life On Purpose – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What you should know is that we truly have a pulse on this urban culture and so our approach is customized so that even in a group setting, each girl has a unique individual experience.
What do we do best? We are known for empowering girls with a sense of purpose and identity. We provide the foundation so they can stand boldly in their personal power.
What sets you apart from the competition? Our approach. We keep it simple and specific. We do what we do best and we are continually increasing our capacity so that we can go deeper. We deliver services utilizing best practices and evidence-based curriculum. Another important distinction is the value add of life coaching we provide. Our young people do not know the value of coaching or what it is until they actually experience it and that has been the key to the transformation our girls experience. We challenge our girls to get curious, be responsible, and get moving.
As a result, we have gained credibility with parents and the respect of our peers and community that is why we are most proud of a few things: being featured in Ebony Magazine, being awarded a State contract to deliver abstinence education services, and recently our collaborative partnership with Urban Specialists to provide our girls with greater opportunities for explosive citizenship
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think securing our first contract. It gave us the credibility and funding to do greater works.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gllopinc.org
- Phone: 972.813.9129
- Email: leslie@gllopinc.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gllopinc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/gllopinc
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/gllopinc
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
