Today we’d like to introduce you to Charisma Adams.
Charisma, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Riviera Beach, FL to a single mother as the youngest of five siblings. I was blessed with five additional siblings from my father but the secrecy and shame surrounding our entrance into each other’s lives became the catalyst for several defining moments in my life. I longed for a relationship with my father. This thirst for love and acceptance resulted in a string of abusive relationships, bad decisions and ultimately a broken spirit. I became the pretty girl with no purpose but unbeknownst to me, God was at work behind the scenes. Every pit I climbed out of, mountain I crossed over, and valley I tread through cultivated the gifts in me and equipped me with the tools needed to lead others out. Other women just like me.
I would never have considered being the leader of a community of faith… not with my life’s tumultuous journey and my colorful past. But this truly was a calling for me. I fought against it for a long time because I prefer the background but four and a half years ago ultimately I surrendered to God’s will and I haven’t looked back. Today, I lead a growing community of modern women of faith called Faith & Flyness.
I know the name is catchy but It was less about finding a catchy name and more about authentically communicating who I am and who I am called to lead. I didn’t want to mislead anyone because this community isn’t for the “deep and wonderful saints who are high and lifted up”. I wanted the name to be a clarion call to those looking to grow amongst other women craving the same kind of connection and who share similar journeys and interests.
One of the primary pillars of our community is freedom and I wanted to free women that didn’t fit the traditional mold of “Christian woman” to be exactly who God created them to be. Like I say on our website… we exist for the women that have more highlights in their hair than in their bibles; the ones that wrote their life’s stories with tattoo guns, and even the ones still caught in the tension of religion and relationship. We believe that you can fully love God and fully enjoy the fly things that life has to offer.
In 2016, I added Author to my growing list of titles. I penned the devotional, Sunglasses, Mixtapes and Ministry. It was my own quest to grow deeper that fueled this project. I have been in church all of my life but I have not been able to relate to most studies and devotionals written to women. Not only were my experiences and perspectives a lot different than most authors, I also found that few could speak to me in a language that I could relate to. God led me to write a devotional for other women like me. This devotional is targeted toward urban women of faith to provide them with practical yet relevant insight into scripture.
Today as a 41-year-old wife and mother, I get to grow in faith alongside an amazing community of women while also running my own consultancy. Under the banner of my God-Inspired agency, Articulate Consulting, I couple effectual prayer, and a diligent work ethic to help my clients implement bold and strategic plans for public involvement, economic development, and community outreach.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not a smooth road at all. Initially starting out there was more inner tension than anything. I wanted to follow Christ wholeheartedly but I didn’t desire at all the lifestyle of faith that had been modeled for me. It was very unappealing. The focus was on all of the “thou shalt not” and everyone looked miserable in their service to God. And since I didn’t desire the “rough side of the mountain”, I’d teeter-totter between being immersed in my faith and running away as fast as I could.
Later when I finally decided to go all in, I was judged. It was difficult finding mentorship because the older women of faith that I kept running into either didn’t believe in the need for this type of community or felt that we wanted to be too “worldly”. God eventually led me to some amazing leaders who accepted the call to mentor me in ministry, Pastor Reginald Davis and Dr. Anita Davis. They literally held my hand through every step and even covered me when outsiders wanted to attack my character. Their leadership truly helped develop me into the leader that God called me to be and they still hold me accountable to this day.
Lastly, the part that still is difficult is leading others authentically while you are still dealing with your own humanity. During the course of leading this ministry, I have had to deal with private matters that challenged my own personal level of faith from marital separation and reconciliation to closing a business all while still helping others to strengthen their faith.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Faith & Flyness story. Tell us more about the business.
At Faith & Flyness, we create events and environments where women are encouraged and equipped to grow their relationship with God. Our special sauce is our ability to fuse culture and Christ into a beautiful community. This is displayed through the types of events we host. Whether it’s our Fashion Auction, Desserts & Dirty Laundry Discussion or our annual day party “Fabulosity”, we push the boundaries of creativity to bring dope faith fueled events to women locally.
We also boast an online shop with merch designed with the modern woman of faith in mind.
Honestly, we are most humbled by the fact that we continue to attract women from all over the globe to come and grow with us despite being told from inception that this dream wouldn’t come to life. In 2018, we welcomed our first international small group in Abu Dhabi and currently have members across the US in our online private group.
We always love to ask about the support network – have there been people, perhaps mentors or advisors, who have played a big role in your success?
As I mentioned earlier, my spiritual mentors Pastor Reginald Davis and Dr. Anita Davis truly believed in the vision God had for my life from the beginning and they continue to propel me to higher heights. Two years ago, God brought Pastor Renee Cole into my life as my mentor. She is really focused on helping to develop the woman behind the ministry and my emotional health as a wife, mother, and community leader.
Best support system ever, Checree Bryant, Ladi Goldwire, Kimberly Mayhue, and most importantly my husband, Jamie Adams. It is impossible for me to ever give up or fail with this group of people in my corner. They invest with their physical labor, prayers and even financially.
Contact Info:
- Website: faithandflyness.com
- Phone: 561-739-2322
- Email: hello@faithandflyness.com
- Instagram: @faithandflyness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithandflyness
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA 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.
