Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Evans (Penned by Chels).
Hi Chelsea, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. All my life, I’ve been passionate about my hobbies which include writing, dance, hanging with family/friends, and being an encourager to the next person. After high school, I decided to make my way to Austin, Texas where I attended the first institution and only HBCU in Austin; Huston-Tillotson University. During college, I was able to learn a little more about myself in terms of my purpose.
After graduating, I decided to continue doing life here in Austin rather than move back home. I knew that my purpose wasn’t done after just being here for four years. Over the years, I began doing work in the nonprofit and hospitality industry. I felt that these two industries had the common goal of helping others. Although I found my career, I never stopped dreaming about one day becoming an author and taking my writing to the next level.
In December 2015, my then boyfriend decided to propose to me. It was an exciting time for us as we were preparing to start our life together as one. The planner in me started searching immediately for wedding venues, the dress, bridal extravaganzas all within the course of a month, which took my focus away from something that has always been part of me; my writing. Back in 2013, I was given the idea that I would be writing a book. I had spent years writing in my journals that it was enough entries to make it into a book. I figured that my story could help someone. Year after year, fear stopped me from ever achieving that goal. It wasn’t until I was planning my wedding that God literally stopped me in my tracks.
I clearly heard the spirit tell me that I couldn’t continue planning for my wedding until I published my book. That was challenging, but I knew it was something I had to do. I had spent so much time pushing back my dream of writing a book, and the next dream of having a wedding couldn’t supersede that one. In the end, I became an author and a wife in the year 2016. The best fun fact is that my book, “God’s Foundry”, will be the only book published with my maiden name (Piper).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Can I be honest… IT’S FEAR!
That’s the biggest challenge that I continue to face throughout my life’s journey. I’ll be lying if I didn’t have any fears, but somehow I manage to push through them. Even in this, it took me a while to figure out what story did I have to tell. I’ve always been the person that was shy to share my story because I would be so caught up in the fears of not being interesting enough. Would people really want to know what I had to say?
I’m not ashamed to say that I still have those fears. Sharing about myself to others was always a difficult thing for me. I was once the girl that bottled all of my emotions inside not realizing the hurt and the pain that was attached to it. I felt like a caterpillar, just waiting for her chance to come into her own. I had to go through the process of growth and maturity in order to become the woman that I am today. The woman that I am today pushes through those fears in order to share because I know that my story is not my own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an inspirational writer and social media content creator. My purpose is to educate others to become the best versions of themselves through my writing and speaking. I’ve achieved many accomplishments within my career and continue to focus more on empowering others, creating a legacy that inspires many, and doing more for the next person along the way. With this passion to help build and uplift others, I continue to aspire to be an excellent leader.
I strive each day to be transparent with my online community as well as with my readers. With bold faith, I dream big in order to become more. As the author of “God’s Foundry” and “Balanced”, I’ve grown in my self-confidence realizing that my story is never for me but for someone else. With that mindset, I was able to self-publish these two books in the course of five years.
God’s Foundry was released on March 13, 2016. After years of writing in different journals, I was able to create a book based off of life’s situations. Sometimes, you just feel like giving up. You may make it to a point in your life where you feel like you’ve done everything you can but nothing has changed for you. There may be stress, and that can sometimes send you into a depressed state in your life. At times, life can feel like it’s giving you the worst beating ever. But I must always ask, do you ever wonder why you have to go through the things that you go through?
That is why I wrote God’s Foundry! In this book, the reader is encouraged to change those feelings that you’ve once had. It’s about learning to stay focused because you do in fact know what the end results are. If you want to win at whatever God has set for you to do, you must love what you will become. The reader will understand that your life is God’s Foundry; He produces gold.
Balanced was released on May 20, 2021. It is a 21 day couple’s guide to generational wealth. Alongside my husband, we continue to break down barriers in order to build generational wealth for our family. I believe that generational wealth is a key factor to building your relationship with your partner. As my husband and I enter our 5th year of marriage, we know how it is when it came to struggling with our finances and getting on the same page with each other. It took some time to find the balance, and it’s an ongoing learning process for us. This book was written because I know that there are other couples who are struggling to find the balance with their finances. Did you know that finances is the number one cause of breakups and divorces due to the couple not having effective communication?
The goal of the book is to share ideas and ways of thinking about how to communicate and work towards a common goal in order to become “Balanced” within your relationship. With this 21 day guide, the couple gains sound advice about how to build generational wealth for generations to come. I know because I’ve been there and still working at it to become more balanced. I talk about all the things that helped my husband and I, which includes the arguments, budgeting, debt payoff, and realizing that there isn’t a right or wrong way when it comes to separate or joint accounts.
In Balanced, the readers will spend time discussing some of the tough conversations that could potentially help build the financial bliss that they may be seeking. With these conversations, you will be able to dig deeper into how your relationship can thrive in becoming more successful and more balanced, one day at a time.
How do you think about luck?
I wouldn’t say I’m lucky but I must say that I’m blessed. I am blessed beyond measure to have gotten this far in my career of being an author/creator. I am also honored to be an inspiration to many women on their journey of self-love. That’s a blessing in itself because there’s so many that struggle with body positivity. Don’t get me wrong, I struggle too but I overcome that aspect with self-talk over myself. I have to thank God for getting me to this place being confident in myself in order to let my light shine. That’s my blessing.
Pricing:
- God’s Foundry – $10.99
- Balanced – $20.00
Contact Info:
- Email: chelsea@foundryglobalent.com
- Website: pennedbychels.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/pennedbychels
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chels.marie/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/pennedbychels
- Youtube: Penned by Chels
Image Credits
Foundry House Media
