On what subject(s) are you an authority?

“The Subjects I Know by Heart: A Life Lived in Service, Survival & Soul”

As I step into my 65th year, I find myself reflecting on the question:

What am I an authority on?

Truth is, I’ve never chased titles. I’ve lived a life rooted in service, healing, and creating spaces for others to be seen — often because I know what it feels like to be invisible.

I am a survivor of domestic violence (1985–1992). It took years of healing, reflection, and growth — but by 2000, I stepped into the role of advocate with purpose and empathy. I had walked through the fire, and I came back with a heart ready to support others on their path to freedom.

Long before that, I found comfort in creativity. At just 12 years old, I began working with flowers — something about arranging beauty in the midst of life’s messes just made sense. Eventually, I opened my own flower business, A Touch of Sunshine, which brought light to others for 17 years.

From there, my journey only deepened:

I opened Flava Coffee House in Seattle, a creative hub for artists of all kinds, particularly those who were unknown, overlooked, or misunderstood. After Flava closed, I worked as a weekend counselor in transitional housing, supporting the unhoused and at-risk. I became a voice in indie arts, radio, and book reviews — championing those whose talents the mainstream ignored. I stepped into the world of eldercare and patient advocacy, walking alongside those in pain with gentle presence and fierce compassion. I’ve comforted people through crisis, loss, trauma, and transformation. Not because I studied it in school — but because I lived it.

In 2017, I moved to Las Vegas, where I spent six years working closely with Black entertainers — building relationships, promoting, and advocating for their artistry to be seen and respected. I witnessed brilliance in so many forms and felt honored to be part of their journey, even behind the scenes. My work there reaffirmed what I’ve always believed: that everyone deserves to be seen in the fullness of their gift.

I’ve always known, even as a young girl, that I was here to serve the people most others didn’t want to see.

So, what am I an authority on?

I am an authority on survival and rebirth. I am an authority on creating safe spaces where others can feel seen and heard. I am an authority on supporting the forgotten, the hurting, the misjudged, the silenced. I am an authority on walking with purpose, even after life breaks your heart. I am an authority on celebrating the beauty in others — even when the world overlooks them.

Not because of a degree. Not because someone gave me a platform.

But because I’ve lived it — with open hands and an open heart.

And I’m still here… still learning, still loving, still rising.

That, to me, is the truest kind of authority.

Simply Flava

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