Writing by Christy Maxfield. Christy has taught entrepreneurship at UMSL and Washington University in St. Louis and co-hosts the Entrepreneurially Thinking podcast where listeners are invited to meet amazing individuals and be inspired to be entrepreneurial wherever they are. She is Treasurer of the Forward Through Ferguson Board of Directors and an advisor to MEDLaunch and We Stories. Christy is particularly focused on helping women and entrepreneurs of color – those visionaries who are typically underrepresented and under estimated – build wildly successful businesses. Her portfolio with Purpose First Advisors, where she is President and CEO, includes privately held companies, startups, entrepreneur support organizations and regional initiatives. She specializes in business model validation, financial operations modeling, strategic growth plan development and core messaging.

Marissa first joined us in the studio in 2016 where she shared what it takes to follow your dreams, put the “people” in change management, and name your goals. Today she’s three years deeper into her entrepreneurial journey, with a new brand and a new vision under her belt.

Listen to “ETHINKSTL–S10-E06-Marissa Q. Paine | Painefree Coaching & Consulting” on Spreaker.

A powerhouse with more than 20 years of leadership experience in corporate, non-profit, faith-based and higher education settings, Marissa has recently made some fundamental changes to her brand, business model and target market. Now leading in the market with the Marissa Q. Paine brand she is focused on shifting the culture of relationships, businesses and lives.

This transformation was born of many things including a sabbatical designed to give Marissa the time she needed to figure out how best to create a meaningful impact in the world. Using a morning routine that includes centering and journaling, she continues to reflect on her goals and define what she hopes to accomplish each day. This, along with use of her personal vision board, has given her clarity around where she was going in both her personal and professional lives.

By living the journey Marissa has acquired first-hand experience with what it takes to have a vision and do the hard work required to make it a reality. Critical to creating these changes is Marissa’s willingness to embrace the need for “shifts” – the small adjustments that lead to transformation. Today, she helps others take their own journeys to define their purpose and reimagine their businesses and lives in ways that create new perspectives, reveal new possibilities and open up new opportunities one degree of change at a time.