Black Minimalists: Yvonne Wallace
Black Minimalists: Yvonne Wallace
I was fortunate to meet up with Yvonne back in March. We talked for hours and if you need someone to give you a strong push, she is your coach. It's so refreshing to connect with like-minded people and I look forward to meeting up and collaborating with Yvonne in the future.
What drew you to minimalism and what are your goals in living simply?
I think the main thing that drew me to minimalism is having my daughter and realizing that everything (that's needed with a baby) was multiplying faster than ever. Babies come with a lot of stuff so I realized that if I don’t do anything about it then sooner than later, clutter was going to take over my house and my mind.
This started my journey of minimalism. I had a “free” garage sale when leaving my first house and never looked back. The most important thing is to take one day at a time. I do not beat myself up about NOT doing everything. I take one day at a time and try to focus on one business task and one personal task each day. Then I celebrate small victories of completing these two tasks along the way.
Your mission is "to help make people wealthy, financially, mentally, and physically, from the inside out", How do you accomplish that in your work?
I like to think that coaching is at the root of many areas in life. Whether it’s dieting, exercising, playing a sport, financially, or learning the skills for a new job, it always starts with a coach who is there to train, teach, inspire, mentor, and be a cheerleader. This being said, I think one thing I help people with is figuring out their values before making any major life decisions.
If we can figure out how they are doing mentally, it makes it easier to deal with harder subjects like money and finances. In addition to my 1:1 coaching, I’m in the process of creating a travel course that will help families plan almost free trips. I want to help families simplify based on values and create experiences instead of collecting stuff.
Visit Yvonne's new site: Simple Travel Hacking and get a free quick sheet with tips for how to travel nearly free!
You focus on simplicity in your coaching, What drew you in this direction professionally?
Professionally, I always had people come up to me and ask me how I was able to accomplish something or how to create easy systems to follow. So I think that it was only natural I fell into this role. Simply put, a clear mind will result in a happier life. I saw this improve over the years in my life and I wanted to be apart of this on a larger scale.
Can you offer a few quick tips to bring more simplicity into our lives right now?
a. One thing I always ask myself is do I NEED or WANT this before every purchase. I think that it keeps things in perspective when shopping in a store like Target when it’s easy to go in for one thing and come out with 20 extra items.
b. Once a week, go through your home and choose one thing to donate or recycle...do this until you feel happy to walk in the doorway because the clutter is gone.
c. For a clearer mind, use the Calm App. This will give your a few minutes of peace each day.
d. Set your intentions at the beginning of each day so you will be more clear and focused and you will also put things into action faster.
Having lived in DC for a few years, I know it's about movement. How do you find your zen in the city in addition to your roles as a coach, writer, speaker, mother, and wife?
Consistent breaks is key in my life. Taking a walk in a new neighborhood, going to a temporary art exhibit to see something beautiful brings me joy. I try to see one new thing each week that’s different and specific to DC. It’s important to collect experiences rather than stuff. Check out Twitter or Google for ideas. Turn your surrounding environment into positive energy.
You offer a free happiness tracker on your site, what are some things you do to find your happiness on a daily basis?
Being grateful for 3 items each day is so important. At one point, I would text my friend every day three things I loved about life and she would do the same thing. We were grateful accountability buddies! It puts things into perspective.
Another thing I do is my own version of meditation...it’s saying mantras over and over again in the morning so I can focus my day with the things I want to accomplish. This goes back to setting intention. I do not read the newspaper because I noticed that my energy would be drained from tons of bad things happening in the world so I use the daily Skimm email to learn about current world events. Therefore, I can still have a conversation with others but I’m not constantly upset either. It’s a balance.
What's your take on the black minimalist movement?
I think that it’s important to realize that we, especially women in our community, become caregivers and helpers very early on. We take care of our grandparents, parents, children, family, and friends. A lot of the time, we give so much, we might not have a lot left for ourselves. That being said, we need to take care of ourselves and I think by simplifying and being minimalist, we will not only take care of ourselves but will also be better people for others who depend on us.
Where can we learn more about you?
I hang out on Twitter (@itsyvonnenicole) and will be scoping daily simple travel, financial, and mindset tips on Periscope (@itsyvonnenicole) in April.
Learn more about other Black Minimalists.
Black Minimalists on the Web: Part Two
BLACK MINIMALISTS ON THE WEB: PART TWO
Just in time for #BHM, I'm back with another edition of Black Minimalists on the Web. It makes me happy and excited to find more and more black creatives who are minimalists and share them with you. The community is continuously growing.
Please check out and support the black minimalists below by visiting, subscribing, and encouraging them on their journeys as they inspire you.
Disclaimer: The creatives listed below, may or may not personally identify as minimalist; however, they were chosen because their content speaks to a minimalist lifestyle.
Neosha Gardner
http://createherstock.com; http://www.hasneounique.com/
“Because black girls are more than two thumbs up and a smile.” Self-described “creative minimalist”, Neosha Gardner is the founder of CreateHER Stock, a stock image company catering to black women creatives and owner and designer at HUN Creative, a brand design studio.
http://www.instagram.com/neoshaloves/
Yvonne Wallace
http://itsyvonne.com
“My simple, complicated life.” Meet Yvonne Wallace, life and career coach residing in Washington, DC. Yvonne’s mission is to “help make people wealthy, mentally and physically, from the inside out.” Her blog focuses on adding more simplicity into your life. She has “Minute Monday” features that offer simple life and biz tips along with other great resources.
When making a decision in your biz/life remember that "Everything comes from nothing." Take time to quiet your mind b4 moving forth!
— Yvonne Wallace (@itsyvonnenicole) December 10, 2015
Nikki Terry
http://OrangeCustard.com ; http://nikkiterry.com
Owner of design studio, Orange Custard and visual artist, Nikki Terry states she was born a minimalist and inspired by her father's style growing up. Native Marylander (woop woop) by way of Baltimore and currently a Brooklyn resident (where Brooklyn at?), Nikki also pursues photography. Nikki’s goal as an artist is to recreate the world how she see’s it and minimalism helps facilitate that process.
Cicely Renee
http://bougieblackblogger.com
"All class with a little sass." Carefree and magical, blogger Cicely is living the simple life and recently moved across the country to Dallas for a fresh start. Her lifestyle blog covers a variety of topics from blogging + business, relationships, food + wine, and of course, her minimalist journey.
Monday Motivation: The Art of Letting Go
Nneka Okono
http://afrosypaella.com
“To travel is to transform.” I found Nneka through an article she wrote on For Harriet about why black women should embrace minimalism. Nneka is a writer, coach, and avid traveler who lived in Spain for nine months (hence the paella). She currently resides in Atlanta and muses about life and traveling on her blog.
Honor what feels right to you. Take great care of yourself. Use your intuition to guide you through it all. I promise you'll be better off.
— Nneka M. Okona (@afrosypaella) February 6, 2016
Anekia Nicole
http://anekianicole.com
"Hippie-spirited. Open diary. Nerd." Anekia opens her diary and shares her life experiences to inspire and encourage you on your journey. I found Anekia via Twitter when she wrote about rethinking christmas and the focus on materialism.
Why Set Resolutions? Living a More Conscionable Lifehttp://twitter.com/anekianicole
What If Your Passion Doesn't Align With Your Career? https://t.co/T9SvOHvsC2 pic.twitter.com/CEf267x7Q1
— Anekia Nicole (@AnekiaNicole) February 2, 2016
Niambi Wilson
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAZ7in3LJ-hi7lumVVxJGRw
“Peace. Love. Beauty. Be Intentional.” Niambi’s YouTube channel is one of my more recent discoveries. She is a polyglot who shares her minimalist journey, travels, beauty and natural hair tips, and relationship experiences. Niambi has lived abroad in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Check out her advice videos and vlogs.
Wilsar Johnson
http://www.fitnoir.com/
“Black girl gone healthy.” First off I want to say, I love the name Wilsar and she definitely lives up to her beautiful name. Wilsar's blog is all about helping you live a healthy, happy, and simple lifestyle. Check out her Instagram for more #blackgirlmagic.
https://twitter.com/callmewilsar
Go check these ladies out and don't worry, I'm already working on part three.
Also, if you know of other black minimalists not featured above or in Part One, please share their names in the comments or hit me on social media.
Learn more about Black Minimalists.
photo credit: CreateHer Stock