Meet Vance Taylor | Life Coach, Author, Speaker, Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vance Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vance, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
One of the most influential and life-changing books that I’ve ever read is, “The Power of Now”. It helped me to learn more about the power of being present in life, and how most of our pain and suffering– anger, sadness, hurt, resentment, bitterness, etc.– is the result of dwelling on past and future. There were also powerful lessons that I learned about the mental-emotional connection, and how the two often fuel each other. How we feel and respond to a situation has less to do with the situation itself, and more to do with the mental commentary or stories we create about the situation in our minds. The more you buy into that “story” the stronger the emotional charge.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have two professional careers that I enjoy and have a passion for, both of which involve helping people.

I work full-time as a program manager for a Charitable Foundation, helping to advance economic opportunity for individuals and families, especially those in low-and moderate- income communities, through financial education and partnerships with nonprofit organizations. This dream career came about as a result of the volunteer work I was doing teaching people how to manage their money, which was above and beyond the work I was being paid for as an accountant. While the money was good and I liked the people that I worked with, the accounting work itself, as important as it was to the business. wasn’t a passion of mine. The relationships that I built while volunteering, the passion that I had for the work (which didn’t feel like “work”), and the retirement of my predecessor in the Charitable Foundation is how I ended up in this role after spending the building of my career in accounting.

I also own a life coaching business focused on helping men and women find healing, growth and transformation from broken relationships, like divorce and separation. As a certified coach and divorced father, I’m able to use my lived experience, professional experience, and a book that I wrote called, “You Were Born to Heal: Hope and Transformation from Divorce and Separation,” to help others navigate what can be a very challenging situation in life. I decided to pursue this business based on a relationship-based podcast and internet radio show that I did years ago, and how much I enjoyed talking about these topics.

The biggest challenge with doing both jobs is managing my time. I like balance in life, so making time to do both effectively while taking care of myself mentally, physically, and spiritually requires planning and a consistent routine. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned through all of this was to focus on what I could control– my attitude and effort– and let God handle the rest. I look at challenges that I face as a way to grow and be a better person, not as something negative. I try to find the lesson to be learned in the process. My motto: as long as I’m having more good days than bad, I’m winning!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t live in Atlanta, so not sure how to answer this question.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a shoutout to Anita Henderson, who helped me publish my first book. As my author-coach, she provided a step-by-step guide for writing that I used to develop the content for the book, and helped me to find my voice in the process. She also provided encouragement and sound advice along the way, while holding me accountable to certain deadlines. I started writing nearly 12 years ago, but it wasn’t until I began working with Anita that I finally finished what I started.

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Image Credits
Charlottevibe Photography