Dr. Tracie Ohonme is the Executive Vice President and Co-founder of Samaritan’s Feet – a nonprofit that exists to serve and inspire hope in children by providing shoes. The goal she set with her husband, Manny, when they founded the organization is to bring a life-changing message of hope, love, and compassion to everyone they serve. To date, Samaritan’s Feet has served over 7 million people around the world. I think it’s pretty badass that Tracie is at the forefront of a growing movement of people willing to humble themselves as servants so others might know the opportunity of a better life.
I had the pleasure of a meeting Tracie when she visited Indianapolis recently. She’s determined, dynamic, and she’s living her badassery life because she believes she was put on this earth for more than the reason of simple existence. “We were all created for a greater purpose. If you will, we were created to be a tangible solution to a real problem(s) I am badassery simply because, when you find out the reason why you were created, you live fulfilled flowing in your purpose!”
Q. How did you get to where you are today?
A. With a dream, a vision, and a misery. I truly believe we can use our misery in our personal lives to serve in the greatest form of ministry and act of service. By taking that which we were comfortable by and being the comforter.
Q. What, if any, challenges have you faced? How did you overcome them?
A. Like anyone stepping out in Crazy Faith, it requires you to believe in your vision and yourself when no one else will. Stepping out of your comfort zone requires a level of ridiculous bravery to keep on even when no one else is following you. Yes, there have been many challenges and victories that are part of doing business in any or existing endeavor, but great things never come from staying in our comfort zones. You cannot change what you won’t confront.
Q. Have you ever felt vulnerable?
A. If I am completely honest, I feel vulnerable every day, at different times and for different reasons. Who doesn’t? I think we choose to acknowledge our feelings as just that — feelings, but base our view of ourselves or the circumstance/situation on facts. Positive self-talk is a must. Appropriate boundaries for yourself and others are key and margins in your daily life have to be established and kept.
Q. What really matters to you?
A. Making a difference in someone’s life. I am elated watching people find and be fulfilled in their life purpose. I am most joyful when I know someone feels loved, seen and valued by the difference we make at Samaritan’s Feet International. I will be complete when I have finished the task assigned to me.
Q. What brings you happiness?
A. Seeing others succeed. My family! My staff! Spending time traveling and hearing stories of others and knowing their names.
Q. What has led to your success?
A. God’s undeniable favor over my life. Sprinkled in with a lot of hard work, bravery, rejection, victories, failures, setbacks, all in preparation for “the now” (whatever that is and whenever that is for each of us). It is the unquestionable belief in yourself and what you are called to do!
Q. What do you want people to know most about you and what you’re doing?
A. I want others to remember even though you can go alone, it is best to have an army behind and beside you to accomplish more together. For us to reach the 2.2 billion people worldwide that cannot afford the basic necessities of shoes and the 1.5 billion people infected with soil-transmitted diseases we need a continued army of supporters, partners, volunteers, donors, friends, and prayer warriors.
Q. I believe women have incredible gifts of inspiration, strength, courage, empowerment and more. What gift do you believe you have and how do you share that with others?
A. I have the gift of discernment, wisdom and ability to read a room to establish relationships that are authentic, mutually beneficial and transformative. For collaborative connections and divinely driven opportunities to serve and make a difference arm in arm.
Click here to visit their website and learn more about the work Samaritan’s Feet is doing under the helm of a strong, brilliant and extremely passionate woman!