When asked what she would tell herself at 22, Wanda Marie says, “be free.”

The advice from the woman who acted as life coach and business partner to the late Yolanda King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., lingers in magical simplicity. Speaking with Wanda in the Leimert Park home formerly owned by Dr. King’s daughter, one immediately feels the presence of a woman sage beyond her years. Admittedly hopeful to someday “heal the planet,” Wanda dreams big but acts locally and effectively, with programs such as the Inner Peace Conference, a telephone support service that advises anyone who calls on a wide array of issues.

Growing up in the slums of South Central Los Angeles, Wanda found her spirituality while coping with an alcoholic mother and sexually abusive step-father. None could blame her if this had ruined her life.

Far from ruin her life, her childhood experiences taught her that her soul could be at peace even among the turmoil of her everyday life. Today, she inspires her clients to set strategic goals, ones that push a person just outside of their comfort zone, and therefore yield more valuable reward. She teaches to never disregard the ills of society, but rather to find peace within, hoping one day to heal without.

Check out Wanda’s new book being released as we speak, “Living Inner Peace: A Personal Guide to Greater Happiness” and if you’d like to contact Wanda, please visit www.WandaMarie.com.

I received an email from Jonna Sotelo, a real estate agent that had come across what we were doing, and referred me to her sister, Nicole, for a possible interview in Chicago. In my exchange with Nicole I learned a few things from our correspondence.

1) She was passionate for making a difference through striving for women’s equality within the Catholic church.

2) At age 28, she recently was coming off a battle with cancer.

3) She graduated from Harvard with a full tuition scholarship.

Needless to say, it was enough to get our attention, and little did I know that this brief description hardly scratched the surface.

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