Life and Work with Kristen Faith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Faith.

Kristen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After enduring three horrific years of abuse at the hand of the man who I believed love me, I was finally able to leave. Once I was out, I decided to break my silence on social media by creating a Facebook page called Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence.

Six months later, I felt moved to share my restraining order, and I copied and pasted it onto the Facebook page for everyone to read. I hoped that sharing my personal story with others would inspire other people to share their own. I knew all too well what it felt like to live in silence, and I wanted to be a voice for those who had none.

From that point, thousands of people began writing in and asking for help. At the time, I was still a student at San Diego State University, but I felt compelled to create positive change however I could. In July 2012, I officially filed for non-profit status, and in one week, we were approved.

The first year we were able to provide programs and services to survivors of domestic violence was 2013. By the following year, we were able to quadruple the amount of support we offered to survivors seeking aftercare assistance. National media outlets started to take notice of the work our organization was doing, and, as a result, I was featured in Glamour Magazine and ESPN in 2015, sharing my story and lending my voice to others – including celebrities – who also had fallen victim to abuse. Just a few shorts years later, we have grown to become one of the top 125 nonprofits on social media and currently reach over 30 million viewers on our digital platforms each week.

I am genuinely grateful for the many opportunities I have experienced as a result of creating this organization. Over the past few years, I have been able to tour the country three times over to provide educational outreach services to businesses, academic institutions, local community churches, juvenile halls, military bases, and just about everywhere in between. When your heart is in the right place, opportunity will never fail to present itself to you. You only need to be open to receive its gift.

While Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence was initially my dream, I would not be able to do the amazing work I do without the help of others who share my passion and dedication to end domestic violence. I share the credit for my success with my incredible team of volunteers and staff as well as God, who was there for me at the darkest times. I will never forget the day I finally left; God spoke to my heart and told me if I continued to stay in the relationship, my life would only spiral out of control. I took that advice and ran with it – and I never turned back.

Outside of my work with BTSADV, I’ve recently developed another company to help expand upon my life’s mission of empowering people from all backgrounds and walks of life. I’m an Event and Nonprofit Consultant, Public Speaker and Educator, and a Social Media Expert.

I have reached a point in my journey where I would love to serve others by teaching them all of the tips and tricks I have learned along the way. I would love to openly share my knowledge with those who are hungry and eager to be agents of social change.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a survivor, sharing my story was definitely scary at first. Not knowing what the future was going to have in store for me or what would happen if I shared my story were just a few of the things that I worried about along the way. I knew that breaking my silence was going to help somebody; I did not know who or to what extent it would grow. My advice for anyone who is looking to break their silence is to take a leap of faith and do it. However, because of the risks involved in doing so, make sure that you are safe about how you share it, and that when you do share your story, it is always about the message and what others can take away from your experiences.

Another key takeaway from my experiences along the way is that my journey is going to be completely different from yours – and that is okay. Society tries to teach us that we are competing against each other or that we need to be at a certain level by a certain age, but the truth is that there is no one right path for all of us to follow. That is one of the beautiful things about being an individual. None of our circumstances will ever be exactly the same, so never feel as though you have to justify or apologize for making your journey uniquely yours!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with BREAK THE SILENCE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In 2011, when I Founded BTSADV, I was just one survivor who dreamed of making a positive difference for those affected by domestic violence. There was no way to imagine just how far that dream would carry me or how much the organization would grow. Today, it is best known for being one of the biggest social media pages on Facebook that provides survivors a place to connect, feel empowered, and get educated about domestic violence. What I feel is most unique about this organization is that, as I built the foundations, I incorporated resources that I would have needed and wanted when I was in my own situation. BTSADV is a life-changing way to bridge the gap in services survivors face once they have transitioned out of crisis services.

At BTSADV, our mantra is, ‘We are survivors helping survivors.’ We understand how to serve those who have been impacted by abuse, and that connection is deeper than words can ever explain. We have reframed the conversation around domestic violence and, in the process, have redefined the way people see this issue.

Our team has worked hard to create a range of programs that are unlike any other domestic violence organization out there. We provide scholarships in memory of fallen victims who have lost their lives to domestic violence homicide, and we offer retreats for survivors and Angel families to connect with others and heal from trauma and loss. BTSADV has also developed one of the largest national speakers bureaus to serve as a platform where businesses and academic institutions can book survivors for their local speaking events and educational efforts. We are also committed to helping men affected by abuse, and we have developed programs to educate and bring men together to discuss relationships and their own personal journeys because everyone needs to be a part of the solution, and everyone deserves to live a life free of violence.

On top of all of this, we have resources for victims and survivors to contact us through a range of digital and social media platforms or our survivor helpline because we are committed to helping everyone regardless of where they are at in their healing.

I am most proud of the fact that we are survivors reaching out to help other survivors. Working along-side thousands of families just as committed as mine to address and eradicate domestic violence has been an honor for me. After growing up with domestic violence, my parents and my entire family hope to see an end to this problem. Knowing how profoundly it impacted us to witness and experience abuse motivates us to actively work to stop it so others do not have to go through what we did.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I am a huge believer in using tools and resources to help heal from trauma and build my best life. My absolute favorite resource that I use and share with others all the time is the Passion Planner. Check them out, their product speaks for itself! 🙂

Contact Info:

• Website: www.btsadv.org and www.kristenfaith.com
• Email: hello@kristenfaith.com
• Instagram: iamkristenfaith
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristenthevisionary

Image Credit:
Kristen Faith, the Founder of BTSADV

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