Qiana Budd Motivational Speaker from Washington, DC

Qiana Budd is a domestic violence survivor with stories to share. Instead of her experiences hardening her heart, they have discovered a way of evolving into a mission to empower men and women to have healthier relationships in dating and marriage. Her motto is H.E.A.L., an acronym which stands for Healed, Empowered, and Available to Love. The Detroit native was one of four children raised in a two-parent home with a solid spiritual foundation. Her parents, now together 38 years, taught them love, respect, and the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Qiana never expected to encounter abuse in her relationships. However, she ended up in an abusive relationship that lasted five years before she finally left. She also encountered other abusive incidents in different relationships thereafter where she learned abuse is not limited to physical encounters. Qiana began to realize that if she didn't take the time to go through a healing process, she could possibly continue the cycle of being in abusive relationships. Like other domestic violence survivors, Qiana broke free from her abusive relationship and began to share her story as part of her healing process. The more she shared her experiences, the more she learned about others around her who had endured similar experiences. She also suffered the loss of an aunt at the hands of an abusive, estranged husband. Learning of these various situations motivated Qiana to realize the importance of continuing the domestic violence discussion, especially in the religious sectors and among teens. Qiana knew that she was being groomed by her experiences and the knowledge she was acquiring during her healing process to be a catalyst for change in the domestic violence community, as well as helping to shape healthier relationships in general. Qiana desired to join the efforts to promote domestic violence awareness and to bring about change. She began volunteering as a teen mentor for young ladies where she facilitated workshops on topics such as self-esteem, goal setting and relationship building. Qiana also managed an abuser intervention program where she facilitated group therapy with male and female offenders. The success of that program, led to another agency inviting Qiana to conduct anger management workshops at a local women's prison. She quickly became a leader in the field and a sought-after speaker, life coach and mentor. Qiana, who has spent 15 years in corporate America in Human Resources/Staffing Recruitment and management roles within the IT, non-profit and healthcare industries, also serves as Guardianship Case Manager for senior adults. But she discovered her passion while speaking to men, women and teens about domestic violence, having healthier relationships and anger management. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and will complete her Master's in Counseling Psychology in 2015 as she continues to share her experiences and knowledge to continue empowering men and women to heal from brokenness. Qiana published her book, The Pivotal Relationship, in 2014 as a way to continue her mission. The novel is a fictitious story about a woman who shares her process of being in an abusive relationship and overcoming the emotional damage that relationship caused. Drawn from her own experiences and the stories of others she encountered during her healing, Qiana masterfully crafted a journey that will help domestic violence victims see themselves in the characters and empower them to make changes. She also emphasizes key relationship strategies to help people build healthier relationships while dating or in a marriage. She also hosted Empower Radio, a weekly radio show where she and her guests discuss and addressed the concerns of dating and marital relationships in addition to promoting domestic violence awareness. In her spare time, Qiana enjoys spending quality time with her two daughters, Jordan and Maia. She also enjoys reading, relaxing, traveling, going out with friends, bowling and attending concerts. She currently resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.