How to Get Back Up When Life Knocks You Down with Venus Morris Griffin

Venus Morris Griffin

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/yhe3jp/venus_-_3_28_22_959_PM64kg7.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY:

After her life and marriage were turned upside down, Venus Morris Griffin became an inspiration of strength and determination through overcoming her trauma and taking back her power. In today’s episode, we sat down with Venus to discuss her childhood, the difficulties of her marriage, the phone call that changed everything, and how she learned to grow through her struggles.

First, we asked Venus what her childhood was like. She explained to us that even from an early age, her memories of her family and home life were difficult. Too young to understand that her mother was an addict, she became the protector of her family. It was a challenging time for both Venus and her siblings. Everyone copes differently, and Venus said that her brother and sister faced their own challenges after the trauma of their upbringing. Her brother ended up in prison while her sister struggled with the same addictions their mother had. Venus’ own struggles carried on into her marriage. When asked to describe her relationship, Venus used the analogy of a frog in boiling water. She was a frog in a boiling pot, unaware of the impending issues until it was too late. Having grown up in dysfunction, Venus did not realize the severity of her own marital problems. Since it was good 90% of the time, and divorce was frowned upon in her faith, she was determined to make her relationship work for herself and her six children. However, the pressures of being a stay-at-home mom while her husband was struggling with mental health issues took its toll. Venus shared that looking back, she wished she had left sooner and had treated herself with the same kindness and respect she gives to others.

One night, Venus received a phone call that changed her life. When asked about it, she described how after getting a call, she went to meet with a prostitute. It was revealed during their meeting that Venus’ husband had been unfaithful numerous times. While she was upset, Venus was still determined to make her marriage work. She wanted to help her husband deal with his sex addiction, and after the incident, he even went to rehab for a few months. However, quickly after rehab, Venus’ husband was arrested and charged with aggravated child molestation. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison and Venus immediately divorced him. In the aftermath of her husband’s arrested, Venus told us that the opinions of others affected her family. While she did not care what anyone said about her, she hated that her children were the targets of bullying and unwarranted questioning as a result of their father’s actions. One of her daughters even tried to have a sleepover the year her father was arrested, but only one child was allowed by their parents to come. Venus’ social life was also impacted by her husband’s arrest. In her large friend group, three out of four of the couples refused to speak to her again, even ones who were very close to her. After such a difficult time, Venus spoke on how for a while, she struggled to get through it. She struggled with maintaining a normal life for herself and her children with everything going on. However, through faith and hard work, she got up every day and took care of her family. When asked how she maintained her strength, she talked to us about the importance of faith. Not just in a religious sense, but how it is important for everyone to have faith in themselves.

Venus has also made a name for herself through her successful real estate career. She explained to us that in the beginning, she had to nearly beg people for listings. She would find open houses, knock on their doors, and ask them personally if she could be their agent. Eventually, she was doing three open houses every Sunday, and her career has continued to flourish ever since. We also asked Venus about her scholarship, the Venus Morris Griffin Scholarship Fund. She said that after she felt settled in her life, she wanted to create a scholarship to help children with incarcerated parents receive an education. Students with one or two incarcerated parents can write a letter explaining why their parent was arrested, how it has affected them, and how they want to use their experience to help others. After reading each letter, Venus surprises one person with a $10,000 scholarship to school. She hopes to someday extend the scholarship to more winners so that she can help as many students as possible.

For how she’s learned to grow through her struggles, Venus explained that she still struggles with thoughts of fear today. However, she reminds herself that by working hard, being forgiving, and seeing the good in people, things will be okay. She also emphasized the importance of self-care and sharing one’s problems. By being open about our experiences, we are showing others that they are not alone and that their struggles are normal. Finally, we asked Venus about her upcoming book, Validated. She said that while there is no official release date, the book has been completed and should be available soon.

Venus Morris Griffin

Venus Morris Griffin is a single mother of seven, author, award-winning real estate agent and national motivational speaker from Augusta, Georgia.

In 2011, Venus received a phone call in the middle of the night from a prostitute that changed her life. The call catapulted her into one of the most challenging times she would ever endure, with her six children ranging in ages from one to fifteen years. In a matter of months, her then-husband was sentenced to 45 years in prison. A stay-at-home mother of six children, left with nothing and drowning in debt, Venus was launched into the workforce just trying to keep the bills paid and her children fed.

Since obtaining her real estate license in 2008, Venus has become Augusta’s premier realtor. Her competitive spirit & standard of perfection is proven by outstanding results & exceptional customer service ratings. She has ranked #1 in annual sales for the past 4 years, closing over 1500 transactions for over $400 million in sales volume, making her the number one, top-producing agent out of 250+ at Meybohm.

Through God, hard work and determination, she was able to overcome the adversity she faced, and give her family the life she dreamed of for them. Venus now travels the globe speaking about the mindset of overcoming adversity. Her passion is to see women overcome suffocating challenges and rise above any obstacles that may hold her back.