Focus on the One. To be successful in life and business, it is important to identify the one area of focus, the one problem you want to solve, the one person who needs your solution, and the one solution or offer until it sticks. Remember, Confused Minds Don’t Buy.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leah M. Forney
Leah M. Forney is the Founder & Creator of SAAVE ME which is her upcoming non-profit that empowers organizations to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning & working environments for all, especially individuals in marginalized communities.
She is also a published author, sought after professional speaker, sexual health educator and trainer, and podcast host of internationally recognized and syndicated Hey Queen, Thrive!
For the past decade, Leah has used her voice and sexual assault story to lead conversations with politicians, law enforcement, and attorney generals’ offices just to name a few.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Absolutely. My journey started on January 27, 2013, when I was sexually assaulted in my apartment in North Carolina. After being sexually assaulted, I was numb. It took 2 days for me to report my assault because of my fear of not being believed because I am a Black Woman in America.
I went through the process of reporting the rape, picking him out in a lineup, getting my rape kit done, and even had a day in court to get a restraining order. This whole experience was very traumatic, especially because I faced my biggest fear which was not being believed.
The judge that presided over my case told me he didn’t believe me, and I was a woman scorned. From that day in the court room, I had to decide to pick up the pieces of my life and begin to heal.
It was while on my healing journey that I became passionate about advocacy and activism on behalf of victims and survivors of sexual assault. I decided to use my voice and my story to bring awareness to how sexual trauma impacts survivors especially those in marginalized communities.
I took my own pain and turned it into power. I wanted to become a beacon of hope and light for other survivors so that they too can find their voice and discover life after sexual trauma.
This led me to create an organization called SAAVE ME which stands for Sexual Assault Advocacy for Victims Everywhere. I created this organization as a movement alongside my dear friend Carmen who has since passed away.
We wanted to be a voice for the many survivors of sexual assault that felt ignored and invalidated. We wanted to be a safe space for survivors. The movement started in February 2018, and we launched it with a series of survivor-led PSAs in April 2018.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
SAAVE ME has been on an interesting journey since it started in 2018. After the death of our co-founder Carmen, I took a break from SAAVE ME to grieve the loss of my dear friend. To be honest, I was unsure if I wanted to continue what we had started because I couldn’t see myself continuing the movement without my friend.
So, I put it on the backburner for 6 years and pursued other business ventures. However, those other business ventures weren’t fulfilling me. They were things that I was good at but not passionate about.
As much as I wanted to avoid being the expert that fought against sexual trauma, I knew that this was my passion and my life’s mission. I felt called to continue the work that Carmen and I had started in 2018. In 2023, I started the process of revamping SAAVE ME. The process continues to this day, we now have a board of directors and are in the process of becoming a social enterprise with a mission to provide culturally sensitive education and proactive advocacy for victims and survivors of sexual assault and the organizations and entities that service them.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest and realest mistake I made starting out in business was being the Jill of all trades but master of none. One of the downsides to being a visionary who is also creative is that you get so many ideas, and you want to execute them all.
The problem with this is that you don’t focus on mastering any of those ideas. Before SAAVE ME, I was an author who then became a clarity coach who then became a life coach who then became a podcaster who then became a podcast coach who then continued to write more books and then became a speaker and a trainer.
Do you see how unorganized and unaligned those ideas were? Truth be told, I was just trying any and everything hoping that something would stick.
The biggest lesson I learned is that you must get clear first about what you want to do and what you want to be know for then you must spend time cultivating and mastering that thing or idea until it sticks.
Remember this, Confused minds don’t buy. People start businesses to make money. Businesses don’t make money when their audience is confused about what it is that they do and offer.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
SAAVE ME is a movement that started with 2 survivors of sexual assault wanting to create a space for other victims and survivors of sexual assault to feel seen and heard. Since its conception, SAAVE ME has continued it original intention of creating a space for victims and survivors of sexual assault to feel seen and heard in various way.
Our founder, Leah M. Forney, has become one of the voices, advocates, and activists in the industry by sharing her story as well advocating for changes within a broken criminal justice system. She has had the distinct honor to educate and train colleges & universities, law enforcement agencies, victim advocates, and attorneys about the impact that sexual assault has on victims and survivors especially in marginalized communities. She is becoming the go to expert in this industry and has spoken on stages at Lehman College, RAINN, National Sexual Assault Conference, and many others.
SAAVE ME has also partnered with production company Jhene Productions to produce the upcoming documentary Silent No More which will be released in Fall of 2024. This documentary highlights childhood sexual abuse and its impact on communities of color.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Wow. There has been many that have been impacted by our cause at SAAVE ME. One story that comes to mind is when I was invited to speak at an Attorney General’s Conference, and I was sharing my story to a room full of legal and victim advocates. Upon finishing my speech, I was approached by an advocate who was in tears because it was the first time she had ever felt seen and heard. This advocate shared that she was a sexual assault survivor who has been silent for the last 13 years and that my story resonated so deeply with her that she found the courage to decide that it was time to heal. It was in that moment that I was on the right path and that I was creating a safe space for victims and survivors of sexual assault to feel seen and heard.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Absolutely. The three things that come to my mind when I think about ways that the community/society/politicians can do to help address the root cause of sexual assault are
- Start by believing all victims and survivors of sexual assault: We must get rid of our implicit biases and prejudices that makes us question whether someone has been sexually assaulted. These biases and prejudices are causing more harm than good.
- More trauma informed and culturally sensitive training and education is needed: Sexual assault prevention is not one size fits all. We must understand the cultures and the communities in which we are servicing. This includes making sure that we are hiring individuals that represent those cultures and communities as well as addressing the barriers and complexities that come with those cultures and communities.
- Survivor Centered Services are Necessary: Our approach to servicing survivors of sexual assault is all wrong. Survivors are the experts. We should be incorporating their voices, ideas, and thoughts into our services. We should be making sure that our policies, services, and procedures align with the needs and wants of the survivors we are servicing.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership to me means becoming a person who isn’t afraid to go against societal norms. This person is one that doesn’t mind ruffling feathers and being unique. A leader is one that puts the needs of their employees or team before their own. He/she is a strategic collaborator. He/she knows and understands that the company is only as strong or as weak as its team.
When I think of some of the leaders that I admire like Tarana Burke, Ava DuVernay, & Shonda Rhimes just to name a few, I think of women leaders who weren’t afraid to challenge the norms of their industries. They weren’t afraid to be both visionaries and revolutionaries in their industries. They changed the narratives of what has been done and created a path for new and innovative ideas and approaches to business. To me, this is what true leadership looks like.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Clearly identify what you want to do and what you want to be known for. This is so important because it will help you to lay the foundation for a successful business.
2 . Pivoting is part of the process. Every successful company you see today has had to pivot for the company to continue to grow and be successful. It is okay to pivot.
3 . Know the difference between an adjustment and a pivot. Just because something is not working doesn’t mean it’s time to pivot. It could mean that it is time to make an adjustment. An adjustment is making a small tweak to the original plan. A pivot is completely changing the direction and plan of your business.
4 . Know the difference between your target audience, ideal client/customer, and your dream client/customer. Your target audience is a group of people that need what you have to offer but may not be ready for what you have to offer. Your ideal client/customer is the person that you don’t mind working with if you had to work with him/her. Your dream client/customer is the person that you truly desire to work with and working with him/her will bring you fulfillment.
5 . Focus on the One. To be successful in life and business, it is important to identify the one area of focus, the one problem you want to solve, the one person who needs your solution, and the one solution or offer until it sticks. Remember, Confused Minds Don’t Buy.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
This is such a good question. If I could inspire a movement, I would inspire a movement that causes people to believe in themselves. Belief in oneself is such an amazing superpower to have because that means you are willing to do anything to see your dreams become reality. We live in a time where people want to be successful, but they are too afraid to go after their dreams. If more people start believing in themselves, we can really change the world.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have many but one of my favorites is by the late Myles Munroe who once said “The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”
This quote is a daily reminder for me to continue work hard to turn my dreams into reality on this side of heaven. I am a firm believer that I don’t have to wait until I die to see my dreams come to pass. It can happen while I am still alive.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
This is a hard one because there’s so many. If I had to choose, I would say Tarana Burke who is the founder of the MeToo Movement. I would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with her because she inspired me to create SAAVE ME and to really use the power of my story and voice to bring more awareness to the impact that sexual assault has on victims and survivors especially in marginalized communities.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Absolutely, You can find me on social me at Leah M. Forney. Check out my website at www.leahmforney.com and check out my podcast, Hey Queen, Thrive! Wherever you listen to your podcast.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Leah M Forney of SAAVE ME Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.