A visionary charting her own path
Many years ago, an uneventful day turned into an exceptional one when I met Ann Marie Bryan. From the moment I met her, I could tell this was no ordinary lady. We worked together for a few weeks, and I remember vividly how she empowered me with one sentence that has never left my mind. Over the years, she has demonstrated leadership skills, been a role model and mentor to women and girls, advocated for positive social change, and given her time and talent to the community—all done with passion, dedication, and integrity.
Picture yourself sitting by a lake enjoying nature and watching the swans in all their grace and glory. Beneath all that grace, there is hard work taking place, but all you will ever see is the gracefulness that is displayed above. Ann Marie is like that swan: a multi-talented woman of God, a woman of beauty and grace personified; forever gliding around with a smile and always ready with an edifying word. Her favorite phases are, “Look at you, I knew you could do it,” “When you can’t see God’s hand, trust His heart,” and “Stay victorious.”
It’s our pleasure to turn the spotlight on Ann Marie, our Editor-in-Chief. Her journey serves as an inspiration and a strong reminder to pursue your goals relentlessly. Read on to learn more about our unique trailblazer.
VBD: Tell us about you and how you got started in business.
ANN MARIE: I am an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and writing consultant, with more than a decade of experience providing top-notch literary services and innovative personal and professional development solutions to clients. I come from a line of educators, so I began teaching mathematics as early as middle school. For a period, I assisted my community by teaching adult literacy classes in reading, mathematics, and English. After college, I entered the field of human resource management where professional development became a part of my job responsibilities. My creativity fuels my enthusiasm not only for training but also for writing. I’m the Editor-in-Chief of VBD Magazine, Managing Editor of VIP Global Magazine, and former Editor-in-Chief of Purpose Driven Women Magazine. In addition, I am a Christian Fiction author who writes to inspire and empower others.
In 2010, I felt a push to start a business, and with that, Victorious By Design (VBD) was established to deliver top quality writing services, comprehensive personal and professional development programs, and exceptional performing arts services to meet the unique needs of individuals and organizations. As Founder and CEO of VBD, I use my extensive knowledge and experience in human resources, information technology, banking, and writing, to bring a well-rounded perspective when working with clients. Our clients are worldwide, and some have been featured in multiple media affiliates such as Huffington Post, Sheen Magazine, Forbes, Essence, Black Enterprise, Purpose Driven Women Magazine, VIP Global Magazine, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and FOX, just to name a few.
VBD: What challenges have you had to overcome while climbing the ladder of success?
ANN MARIE: My business is a natural flow for me because I get to impart knowledge while helping others fulfill their goals. There have been many moments of happiness, excitement, and peace. However, there have been growing pains between milestones. As challenges arise, I take full responsibility and stay on course. It has been an interesting journey to get where I am today. A journey, mostly, of learning to follow the footprints that God has laid out for me, of letting go of fear and wanting affirmation from others, and above all, learning to be my authentic self and to love me – the good, the bad, the quirks, and all. Today, I have not arrived, but I am working the gifts that God has deposited in me, and I am abiding in Him.
After getting out of my own way, I worked hard to achieve my goals and began reaping the rewards of a profitable business, and the joys of walking in purpose. I absolutely love walking in purpose and helping others connect with their purpose. Purpose brings significance, value, and stability to my life. As I walk in purpose, I recognize that I am at my best when I am helping to transform lives. It is a natural calling to encourage others to achieve personal excellence so they can live life to the fullest. Of course, there are many positives to walking in my purpose. The amazing thing is that God continues to multiply what I have surrendered to Him.
VBD: What services do you offer and why should someone work with you over the competition?
ANN MARIE: Victorious By Design was established to equip individuals and organizations with top quality writing services, innovative personal and professional development programs, and outstanding performing arts services. To break that down, we provide the following services – writing, editing, publishing, book promotion, and training programs for authors, individuals, and organizations. In addition, we train and hone the skills of participants in the performing arts. Our current focus is dance, and we offer dance classes for all ages. We promote creativity in individuals through a variety of artistic experiences and opportunities.
We are thankful for every person or organization that buys our products and utilizes our services. Our clients will always feel our superb customer service. Excellence is one of our core values so we never take on a project unless we can dedicate our time, expertise, and resources to it. Clients’ projects are managed by a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals to provide the highest quality of service. We listen to our clients’ needs and offer actionable advice to help them at any stage of their projects. Our goal is to light the path to our clients’ next level of unprecedented opportunities and success. Above all, we want our clients to be satisfied as we deliver final products that communicate their brands.
VBD: What’s your best advice for someone who desires to find success in life?
ANN MARIE: Success means something different to everyone. Consequently, my advice would be to define success, and then determine the best way to work purposefully towards achieving it. Be clear and specific about your goal so you can identify workable ways to fulfill it. Create an action plan and do something every day to move you toward your goal. Do research to obtain information on how you can best leverage your knowledge and abilities to fulfill your goal. Benchmark against the best in the area of your goal, nevertheless, be a trendsetter. Do not be afraid to break new ground. Don’t be overwhelmed by your lack of knowledge about a particular area of your goal. Select a person or organization to approach, who you believe has the knowledge or ability to help you succeed. Importantly, resolve in advance that you will pursue your goal until you succeed.
VBD: Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
ANN MARIE: As I indicated, success is an individual concept. Therefore, it’s important for me to determine my version of success as it is the key to living a fulfilling life. For me, success is both a goal and a journey. Success occurs when I’m walking in my purpose, serving others, and giving back to the world. That means, I’m using my knowledge, expertise, and resources to connect others to their purpose. Success means I’m on the right path and making a positive impact on my family, friends, relatives, business, and community.
VBD: What’s on the horizon?
ANN MARIE: VBD is expanding because of our growing clientele. We are in the process of creating online courses to keep up with our growth. We are super excited to have launched Victorious By Design (VBD) Magazine. We plan to establish more platforms to connect with readers and authors so we will be launching book clubs and VBD’s Avid Reader’s Award program.
We believe in working together, exchanging ideas, and sharing resources. Therefore, VBD will assertively identify and foster collaborations with relevant innovative programs and form partnerships that can ultimately empower individuals, organizations, and communities to tackle a wide range of needs and concerns.
Click & Visit: https://www.victoriousbydesign.com
Click & Visit: annmariebryan.com
By Paula Hamilton
Copy Editor & Contributor
