For this edition of our “Member Spotlight” blog series, we sat down with Domestic Abuse Counselor and Inspirational Speaker Sarah Gallardo, and learned about the inspiring work she is doing in the region to bring awareness to domestic abuse.

Sarah is the founder of Sarah Speaks Up, a charitable organization that raises awareness about domestic abuse while also seeking to educate, comfort, and empower victims. She was recently awarded the “Margo Dydek Award for Inspiring Women” by the Connecticut Sun and filmed her acceptance interview here at reSET.

Why did you decide to found Sarah Speaks Up?

“A series of events led me to be in a domestic violence relationship myself. So, although I was only married to that man for three years, the span of abuse lasted almost ten years. Even after we were divorced, it still continued. For me, I needed a support group. I needed to work on me. That’s a lot of what I teach. I’m not here to fix or change or teach the abuser. That’s not my focus. My focus is on the victim and helping them grow themselves so that they are not susceptible to being in a relationship like that. The easiest answer is because I was there.”

When did you realize that you had the power to make this happen?

“I found that there was a lack of understanding that women were feeling. They didn’t feel entirely understood by someone who just went to school for counseling. They even have to explain those subtle nuances about why they stay. There was a slight disconnect. So I felt like I could easily bridge that gap. I was in a support group and the woman who was running it moved away. In the meantime, she was kind of grooming me to take over and I didn’t know. At the time she said, ‘I just saw something in you. You started to give advice in group rather than coming with your own complaints anymore’. In doing that, the general progression was I became the support group counselor. I wrote a poem about my experiences and that poem got to someone who wanted me to be in a film at the Prudence Crandall Center. It sort of snowballed from there. It took its own life. I took a year hiatus to grow my organization, to work on a book, and to work on my public speaking.”

How has it been writing a book?

“Right now what I’m doing is vignettes. So, every Wednesday is my chapter writing day. I must finish a chapter every Wednesday and hopefully that will help me get to my end goal. I want to focus more on the empowerment in the book. I don’t want it to be just my story. Not to take from other people who have done that, but it’s a tough read. And this is part of my whole message. This is my brand, Sarah Speaks Up. I don’t stay in that woe is me place. I’m not gonna sit in the victim’s seat. If I can pull as many people with me as I can, then that’s the direction we are going.”

How is Sarah Speaks Up active in the area?

“I do speaking engagements and speak at the Prudence Crandall Center twice a month. As part of my organization, I think it’s important to give back to the domestic violence shelters. Our goal is sustainable funding there. My goal is to embolden and empower victims to exit that mind space and step into this flourishing place of life. The speaking is peppered throughout my work. I have this trifecta: the book will be something they hold in their hand, the speaking can reach people on an actual vocal level, and the foundation is more social media, outreach events, and accessibility for those who need it.”

You have recently received recognition for your work? Tell me a little more about that.

“I was one of three women who received the ‘Inspiring Women’ Award from the Connecticut Sun. That was the biggest award I ever received and I did not even cultivate that. They found me out of the blue. I also just recently received another award from the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence that was previously called “The First 100 Men” up until this year, which I am so psyched about. They initially wanted to honor the first 100 men who had gone above and beyond for domestic violence. Just this year they opened it up for women to be nominated as well so I am honored to be a part of that.”

What attracted you to reSET and how have you benefitted from being a member?

“I found out about reSET through a friend. You basically understand the formula that is necessary for entrepreneurs to be successful and you provide for those needs. I have set up accounting and legal consultations through reSET. It’s like Burger King, “Have it Your Way.” I know I can count on you guys. If you don’t know what you need to do to take the next step, reSET can help and lead you on the right path. I love coming here!”

What initiatives and plans do you have on the horizon?

“I have been promoting my Facebook page and India has caught my social media page like wildfire. My grand goal would be to get to India and maybe speak there, do projects there. I want to help those women. They are in a really transitional time over there. And it’s just now that they are actually getting their own voice. I want to be the face or the voice for people that are not aware of these resources, shelters, etc. I want to put out there that I will also speak to any audience. People have asked me, ‘How do you feel you belong speaking in corporate? You don’t have a corporate message?’ I don’t. But what I do have is a human message. And if you look at the numbers, 1 in 3 women is affected by domestic violence or abuse in their life. If you think about how this can affect your productivity, corporate morale at work? I also think that the general message of strength and empowerment transcends domestic violence. You can fill in the blank with loss of a loved one, loss of a job, poor health, any kind of adversity. It’s almost the same formula no matter what it is. Everyone goes through adversity in life and everyone has a choice what they do about it.”

To connect more with Sarah, visit:

http://www.sarahspeaksup.org

https://www.facebook.com/SarahGallardoSpeaksUp/?fref=ts

http://sun.wnba.com/news/connecticut-sun-recognize-inspiring-women