When I approached Dr. Ja’net Bishop about being my Passionately Driven feature for this issue, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was passionate about helping others at the transitional pathways of their lives. After spending time interviewing her, I realized she was not only passionate about that, but she lives it, teaches it and displays it in every aspect of her life. This is not simply a career or “mission” for Ja’net, it is who she is and who she was destined to be.
Ja’net, the only daughter and oldest of three children, was born in New York City 56 years ago. She has two sons of her own. William II is a Probation Officer in Colorado and Matthew is a Respiratory Therapist in Virginia. Like their parents, both sons are military veterans. As a civilian, Ja’net enjoyed learning about health and wellness. She eventually joined the Army as an enlisted soldier and through training and education became a Finance Officer and Public Affairs Officer with the rank of Captain. Combined with her Army Reserve, National Guard, and Desert Storm Active Duty assignment she served in the U.S. Army for 18 years. During Army Basic Training, she met her husband William of 28 years, who also joined as an enlisted soldier and became an officer.
After their active military careers, Ja’net and her husband held positions in school systems. On May 16, 2016, Ja’net’s life changed as she never expected. Her husband, a middle school Assistant Principal, passed away in his sleep. In her transition and grief, she began to implement the seven dimensions of wellness: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Environmental, Social (relationships), Intellectual (life-long learning) and Occupational into her life. She realized that many people, especially those whom are military-connected, undergo some type of transition in their life. She began Boots to Breakthrough LLC primarily to help people become more resilient while dealing with life’s transitional stages.
Ja’net earned a Masters of Education degree in Guidance Counseling from Campbell University in North Carolina. This knowledge and insight led Ja’net to hold some wonderful positions and meet amazing people. At one point, she worked at an alcohol and drug abuse center and provided parenting training to moms so they could keep their children. Ja’net fiercely believes in community involvement and has worked with youth leadership, at-risk families, advocated for sexual assault victims and testified on their behalf in court cases. Eventually she fulfilled a long-held dream to earn her doctorate (Ed.D) degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University.
She’s served as Executive Director of the Augusta Child Advocacy which evolved into a career in education as a middle, high school, and alternative school counselor, helping students prepare for transitions in education and in life. As a rural high school principal, her teachers were recognized for students’ academic growth. Additionally, under her alternative school principalship, her school was recognized by the National Alternative Education Association (2013, 2014, and 2015) and the Georgia Association of Alternative Education (2015).
In December 2014, Ja’net published her first book titled, How Much Joy is in Your Journey: A Creative Guide to Your Fearless Vision available on Amazon. This book reignited her desire to transform her life through this transition and regain joy through her grief recovery process. In addition to being an author and military women advocate, Ja’net is a speaker. These experiences led to continued wellness education and professional growth for Ja’net. It’s evident that transition is her experience and how she serves others. As the oldest daughter, Captain in the Army, widow, mother, and entrepreneur – living a life of transitions – Ja’net has used all of her experiences to pursue professional growth, personal development, and overall well-being. She uses knowledge and wisdom to serve others.
Ja’net teaches about becoming resilient through wellness and achieving an improved quality of life. Her company, Boots to Breakthrough LLC, launched March 2018 to help people be relentless and accomplish their life’s goals based on the seven dimensions of wellness and live with more joy. As a result, Boots to Breakthrough was awarded a 2018 SCORE Veteran’s Business Grant and a finalist in the 2018 Women Veterans Alliance-Melissa Washington Small Business Award.
Ja’net knows firsthand about making plans, transitioning, and redesigning your life’s purpose when the rug has been pulled from under you. Ja’net shared, “In a conversation with my husband on Sunday”, he said, “keep next weekend clear… let’s plan our summer vacation.” At 52 years old, he died in his sleep that night. It is her desire and mission to share this knowledge of living your best life now and educate others to be resilient and enjoy your journey along the way through embracing all seven dimensions of wellness.
Ja’net’s passion for helping others at the transitional pathways of their lives spans miles. Right in her new hometown of South Carolina, Mayor Tecklenburg of Charleston appointed her as a Commissioner to his Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing. She also serves on the advisory board for the Vantage Point Foundation, which guides post 9/11 veterans who experienced wartime trauma and their families to healing and civilian success. She has created her military spouse coaching program, “Mission: I Am Possible,” and excitedly shared that Vantage Point is adopting the research-based seven dimensions of wellness as a new framework for their program’s services! Ja’net serves on the Executive Board of the National Alternative Education Association advocating for alternative schools in the United States. She’s a member of ROTARY-Charleston and has been invited by the American Red Cross to train as their Resiliency Facilitator, teaching resiliency and mindfulness workshops for pre-deployed and deployed military families. Additionally, she is a candidate to serve on the board of the YMCA-Metro Charleston.
With all of this, one may wonder what the future could possibly hold for Ja’net? Her resiliency training through Boots to Breakthrough (www.BootsToBreakthrough.com) provides (1) “Mission: I AM Possible” coaching program that clarifies a client’s purpose based on their character strengths; (2) “Breakthrough to Dimensions of Wellness” program which assesses, educates, and strategizes towards achieving a client’s goal in an identified dimension; and (3) workplace resiliency training to marginalize stress and burnout. Through her passionate local and national speaking engagements, workshops, online learning and retreats, Ja’net considers herself a Transition Strategist working with people to transform their lives through their transition and achieve a breakthrough. She brings a veteran’s leadership, a mother’s compassion, a widow’s heart and professional knowledge to any endeavor in which she is involved.
You can reach out to Ja’net at:
*Work Phone: (762)233-1118
*Email: dr.janet.bishop@gmail.com
*Website: www.BootsToBreakthrough.com
*FB: Boots To Breakthrough *LINKEDIn: Dr. Ja’net Bishop