I'm Charlena
An accredited life and business coach, writer, and founder of Grit & Virtue.
My passion is found in helping you on your journey of becoming who you were created to be, while living out your mission with clarity, conviction and confidence.
My Story
As a multi-ethnic woman, with Puerto Rican, African American and Irish descent, I love salsa dancing, soul food, and surrounding myself with different cultures.
Raised in a broken, yet loving, home by a teenage single mother had its challenges. Seeing her dependence on God, became foundational. Being confronted with the absence of a father later led to a relationship restored and hope in the power of reconciliation. Being surrounded by brokenness showed me the importance of wholeness. Seeing the grit and strength that is needed to push forward in the midst of adversity has shaped me into the person I am today.
I’ve been married to Roberto, the sugar in my latte, for 13 years. Although, we’ve been journeying together for over 20 years it feels like we’re just getting started. We met in Philadelphia, relocated and worked in San Francisco, lived in beautiful Colorado and now raising our family in our motherland of Puerto Rico. He has been the number one supporter of my dreams.
We have two babies, Genesis and Hope, who are both in heaven. After a long infertility journey, we were honored to meet and now raise our rainbow baby girl Alani Lujah born in October 2019. Her name means beautiful praise, and she is mommy’s Hallelujah! The journey of carrying Alani Lujah required me to trust the Father with my whole heart. It’s only by God’s grace, I was able to carry her to full-term with peace and not fear. Every day she brings us so much joy and I’m honored to be her mother.
Current Goals
Sparking Joy
Organizing my home and learning how to finally fold clothes thanks to Marie Kondo.
Even Eyebrows
The struggle is so real. Ain’t no body got time for perfection, micro-blading keeps calling me.
Meal Prepping
I should’ve started this 10 years ago. Finally, I get to forget about what’s for dinner!
Career and Business
If you’re anything like me, discovering your career path was, or currently is, more like climbing up an unfamiliar ridge riddled with loose boulders than a walk in the park. Trust me, I’ve been there.
As I began navigating my career, I struggled with trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I worked in the medical field, non-profit ministries, and some odd jobs in between my studies. I also changed my major like a girl who changes her shoes. However, after gaining work experience I was led into the arena of business.
I went on to complete my studies and earned my degree in business and marketing. Although the path began to crystalize, it still wasn’t well defined. That’s when I was introduced to the world of professional coaching through the International Coaching Federation. I was immediately intrigued. This industry aligned to my core desires, passions and values.
Soon thereafter, I became a certified coach with a focus in Positive Psychology and then launched my coaching business in Silicon Valley, where I helped people become more resilient, integrate their faith and work, and ultimately live more fulfilling lives. My roots began to run deep into the power of coaching and the ability it has to help people achieve their goals.
Then, everything in my career journey came to a pinnacle moment. In 2014, I began to unveil the conviction I had in my heart for many years. The conviction was to help women become who they were created to be so that they can do what they’ve been called to do. The vision was grand, something beyond myself. After tons of prayer, discernment, and advice, I launched Grit & Virtue in 2015.
At the core of it all, I hope to live and help others live a life that is lead by truth, not fear, and growth, not comfort.
The Genesis of G&V
The journey for helping women started almost a decade ago through my personal coaching practice.
After a few years of coaching women, I began to notice unfortunate patterns and challenges. I couldn’t shake what I was noticing. More and more women felt alone in their pursuit of personal and professional development.
They struggled to walk confidently knowing their true identity. They were filled with anxiety, fear and overwhelm. They had a longing for purpose in their work but couldn’t find it. They felt exhausted and stressed with the trajectory of their lives.
In the spring of 2014, I found myself at one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. Surrounded by a canopy of beautiful redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Father was brewing something up inside of me, and I was eager to learn more. Supernaturally, all of the challenges I knew women were carrying became very tangible.
An unshakeable conviction then began to emerge in me as those challenges clearly laid before me.
I then began to sense a heavenly invitation. A new adventure. It would require more faith and more courage. It was beyond myself. Beyond my single ability.
At that very moment, Grit & Virtue was seeded in my heart.
After a few months of prayer, discernment, and confirmation, we launched the beginnings of Grit & Virtue in 2015.
With our new vision in sight, we started with one simple action – getting our message out into the world. Traction happened immediately, and our tribe emerged with a desire for more.
Instead of immediately going to market with products and services, we took on a posture of learning and serving. We wrote countless articles, emails, and created resources. We also spent most of that time listening to their hearts and their needs.
We launched two in-depth surveys, where more than 3,000 participants allowed us to ask questions about their biggest struggles. We also sat with many women to dive into deep conversations that centered around various topics such as family, vocation, spirituality, and more.
The findings were both eye-opening, and yet encouraging. We knew the journey ahead of us wouldn’t be easy, but we knew that our mission mattered. We’ve soaked in our new learnings, and carry them with us every step of the way.
Since then, we’ve grown in our roots and in our reach. Currently, we engage with over 100k women on a daily basis.
Ultimately, we have designed all of our products and future services to help women live well, and whole, in every season of life.
