101. Your Place of Pain Will Be Your Place of Rain: How God Uses Brokenness to Birth Breakthrough

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez—a certified transition and executive coach, podcaster, and founder of Confidently You. Gigi shares her compelling personal story of navigating significant life transitions across continents, careers, and identities, and how these experiences led her to a deeper understanding of purpose, resilience, and the power of coaching.

Gigi offers insight into her own journey, including raising a neurodivergent child, going through a divorce, and rediscovering herself after years of shaping her identity around others. With warmth and wisdom, she walks listeners through the importance of defining success for oneself, using language intentionally, and making room for healing. Whether you're navigating a life change or simply seeking clarity, Gigi’s story and strategies offer both encouragement and practical tools.

Meet the Guest: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez is the founder of Confidently You LLC, a certified life and executive coach, and the host of the Confidently You podcast. She is passionate about helping people embrace life transitions as opportunities for growth and intentional living. Drawing from her multicultural background and global career in public health and coaching, Gigi empowers others to reclaim their voice, values, and vision. Her work is grounded in authenticity, confidence, and resilience.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

• Transition as Transformation: Gigi believes transitions aren’t just events but opportunities to transform into who you’re becoming.

• Reclaiming Identity: After years of shaping her life around others, Gigi chose to ask: “What do I want?” That question changed everything.

• Language Matters: Words like “should” and “must” carry heavy energy. Reframing your language can shift your mindset.

• Redefining Success: It’s okay to pause and reassess what success looks like to you—especially if your definition no longer fits.

• Parenting with Purpose: Raising a neurodivergent child deepened Gigi’s empathy, patience, and commitment to coaching with compassion.

• Permission to Heal: You don’t need anyone’s approval to start your healing journey. Sometimes, the person you need permission from is yourself.

Connect with Bill:

• [email protected]

• www.brandingpillars.com

• www.brandingforresults.com

• IG - @wcellis

• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis

• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis

• Book: Women Who Won

Links for This Episode:

• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigikhonyongwafernandez

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gigi.khonyongwafernandez

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/yourjoyfinder/

Quick Episode Summary:

1. 0:00 Welcome and introduction to Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez
2. 2:15 Gigi’s global background: From the U.S. to London to Zambia and back
3. 5:45 Starting over after a divorce and why it led her to coaching
4. 9:30 Reclaiming identity after years of people-pleasing and shifting roles
5. 14:10 Redefining success: What it means when your old goals no longer fit
6. 17:50 On raising a neurodivergent son and how it reshaped her perspective
7. 23:30 Coaching as a calling: Helping others find clarity during their transitions
8. 27:45 The power of language in shaping mindset and confidence
9. 34:10 Advice for those feeling stuck: Start by asking "What do I want?"
10. 39:00 Final reflections: The point is to live intentionally and authenticall

Final Thoughts: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez’s story is a powerful reminder that life’s most uncertain moments can become the most transformational. Through her lived experience and coaching insights, she invites us to lean into discomfort, reframe our narrative, and confidently embrace our next chapter.