The Author, the Speaker, The Blogger & Event Planner Extraordinaire
Stephanie C. White is a Motivational Speaker, the Author of “A Thousand Miles in My Shoes”, a blog writer with “The Savvy Event Guru” and CEO and Owner of Stephanie White Events LLC, located in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Stephanie C. White has made several footprints in this world and she continues to make extraordinary Boss Moves. With TV show appearances on “Great Day Washington”, “Good Morning Washington” and “Let’s Talk Live with Julie Wright”, Radio appearances, and more, Stephanie C. White is a pioneer in and around the Washington, DC region. 2017 TV Appearance on “Great Day Washington
Some would say that Stephanie’s life is on top, but little do they know things did not start out that way.
The Early Years: A Maryland Native, born in Crisfield, MD, raised in a town called Salisbury, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Stephanie C. White was the middle child of 3 girls born from her mother and father. Tragedy struck the White Family on October 28, 1987, where as Stephanie’s Mother and older sister were killed by a drunk driver. Stephanie’s younger sister Brittany, will later succumb from her injuries from the accident at age 15. Stephanie, survived the accident, walking away with a broken leg and a concision. With the help of her dad and other family members, she began her new normal life journey without her mother and sister, trying to maneuver through life, not only as a young girl, but later as an adult. Stephanie’s Mother, older Sister and baby Stephanie
“I often wondered why God left me here on this earth and took my mother and sisters instead.” Maybe God didn’t want my dad to be lonely. Maybe there are things in life that I am supposed to learn that I have not learned yet. I spent a lot of time in my life pondering on what my purpose in life is.”
There is Purpose in Your Pain “Growing up I had many struggles. I moved from home to home and unfortunately these moves did not create the stability that I needed as a young girl growing up.”
At age ll, 6 years after Stephanie’s mother died, she was taken away from her father and put in the Foster Care System. “Half of the time I couldn’t tell you how I survived, all I knew how to do was to keep moving and trust the process.”
“I struggled with low self-esteem, I struggled with the scars on my body from the accident. Even today at age 39, I still try to hide the scar on my face. I struggled with my identity. What I mean is that I didn’t know who I was. I only knew who I thought I should be. It was a whole new world for me when I discovered who I was and when I discovered that it was okay to be myself.”
How was your life at this time?
“At this time in my life, my life was all over the place, I didn’t realize that there was purpose in my pain. I didn’t realize that God would use my pain to help others. I didn’t realize that the crying and rocking back and forth I used to do as a child and as teenager would be something that would continue from time to time in my adult life. That same little girl who cried for her mother would use this same story to comfort someone else who lost their mother as well.”
What fueled you to push through in your life?
“I used my pain to fuel me. I used my pain to push myself to limits that I never thought I would make. I used my pain to push my business and create opportunities for myself. I used my pain to get ahead in life.”
Education was my escape: In 2005 Stephanie earned a BS in Business Administration from The University of Maryland Eastern. In 2010 she then graduated with a Master’s Degree in Management from the University of Maryland University College, now UMGC and later in 2017 she earned an Event Planning Certificate from IAP University.
THE MAKING OF A BRAND: In the Summer of 2006 Stephanie, started her own business Stephanie White Events, LLC in the Washington, DC Metro area after coordinating her first Wedding Event. Stephanie recognized her passion for planning events and catering to brides and grooms, after working at Martin’s Crosswind’s in Greenbelt, MD from 2005-2008. Stephanie was a Bridal Hostess. “I liked it so much that this would be something I would do for free”.
“My Pain and Drive in life Allowed me to Create Opportunities for my business” In January 2013 Stephanie White put on her first Bridal Education Workshop called “Educating Brides and Brides-to-be on Everything Wedding” and she has continued the annual event for several years. This event now goes by the name “The Spring Wedding Extravaganza” and over time Stephanie has added a Fashion Show component to her events.
Creating More Opportunities: In 2014 Stephanie coordinated and organized a Fundraiser Gala for Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Brain injury team. She created this Fundraiser Gala as a way to give back to the organization and Rehabilitation Center that had helped her sister. This event was a way to honor the life of her sister Brittany. Brittany, was a patient in their Brain Injury department at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the 1980’s right after the car accident. Stephanie also put this event on again in 2019.
There is Purpose in My Pain In April 2018 Stephanie published her first book, a memoir about her life called “A Thousand Miles in my shoes” One Woman’s Journey from A Shattered Life to An Authentic Self-Discovery”. “With this book about my life, I want to help others whether it be male of female, overcome a life of hardship, loss and pain.” In this book I speak about my journey of having low self-esteem to moving into a life of purpose to include finding my authentic self. This journey was and is not easy but through it all I have learned to love myself, embrace my purpose, be of service more to others and to be grateful for my journey.”
GOOD MORNING WASHINGTON, “Motivation Monday” June 2018
My Service to Others: “We are not here for Ourselves but for Others” -Stephanie C. White
“My drive to help others has often times led me to organized holiday drives for food, clothes, and toys for a local Shelter called Sarah’s House, in Fort Meade MD, a Catholic Charity organization.”
“My Motivation to write more after publishing my first book, drove me to begin a blog in 2019 called The Savvy Event Guru. Where I later landed a monthly segment on “The Renee’ Allen and Friends Show”. With this blog I have been fortunate to travel to Fashion Show events, charity events, capturing photos, videos and stories of each event.
Collaborations & More: Through her work with her business, Stephanie White Events, her book and her blog, The Savvy Event Guru, Stephanie has connected and collaborated with over 100’s of people and business owners in the Washington, DC, Maryland, Northern VA areas as well as the Dallas, TX Metro and New York areas, to include Organizations such as The Stamped School of Modeling, We Will Survive Cancer, The American Veterans Ball, Taste of The Runway, Proof Modeling Agency, The Purple Runway, etc.
My Shift to Motivational Speaking: The Motivation Speaking journey for me started many years ago, when I began speaking and working with young girls and working and organizing workshops at local shelters. “I believe that what we go through in life is not necessarily for us but to help us help others.”
In October 2021 Stephanie began working with the MADD organization, Mothers against drunk driving, where she volunteers with the VIP Impact Panel Event. In June of 2022 Stephanie began speaking as one of the volunteers on the Impact Panel with MADD, telling her story, in hopes to encourage others to not drink and drive.
I live for my Mother and Sisters! “A lot of what I do in life, I feel that I do, not only for my mother who never made it past age 28, but also for my older sister who never made it past age 7 and my baby sister who never made it past age 15. I live for them. I live for them because they were never given the chance to live their lives.
What does that look like? And what does that mean?
“What this means is that I do the things in my life that I want to do, whether that be, travel the world, go to a movie, donate my time for a great cause or go visit a friend that may need me. It means, looking at my life bigger than what I have looked at it before.” “Some may think that this would create pressure for me, but it does not. It makes life much more worth living, knowing that I am doing things in life that allow me to live my life to the fullest. Though I can not see them, I know my family is with me every step of the way. “
What do you think when you hear the words “purpose driven life”? What does that mean to you?
“When I hear the words “Purpose Driven”, though the title of an already published book, I think of someone that is destined to be here, someone who despite the tragedies in life and the mishaps and start overs, this person is supposed to be here and though I feel sad at times because of so much lost, I know that God has a purpose in my life and what better way to honor the lives of the family members I lost, then to live a life driven by purpose. I was blessed with a strong family that stepped in to help raise me when my dad was not able to continue the job. God blessed me with great Social Workers, a great foster mother and a great family. My situation could have been a lot different and I take nothing that I have been blessed with for granted.”
What motivates you to keep moving?
“What motives me to keep moving is knowledge of “That I am still here and there is still more for me to do”. I sat on my couch the other day and thought to myself “Stephanie you are 1 month shy of your 40th birthday and you are still here”! “ I am still here God, you still have purpose for me”. I got a little sad, thinking about those who didn’t make it to age 39. I then began to think about the things in life that I have been fortunate to do and the things in life that I still want to do and have not done. Despite the fact that I am a lot older than my 5 year self who lost her mother and older sister in 1987, the little girl in me still misses the memories I could have made with me family.”
“I never once imagined that my life would be what it is today. I can’t say that I was one of those little girls who said “I want to grow up and be a Business Owner or an Author, or Travel to different cities to cover different stories.” Life just happened and as I journeyed through, God used other people on my journey to get me to where He wanted me to be.
“People say that it’s better to look at the Glass “Half Full instead of Hall Empty” and for a while I never truly understood what that meant. Today I have a better understanding that this phrase means to look at the positive side of things instead of the negative side.”
What’s Next for Stephanie C. White: “Hmm I have a lot of upcoming projects that I am working on. I have a few fall fundraising events I want to do. “I am also working on a 2nd book. I won’t give it away, but just know I am working on my 2nd book. ” 😊 I have a couple other collaborations that I am working on with some business owners as well. So we are pretty busy over here and I have a lot to look forward to in my days to come.”
Photo by Ms. Jackie Hicks, Make-up by Ms. Letitia Thornhill
