Kat Kelly – When I first met Val Walton, we were working in admin roles at a direct marketing agency outside of Atlanta. It was back in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s when you could still find that “family feel” in some smaller work environments and because the company we worked for was a family owned and operated, they tried to bring each of us into that vibe. It wasn’t always successful, but you understood what the team was going for.
Val was direct. You always knew where you stood. She took her work seriously and made the place more fun.
Over the years, she and I have been able to stay in touch via social media. Many years have gone by between our touchpoints, but we have always been cheerleaders for one another.
One of the biggest things I have long admired about her is her commitment to her faith. She has gone through a lot of change and adversity and her faith has always seemed unshakeable. So, when we connected over a Facebook post and made time to chat, her journey to her now was so amazing I thought it would be great to have her as our anchor piece for the launch of Leaning Into Faith/Faith Forward.
Because Val’s journey is so powerful, I asked her to join in on #5KeyQuestions, and lucky for us, she said yes and picked her fave four questions.
So, what can we learn from her wisdom?
VXT: You shared with me an amazing, almost perfect alignment to getting to where you are today. How do you know when you need to sit and float in a moment versus pushing or trying to force movement?
Val: At this stage in my life, I have found that sitting still and also going with the flow of the moment has served a greater benefit and blessing in my life. In the past when I tried pushing or force movement it never worked out for me.
VXT: For a person of faith who is maybe struggling with life’s challenges, what advice would you give on how to know when God is speaking directly to them?
Val: For me, I remember that the Bible says the God speaks in a still, calm voice. So I get still in my spirit and settle my nerves and allow God to speak. Sometimes it’s like a verbal voice, sometimes it comes from a conversation with someone else, or it may be in something that I read or see online that speaks to the situation that I am going through and helps me make the right decision.
So, I would always suggest that when you’re going through difficult times or don’t know what to do the answer sometimes comes when you’re helping other people. In helping others, you can find the answers to what you need as well. So, take the focus off the situation, put it on God. Helping someone else or just being still allows God to speak into your life and give you the answer you need right when you need it.
VXT: How does your faith help guide you outside of your professional self?
Val: My faith has always guided me in my life since I was a young girl. A good example of that is I am currently in a new relationship, and before I entered into it I was so focused on my professional self that I didn’t allow any time or room for love to come in my life. I started to hear God speak about me opening my heart and mind and this wonderful man came into my life. I know that my heart is safe with God so I can follow him wherever he leads me whether it be professional or personal.
VXT: What do you hope is next for you in your professional journey?
Val: Next steps for me, professionally in the TV and film industry is to become a producer. I have a lot to learn in but working in payroll gives me the advantage of being able to negotiate contracts with the cast and crew; which is needed to become a producer. It will also stretch me creatively as I think of projects that I may want to work on.
Stay tuned the best is yet to come….
Kat Kelly is the founder of Vexteo Media Group. She and Val Walton have known each other for almost two decades and she’s grateful for Val for sharing a bit about how she leans into faith.
Photo Source: Aaron Burden, @aaronburden, via Unsplash.
