Choose to Awaken with the WUE Nation!

On March 29, 2020, Spirit of A Woman, LLC, launched the Wake Up Everybody (WUE) Virtual series in partnership with community healers, thought leaders, coaches, medical and mental health professionals, educators and artists from across the nation. WUE was created to provide community members, from across the country and abroad, with an opportunity to keep their mental, emotional,  physical and spiritual well beings balanced and whole as they navigated the impact of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 global health crisis. 

WUE was  originally designed as a 30 day offering that would provide “temporary” covering and support for participants until the quarantine period ended, however, the producers and community members quickly realized that the WUE journey would last much longer than they originally anticipated. 

The series was created by Shawnee Benton Gibson, CEO, of Spirit of A Woman (SOW) Leadership Development Institute, who was inspired by the lyrics of the song  “Wake Up Everybody” by Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The song, which was popular in the 70s, speaks of issues that we are still glaringly relevant today; (racism, war, poverty, sickness, political strife, corruption, etc). The WUE Virtual series was designed to “WAKE UP” the masses by providing empowering messaging, holistic healing tools, guidance for daily living and strategies for addressing the injustices, pain and imbalance that exists in the world. 

All of the “Wake Up Everybody” sessions take place 5 days a week (every Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 7:00am - 8:30am EST and every Monday and Wednesday from 7:00am -7:30am EST.) over Zoom and Facebook Live. Every session is facilitated by powerful and prolific presenters from various backgrounds and areas of discipline. Each facilitator guides participants through an interactive experience that fosters education, conversation, new insights, empowerment  and expansion. 

The WUE Family invites you to join our phenomenal community so that you can share, heal and grow as part of the collective. You are free to join as a community participant, as a session facilitator and/or a member of the admin team to support the magic that happens behind the scenes. We hope to hear from you. 

Sunday, June 22nd - "Let The Gospel Music Move You"

Facilitated By: Kyiesha Coachman

In this session, we’ll use the healing and uplifting power of gospel music to guide intentional body movements that restore energy, release tension, and reconnect us to Spirit. As the music lifts your soul, let your body respond—sway, stretch, stomp, and surrender. This is more than movement; it’s a sacred activation of joy, freedom, and alignment through sound, spirit, and self.

Monday, June 23rd - "AI Automation For The Busy Entrepreneur"

Facilitated By: Zuri Lyons

Join Writer and Developer, Zuri Lyons, as she demonstrates simple automation using Make.com. Many people have shared that they feel a little uneasy about the wild world of money, markets, and mysterious things like Bitcoin. So if you’ve felt this way too, know that you are not alone—and it’s not too late to get clear, confident, and future-ready!

Tuesday, June 24th - "E.N.H.A.N.C.E." Expecting More From Your Relationships, by Expecting More From Yourself"

Facilitated By: Rev. Asim L.F. Shannon

This session invites us to take an inside-out approach to enhancing our relationships—focusing on self-reflection rather than blame. Too often, it's easier to point to what others are doing wrong instead of looking inward to uncover the beliefs, habits, and patterns that may be shaping our experiences. Together, we’ll explore how healing, deepening, and transforming our connections with others begins with the work we do within ourselves. Expect courageous inquiry and powerful tools for personal growth that ripple into every relationship you hold.

Wednesday, June 25th - "Rise and Align:  Today's the Day to Reclaim Power, Presence, and Possibility"

Facilitated By: Kamau Ptah

In this transformative session, we’ll explore how inner vision and personal frequency shape the way we experience each day. By aligning with our authentic power and purpose, we activate the presence and possibility already within us. Today is not just another day—it’s the day to rise with intention, reclaim our narrative, and embody the truth of who we are becoming. Let this be your call to alignment, activation, and unapologetic presence.

Thursday, June 26th - "WUE Men We See You" 

Facilitated By: Katherine Sweetness Jennings

In this session, we will honor and uplift the presence of the men in our WUE community. This is a moment to celebrate the brilliance, strength, and thoughtfulness that our brothers bring. Join us as we acknowledge their impact and extend an open invitation for more men to join this growing circle of thinkers, healers, and leaders. 

Our Facilitators!   

Kyiesha Coachman is a dedicated community member who loves to volunteer and support those in need. She is also an Army Veteran and civil service employee who specializes in logistics and the supply chain. Most importantly, she is a daughter and mother to two beautiful daughters. 

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Zuri Lyons is a systems designer, developer, and writer who helps entrepreneurs, founders, and creatives work smarter through automation, digital solutions, and engaging, insightful writing. With a background in software engineering and almost two decades in HR and change management, she brings both technical expertise and human-centered insight to everything she builds.

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Rev. Asim L.F. Shannon, the Founder and Servant Leader of “Ade Insights Ministries”, has served as the Assistant Pastor of the St.Paul Community Baptist Church from Oct 16, 2016 to January 31, 2018. This coming after a 20 yr journey as a licensed minister, a 15yr journey as a consecrated Elder, and a 10 journey as an ordained clergyman. The process of this man of God has not been without major sacrifices, struggle, questioning, grappling with the call on his life and within himself. Choosing to leave a very secure career as a NYC Correction Officer to answer his call into ministry, after serving 12 1/2 yrs in the Department of Corrections, was a serious turning point in his life of faith. Scared, but open. Uncertain, but trusting. Insecure, but willing. Ridiculed, but ready. Untested, but rightly positioned. So many opportunities before him, and so much security left behind. He welcomed the challenge of faith. Along the journey mistakes were made, goals were accomplished, people were blessed and his life was being transformed all along the way.

The lessons that were and that are still being learned has informed and shaped his theology and spiritual formation. The lessons have translated into sermons, teaching sessions, insightful counseling, and a profound assessments of life and ministry that's led him beyond the walls of a building and into the hearts of Gods people found in prisons, schools, funeral homes, home gatherings, etc. Rev Shannon shares with unapologetic transparency and lives from a place of intimacy with God, that shows up as "into me see" ( this is Rev. Shannon's own definition of intimacy) he believes that God always sees him fully and completely, and loves him unconditionally. Therefore why spend your life hiding who you are in God, from the people you've been called to serve. His motto is; "Faithfulness to God, willingness to grow through struggle and walking in humility eventuates to elevation in Ministry and life. This is his story and his song.

His favorite passage of scripture is Ecc. 7:15-18 and this passage simply suggest to him; " Balance is key in ones spiritual quest".

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Husband, father, educational leader, teacher, traveler, drummer, scribe, author, practitioner of indigenous wisdom teachings and healing modalities are several terms that have been appropriately assigned to characterize Kamau Ptah. For 32 years, Kamau has been a custodian and a practitioner of the rites of passage system of transformative teaching and learning.

For 29 years, Kamau has been a custodian and a practitioner of the rites of passage system of transformative teaching and learning.  Earning his BA from Hampton University in History/Social Science and Education and his master’s degree in School Administration from Cambridge College; Kamau currently serves as a nationally renowned  consultant, who specializes in rites of passage, healing centered engagement, indigenous spiritual technology, culturally relevant practices,  transformational disciplines, affirmative development, identity formation and restorative practices.   Kamau is the founder and Executive Director of Akoben Enterprise Through a network of elders, healers, artists, cultural custodians, educators, business people and leaders, the work of Akoben Enterprise is a commitment of service to the ideals of identity restoration through transformational disciplines and the rites of passage practice.

Kamau was also a co-founder of the Urban Assembly Academy of History and Citizenship for Young Men (the first all-male school in New York City since the 1960s and the first that established a formalized rites of passage practice within a public-school setting).  Additionally, he was the co-founder of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color’s Sankofa Passages program, which infused the rites of passage practice within 7 schools in the city of Philadelphia. 

Through the study and facilitation of rites of passage experiences and indigenous community building technologies, Kamau has established a creative style of leadership that is appropriate for stimulating the holistic development of educators and youngsters, hence awakening the sensibilities and intelligences to address the current challenges in educating and socializing our future.   

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K.Sweetness Jennings, born in Queens New York, attended SUNY College at Old Westbury, York College and eventually obtained her BA in Sociology from the College of New Rochelle of New Resources, Rosa Parks Campus in Harlem. She is a Credentialed Alcohol Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), with 15 years of experience.

Her final pursuit of higher education took place at New York Theological Seminary to get a Master of Professional Studies. Her working experience has been in residential treatment and detox short term programs in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. K. Sweetness also has experience with the mentally ill and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) population.

While attending higher education to get the letters behind her name and working full-time, she also engaged in prison ministry during her membership at the Presbyterian Church of St. Albans and Springfield Gardens United Methodist Church. She is a proud alumnus of the College and Community Fellowship program based in Harlem, NY where her passion for writing poetry was ignited. She is currently working on her memoir.

The K. Sweetness brand was established after completing a woman’s empowerment program, "Be The Tree" Rites of Passage Program for Women in January 2023 where she declared “Creating balance while powering in my peace” as her brand. Her purpose in this season of her eventful life is to, “embrace her divine destiny by being peaceful, extending love and grace; one healthy relationship at a time”. She believes her passion and education will assist her with living her purpose out loud and intentionally.

Upon the completion of the "Be The Tree" Program with Spirit of A Woman LLC., she is officially a Cycle Breaker while also being labeled a seeker and change agent. Her motto’s are:

“Never allow others to do more for me then I am willing to do for myself”
“To be fully dressed I must put on a smile.”
“If I decide to pray there is no need to worry.”