Hettie Brittz

I was born and raised in South Africa and married the man I fell in love with at first sight. He sang his way into my heart. It's been 30 years. We have three delightful children, and a wonderful son-in-law and daughter-in-law. We all live in Tennessee.

As an author, speaker, and life coach, I have the privilege of speaking into people's lives I the areas of personal, professional, and spiritual growth.

Many people have contributed to my life in their unique ways—each giving me permission, encouragement, and skills to live a purposeful life, sustained by a calling that I am becoming surer and surer of each year. These certainties include the firm knowledge that we are meant to be unique, that our uniqueness is a compass needle that points to our True North, that that North truly matters and that there is life, provision, overflow and generosity at that place, because when we operate there, it is God Himself who leads and teaches us to lead.

A few deeply humbling and life-altering experiences—the hardest two were possibly climbing Kilimanjaro and starting a new life in the USA in my late forties—have shaped me. The first "climb" tortured some of my worst characteristics out of me—those that are not helpful in either life or leadership; the second taught me the extent to which we are lost without a support structure that believes in our calling. These two things I want to do with a mixture of compassion and challenge: I want to be your sherpa while you climb your mountains, but also the sherpa that firmly refuses to let you remain stuck because you're not at Uhuru yet. (Kilimanjaro's peak is called Uhuru and means "freedom").

Let's become free together: free to be true to our DNA, free to allow others to be true to theirs, free to leave the part of the past that does not serve a purpose, free to grow, free to fail in the unimportant and temporary matters of life, and free to expect life to be tremendously meaningful!

"Know your design; live your purpose!"

A few random facts about me:

- I am not a "land animal" - I enjoy long-distance swimming more than running around the block - but I fell in love with hiking in 2011 when I joined 47 equally crazy ladies of the Freedom Climb (now called the Freedom Challenge) to climb Kilimanjaro to raise funds for initiatives against human trafficking.

- Maybe all women are complicated, but I may be particularly complex, unless it is normal to derive equal thrill from big game hunting and scrapbooking.

- My favorite author is Frederick Buechner

- I was a speech, language, and hearing therapist many years ago and loved working with special needs kids, voice patients, and adults with brain injury.

- Hot air balloons speak to me (long story!) and I finally got to ride in one in 2021!

My writing and speaking have a central theme—HOPE. I have never met a person or seen a relationship I don't have hope for. I don't believe in "permanently broken". And I have proof. Our family survived an armed robbery in our home in 2010, and I learned first-hand that He who is in us truly is greater than death threats, kidnapping, rape, and any other attempt to devastate those who are in Christ. It's one thing to know the Bible verses, but to experience God's redemption in our darkest night gave me a fierce love for Jesus. Fierce, because I feel I need to fight for others to know this, to know Him, to know truths that set free - forever and completely.

My core calling still is family and parenting, leadership, education, marriage, and womanhood (the themes of most of my books). I don't see this calling as six separate things at all. Whole and hopeful parents and educators raise whole and hopeful kids who can have fulfilling relationships and lead the world. See? One thing!

Tall Trees Profiles is a company that grew out of my original ministry—Evergreen Parenting—and extends parenting principles and knowledge of temperament into the corporate sphere. My team and I have trained more than 300 coaches to take these principles, workshops, leadership profiles and courses to families, churches, schools and companies internationally. Seeing others carry my dream for whole relationships beyond my own circle of influence is one of the greatest joys of my life! Their giftedness and passion have added great significance to what would have been insignificant if it was just me doing my own thing. The Body is a beautiful, powerful force! Join us if you are all about relationships! You can find all about it at talltreestraining.com

The Emotional Intelligence Activator is another piece of my passion for growth. It is a tool, a membership, a movement! Have a look at eiactivator.life

I guess besides "God has hope for you" my main motto would be "Know your design; live your purpose!"

If you're still curious or would like to connect professionally, here is my linktree: www.linktr.ee/HettieBrittz