Meet Ginger Terrell | Career & Business Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ginger Terrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ginger, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born into a military family to parents who literally lived and grew up on opposite coasts. My mother grew up near Seattle, WA and my dad grew up a few hours outside of Washington DC in Winchester, VA. We moved around quite a bit and while I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, my first memory is a little town called Culpepper, VA.

In 1978 my father moved us to Chattanooga, TN and I lived there until the end of 2021. I now reside just outside of Asheville, NC and love it. I call it the Pacific Northwest of the East Coast and find much solace and peace living in the mountains. I’m a PNW girl at heart and never tire of visiting my mother’s childhood home.
I believe the bicoastal influences left an indelible impression on my heart and soul. I love chasing beauty in all its forms from delicious food and wine to chocolate and coffee to oceans and mountains to culture and community to music and art to architecture and aesthetics and everything in between. My pallette for the beautiful and interesting is wildly vast and eclectic.

My religious and educational background was evangelical in an independent fundamental Baptist church and school. After graduating high school, completing some early college, and working in Corporate America and the service industry, I entered the world of business networking and referrals and was able to finally put a name to my superpower of connecting people.

It was during this phase of my career I discovered I had lots of questions about my upbringing and embarked on an educational journey which presented me with a variety of people, cultures, religions, political beliefs, and social constructs. I obtained my Associates from a secular college, my Bachelors from an evangelical non-denominational college, my MBA from an evangelical university and my M.A. in Theology & Culture from a liberal, progressive seminary.

The varied perspectives have challenged me and caused me to dig even deeper into my relationship with Jesus. I have emerged from a lifetime of legalism, rules, religiosity, Pharisaism, and an us-versus-them mentality to a new life of grace and love while providing a safe, open table for people to sit at where they feel heard, validated, and cared for regardless of any differences we may have.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The easiest way to answer these questions is to just share some honest background which has transformed me and my business at the very deepest levels.

I am a connector, disruptor, transformation seeker, amateur photographer, writer, and traveler. I love Jesus, music, beauty, gourmet food, and coffee. I’m an empathetic listener of people’s stories and am able to connect with people at the deepest levels of their hearts and souls.

My work experience spans several industries to include Business Development, Sales, Marketing & Advertising, Mental Health, Insurance, and Food & Beverage. I am a Managing Partner with Women On the Go, a Career Consultant with Career Direct, and a Business Advisor with The Referrals Group. I also do some side gigs that bring much joy and fulfillment including house and pet sitting and helping business owners with some of their backend tech work like website and acuity-type scheduler updates, building social media presence, and whatever project just feels right at the time. I do love new challenges.

But how did I get here? It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’ve had to overcome pretty significant challenges along the way, so I’ll just share the story about the decade that changed my life forever.

During the summer of 2011, after surviving a life-altering sexual trauma, I decided to take a leap of faith, quit my full-time job and return to school full-time to pursue a degree I had left behind in the early 90s. I graduated in May 2016 with a leadership MBA.

Being a full-time student allowed me to really engage in the world on a different level. Simplicity overtook my life and frankly, I still prefer it that way. I found a certain solace in being able to step back and just breathe and relax from the rat race of the old business world I had become accustomed to.

The 2010s was the decade of my 40s. The betrayal and loss experienced, including a divorce, felt unbearable at times. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was the death of two of the most significant people in my life in 2018. As I was reeling from that, I was also trying to provide moral support to a best friend after her niece was murdered even while other family members began passing.

This decade+ of trauma radically changed my life at very personal levels – to the core of my personality. I embarked on a journey of the soul and began making changes in all aspects of my life to include spiritual, relational, professional, educational, and both mental and physical health.

In 2020 (the year I turned 50), Covid shut down the entire world, and I decided to use that time to continue supporting my journey, and enrolled in seminary. Three years later, in 2023, I graduated with a Masters in Theology & Culture. It’s been a challenging, interesting journey. My social and business circles have changed drastically  – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing  – just different as I am navigating yet another season of life. I have a new outlook and a refreshed sense of ownership and purpose.

I am discovering ways to incorporate my grief journey into the core of who I am without apology. I blog and stay very active on social media as I’ve discovered that for now it’s where I’m called to show up in the world for others. It is my desire to share some information about this process and invite others to join me on a journey of an abundant, healthy, simple, productive life.

What I want people to know about me, my brand, and my story (which I consider to be one in the same) is that it’s possible to embrace our griefs and traumas in the midst of our very full lives of family, friends, business, spiritual, and political. It’s possible to find beauty in all of it, to live out loud without fear, and to fully celebrate, accept, and be kind to each other despite our differences.

The final thing I’ll share is what I’m most proud of. In 2018, I took my Master’s thesis and published it as an introductory e-primer on the topic Wounded Healers: Depression Among Spiritual Leaders.

The primer confronts the stigma around mental health and spirituality. It’s aim is to assist the reader in gaining a clearer understanding of how spiritual leaders find and sustain the energy to effectively participate in practices of faith, community, service, and self-care while struggling to maintain their mental health during times of depressive episodes.

Whether the depression is self-reported or medically diagnosed, it can often leave one feeling burned out and emotionally detached. It is at this point we need to know how to integrate therapeutic practices and when and how to reach out for help so we can continue the good work to which we are called.

Theology, psychology, philosophy, and personal wounding are like a 4-legged stool from which wounded healers operate. In no particular order, I reference all four legs throughout this work as these are the areas that provide some of the best language, stories, and resources for how spiritual leaders have addressed their wounds.

The first section presents the history and stigma around mental health and spirituality.

The second section presents depression at the intersection of two schools of thought known as Athens and Jerusalem. Understanding these theological and philosophical concepts is the reason I am now able to put my thoughts on paper regarding my depressed state. My hope is my reader will also begin to draw from these concepts and apply them to their deep struggles and questions.

Section three presents how depression and therapeutic practices manifested themselves in a few well-known spiritual leaders. Section four posits ways those who are benefiting from their leaders’ spiritual care can become compassionate witnesses to the struggles of their leaders’ well-being by entering transparent dialogue and willing participation in individual and community transformation.

The final section briefly offers questions that unfolded during my research and an invitation to consider how we might all begin to address the inequities we encounter within a historically stigmatized system.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh my! Where to even begin! Western North Carolina is a sight to behold, especially in and around Asheville. We’re considered rain forest here, so if you’ve ever spent significant time in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll often round a bend and be reminded of its spectacular greenery and popping colors and gorgeous scenery.

Of course there’s no Mount Ranier here, but you won’t be disappointed with the views from the Blue Ridge Parkway or Mount Mitchell or Grandfather Mountain or Blowing Rock or the drive to Cataloochee Valley (take a day trip to the valley – be sure you have great tires – the road can be treacherous at times, but so worth it. Catch the Elk viewings for sure!)

The best time to visit for spectacular weather and colors is spring or fall. If you have a week, you’ll have plenty of time to do day trips. I suggest day trips to the Biltmore Estate and Village, downtown Hendersonville, Edneyville (apple orchard country), Lake Lure, Brevard, Saluda, sunset at Jump Off Rock in Laurel Park, Weaverville, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska.

I’m a nature girl and a foodie, so you won’t find many museum or gallery recommendations here. You’ll need to Google that if that’s what you’re into. Ha ha!

Rather than give you a day by day suggested itinerary, and because there is literally too much to see and do, I’m listing two itineraries for driving the Blue Ridge Parkway Northeast of Asheville (where you’ll end in Boone area for the night and then drive into Weaverville the next evening before dinner) and Southwest of Asheville where you’ll end in Waynesville and Lake Junaluska.

NORTHEAST OF ASHEVILLE
Jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway (absolute best time, also the busiest, is Fall…you’ll want to check the leaf forecast before booking your week). Follow the Parkway and look for the following stops along the way.
– Haw Creek Valley Overlook (beautiful sunsets)
– Lake Pinnacle Overlook
– Craggy Gardens (beautiful sunsets)
– Glassmine Falls Overlook (beautiful sunsets on the opposite side)
– Mount Mitchell
– Three Knobs Overlook (gorgeous sunsets)
– Linville Falls
– Grandfather Mountain (you’ll see it from the Parkway – you can visit the next day in your way to Weaverville – be sure to go online and get tickets)
– Sugar Mountain
– Banner Elk
– Beech Mountain (Land of Oz Fest 1x/year)
– Valle Crucis
My suggestion is to stop for the night and stay at The Taylor House Inn in Valle Crucis. Then the next day finish areas in and around
– Blowing Rock
– Boone (Wild Craft Eatery is good)
Then take 105 to 221 to 19E into Bernardsville (stop at Grandfather Mountain on the way and see the glass bridge and where Forrest Gump did his famous run), and stay the night in Weaverville where you can explore that area the next day. Try to hit Bernardsville around sunset as it’s a spectacular scenic drive.

BERNARDSVILLE/WEAVERVILLE
– Vance birthplace – great place to stop and then drive back roads for some spectacular scenery
– Twisted Laurel Restaurant
– Stoney Knob Cafe

SOUTHWEST OF ASHEVILLE
Follow the Parkway and look for the following stops along the way.
– French Broad Overlook (North Carolina Arboretum is close by if you want to stop there for awhile)
– Mills River Valley Overlook (spectacular sunrises)
– Pisgah Inn (worth grabbing a coffee or a meal just for the views)
– Cradle of Forestey (you’ll be tempted to chase waterfalls here in the Pisgah Forest. Save it for a day trip and enter from Brevard).
– Devil’s Courthouse Overlook
– Cowee Mountain Overlook
– Richland Balsam Overlook
– Look for exit to 23 into Waynesville

You can follow 23 to Waynesville and rhen to Lake Junaluska (be sure to stop) to Clyde to Canton and back to Asheville. Try to avoid I-26. It’s terrible. Instead either take I-40 or turn your GPS to avoid highways and just enjoy the ride.

RESTAURANT SUGGESTIONS
The Cantina Fresh Mex and Tequila Bar at Historic Biltmore Village
Southern Porch (Canton)
Hustle Wing Co (Horse Shoe)
Three Chopt Sandwich Shop (Hendersonville)
The Buttered Biscuit (Waynesville)
The Ugly Mug (Hendersonville)
White Duck Tacos (Asheville, Hendersonville)
Mills River Creamery (ice cream)
Mills River Restaurant (go for cheesecake, not the food)
Pacific Pagoda Sushi & Grill (Asheville)
Curate (Asheville)
Ukiah (Asheville)
Asheville Proper
Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas (Asheville)
Stoney Knob Cafe ( Weaverville)
Limones (Mexican/Californian) (Asheville)
Flat Rock Village Bakery
Blue Ridge Pizza – (Etowah)
Pi Squared – great Detroit style pizza (Hendersonville, Arden)
West First Wood Fired Pizza – THE BEST PIZZA & PASTA (Hendersonville)
Marinos – great pizza (Hendersonville)
Mike’s Pizza & Pasta (Hendersonville)
Granny’s (Brevard)
Brevard Diner
Corey’s Dawg House (Brevard)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To name one specific person or resource would be impossible as I’ve literally had a tribe of mentors and cheerleaders who have contributed to who I am as a person today.

I entered into relationship with Jesus at the age of 5, and as I look back over my life I can clearly see where He has never left my side no matter how dark the valleys and pits were that I may have entered. His loving patience, care, and grace continues to astound me.

I’ve had a multitude of friends, spiritual mentors, and colleagues who have contributed so much in terms of advice, support, and encouragement, as well as granted me the ability and permission to be transparent and raw and honest without fear of judgment or retaliation. I am beyond blessed to have the tribes that surround me on a daily basis.

Website: https://gingerterrell.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gingerterrell

Facebook: Facebook.com/gingerterrell