Discover the Journey of Keisha Bass, a Wife Coach, and Inspirational Speaker, as She Transforms Lives Through Faith and Love
In a world where healthy relationships are often overshadowed by the challenges of modern life, Keisha Bass stands as a beacon of hope for married women seeking guidance and empowerment. As the Founder of “Her Dope Marriage” (HDM), a faith-centered coaching and consulting brand, Keisha has dedicated her life to helping women cultivate fulfilling marriages while fostering personal growth. With her unwavering passion, Keisha is making a significant impact by inspiring women to become the best versions of themselves in all aspects of their lives.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: How do you balance your role as a Wife Coach with your own marriage of over three decades, and what are some of the keys to maintaining a healthy and thriving marriage?
This is a good question. When I first started, I was trying to help everyone. My husband wasn’t upset because he understood that Her Dope Marriage was a new baby God had birthed in me and that it required attention. But in the beginning, I didn’t do so well with balancing it all. I was trying to save everyone. Anytime a couple or wife reached out, I was trying to see how I could help them. I gradually learned that I needed to set up boundaries. My husband needed to know that he was, after God, a priority. Right now, I do a great job at maintaining boundaries. I was intentional about setting hours and pausing to take care of myself. Self-care is necessary. I’ve learned that there’s no way that I can give anyone anything if I don’t first take care of myself. So it is vital for me to find time to regroup and fill my cup. Once I do that, I can not only show up for the women called to Her Dope Marriage, but I can show up and be the wife I need to be for my husband. Maintaining a healthy and thriving marriage starts with being open and honest about the season you are in. You know, my husband understands and respects that this is my building season. He knows this is one of the priorities that I have on my plate, and he’s okay with that. We have open conversations about where I am, where he is, what he needs, and what I need. We are very deliberate in making sure the other person feels seen. I can’t do that for other people if I don’t first do it for my own marriage first.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: What was the inspiration behind the LiftUs Marriage Conference, and how did it go in its first year?
LiftUs came about after I hosted my first Women’s Empowerment Retreat, LiftHer, in November 2021. I clearly remember God’s words. I was in my closet thinking about the LiftHer Experience and heard God say, LiftUs. LiftUs? He said, “Yes, it’s time to reach couples.” I had a conversation with my husband, and the rest is history. We started working towards that conference, and it was amazing. God met us there. We saw couples experience a level of vulnerability that ignited intimacy. We saw couples renew their friendship and recommit to each other. During our intimate encounter session, I remember watching both men and women shed tears, which allowed their spouses to see a different side of them. We wanted to show couples that it was okay to be vulnerable. We then surprised them with a Commitment Ceremony. LiftUs was a powerful display of God’s love out loud.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: What sets your coaching approach apart from other marriage coaches or counselors, and what do you think are the key elements of successful coaching?
That’s hard to say because I don’t know what other coaches do. What could set me apart from other coaches is how I seek God before and during our coaching sessions. I’ve learned that the majority of the issues that we deal with in our marriages start in the spirit, and if we don’t attack it from the spiritual side, then we will continue to cycle (that’s what happened in my marriage). So, I invite God into every area of the coaching journey. I make myself available to God to give His daughters what they need. I also share my testimony and transparency. The critical element to successful coaching is to ensure you don’t have a cookie-cutter program. Yes, you will have an agenda with strategies, but I tailor each session to the person; for me, that’s necessary to meet their needs. When you posture your heart to hear not just what they are saying, you can connect with them on a deeper level to deal with the root and not just the emotions.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: How do you incorporate your faith into your coaching and what role does it play in helping women to build strong and healthy marriages?
Faith is the only reason why I am here. God taught me how to lean in to hear Him through the different seasons of my marriage where initially I didn’t listen to Him. I remember asking God what was taking so long to fix my marriage, and He told me that my words were part of the problem. He then said that my husband was His son before he was my husband. Faith in God taught me to trust God for my prayers. He taught me how to draw closer to Him. He showed me how to be HER- healed, empowered, and restored. He did that through my faith, which is why it’s such an essential part of what I do for women and how I coach them. There’s no way I can give them what I give without God leading me through my faith. I don’t want to sit at a table if God is not with me. I don’t want to coach women if He’s not there to guide me and give me the words to say. I don’t want to coach someone just to say I am coaching her. I want to make sure that my words have an impact and that they can feel the temperature of my words as the Holy Spirit leads. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God. I’m not saying that it’s always easy, there were times I tried to believe in God, but it was hard. I remember praying; God help my unbelief. He would meet me every time. I’ve seen God move when I increased my faith. Prayer guides us on this journey. Prayer works when your faith leads. I always tell women that this coaching journey is about them. It’s about connecting not only to the Father but recognizing who the real enemy is in their marriage. Scripture says Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He doesn’t play fair. Faith allows you to live a life that manifests God’s love, creating the capacity for God’s blessings. Faith is a decision.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: Can you tell us about your faith-centered coaching and consulting brand, “Her Dope Marriage,” and how it helps women to become whole within themselves and show up as the best versions of themselves in their marriages?
My coaching programs started with my own story in mind and my walk. I know what it feels like to struggle in your marriage. I know what it feels like to want your husband to show up and be who you want him to be. I know what it feels like to use toxic words to manipulate the situation or to wound the intimate areas of your marriage. I know what it feels like, and because I know what it feels like, I can help women navigate the season they are in. Yes, I do have tangible strategies that we go over in the form of workbooks, but women are looking for someone who is faith-centered and can share their truth and not be ashamed about their struggles or failures. Listen, I failed at marriage initially. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to do it. When I didn’t get my way, I was selfish. I didn’t know how to manage being a wife. I didn’t know how to manage my emotions and feelings. My coaching is centered around the strategies that helped me reach almost 34 years of marriage. Her Dope Marriage is about being able to glean from His word and use strategies from those who have been through it and are on the other side. I also listen. Not only do I listen to them. I listen to God about His daughters and share that with them. I make myself available to sit at the feet of the Father for His daughters so that He can download to me what they need to hear from Him. That’s how I help. That’s how you can tap in and become the best version of yourself because you can now hear from the Father through another person. You have a safe place and are not being judged because you are being seen.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: What inspired you to leave your successful six-figure career and pursue your passion for coaching women to be the best wives they can be, and how did you develop the passion and drive to make this transition?
The short answer is God. I wasn’t looking to leave my career or my salary. I was fine bossing it up while still helping women on the side. I was doing Her Dope Marriage part-time, and I was okay with that. I remember God telling me in March 2021 to leave my job, and I was like, no, this can’t be God. But He made it so uncomfortable that I had to go, and I left in August 2021. And I’m happy that I did. I know that my assignment is to help women become the best version of themselves in their marriage, in their relationships, and even as a woman with their identities. It is not only my assignment, but it is my passion! I do this because I didn’t have it. I didn’t have anyone to pour into me and teach me how to be a wife or teach me how to process emotions, feelings, and baggage. I had no examples, so we struggled in our marriage for eleven years straight. I want to be the conduit for women who need a safe place without judgment and someone to see them. I do this because I want women to feel seen and have strategies to stand firm even when marriage is hard. I want them to know they can walk into this season, even when it’s hard, and still be all God has called them to be. I want women to know I’ve been in their shoes and made it through. God is not looking for perfection; He’s looking for surrender.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: What’s next for you and your coaching business, and how do you see “Her Dope Marriage” evolving in the future?
I genuinely believe this is the year of elevation for me and Her Dope Marriage. Like the prayer of Jabez, I believe God is enlarging my territory and increasing my reach. I expect God to do just that- magazine articles, conferences, speaking engagements, and YouTube Channels, all while continuing to provide coaching for those called to Her Dope Marriage. I have a new program I am working on for women entrepreneurs looking to UNLOCK what’s on the inside of her. I want to sit at God’s different tables for Her Dope Marriage and Keisha Bass.
FEMI MAGAZINE: NATASHIA BOBBITT: Finally, how do you balance your roles as a Wife Coach, Motivational Speaker, Author, and Founder of “Her Dope Marriage,” and what are some of the key habits or practices that help you stay focused and motivated in your work?
Balancing my role as a Wife Coach, Motivational Speaker, Author, and Founder of Her Dope Marriage starts first with understanding who I am. I am God’s daughter first, so when I put that into perspective, I know, first and foremost, everything that I am is because He called me to this assignment. I look at it as a ministry and ensure I don’t bite off more than I can chew. Let me say this; there are some seasons where I do have to stretch myself. There are some seasons where God says daughter, I need you to go and do more, and I go. For me, it’s having an ear to hear what God is saying to me. I allow Him to lead, then I follow, and if there are certain things that I don’t need to do, then I don’t do. If I feel led to rest and not go as hard, then I don’t go as hard. I take direction from Him. So for me, my most crucial habit is ensuring that I’m listening to the voice of God. I’m also a realist, so I understand that I need to take care of my home, and I do that by ensuring there are no holes in my home and marriage. What do I mean by that? I’m ensuring I care for my husband, even if I need to cook. My husband is my biggest supporter. Just having an ear to hear what God is saying, staying connected to my husband, being open about the season we are in, and listening to God are what I use to balance all that God has given me to do in this season.
Keisha Bass, Founder of Her Dope Marriage and HDM Services LLC
Email: keisha@herdopemarriage.com
Website: www.herdopemarriage.com
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