Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kelly Drummond.
Hi Dr. Kelly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey began with an unwavering commitment to supporting others. For decades, my professional and personal life have centered on helping employees, individuals, and communities grow and thrive. My Soul in Bloom was born from deeply personal pain and transformation. After thirty years of marriage ended in ways I never anticipated, I faced the profound challenge of rebuilding myself—without the closure I’d hoped for and with a sense of loss that felt all-encompassing.
Out of that heartbreak emerged my deepest purpose. I discovered that the process of blooming—of blossoming into my truest self—often begins in pain. My journey included years of striving, from pursuing law school (which I couldn’t finish, choosing instead to care for my family) to earning a doctorate. Yet, even with these accomplishments, I often wrestled with imposter syndrome and the sense that I wasn’t enough.
What changed everything was learning to believe in myself and embracing a closer relationship with God, allowing faith to order my steps. Through surrender, I found peace and permission to walk my own path, imperfect yet divinely guided. My Soul in Bloom is dedicated to helping others move through transitions and transformations, whether they arise from endings or new beginnings. My hope is to help people navigate their pain, find purpose, and embrace the possibility of growth. There is a “through” to every journey—and I’m here to help others find their next chapter and flourish.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road—far from it. The biggest challenge has been the inability to fully embrace My Soul in Bloom on a full-time basis because I’ve needed to maintain a full-time job to pay my bills. It’s been a slow start with plenty of ups and downs along the way.
My dream is to do this work full-time, but the reality is that I haven’t yet figured out how to make that financially sustainable. That tension between my passion and my practical needs has been one of my greatest struggles.
What’s made this journey even harder is learning a difficult lesson about people and boundaries. I do this work because I genuinely love helping and supporting people through their transitions and transformations. But I’ve discovered that some people will take advantage of your generosity and good heart. I’ve worked with clients on their job transitions, poured myself into their success, and never received payment—despite promises from companies that hired me to help their employees. I continued helping those clients anyway, because what matters most to me is seeing people thrive, even when it costs me personally.
But through all of this, I’ve learned that I have to remain consistent to my purpose. I have to keep going even when it’s slow, even when I can’t do everything I want to do, even when the financial return doesn’t match the emotional investment. That’s been the real test—staying faithful to this calling while honoring my own needs and sustainability. It’s a balance I’m still learning to navigate.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been an HR professional for over thirty-five years, and my passion for this field has only deepened with time. My journey in human resources began in college when I worked with the Urban League in Richmond, Virginia, helping college students find meaningful employment. That early experience planted a seed—I discovered that connecting people with the right opportunities and supporting their growth was my calling.
Today, my specialization centers on employee relations, job placement, succession planning, and helping people overcome workplace challenges so they can truly thrive in their careers. My doctoral dissertation focused on job satisfaction, and I’m currently working on a book about overcoming toxicity and sabotaging workplaces—issues that I’ve witnessed firsthand throughout my career. I’m also proud to teach at Roane State Community College, where I help students earn their HR certification, and I teach HR classes through the University of Tennessee’s non-credit program. Every year, I pursue new certifications to continually improve my craft because I’m committed to excellence in supporting people.
What I’m most proud of is understanding a fundamental truth: organizations cannot succeed without good people in their workforce. My role isn’t just to support the organization—it’s to find the right talent, help people grow and develop, and position them for future success. That’s where I geek out. I love this aspect of who I am and what I’m able to do.
What sets me apart is the depth of my experience combined with my genuine commitment to people’s development. Through My Soul in Bloom, I’ve had the privilege of working on an international level—with clients in England, Saudi Arabia, the Bahamas, and Canada. This global perspective enriches my ability to help others bloom, regardless of where they are in their journey. My three-plus decades in HR, my educational background, and my lived experiences of transformation all converge to create a unique lens through which I support both individuals and organizations.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is deeply rooted in my family and my relationship with God. I’ve always had a saying for my children: “Do what you’re supposed to do before you do anything else.” I’ve lived by that rule throughout my life, and it has helped me overcome some of the greatest difficulties I’ve faced.
At my core, what matters most is being a person that people can depend on—a loving mother, a good friend, and a child of God. I want to live my life based on three pillars: purpose, passion, and peace. But beyond that, what’s essential to me is being true to who I am. I believe in living a peaceful existence, and that’s only possible when I’m genuine—when I say what I mean and mean what I say.
Being respectful, responsible, faithful, and dependable aren’t just values I hold; they’re how I move through the world. I cannot live authentically without the help of my faith and without surrounding myself with positive people who lift me up and hold me accountable. My faith anchors me, my family grounds me, and my commitment to integrity guides every decision I make. That’s what matters most—not success or accolades, but the quality of my relationships, the strength of my character, and the peace that comes from living in alignment with my values and my God.
Pricing:
- I provide indepent one on one sessions $90 per 45 minutes
- Services include 8-12 week programs and prices vary
- I provide non-profit leadership development services for 3-6 months and prices vary
- I provide keynote address and presentations and prices vary depending or specific needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mysoulinbloom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drummond4789/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.r.drummond.5
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydrummondmysoulinbloom/
