Sometimes the biggest changes in our lives begin with an opportunity we never expected.

In this episode of The Giant Builders, Lois Wyant talks with Wendy O’Neil, founder of Pearls With Purpose, about faith, purpose, relationships, business, and what can happen when we’re willing to follow where God leads.

Wendy’s journey began more than 20 years ago when she was raising five young children and struggling with a question many people face:

Who am I beyond the roles I fill every day?

As a certified gemologist, Wendy initially thought she might make and sell jewelry. Then an unexpected email from a woman in the Philippines changed everything.

That simple connection eventually grew into Pearls With Purpose, a nonprofit providing vocational and business training to women and communities in developing countries.

Today, Wendy’s work has reached multiple countries and helped individuals learn skills, start businesses, support their families, educate their children, and create opportunities for future generations.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• How an unexpected email changed the direction of Wendy’s life

• The heartbreaking story that helped Wendy understand the need she could help address

• How Pearls With Purpose grew from four women to multiple countries

• Why Wendy believes in providing a “hand up” rather than simply a handout

• How basic business skills can transform families and communities

• The importance of recognizing opportunities God puts in front of us

• Wendy’s own journey through divorce, healing, and finding love again

• How Wendy and her husband created Unstick the Stuck

• Why self-worth affects our relationships with others

• Why Wendy and Lois both believe God should come first

• How faith creates a foundation for marriage and relationships

• What Wendy learned while stranded in Kenya during 2020

• Why the habits you build today can ground you when a crisis comes

Near the end of the conversation, Wendy shares a lesson that has stayed with her:

Your habits are what will ground you during times of crisis.

While stranded thousands of miles from home during an incredibly uncertain time, Wendy continued the habits that had already become part of her life—journaling, studying scripture, taking care of herself, connecting with others, and leaning on her faith.

We can’t always control what happens around us.

But we can build a foundation that helps us remain grounded when life suddenly changes.

And sometimes, the opportunity God places in front of us may look nothing like the plan we had for ourselves.

🎥 Watch the full episode:

https://youtu.be/Rkiro9zjR2E

​ ⁨@PearlsWithPurpose⁩

@unstickthestuck

[email protected]

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Be Alert to the Opportunities God Gives You

00:21 Welcome to The Giant Builders

00:30 Meet Wendy O’Neil

00:55 Pearls With Purpose & Unstick the Stuck

01:46 How Wendy’s Journey Began

02:19 Rediscovering Her Identity

03:06 The Email That Changed Everything

04:08 Starting With Four Women in the Philippines

05:06 The Story That Changed Wendy’s Perspective

06:37 When Wendy Knew She Had to Help

07:16 Growing From Four Women to Multiple Countries

07:52 How Pearls With Purpose Expanded

08:01 Teaching Business Fundamentals

09:00 Creating Businesses in Developing Countries

09:34 Using Local Skills and Resources

10:16 A Hand Up Instead of a Handout

10:31 Changing the Next Generation

11:05 How to Support Pearls With Purpose

11:59 Wendy & Her Husband’s Unstick the Stuck Program

13:03 Letting Go of the Past and Moving Forward

13:58 When God Has a Different Plan

15:12 Why They Created Unstick the Stuck

16:18 The Self-Love Revolution

17:08 Understanding How You Respond to Struggles

18:09 What Happens After Taking the Quiz?

19:34 Who Can Benefit From This Work?

20:59 How God Brought This Conversation Together

21:16 The Four Pillars of The Giant Builders

22:12 Putting God First in Your Relationship

23:38 A Final Story of Hope

24:12 Wendy’s Experience in Kenya During 2020

25:22 A Letter That Took 17 Months to Arrive

26:39 How People Respond Differently to Crisis

27:16 The Habits That Kept Wendy Grounded

28:21 Know Whose You Are

28:45 Closing Thoughts

heck out other episodes Business: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF9pnIL1foYJ3uVP8z1fCVmZ Health: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF9QEQ1q2e05K28IjUvLPGJy Spiritual: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF96jBzfz6QHUegeULd7YEsY Family: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF_SaLQxs8op1CPSDg_wG8vL Connect with The Giant Builders: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGiantBuilders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegiantbuilders/ YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCdhZSrC57PyP-QSWIaTeldg?sub_confirmation=1