Ifedayo Greenway is a licensed minister, best-selling author, and personal development coach who works to impact and change lives by helping women embark on their change journey. She is passionate about her faith and her assignment as a mother to nurture the lives of her three children. She is the CEO of IG & M.O.R.E. (Ife Greenway and Ministry of Real Empowerment) and uses her personal journey to strengthen others. Her “call to coaching” led her to start the Movement of Becoming (MOB) where she empowers women to become more. Her goal is to help women learn to leverage their place of pain as a pathway and as momentum for forward movement. Ifedayo is also the event producer of Changing Faces, an empowering makeover moment that encourages women to see themselves through the eyes of purpose instead of circumstance. To connect, go to www.igandmore.com

1) First, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! When did you know that writing is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most?

Hello and thank you for having me & for sharing my journey with your audience. Wow, so let me just say that when I started writing, it was not necessarily because I felt like it was something that I was called to do. For me, writing was a healing agent through some very rough times. Often times the things that we are called to are the hardest things to embrace, which is why people run from their callings for so long. My journey as a writer shifted and I acknowledged it as a calling when I realized growing in the writing space required a “yes” that was sometimes hard to give.

2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?

Absolutely! I’m proud of all of my work, but I do have to say that Removing the Fear, which is my latest release, is very near and dear to my heart. I think it’s because I’m also a Fear Strategist and I’ve been committed to helping others on their journey of living a life LESS impacted by fear long before the book. I have written a total of six books: I co-authored in one, wrote three on my own, and was privileged to be the visionary author of two book collaborations. Removing the Fear: A Truth Journey from Fear to Freedom is a collaboration. It is a collision of journeys written to unharness the authentic reality of feeling the fear and moving forward anyway. I challenged eleven other women to answer the question, “What are you afraid of”, and come face to face with the embedded lies of their fears. Each woman accepted the invitation to heal, and we all move from fear to freedom as we bravely expose the truth the matter. And can I just pause here and say that I am so very proud of each of them. They did THAT!! My books can be found on just about all online retailers and also on my website igandmore.com

3) What projects are you currently working on?

I’m not working on any personal projects. The next “yes” in my calling as a writer was to support other women who were called to be a visionary author of a collaboration. So as a writer’s coach and the founder of the “She Unveils” movement, my company is currently managing two anthology projects which will be published later this year or early next year. I’m so honored to be working with these ladies and helping their visions to manifest.

4) What has been your most significant achievement as a writer thus far? Where do you see yourself within your career in the next five years?

I know this may sound a little weird (lol), but I would have to say that my most significant achievement has been simply finishing a thing. Sometimes as aspiring authors or writers, when you start something, the finish line can seem so far off and in some cases unattainable. So, for me, my biggest and most significant wins are not in the accolades or awards (or even the sales) …they are found in the moments when I cross the finish line.

5) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career?

I have thoughts of rejection, but I never let the fear of rejection keep me from completing a writing assignment. I realize that I’m not for or assigned to everyone, so I expect some people to say no to me. I am okay with a refusal or decline from the people that I’m not assigned to.

6) Do you have a schedule for when you write? Do you outline your novels? How long does it generally take you to finish a novel?

Yes and no (lol)…There are times when I feel it and just need to grab something and write, so I write in journals, on sticky notes or anything I can get my hands on. And then there are times, if I’m specifically working on something that it is imperative for me set writing goals to include setting aside time and preparing my environment specifically for writing.

7) Do you believe that there is ever a point in life where it’s too late for an aspiring writer to become successful in this industry? Do you feel a late start would hinder their chances?

I have a very good and wise friend who introduced me to the idea of radical acceptance. Radical acceptance is accepting that you are right where you are supposed to be. It is the complete acknowledgment of your individual reality as it is in that precise moment. Regardless of the previous pain, mistakes, and even disregard for purposeful assignments, whenever you start writing you are right where you are supposed to be in that moment. I know that was a long way around your question, but I said all of that to say it’s never too late to begin writing. The only thing that hinders your chances of being successful is never getting started.

8) Are you an avid reader and have you always been? What’s the first book you ever read that really touched you emotionally and moved you? Who is your favorite author? What book are you currently reading?

I absolutely would not consider myself as an avid reader. There was a time when my younger self wouldn’t pick up a book. I first realized that I enjoyed reading when I was introduced to the author Carl Weber. Whew Chile! His novels gave me life. I would wake up reading them while getting dressed for work and find a parking lot to sit in and read them during my lunch break (don’t judge me-I needed to know what was going to happen next. LOL). His books actually helped me escape from my world during some very intense and painful times. Now, if I had to identify the first book that touched me emotionally, I would have to say Relational Intelligence by Dharius Daniels.

9) The Pandemic was a challenging time for some writers and creative individuals but also for others it was time that they needed to focus on their creative passions. Which side of that spectrum do you fall on? Are there any lessons or nuggets of wisdom that you gained during the Pandemic that help you within your writing career? Did the quarantine stifle your creativity or did it make you even more driven to get things done?

Writing is absolutely a very isolated practice but I wouldn’t necessarily say it made it easier to deal with the quarantine. There were times when writing was therapeutic and then there were times when I needed a mental break from it all because there was and is so much going on in the world.

10) What are your thoughts about how the publishing industry as it is being represented today? Do you lean more towards traditional publishing or self-publishing as a preference? Does being a hybrid author interest you?

I’m a self-published writer. I lean more towards that avenue because that’s the space that has worked for me in this industry up until this point. I’ve spent most of my time learning more about self-publishing and less time going after the traditional opportunities. Personally for me, self publishing has been empowering & transformational in more ways than one. It has allowed me to share my stories, creativity and authenticity without worrying about whether they would be accepted and also propelled me into a place where I can help others to manifest their stories by teaching them what I know about the self publishing process. That’s not to say that I never want to publish a book that way; if presented with the right “traditional publishing” opportunity, I definitely would explore it.

11) I feel like writing is a remarkable tool to help people not only express themselves, but also to cope emotionally and mentally. I know for me I write to be and feel more authentic. What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity? How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose?

Just like you, I feel like I write to connect more with my own authentic self. But I also us it as a transformation tool. If you can write, impact your readers, make them feel what you feel and catapult them to change…that’s an art! I believe that to be on of the unique things about my gift.