God qualified me for promotion

I’d like to share a testimony that is long overdue and give glory to God for His goodness in my life. There are so many layers to my story that it’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll simply start at the beginning. If there is one constant thread throughout my journey, it is this: God’s hand has been on my career every single step of the way.

For 11 years, I worked in the entertainment industry for one of the biggest stars in the world. From the outside it looked glamorous, but inside I felt stuck - overlooked for promotions, struggling through my accountancy exams, and terrified of leaving a job that seemed impossible to replace. I was bound by a three-month notice period and even more bound by fear. Yet even in that season, God was working.

When I felt stuck, God led me to sharpen and develop the very skills I had in my hands, skills that ultimately became the foundation for every opportunity I would later walk into. He was preparing me long before I realised I needed preparation.

Then Covid hit. Out of nowhere came the opportunity for redundancy - something that was both a huge blessing and incredibly frightening. The world was in chaos, no one knew what tomorrow would look like, but I took a leap of faith.

Shortly after, God blessed me with a new role - one that elevated me higher up the career ladder. But that blessing came wrapped in challenges. I had unknowingly replaced someone who was taking the company to tribunal, and anyone close to them made my job difficult. Yet even in the tension, God showed up for me repeatedly. I remember one particular day when I was struggling with a reporting system I couldn’t figure out. I sat there overwhelmed, and suddenly someone walked into my office holding the manual; something they had “just found” and felt led to bring to me. God was literally sending help into the room.

I stayed in that role for 18 months until the pressure became too much. During that season, I continued my accountancy exams. I had one exam left and this was my one final chance before the earlier ones began to expire. I studied, prayed, and believed. I was sure this would be the one.

But… I failed.

I cried like I had never cried before. In that moment of deep disappointment, God gave me a word that wrapped itself around my heart and brought peace:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

That scripture carried me.

Not long after, another job opportunity came but this was one I did not want. The role felt too big, too demanding, too far above my experience. I was so intimidated that I lied and said I had a cough just to cancel the interview. (God forgive me!) But to my surprise, they waited two whole weeks for me. At that point, I had no choice but to go. Reluctantly, unwillingly, and honestly still a bit fearful, I attended the interview. Fast-forward to 1st July this year… I became the Finance Director of that very company.

A job I ran from.

A role I felt unqualified for.

A door I tried to close

BUT God held it open anyway.

Because when God has written your name on something, no challenge, no fear, no failure, no exam result, and no human opposition can stand in the way.

The last four years in this company have been some of the most challenging years of my career. God has continually taken me out of my comfort zone, stretching me, shaping me, transforming me. The woman I am today is not the same woman who walked in four years ago.

God placed incredible people around me at work too - people who encouraged me, supported me, and genuinely wanted to see me win. This is the first job where I’ve had no choice but to rely on God daily. Every morning I have prayed for strength because that is how out of my depth I’ve felt.

Truthfully, I wanted to be a housewife. That was my plan.

But God had other plans.

Along the way, people told me I wouldn’t make it in this role because I was “too quiet,” and my team would “walk all over me.” But God said otherwise.

I’ve discovered how much my position meant to others. The amount of encouragement I’ve received, especially from people who look like me, has been overwhelming. People have told me how inspiring it is to see a black woman running the finances of a multi-million-pound organisation. I didn’t realise my journey was bigger than me.

Those who truly know me know that I am only in this position by the sheer grace of God. With my struggles in communication, with my fears, flaws, and failures, God still elevated me. All I did was keep showing up and persevering.

And to this day, I still sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome.

But even that reminds me that it is God, not me, who put me here.

Keep going. Keep showing up. Keep trusting God.