Keisha Bass is a Wife/Marriage Coach, Motivational Speaker, Author, Healthy Marriage Advocate, and Founder of “Her Dope Marriage.” HDM is a faith-centered coaching and consulting brand led by Keisha Bass, who has been married for over 32 years. While Keisha has always had a strong passion for coaching women to be the best wives they can be, it was within the last year that she decided to take the leap and leave her six-figure career to follow her heart, her passion, and the direction of God. In addition to being a Wife Coach, she also coaches women on being whole within themselves so that they show up as the best versions of themselves in all areas of their lives, including their marriages.
Keisha and her husband of over three decades just recently hosted their first annual LiftUs Marriage Conference in Charlotte, NC, an extension of the LiftHer and LiftHim conferences that she and her husband, Chris Bss, do annually for women and men in separate groups. Keisha has a true passion for helping women to become the best that they can be and to be Godly wives to their husbands. She is transparent in her teachings and gives of herself openly and with love in her coaching.
In the past year, Keisha’s following has grown by nearly 100,000 on Instagram to now more than 130k, and her tribe of Facebook is faithful to her as well. She speaks with great passion and conviction and has a gift for helping women to excel in their partnerships with their husbands and, very importantly, within themselves.
What Motivated you to start your own business?
My passion for seeing healthy marriages was the driving factor behind starting Her Dope Marriage. This God-centered passion aligned with my journey. For eleven years, my husband and I cycled in our marriage. We didn’t know how to be a husband or wife. God had to teach us how to be the spouse He desired us to be. I recall the Saturday morning when God woke me up and told me that He would use my voice to bless His daughters through my story. My surrender to God meant trusting God’s vision for Her Dope Marriage and God’s provision for moving forward into entrepreneurship. God allowed my story, the transparency of my truth, to be part of the reason behind the motivation for starting Her Dope Marriage. I wanted women to know that they are not alone, even as a Christian wife, you are not alone. God has made a way of escape through testimonies of others that look like you.
Tell us about the process of starting your brand; what did the beginning stages entail for you?
The beginning stages of starting my business aligned with my story and faith as I honored God’s guidance. That’s all I had was my faith. I started with uncertainty. But I had to trust God’s timing. Honestly, I didn’t think I was ready. How would God use my story to change the lives of women? Why did He want to use me? Questions that made me draw closer to God for answers. I didn’t know where to start or what it would look like, but I knew who called me. It took me a few days to develop the name for my business. I prayed, then consulted with a trademark attorney. My business name needed meaning, purpose, and impact. My business had to be infused with kingdom principles aligned with my faith. I started developing a plan and relied on God’s discernment in every decision. Faith became the foundation of my yes.
Tell us about your brand, “Her Dope Marriage”?
Her Dope Marriage is a business that provides women of faith the tools and strategies necessary to empower them during the different seasons of marriage confidently. HER in Her Dope Marriage stands for healed, empowered, and restored. Becoming HER is why we provide a continuum of coaching programs to address women’s emotional challenges in marriage. Doing so builds healthier and stronger marriages by forging strong ties between husbands and wives. When wives can show up as the wife God designed her to be, her influence will impact the temperature in her home. 1 Peter 3:1-2 states, husbands, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives. We need to show up even when our husbands don’t. Our actions will cause our husbands to change. I say it all the time, changed behavior changes behavior. When we can do this successfully, we improve the vitality of the family.
What role does your faith play in your business?
Faith played a significant role in starting my business. My passion for seeing healthy, thriving marriages results from my faith in God and what He has done in my own marriage. Even when I quit my six-figure job of almost 20 years, my faith and trust in God gave me the confidence to leave. He gave me the vision, so I knew He would make provision. As I started building my coaching programs, God gave me the blueprint. He allowed me to experience first-hand his transformation power when He transformed my marriage. The impact God has made on my marriage gives those connected to Her Dope Marriage the strength to walk in resilience during challenging times. If God did it for me, He could do it for them. And even when entrepreneurship gets challenging, my faith sustains me, motivating me to press through. Those challenges become opportunities for God to fulfill His promise for Her Dope Marriage. It’s not about me; it’s about the Kingdom.
How do you balance entrepreneurship and faith?
My faith is an integral part of my business. I start my day off with intimate time with the Father. This keeps me centered and focused. My ears are always open to His voice for instructions. This is a must and has been incorporated into my daily routine since day one of my business. I am an entrepreneur because of God’s guidance so my reverence to Him must be first. I cannot do it without Him. From creating programs to speaking engagements, I seek Him for advice in everything I do. Faith and entrepreneurship are non-negotiable. They go hand and hand.
What has been your biggest lesson thus far in your faith walk?
That’s a good question. The biggest lesson that I’ve learned is to remain faithful even when it looks like God isn’t working. The delay doesn’t mean denied. God is stretching my faith in this season. He’s requiring more from me because of where He’s taking me. He’s putting me in uncomfortable situations to ensure my spiritual muscles continue to grow. Luke 18:27 says what seems impossible to man is possible to God. Before quitting my job, I remember God gave my husband and me instructions to pay down debt. It was in the middle of the pandemic, and we couldn’t figure out why God instructed us to pay down debt, but we did it. We went on a financial fast and got very aggressive about paying down off debt. We paid off 110K in 18 months. About three or four months later, God told me to leave my job. I didn’t listen to His instructions initially. I eventually left my job four months after His initial instructions. The lesson here is God already had a plan set. He was just looking for our obedience. Sometimes He won’t give you the complete plan, but you must trust Him.
How do you remain focused during the difficult moments of entrepreneurship?
When I started this journey, I was part-time, so it was easy because I had a full-time job, but after I left, I can remember crying in my office, thinking I made a huge mistake. It was an adjustment. My focus went from corporate to Her Dope Marriage only. The pace, the income, and the routine all had changed, and I had to adjust to it. Most days, I’m good. As stated earlier, I start my day in prayer, keeping me grounded. I surround myself with a positive community, and I remember my why. My why is more significant than my emotions. My why is seeing God’s vision manifest for His daughters. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but God comes to give life more abundantly. Standing on God’s word and remembering what He told me motivates me and gets me back on track. God never said it would be easy. He did say to trust Him. Trusting Him helps me stay encouraged on this business journey.
What is next for you? Where do you hope to see your brand in the next 3-5 years?
Over the next 3-5 years, I would like to see Her Dope Marriage operating in other states and countries via HDM Ambassadors. I would love to see Her Dope Marriage partnering and collaborating with organizations passionate about healthy marriages and restored families. I also have a women’s empowerment conference, LiftHer, coming this year. This will be my second year, and I would love to see the conference go nationwide.
What advice would you give to other faith-based entrepreneurs?
The advice that I would give to other faith-based entrepreneurs is to remember your why. Why did you say yes to this business? Because there will be days when you feel weary, and you must remember Galatians 6:9, do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up- your why, your yes, is about those who need what you offer. They need you. God created you with this gift for those that know your voice. Be encouraged and find a community that will encourage you with language to be steadfast, inspired, and focused.
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