Elaine Lankford | Christian Business Coach | She Steps Forward Coaching | Strategic DREAM Method™

Established Authority

You have the calling. Now you need the roadmap.

"God gives you the vision. I help you build the strategy — because faith without a plan is just a wish."
— Elaine Lankford

Elaine coaches Christian women who feel deeply called but strategically stuck — giving them the exact roadmap to launch their business, ministry, or nonprofit and turn a God-sized dream into a sustainable, profitable reality.

30+

Years in Leadership

300+

Women Reached Live

Continents Served

30+

Authority Appearances

Book a Discovery Call → Take the Free Assessment

Elaine Lankford — Christian Business Coach, Creator of the Strategic DREAM Method, Founder of She Steps Forward Coaching and She Steps Forward International, Suffolk Virginia

Authority Score™ 74 · Established

/100

Established AuthorityStrong positioning and consistent content. Episode Conversion is the primary gap — closing it activates $7,500 in unrealized revenue from existing appearances.

Positioning

83%

Clear who · clear result

Proof

100%

Specific public results

Consistency

100%

Weekly content · top of mind

Conversion

43%

PRIMARY GAP · $7,500 unrealized

Active On

YouTube

Instagram

Facebook

30+ Authority Appearances

3x Summit Speaker

Conference Host · U.S. & Kenya

As Featured On

Elaine's Show Portfolio

30+

Authority Appearances

Authority Portfolio

EntrePastors · Profitable Christian Business · Girl with the Purple Hair Talks Business · Inspired Stewardship · and more

3×

Anthology Chapters

National/International Speaker

Three online summits · Talks published as anthology chapters · National audiences

SSFI

Continents

SSFI Entrepreneurial Intensive

Annual event host · U.S. and Nairobi, Kenya · 300+ attendees · March and July each year

Featured Episode

Hear Elaine in action.

The fastest way to understand how Elaine coaches before committing to a call.

EntrePastors Podcast

Empowering Women in the Marketplace

Elaine traces her path from a nursing career and a season of deep personal loss to founding She Steps Forward Coaching and She Steps Forward International — sharing why faith-based entrepreneurship needs both calling and strategy, how she sets clear boundaries between church work and business, and what teaching women to build sustainable ventures actually looks like on two continents.

▶ Listen to This Episode

30+

Appearances

300+

Conf. Audience

Continents

The Story

Most coaches give you motivation.
Elaine gives you a map.

Where the real problem lives.

In 2008 — after 16 years in nursing — she experienced what she calls her 'Job moment': a sudden closure of the medical practice where she served as a nurse practitioner, the loss of her father, and the scare of her husband having cancer all in the same season.

With 30+ years in leadership and 10+ years building both a for-profit coaching practice and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on two continents, she has built the roadmap she wishes someone had handed her.

"Faith without a plan is just a wish. God gives you the vision — I help you build the strategy."

Why strategy changes everything.

Elaine doesn't coach inspiration. She coaches execution. As a certified John Maxwell Team member with a Master of Arts in Theology from Jakes Divinity School, she brings both the spiritual depth and the strategic structure her clients need most.

She has spoken to audiences of 300+ nationally, hosted the SSFI Entrepreneurial Intensive on two continents, authored a published book, and presented at the 52nd Annual Society for Pentecostal Studies. And she uses all of it to serve the woman who is done waiting for permission to begin.

The Problem Elaine Solves

"I know I'm called to this. I just don't know where to start." That is what Elaine hears every week. Christian women with real callings, real gifts, and no roadmap. Her job is to hand them the map — and push them forward.

Key Insights

From Elaine's episodes and writing — in her own words.

"The stumbling is not a sign you're failing. It's the proof you showed up. Roosevelt didn't say the woman in the arena gets it right — he said she's in it. Marred by dust. Striving anyway."

LinkedIn post · "The credit belongs to the one in the arena"

"Dream big — and give God space to move. When we dream too small, we don't give God the room to work in our lives the way He wants to."

Leo Interviews →

"Most people think entrepreneurial success starts with mindset. I believe it starts with a God-given strategy — because faith without a plan is just a wish."

Core Belief · She Steps Forward Coaching

"Inspiration fades by Monday. Strategy doesn't. When I speak, I'm not handing your audience theory — I'm handing them frameworks, action plans, and the next right step."

LinkedIn post · 2026 Speaking Announcement

Specific Results

What working with Elaine produces.

Real clients. Real callings. Real outcomes with real numbers.

Faith-Based Speaker · Nevada · Solo Entrepreneur

Landed first $3,000 speaking engagement within 4 months of coaching

17-year government employee transitioning to faith-based speaking. Was being pressured to secularize her message. Gained a faith-aligned strategic plan, clarity on positioning in both ministry and corporate markets, and the confidence to pursue opportunities without compromising her calling.

4 months · First paid speaking engagement

Fitness Nurse Consulting · New Jersey · Solo Entrepreneur

Gained complete clarity on her who, what, and why in a single coaching session

Client believed she already had a clear vision — until one conversation revealed the blind spots too close for her to see. Left with a defined client, a clear offer direction, and a path forward she could act on immediately.

One coaching session · Immediate actionable clarity

Author · Speaker · Ohio

Landed a feature inside a popular Bible app's audio and devotional section within 5 months

Client transitioning from coaching to writing and speaking. Sharpened her messaging, prioritized business decisions with greater intention, and secured a significant platform placement expanding her reach to an established Christian audience.

5 months · Significant platform placement

What Clients Say

They had the calling. She handed them the map.

"I'd been encouraged to tone down my Christian message to appeal to a broader audience. Elaine never suggested that. She helped me find the market where my faith was the asset, not the liability — and four months later I had my first $3,000 speaking engagement. In a short time we've gone from coach and client to friends."

Faith-Based Speaker · Nevada

$3,000 speaking engagement in 4 months

"I thought I was pretty clear on my who and why — until I met with Elaine. After 20 minutes of her gently but directly coaching me to answer my own questions, I finally got clear on my who, what, and why. It was always in my orbit, but she could see what was almost too close for me to see. Like the tip of my nose. Book her and have that conversation."

Fitness Nurse Consultant · New Jersey

Full clarity in one coaching session

"I knew transitioning from coaching to writing and speaking would require a different set of disciplines — and as a coach myself, I knew I needed a coach. Elaine fits every need: someone who lovingly holds your feet to the fire, knows the struggle, and believes in your dream even when you're wavering. Within five months I secured a feature inside a prominent Bible app for my podcast content."

Author · Speaker · Ohio

Bible app feature secured in 5 months

The Framework

The Strategic DREAM Method™

Not inspiration. Not another course. A five-step proprietary roadmap that takes a Christian woman from "I feel called" to "I have a working plan" — with specific deliverables at every step.

Step 01

Design

Discover how God uniquely designed you to lead and build — your gifts, your wiring, and the vision only you can carry.

Step 02

Reason

Clarify your mission, vision, and values — the foundational "why" that will anchor every decision you make as an entrepreneur.

Step 03

Engage

Identify the audience you're called to serve — who they are, what they need, and how your offering meets them where they are.

Step 04

Achieve

Define your goals and build a strategy around them — so you're not just dreaming but moving with intention and direction.

Step 05

Manage

Map the specific tasks that will bring your goals to life — creating the daily structure that turns vision into sustainable action.

Expertise

Three areas. Deep knowledge.

Faith-Based Entrepreneurial Coaching

Certified John Maxwell Team Member with a MA in Theology. Elaine bridges the gap between spiritual calling and strategic execution — for women building businesses, ministries, and nonprofits in God's economy without sacrificing their faith or values.

Strategic Planning and Business Launch

10+ years helping women at the earliest, most critical stage of building their vision. Specializes in individualized roadmaps that produce both profit and sustainability — not just inspiration. The Strategic DREAM Method is her proprietary process.

Nonprofit Leadership and Global Mission

Founder and executive director of She Steps Forward International — a 501(c)(3) operating on two continents, equipping American and African women through annual entrepreneurial intensives in Virginia, U.S. and Nairobi, Kenya.

Authority Score™ — What It Measures

Elaine's score explained.

/100 Established Authority

Positioning Clarity — 83%

Listeners immediately understand who Elaine serves and referrals arrive pre-sold. This specificity is responsible for more results than she realizes — protecting it as her business evolves is the highest-value action she can take.

Proof and Credibility — 100%

100

Specific, public results are a genuine competitive advantage — they build trust at scale and work between appearances. Published book, two-continent conference, 30+ appearances, and named client outcomes all working continuously.

Content Consistency — 100%

100

Elaine stays visible between appearances when most guests go silent after an appearance. Her consistent LinkedIn, YouTube, and media presence keeps her top of mind with the exact audience most likely to hire her.

Episode Conversion — 43% · Primary Gap

This is the highest-leverage move. Without a dedicated listener pathway, interested people dissolve before reaching Elaine. Based on 40 episodes and her average client value, the diagnostic estimates $7,500 in unrealized revenue from appearances already recorded. One dedicated pathway changes the math on every episode — past and future.

Authority Footprint — 43%

Appearances exist but are scattered. Someone searching Elaine's name finds fragments — not a credibility wall. This Authority Hub is the foundation. Submitting to Google Search Console this week accelerates indexing and closes this gap retroactively.

Free Resource

Are you ready to launch your God-sized dream?
The DREAM Readiness Assessment tells you exactly where you are — and your specific next step.

The same diagnostic Elaine uses at the start of every coaching engagement. 15 minutes. 10 areas. You get a scored report to identify where you are in your readiness to launch.

+Pinpoint exactly where you are in your readiness to launch

+Identify specific gaps in your readiness to launch an entrepreneurial venture

+Receive feedback and your next best step in a Strategic DREAM Session call with Elaine

Take the DREAM Readiness Assessment →

Free · Takes about 15 minutes · 10 areas

Latest Feature

From the press.

She Steps Forward Coaching · August 2026

The Coach Who Won't Expand — Why Elaine Lankford Is Staying in Kenya When Everyone Asks About the Next Country

When people hear about Elaine Lankford's work in Nairobi, the question is always the same: where are you expanding next? Her answer surprises them. Nowhere — not yet. "There's plenty of territory to take just within Kenya alone," says Lankford, founder of She Steps Forward Coaching and executive director of She Steps Forward International. "It's tempting to chase growth for the sake of growth. But depth before width isn't a lack of ambition. It's respect for the people you're actually there to serve." That discipline runs through everything she has built — a for-profit coaching practice and a nonprofit side by side, a seed grant program closing the early-stage funding gap for women entrepreneurs, and a philosophy she sums up simply: "We're not going over there to give them the fish. We're going to teach them to fish." A certified John Maxwell Team member with a Master of Arts in Theology, Lankford has spoken to audiences of 300 or more, hosted entrepreneurial intensives in Virginia and Nairobi, authored a published book, and appeared on more than 30 podcasts.

Elaine Lankford · Founder, She Steps Forward Coaching · Dateline: Suffolk, Virginia · August 2026 · [email protected]

30+

Yrs Leadership

30+

Authority Appearances

300+

Conf. Audience

Continents

Speaking and Media

Book Elaine for your event, show, or summit.

Elaine speaks to women's conferences, Christian business events, church leadership gatherings, nonprofit summits, and media audiences. Available nationally and internationally — in-person and remote.

Keynote

From Calling to Launch — The Strategy God Has Already Placed Inside You

Why Christian women get stuck between vision and execution — and the five-step Strategic DREAM Method that closes the gap permanently. For women's conferences, church leadership events, and Christian entrepreneurship summits.

Workshop

The DREAM Readiness Workshop — Build Your Strategic Roadmap in a Day

A hands-on intensive where every participant leaves with a personalized strategic plan for their business, ministry, or nonprofit. Not theory — an actual working document they can act on Monday morning.

Media Guest

Faith Without a Plan Is Just a Wish — Why God-sized Dreams Require God-sized Strategy

Elaine's core message — the belief that strategy is a spiritual discipline, not just a business tool. Resonates with any faith-based entrepreneurial audience. 30–60 min. Remote or in-person.

Available Formats

Keynote Address

45–90 min · Women's events

Workshop / Intensive

Half or full day · Action plans

Media Guest

30–60 min · Remote or in-person

Church / Ministry Event

Faith-based audience · Any size

Nonprofit Summit

501(c)(3) and missions focus

International Event

U.S. and Africa · SSFI network

Work Together

Book a Discovery Call with Elaine.

30 minutes. Real clarity. Real path forward.

This is the same conversation Elaine has at the start of every coaching relationship. You leave with a clear picture of where you are, why you're stuck, and the specific next steps that will change that — whether you work together afterward or not.

✓

Honest assessment of where you are in your calling and what is actually holding you back

✓

An honest read on fit — Elaine will tell you directly if this isn't the right match for right now

[email protected]
shestepsforwardcoaching.com

August 2026