A free virtual forum titled “Giving Yourself Permission to Start Again” will explore that question Sunday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Presented by the Sons of Charlotte Institute for Human Development, the forum is designed to encourage people navigating major life transitions and provide perspectives, experiences and practical tools for moving forward.

The conversation will be moderated by Derryck Boyer and will feature panelists Chanda Gelin, Brian Sledge, Derek Payne and Cortney G. Lansanah. Together, the group brings experience in entrepreneurship, mental health, wellness, community advocacy, life coaching and personal development.

Chanda Gelin: Reinvention Through Entrepreneurship

Chanda Gelin is a licensed esthetician, entrepreneur and founder of Elite Peels, a luxury skincare business based in Columbus, Ohio. Licensed since 2009, she combines her experience in skincare, business and leadership with an emphasis on personal confidence and well-being.

Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Gelin spent nine years with JPMorgan Chase. She holds a bachelor's degree in business and an MBA from Franklin University, as well as a Project Management Professional certification.

Her transition from corporate America into entrepreneurship helped shape a message especially relevant to the forum: Starting over does not have to represent failure. Gelin encourages people to view unexpected transitions as opportunities to reassess, grow and build lives more closely aligned with who they are becoming.

Brian Sledge: Using Community and Creativity to Create Opportunity

Brian Sledge is the founder of 614US, a nonprofit organization working to make mental health services more accessible and affordable while creating economic opportunities through arts-centered events and community initiatives.

A community-focused entrepreneur, creative and organizer, Sledge uses the arts as a vehicle for bringing people together and creating platforms for local talent.

Through 614US, he has helped produce events connecting artists, designers, models, entrepreneurs and other creatives while supporting initiatives involving mental health, food access, youth development and community engagement.

Cortney G. Lansanah: Helping People Find Clarity and Purpose

Cortney G. Lansanah is a licensed professional clinical counselor, purpose and life coach and private practice owner with more than a decade of experience providing mental health services.

She owns Bringing Clarity Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting, a virtual therapeutic practice serving adults dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, grief and life adjustment. Her work also includes couples counseling and relationship restoration.

Lansanah also provides life coaching through Coach Cortney, LLC, helping clients navigate personal challenges and pursue goals in areas including personal development, business and finances, relationships, identity and purpose.

Her commitment to service extends beyond her professional practice. Lansanah founded H.E.A.R.T. Community — Healing Educating and Reaching Together, a nonprofit organization focused on outreach and education. Her service has included work in communities across the United States as well as international efforts in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Monrovia, Liberia.

Derek Payne: Creativity, Entrepreneurship and the Willingness to Evolve

Derek Payne is an entrepreneur, author and creative professional whose journey reflects growth, discipline, health and wellness, relationships and the willingness to evolve through different seasons of life.

For more than two decades, Payne has used creativity and entrepreneurship to help businesses and individuals strengthen their brands and bring their ideas to life. His experiences as a business owner have required him to adapt to changing industries, embrace new opportunities and continually reinvent aspects of his professional and personal life.

Now an author, Payne recently released “Love at First Bite: Because Love Is Stronger Than Bacon,” a book that uses the experiences of couples with different dietary lifestyles to explore broader themes of relationships, communication, compromise and navigating differences.

Payne brings those experiences to the “Giving Yourself Permission to Start Again” panel, offering a perspective shaped by entrepreneurship, creativity, relationships, wellness and personal reinvention. His journey reinforces one of the forum’s central messages: Starting again does not always mean starting from nothing. Sometimes it means taking everything life has taught you and using it to build what comes next.

The range of experiences represented by the panel reflects the central theme of the evening: There is no single way to start again.

For one person, starting again may mean rebuilding after losing someone they love. For another, it may mean leaving a longtime career, rebuilding a relationship, launching a business, addressing mental and emotional wellness or simply accepting that the life they once envisioned has changed.

Organizers hope the forum will help participants see transition not simply as an ending, but as an opportunity to consider what the next chapter might become.

The discussion is also expected to emphasize that starting again does not require forgetting the past. Experiences — including difficult ones — can provide lessons, perspective and strength that help shape what comes next.

“Giving Yourself Permission to Start Again” will be held virtually Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. The event is free, but registration is required through Eventbrite.

For people standing at the intersection of what was and what comes next, the evening carries a timely message: Sometimes the first step toward a new beginning is simply giving yourself permission to take it.

Registration is required to attend this FREE forum ; Visit the website mmhuoh.org or go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/giving-yourself-permission-to-start-again-a-virtual-forum-tickets-1999628023246?aff=oddtdtcreator