About us
Learning to dream again…
Visualizing our future, realigning to our values, and transforming our lives
Our Story
We were coming up on twenty years of marriage, growing our family, and climbing the ladder in our careers. By industry standard, we had reached the pinnacle of success—we had a house in the suburbs with a three-car garage, our five kids went to some of the highest-rated schools which were all within walking distance, Brandon worked in a very desirable job just minutes from the Capitol in downtown, and we just put in a pool.
Truth is, we were miserable.
We woke up in the dark and went to bed in the dark. Every penny we earned was spent on the house, pool, cars, clothes, and extra-curriculars. Every minute we had was spent on homework, events, private lessons, extra practices, games, and a slew of other commitments.
We supported our kids in every activity, and yet, we felt disconnected from them in other places that really mattered. We had a good marriage, and yet knew we were going through the motions day in and day out. Finally, had enough. We knew God did not create us to live a life of stress, worry, disconnect, and fatigue.
We thought back to all the hopes and dreams we had when we were first dating and then married. We recalled the fire we once had to have a big family in an old house, kids strewn across the front porch and playing in the yard. We reminisced on the joy we share when we are outdoors and in places we can play.
We seriously began to question—why are we here and what are we doing?
From there, we spelled it all out. We had meetings as a couple and discussions as a family. We each asked ourselves, if we could be anywhere and if we could do anything, what would that be? What do we dream? How do we want to change the world?
This full permission to dream led us to where we are today.
Within that same year, we sold everything where we were living in Austin, Texas, and moved to the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. For us, geography is only part of the changes we have made. We have let go of the expectations of “success” and have charted our own path to happiness and fulfillment.
We are excited to share our journey with you!
We’re on a mission.
A mission to give others the permission to live the life they are truly seeking.
Unbinded Life
“Unbinded” is a made up word. When we embarked on this journey, we felt we were doing something we had not seen anyone around us doing. We believe doing something unheard of warrants a word not yet heard of.
From the very beginning, we had an image in mind of “undoing” all that we had been doing, we envisioned “untethering” ourselves from the things that were holding us down, and we felt like we were letting go of typical norms and expectations. This vision, this feeling of freedom and release, led us to Unbinded Life.
We have learned we will never be “unbound,” meaning we will never arrive at this place where our transformation is complete. This is a life-long process of being aware of personal and family values and making intentional choices to remain aligned to those values. There will always be distractions, stressors, and our own thoughts that will come between where we are and where we want to be. There will always be the need to reexamine and realign. As our lives change, we can intentionally change with it.
We believe we are all called to live a life of passion, purpose, and peace where we live out our values and find fulfillment.
We believe in living an Unbinded Life free from what holds us back and aligned to what matters most!
Who we are and where we’ve been…
Brandon and Opal both grew up in small towns in rural Louisiana. After they married in early 2001, Brandon and Opal moved to Texas where they both pursed careers in education and later welcomed their first child. From then on, Brandon earned a Masters Degree in Education Administration and later a PhD in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University. Meanwhile, his career transitioned from high school science teacher, to assistant principal, to principal, to school superintendent. Opal also pursued a career in education as a high school English teacher and later transitioned into the field of professional development.
Along the way, Opal earned a Masters Degree from Texas A&M University, that same year they welcomed their fourth child, and they both knew they had to make some changes. The next year, Brandon took a state-level education leadership role and their family relocated to Austin. In 2014, they welcomed their fifth child and Opal paused her 10-year career in education to pursue her desire to stay home full-time with the family. It was during their time in Austin that they began to seriously question their pursuit of the American Dream versus pursuing the dreams they had as a young married couple. They began to question how they spent their time and how they spent their money. They were ready for a change. Through the process of life coaching, they were able to visualize and pursue the life they desired. In 2020, they sold their house in the suburbs and moved to the mountains of North Carolina. Brandon and Opal are contributors for the blog, Unbinded Life, and are both Certified Professional Coaches.
