My Name is Amanda, and This is My Story
I’m a 39-year-old single mother to an incredible 12-year-old boy named Liam. I’m a survivor of domestic violence, trauma, and addiction—but more than that, I’m a woman who has fought to transform pain into purpose.
At just 8 years old, I witnessed the unimaginable. My stepfather brutally took my mother’s life in front of me. That moment shattered the world I knew. At 9, I met my biological father for the first time—and instead of safety, I was met with further abuse, both physical and sexual. My childhood was stripped away, and survival became my only focus.
In eighth grade, I ran away from that nightmare. But years of trauma had already shaped the lens through which I saw myself and others. I found myself in one toxic relationship after another, repeating patterns that mirrored the chaos I thought was normal. I masked my pain with drugs, alcohol, and anger, not realizing I was breaking my own heart over and over.
I had moments of strength—I stopped using needles before my son was born—but I still struggled with substance use afterward, telling myself I had it under control. The truth was, I didn’t. I was functioning but not living. I was numb and disconnected from the woman I was meant to become.
In 2022, something inside me said, Enough. I packed up my car, put the rest in storage, and drove to Florida. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but I knew I had to get far enough away that my past couldn’t follow. That drive changed everything.
Florida became the beginning of my true healing. I got sober—no more drugs, no more alcohol. I sat with myself, faced the pain I had run from for so long, and started the deep inner work to rebuild from the inside out. I reconnected with my spirituality, found my worth, and began to honor the little girl inside me who had been fighting to survive since she was eight years old.
I’m not perfect, and I’m not fully healed—but I am whole. And I am living proof that darkness does not get the final say.
Through this healing journey, I discovered my mission. I started creating all-natural skincare and household products—made with love, care, and an understanding of how hard it can be to feel worthy during difficult times. My vision is to bring these products to domestic violence shelters and women in need, not just to offer something beautiful, but to remind each woman that she deserves to feel good, to smell good, to be cared for.
Self-worth is one of the first things to slip away in hard times. No one taught me how to care for myself or why I mattered. I had to learn all of it on my own. And now, I want to teach others—especially women and young girls—that they are not alone, they are not broken, and they are deeply worthy of love and healing.
One day, while laying floors in a woman’s home, I shared my story for the first time. Her name was Kathi. That conversation became a turning point. Kathi has since become a guiding light in my life, helping me connect with churches and women’s shelters. She believed in me when I was still learning to believe in myself. I truly feel my mother sent her to me. In many ways, she’s filled a space in my heart that I didn’t realize could ever be filled.
Now, I’m preparing to launch my business—Bee Devine Natural Line—and begin distributing my products to shelters across Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and eventually youth homes that support teenage girls. I want to share my story, speak to women directly, and give them something real and healing to hold on to. Even if it only reaches one woman or girl, then my story has served its purpose.
This is my way of honoring my mother, Andrea Greenlee. Her life was stolen, but her love continues through me. Every product I make, every story I share, every woman I reach—it’s all for her, and for every woman who’s ever felt lost, invisible, or forgotten.
My journey isn’t over. I continue to work on myself every single day—becoming a better woman, mother, and friend than I was yesterday. I do this for my son, Liam, who is my greatest motivation and my deepest joy. I want him to know that no matter how dark life gets, we can rise. We can transform. We can use our stories to inspire others—and that our past does not define our future.
My name is Amanda Mayer, and this is my story of survival, transformation, and purpose.
