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WENDEE C L O S E

@wendeeclose

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🌳 Bringing Goals2Life
✨ Longevity • Life Design • Legacy
❤️ Faith • Family • Wellness
🌱 Growth Mindset
🔗 Close Connections

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“We see you. We believe in you. Keep going.”

These words stayed with me after attending The Good Lunch, hosted by Goodwill of Orange County yesterday.

It was an encouraging afternoon filled with people who are passionate about creating opportunities and changing lives.

As the Founder of Goals2Life, I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to see what’s possible, build a plan, and have the support and accountability they need to keep moving forward.

We’re excited to celebrate our partnership as we kick off our project for the City of Anaheim, working together to make a meaningful impact on out-of-school youth!

A heartfelt thank you to Goodwill of Orange County for your continued support and to Lendistry for the incredible work you do to empower communities.

When we believe in people and give them the tools to succeed, the possibilities are endless. 💙

Here’s to creating opportunities, building confidence, and helping more people move forward!

PS — Glad to connect! Follow Wendee Close for more insights on #Goals2Life, #WorkforceDevelopment, and #CommunityImpact.

#GoodwillOC #CityOfAnaheim YouthEmpowerment CommunityImpact Goals2Life by @wendeeclose

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19 hours ago

29 years married to my best friend, my partner in life, and one of God’s greatest gifts to me @tonyclose1003 ❤️

When I look back over 29 years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. God is so good. Through every season, every adventure, every challenge, every laugh, and every special memory, He has continued to bless us with the gift of each other and the gift of our marriage.

I am so grateful for the life we have built, the friendship that is the heart of our marriage, our beautiful family foundation and a love that continues to grow over time.

29 years later, I would still choose you over and over. ❤️

Here’s to continuing to laugh, love, travel, dream, grow in faith, and say yes to all of life’s adventures together.

Happy 29th Anniversary to my best friend and forever partner, God is good. 🥂❤️ taken in Scottsdale, Arizona by @wendeeclose

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20 days ago

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21 days ago

There’s something so energizing about connecting with people who share your passion for helping others grow.

Goals2Life Founder & CEO Wendee Close had a wonderful lunch with April Barnes, President of Vital Link, and an inspiring conversation about helping young people discover what’s possible for their future.

Vital Link is creating incredible opportunities for students throughout Orange County to explore careers, gain real-world experience, and begin building their path forward.

But discovering the path is only the beginning.

How do we help young people keep moving forward after the program, workshop, or internship ends?

That’s where goals, mentorship, accountability, connection, and consistent action can make such a difference.

At Goals2Life, we believe it’s not only about helping people dream about what’s possible, it’s about giving them the tools and support to Create. Execute. Achieve. those possibilities.

We’re grateful for leaders like April who are investing in the next generation and excited about what conversations like these can lead to!

Here’s to helping more young people turn possibility into progress.

#Goals2Life #VitalLink #CareerReadiness #YouthDevelopment #OrangeCounty #GoalSetting by @wendeeclose

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24 days ago

What an extraordinary afternoon surrounded by powerful women, meaningful connections, and so much inspiration. 💚

The Orange County Business Journal’s 32nd Annual Women in Business Awards was a beautiful celebration of women whose leadership, vision, and impact are helping shape our community.

One moment that really stayed with me came from keynote speaker Charlene Reynolds, Airport Director at John Wayne Airport:

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

As the founder of Goals2Life, that resonated deeply.

Success isn’t only about the milestones we reach. It’s about who we become along the way and making sure we aren’t sacrificing our health, relationships, joy, or peace to get there.

A special thank-you to Erin Earlywine and Merge Opportunities for inviting me as your guest and for the opportunity to share this special afternoon with the Motive Workforce community.

Loved connecting with Sarah Cameron, Anna Wassman, Monica Olmos, Tiesha Hutchins, Meg Millar, Scharrell Jackson, Trina Fleming, Brian Knapp, and Richard Rhyu with JPMorganChase.

And a special shoutout to Erin Earlywine, Lucy Santana, Tracy Carmichael, Gianna Mulkay, Ann Truxaw Ramirez, and Rachel Svoboda. I admire the work you are doing and the difference you continue to make. It was wonderful seeing you celebrated! 💚

Connection → Collaboration → Impact

Sometimes the greatest achievement isn’t simply reaching the goal.

It’s who we become and who we help move forward along the way.

Who is a woman who has opened a door for you? Tag her below so we can celebrate her. 💚

#Goals2Life #WomenInBusiness #WomenSupportingWomen #Leadership #OrangeCounty by @wendeeclose

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a month ago

Empowering futures happens when a community comes together.

What a special evening celebrating the students, educators, volunteers, business leaders, and community partners behind Vital Link’s Empowering Futures.

Seeing students step into roles as presenters, musicians, photographers, decorators, and future leaders was such a beautiful reminder of what happens when young people are given opportunities to discover what’s possible.

So grateful for the leadership of April Barnes, and for Neda Arab and Dennis Brangwin, who do so much to bring education, industry, and community together.

Loved sharing this evening with Trina Fleming, Scharrell Jackson, Krista Schweitzer-Ganga, Nick, Tony Close, and so many wonderful people committed to our next generation.

And a special congratulations to Karalyn Law on being recognized as one of Vital Link’s Students of the Year!

I’m also grateful for Joshua Gagnier and PlannedQuest and the opportunity for PlannedQuest + Goals2Life to collaborate and make a difference together.

Because helping someone discover their future is powerful.

Helping them create a plan and take action toward it can change their life.

#EmpoweringFutures #VitalLink #Goals2Life #CareerReadiness #WorkforceDevelopment by @wendeeclose

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a month ago

Merge AI Intern Presentation Day

Goals2Life is all about helping people Create. Execute. Achieve. And that mission extends to creating opportunities for people to learn, grow, and turn their potential into action.

It was a pleasure being part of the AI Intern Presentation Day and seeing the interns showcase what they accomplished throughout the program.

A special shoutout to Maleek Silvers and the other AI interns for their hard work, growth, and dedication throughout these past four weeks.

Thank you to Erin Earlywine and Haben Berhe at Merge Opportunities for supporting the interns and helping create an opportunity for them to develop their AI skills and present their work in support of Long Beach Gives.

We’re also grateful to Rancho Santa Margarita Community College | Economic Development & Opportunity | Workforce Development for being part of this valuable learning experience.

Seeing people gain new skills, build confidence, and turn what they’ve learned into action is exactly the kind of growth we believe in at Goals2Life.

Here’s to creating opportunities, taking action, and achieving what’s possible! by @wendeeclose

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a month ago

Excited to finally experience COSM in Los Angeles.

Last week, a group of small business owners and Ascend LA program partners came together for the Mid-Program Mixer, and COSM turned out to be an incredible place to host it.

Mayor James T. Butts Jr. opened with real perspective on what the City is doing to support small business growth in Inglewood.

Got to share lunch with Libby Williams on the rooftop — good food, better conversation.

So good seeing Jabbar Wesley and Diana at LISC LA in person. Thank you both for making the connections that brought this room together.

Everything CMG Alliance has poured into Ascend LA shows. Thank you to Rene Cota, Mario Rojas, and Alexis Patalan for all of it.

LaVada English introduced me to this program in the first place, and she keeps bringing AI resources straight to small business owners who need them most. That kind of access matters.

Always good to network with Otissa Johnson — the insight and wisdom she brings to every room is real.

Between LaVada, Otissa Johnson, and me, we’re the NAWAIQ ladies (National Association of Women in AI) — and Wednesday, we were all in the same room again.

It was great to see you, Melissa Tong, my WBE sister.

Good to connect with Dr. Shawne Reddic Wilson, Estyn Hackshaw-Husnick, and Noelle Hylton — looking forward to strategizing together moving forward.

Looking forward to connecting more with Kelly LoBianco too.

Access without structure is just noise. The plan is what turns opportunity into progress.

DM me — happy to talk through what’s next for your business. Or find the link in my bio.

#Goals2Life #WomenOwned #CommunityMatters #AscendLA #SmallBusinessGrowth by @wendeeclose

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2 months ago

I was at Scharrell Jackson’s Elevate conference last weekend, and it was impossible to walk away without noticing something.

I sat down, and the card waiting for me said “I AM FAVOR.” Perfect timing.

Favor isn’t fair and it’s not random. It’s assigned. It opens doors you can’t always explain. I needed that reminder.

I don’t have to hustle to be seen. What’s for me is already in motion. My job is to keep building and stay ready.

That’s the whole reason we built Goals2Life. Favor and timing matter, but they still need something to land on. We built this to help you put structure behind the moments that show up for you, so when the door opens, you’re ready to walk through it.

So many people poured into the room and contributed to the event, and I want to name each of them.

Scharrell Jackson opened by telling us this day wasn’t about motivation, it was about elevation, and then spent the next several hours proving that she leads from spirit first and gives that room away freely so the rest of us can grow in it.

Trina Fleming, the glue holding this whole day together and quietly inspiring every one of us in the room, even when nobody was watching.

Martha Daniel, for the reminder that success is something you get to define for yourself.

Avery Crumrine’s line: the real power of intention isn’t in having the idea. It’s in acting on it.

Jocelyn King’s 10% rule: growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone. Every day, she asks herself what she’d do if she were just 10 percent more committed to her top priorities.

Spring Eatmon, for showing that leaving something that looks successful from the outside can be the bravest decision you make.

The rest of today’s shoutouts, plus this year’s Women of Impact winners and nominees, are in the comments 💛

If you’ve ever had a moment where the timing was too perfect to be random, just like what happened to me, share it in the comments. I’d love to hear your story. 👇

#Goals2Life #WomenOwned #CommunityMatters #IAmFavor #WholenessOverHustle by @wendeeclose

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2 months ago

You don't need to push through it.

You need clarity first and nobody told you that was allowed.

"Push through" isn't a mental health strategy. It's a way to keep going without ever actually resting.

Clarity isn't the reward you get after you finally have it together. It's the foundation you build from.

That's the whole reason Goals2Life exists. We help you build the structure that gets you clarity first, instead of waiting for it to show up on its own.

Alignment over overwhelm. Always.

What's the one Mental Wellness goal you're building clarity around? Comment it below. 👇 💛

#Goals2Life #MondayMotivation #WholenessOverHustle #MentalWellness #MentalClarity #MindsetShift by @wendeeclose

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2 months ago

Nothing better than time with family! Cherishing every moment before she goes back to college. #closetimes taken in Javier's - Newport Beach by @wendeeclose

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2 months ago

Every student deserves more than inspiration they deserve a roadmap.

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Orange County United Way's Hot Endless Summer Mixer and Fundraiser, supporting United for Student Success.

I left inspired by the stories, the passion, and the commitment to helping first-generation students navigate pathways to college, careers, and a brighter future.

Sergio Contreras opened with a number that stopped the room: over 3,200 students served in Orange County this past year.

One story especially stayed with me. Britney Muñoz, a first-generation student, shared how mentorship and access to the right resources changed the trajectory of her life. Today, she's a college graduate at Children's Hospital of Orange County, pursuing her dream of becoming a registered nurse. Her mentor, Susan Stoneburner, sat right beside her, and I had the privilege of sitting with them both to hear firsthand how that relationship shaped her path.

Potential isn't equally distributed but opportunity can be.

One theme continued to emerge:

"Students don't know what they don't know, and they don't know these programs exist."

Many first-generation students are navigating college, financial aid, and career planning for the very first time often without someone at home who has walked that path before. That's why mentorship and structured guidance matter so much.

This was also the night I finally got to meet the United for Student Success team in person, after knowing each other virtually for a while. A heartfelt thank you to Sergio, Sue Parks, Elisa, Yahaira, David, and Hayley along with the mentors, volunteers, and students who shared their journeys.

Goals2Life exists to bridge the gap between goals set and goals achieved the structure to move from not knowing what you don't know, to actually getting there.

Together, we can create opportunities that change lives, one student, one mentor, one relationship at a time.

👉 If your company wants to be part of what they're building in Orange County, comment or send me a message. by @wendeeclose

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2 months ago