Ann Bernard

Biographical Information

I was born in Edmonton, Canada, but before I could form my first memories, my family relocated to the province of Quebec, where French became my first language. At the start of my 6th-grade year, we moved to Palmer, Massachusetts, and two months after graduating high school, I stood on the yellow footprints at Parris Island. I turned 18 in Boot Camp and went on to earn the title United States Marine.

After completing my Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training, I was stationed at 29 Palms, CA. During my service, I pursued higher education, earning an associate’s degree, and was later selected for the Meritorious Commissioning Program. At my ten-year mark, I made the pivotal decision to leave active duty as a Captain and pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, but as life and God often remind us, the path is never linear. My Marine Corps career ultimately spanned over 20 years, with 16 years on active duty and the remainder in the reserves. I retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Entrepreneurial Experience & God’s Pursuit

When I transitioned from military service, I set out to build something of my own—businesses that reflected my ambition, leadership, and vision. I had all the skills needed to succeed: strategy, discipline, innovation, and resilience. I built multiple ventures from the ground up, including:

  • 365Firsts, Inc. – A platform to help people embrace new experiences and push beyond their comfort zones.
  • The World of Personal Storytelling School & Community – A space to teach the power of storytelling for self-discovery, growth, and human connection.
  • WhyGoSolo, Inc. – A social networking solution designed to help people transition from online connections to meaningful real-world interactions.
  • Ann Bernard Enterprises – A personal development initiative focused on building confidence, self-awareness, and fear mastery.

Each of these ventures showcased my ability to lead, create, and execute, yet none of them succeeded. At the time, failure felt like a brutal and painful contradiction—how could I, someone so capable, keep falling short?

What I have since come to realize is that God was pursuing me the entire time.

Had I succeeded as an entrepreneur on my own terms, before God refined and changed me, it would have destroyed me. I would have built my success on the wrong foundation, relying on my own strength rather than God’s plan.

My entrepreneurial failures were not failures at all—they were God’s mercy and protection. He stripped away what I thought I wanted so I could step into something far greater: the fiery furnace with Him. Instead of chasing worldly success, I found true purpose, transformation, and unwavering faith.

Now, I walk in a different kind of calling—one where my identity is not in my achievements but in Christ. I now know that every struggle, setback, and surrender was preparing me for this moment—to step into my true purpose, not as a self-made success, but as someone made whole in Christ.

New Calling: Transform Hearts, Change Lives, Remake Cities

In May of 2014, God orchestrated a series of events that shattered my perception of myself. I came to the devastating realization that I had never truly known how to connect with others on an intimate, personal, and selfless level—and, worse, I had never even thought about it or cared to. That moment was life-altering.

It was this revelation that led me to become a personal storyteller. At the time, I had no idea that this would become part of my calling and purpose in life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was forced to pivot from my work with the #365FirstsChallenge and found myself establishing First Time Storytelling. As God was transforming me, He was also guiding me to develop a proprietary framework for personal storytelling—one that would allow people to:

  • Discover, understand, and communicate who they are
  • Author who they are becoming
  • Restore, establish, and nurture relationships with themselves, others, and with Him

He showed me how personal storytelling is a powerful weapon against division, loneliness, and stagnation. He gave me the understanding and vision for how He would use this framework to transform hearts, change lives, and remake cities.

Brave Action Ministry: Preparing the Way for the Testimony Movement

God also revealed to me that the personal storytelling movement He called me to ignite would set the stage for the testimony movement to follow.

He came into agreement with me that my clients, employees, and everyone associated with First Time Storytelling would encounter Him. That conviction made it clear that I needed to establish Brave Action Ministry—to ensure that those who discover and accept Jesus through their journey of storytelling have the support, resources, and teachings they need to grow in their faith.

Brave Action Ministry is not just a response—it is a mission. A mission to train and equip believers to join the fight against the enemy and work towards establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

This is my true calling. It was never about my own success—it was always about God’s greater plan.

Now, I move forward with boldness, clarity, and faith, knowing that everything I have learned, built, and experienced has led me to this moment.

Personal Interests

I really enjoy traveling, discovering new places and having new experiences. I like to mountain bike, hike, and pretty much do anything outdoor. I’m an avid reader.