13. Love, Loss & the Bounce Back: Elle Davis on Resilience After Widowhood

In this episode, Jess is joined by Elle Davis — mother, TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and author of The Art of the Bounce Back. In 2014, Elle’s life changed overnight when she became a widow at 36, left to raise her two-year-old daughter on her own. What followed was a season of deep grief, transformation, and unexpected growth.

Elle shares how she navigated solo motherhood, created space for healing, and slowly found her way forward — one small step at a time. Together, Jess and Elle talk about building resilience, honoring your own pace, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when life doesn’t go as planned.

This conversation is honest, encouraging, and full of hard-earned wisdom. If you’ve ever found yourself at a crossroads or wondered how to begin again, this episode is for you.

About Elle Davis:

LaTrice Davis, known as Elle, is a champion for change with nearly 25 years devoted to uplifting communities and empowering youth. Her journey began at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, where she discovered the transformative power of community and innovative program development. When life threw a curveball in 2009 with a layoff, Elle turned a challenge into an opportunity by launching on her own and eventually founded The Ellevate Group, LLC—a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations and individuals transform obstacles into opportunities for growth.

Her creative work has touched over 25,000 young people and helped secure more than $20 million in grant funding. Through her engaging training sessions and hands-on program development, she’s empowered thousands of youth development professionals nationwide. Elle’s collaborative spirit has led her to work with remarkable organizations such as Illinois Action for Children, The Music Center, YWCA, Teach for America, Southland RISE, and many others.

In 2014 her life changed forever when she unexpectedly lost her husband Paul and became a widow. Inspired by her own journey of overcoming personal loss, Elle shares her story of grief and resilience on stages big and small, including a TEDx talk at Babson College in 2023, about how resilience can be a superpower. Her book, The Art of the Bounce Back: 31 Days of Resilient Living, invites others to exercise their resilience and live purposefully. Elle holds degrees in social work from Creighton University and New York University and proudly serves as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., all while calling Bronzeville home with her teen daughter.

Learn More about Elle Davis, The Art of the Bounce Back, and Ellevate Group:

• The Art of the Bounce Back Book: https://www.bouncebackcrew.com
• Elle Davis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elledavisspeaks
• Ellevate Group Website: https://www.ellevategroup.us/
• Ellevate Group Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theellevategroup/ 
• Elle's TEDx Talk: https://bit.ly/ElleTEDxTalk 

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour