Fa’apepele "Pele" Hunkin-Founder of Pele Inspire Embracing Authentic Love

Jennifer Diaby
May 28
10 min read

Fa’apepele "Pele" Hunkin

Bio:

The name Pele Inspire was born from legacy. "Pele" is the cherished short form of her name, Fa’apepele, which was given in honor of her beautiful grandmother. In Samoan, "Pele" means "sweetheart" or "dear." Over the years, she has given it a deeper, purpose-driven meaning that reflects her journey: PELE – Persevere Enough Love Everywhere.It’s more than a name — it’s a life mission to embody love, strength, and service in every space she walks into. Her parents, especially her Mother, Miriama and Grandmother, Fa’apepele remain her greatest inspirations, and their legacy lives on through every message she shares, every story she tells, and every heart she helps heal.

Fa’apepele "Pele" Hunkin is a Samoan Thought Leader and transformational speaker, known as The Thought Samoan Warrior. She is the founder of Pele Inspire – Embracing Authentic Love and the visionary behind the FLY Movement – First Love Yourself. A retired U.S. Army Combat Veteran, survivor of profound losses, a heart attack with a one-stent placement, strokes, 3.5mm brain blockage, alcoholism, and divorce, Pele now leads a global movement that empowers others to rise from pain into purpose.Her first solo book, HEART OF A WARRIOR - The Humble Journey of a Samoan Warrior, shares her powerful testimony of survival, resilience, and healing. Through every message, she reminds the world: You are NOT your past and You are NOT your diagnosis; YOU ARE GOD’s PURPOSE and LEGACY in motion. She also co-authored 11 best-selling anthologies and will release her first 30-day journal, GRACEFULLY GROWING THROUGH GRIEF with the HEART OF A WARRIOR.

She didn’t just survive — SHE CHOSE To RISE. To LOVE. To LEAD. To LIVE OUT LOUD with the

HEART OF A WARRIOR.

And NOW she helps others do the same.

Because when you First Love Yourself…

you don’t just heal — YOU FLY.

Fa’apepele "Pele" Hunkin-Front Cover Spotlight Interview

Please introduce and tell the readers about yourself.

Talofa lava, my name is Fa’apepele Hunkin, affectionately known as Pele—which means “sweetheart or dear” in my native Samoan language. Over the years and through my trials, I’ve given a deeper meaning to PELE: Persevere Enough Love Everywhere.

I am a proud Samoan Woman Warrior, a retired United States Army Combat Veteran, a mother of five beautiful children, a grandmother to my granddaughter, Princess Milan, and a fur mama to our sweet dog, Deabo.

I’m also a heart attack and stroke survivor, a survivor of divorce and alcoholism (going on four years sober), a global speaker, a best-selling author, and above all—a Samoan Woman Warrior who chooses to live full and die empty by pouring love, healing, and hope into everyone I meet.

One truth has remained through every trial: Faith is my Fuel, and Love is my Legacy.

Ms. Pele Hunkin, you are the Founder & CEO of Pele Inspire-Embracing Authentic Love. Tell the readers about Pele Inspires-Embracing Authentic Love and the reason you created it.

Pele Inspire – Embracing Authentic Love was born from pain, purpose, and promise. Pele is the short form of my birth name, Fa’apepele, which was given to me in honor of my beautiful grandmother, Fa’apepele Auva’a. Inspire is a tribute to the two most powerful women who shaped my life: my grandmother and my loving mother, Miriama Hunkin. Through them, I learned that love is not just spoken—it’s lived.

This movement is more than a name—it’s my heart’s mission. I created Pele Inspire as a promise to God: if He would lead me, I would serve with all my heart and lots of love. It became my way of transforming pain into purpose and heartbreak into healing.

Pele Inspire is a sacred space where love, gratitude, healing, grace, and authenticity meet. It is a movement for the broken and the brave, the silent warriors and the survivors, and anyone who needs to be reminded that they are worthy, seen, and deeply loved. It’s not just a brand—it’s a ministry of the heart. A testimony that when God rewrites your story, purpose is always the final chapter.

You wrote the powerful International Best-Selling book, HEART OF A WARRIOR - The Humble Journey of a Samoan Warrior. Tell us about this book and what inspire you to write it.

HEART OF A WARRIOR – The Humble Journey of a Samoan Warrior is more than just a book—it’s my soul in written form. It’s a deeply personal testimony of faith, love, gratitude, grace, culture, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when life tries to break you. This book was born through seasons of profound loss and divine resilience.

I wrote it to honor my parents, grandparents, and brother, and loved ones who now rest in Heaven. I wrote it after almost losing my only son to sudden brain swelling and internal bleeding while going through divorce. I wrote it as a Samoan Woman who faced the pain of divorce, carried the weight of single motherhood, and is now almost four years sober after surviving alcoholism.

This book is for every Warrior who’s ever grieved deeply, fought silently, and chosen healing anyway. It’s about finding beauty in brokenness and purpose in the pain. It’s about rising from the ashes with faith and love in your heart, grace in your steps, and your culture at your core.

My journey is not perfect—it’s powerful. And I share it not for recognition but for redemption. Every scar tells a story; mine tells one of love, loss, resilience, and God’s glory. I pray it gives others the courage to FLY-First Love Yourself and to keep going. It is a reminder that they, too, carry the HEART OF A WARRIOR to rise with grace.

Tell us about a few books that you are a co-authored?

I’ve been incredibly blessed to co-author 11 international best-selling anthologies, each reflecting a piece of my heart, love, healing, and divine assignment. These collaborations allowed me to share stories that honor my journey and inspire others to rise independently.

Here are just a few that are especially dear to me:

From Pain to Purpose – a raw and redemptive journey of how I rose from brokenness and grief into the calling God placed on my life.

Queen of Hearts – a celebration of the strength, softness, and spiritual power in a woman’s heart.

More Than a Conqueror – where I share the truth of surviving trauma and standing tall in God’s strength.

Women of the Power Voice - a life-changing collaboration with my Les Brown Sisters reminded me that my voice has power and purpose.

Who Wouldn’t Serve a God Like This – a testimony of unwavering faith, divine protection, and the miracles only God can orchestrate.

Each chapter is a piece of my love and legacy—written not for applause but for impact.

Congratulations, this year you are releasing your first 30-day journal, GRACEFULLY GROWING THROUGH GRIEF with the HEART OF A WARRIOR. Tell the readers about your journal and the inspiration behind creating this journal. Also, what advice would you give to those who are experiencing grief?

GRACEFULLY GROWING THROUGH GRIEF with the HEART OF A WARRIOR - A 30-Day Journal of Healing, Reflection, Love, and Hope

By Fa’apepele “Pele” Hunkin

This is more than a journal. It’s a sacred space for the brokenhearted. A companion for those quietly grieving. A soft place to land when the world doesn’t understand your pain.

Born from the depths of my loss—of my beloved parents, grandparents, husband, and brother—this 30-day journey was created with all of my heart and lots of love. Each page offers healing words, daily devotions, reflective journal prompts, and affirmations to remind you:

You are not alone.

Your grief is valid.

Healing is Peaceful and it is Possible.

God is still near—even in the valley.

This journal invites you to feel, reflect, release, and rise again—gracefully, in your own time, with the heart of a warrior.

To the grieving heart reading this:

Feel it all. Don’t rush the process. Cry when you need to. Rest when you must. But never stop believing that beauty can rise from the ashes.

Because even in your pain—you are still growing and you are still glowing. I love you, and I am here for you.

Where can the readers purchase copies of your books.

My book HEART OF A WARRIOR—The Humble Journey of a Samoan Warrior is available on my website at www.peleinspire.com and on Amazon—search for my name, Fa’apepele Hunkin.

The anthologies I’ve co-authored can also be found on Amazon, or readers are welcome to contact me directly via message or email to purchase signed copies. I genuinely love connecting personally and adding a handwritten blessing when I can.

As for my upcoming 30-day journal GRACEFULLY GROWING THROUGH GRIEF with the HEART OF A WARRIOR, I’ll share release details very soon. I can’t wait to place it in the hands and hearts of those who need it most.

Ms. Hunkin, you are a Global and Transformational Speaker empowering people to face their challenges with faith and hope. Tell the readers the topics do you speak on to encourage others? Also, how do empower people to face their challenges?

I speak from a place of love, truth, vulnerability, and victory—because I know what it’s like to survive the storm and still choose to rise with grace.

My core speaking topics include:

Unwavering Faith Through Adversity

Healing from Grief and Trauma

Empowering Women to Rise with the HEART OF A WARRIOR

A Veteran Sobriety Journey through the Wounded Warrior Project

Veteran Resilience and Purpose After Service

FLY – First Love Yourself: The Power of Self-Worth and Healing

I empower others by sharing my raw, honest, and powerful testimony. I don’t just tell people they can survive—I show them what survival looks like. I speak life into broken places, hope into weary hearts, and remind others that their story still matters—and so do they.

Whether speaking to a classroom, a congregation, or a global stage, my mission is to help others reclaim their power, rise in faith, and walk boldly in purpose.

You had the opportunity to be trained by motivational icon Les Brown. Tell us about this amazing experience. Also, what did you learn from the motivational icon Les Brown.

Being trained by the legendary Dr. Les Brown was among my greatest honors and blessings. His voice, passion, and wisdom didn’t just teach me how to speak—they ignited a deeper fire within me. He reminded me, "You gotta be hungry”—not just for success but for purpose, impact, and the legacy you’re meant to leave behind.

What I carry from him most is this truth:

Your story is someone else’s survival guide.

Speak it with power.

Speak it with heart.

Speak it like it’s your calling—because it is.

For years, I manifested the moment I would thank him in person for transforming my life—and in September 2022, God made it happen. I stood face-to-face with the man whose voice helped me rise, and I got to say: “Thank you for helping me find mine. I love you, and I am forever grateful for you.” His mentorship shaped me into the Samoan Warrior speaker I am today, and I will carry his lessons for the rest of my life. I am blessed to be a part of his legacy.

I know you have a powerful testimony. In 2023, you survived a heart attack caused by 80% artery blockage, requiring a life-saving stent placement. One year later, you endured three strokes and life-threatening internal bleeding. How did you overcome and survive those health challenges. What gave you strength during the difficult times?

I didn’t just survive—this was the beginning of my divine comeback. I was sent back on assignment, and this wasn’t the end of my story.

I overcame by the grace of God, the power of prayer and fasting, and the love rooted in my why—my children, my purpose, and my promise to serve with all of my heart and lots of love.

In December 2023, I suffered a heart attack caused by 80% blockage, requiring a life-saving stent. Not long after, I endured three strokes, internal bleeding, a 3.5mm brain blockage, and a hemoglobin drop so severe it required blood transfusions.

Medically, I shouldn’t be here… but GOD KEPT MY HEART ALIVE.

Unshakeable faith carried me through—even when my body was breaking, my spirit held on. I leaned into God’s promises and the unwavering support of my children, family, and prayer warriors. I believed that if God brought me through it, He still had more for me to do.

Today, I live with a greater purpose, more profound compassion, and a fire-forged in the valley. This journey now lives in the title of my upcoming second book:

“GOD KEPT MY HEART ALIVE — So Now I Live to Serve.” Because this is more than a comeback—it’s a calling. And I intend to honor it with every breath I’ve been blessed to keep.

In this May edition, the theme of the magazine is Moms in Business. How do you balance being a Mom and Entrepreneurship? What advice would you give to women who are Moms and would like to start a business?

Balancing both roles is not always easy, especially as a widow, a single mom, and a former soldier. Some of the most challenging seasons of my life were spent raising my children while serving in the military and carrying the weight of grief, duty, and motherhood all at once. But through it all, I learned that the secret isn’t perfection—it’s grace, love, and gratitude.

I’ve learned to lead my family and business with the same heart: present, prayerful, and purposeful. I include my children in my entrepreneurial journey whenever I can—not just to help but to let them see firsthand what love and purpose are in motion. They’ve become a part of the mission, and their love is my most excellent fuel.

To all the beautiful Mothers out there:

Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment—it may never come. Start with what you have and where you are, and let love and grace lead the way. Your children don’t need a perfect mom; they need a present one who dares to dream big, walk in purpose, love with no boundaries, and bring them along for the ride with the HEART OF A WARRIOR.

You’re not just building a business—you’re building a legacy. And your babies will grow up knowing they witnessed their Mama rise with the HEART OF A WARRIOR

Do you have any upcoming conferences, events, or workshops?

Yes! I’m preparing for new workshop tours tied to my FLY Movement, First Love Yourself, which is designed to empower individuals through healing, faith, and self-worth.

I’m also celebrating the release of my 30-day journal, Gracefully Growing Through Grief with the Heart of a Warrior, and prayerfully considering the launch of my upcoming podcast, HEART OF A WARRIOR.

Prayerfully, This summer, I’ll be speaking at several veterans and women’s empowerment events, continuing my mission to uplift and inspire through the power of storytelling, faith, and resilience.

Stay connected for updates and announcements at www.peleinspire.com and on Instagram: @peleinspire

Give some words of inspiration to our readers to encourage, motivate, and uplift them.

To the one reading this who feels tired, unseen, or uncertain—YOU are NOT alone. And this is NOT the end of your story.

You are NOT what happened to you.

You are who you choose to become through it.

You are seen. You are loved. You are needed—right now, just as you are.

Your pain has a purpose.

Your voice carries power.

And your story? It still matters—so much more than you know. YOU MATTER!

So take your time. Breathe through the brokenness.

Rise with grace. Heal at your pace. And keep going… because God’s NOT finished with you yet.

Stay humble. Stay positive. Stay strong. And always Stay encouraged because YOU have the HEART OF A WARRIOR to FLY-First Love Yourself.