Woman Wednesday: Camila

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.           


Q and A with Camila, Uruguay–>Montreal, Canada

Sometimes, I just want to stay in my comfort zone and ignore what might help me and my business grow. However, the outcome is so positive that you will be proud of yourself.


Q: What are you passionate about?

A: My passion is to help people live a simpler life. As a professional organizer, I love to bring solutions to clients’ spaces by decluttering and organizing in a way that is functional and aesthetically pleasant. 

Growing up, I admired my dad’s taste in interior design (he was a notary though) and my mom’s sense of minimalism. I hadn’t heard of my profession until 2016 when I read Marie Kondo’s book and started researching about it. I studied to become a Certified Professional Organizer at POC (Professional Organizers in Canada), and I quit my full-time job as a daycare teacher to open my company Tidy Up.Solutions in Montreal.

I also combined my two passions—teaching and organizing—by teaching workshops to kids and adults.

I can’t wait to go back to clients’ homes! But in the meantime, I am giving webinars and virtual organizing sessions. 

 

96696324_2700255716967694_7729199549331275776_n

Photography credit: Laurence Campbell

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a beautiful tiny country with the best beaches in South America! Uruguay. I’m the second oldest of 6 kids. Both of my parents had full-time jobs, and my house was always in order. Yes, believe it or not. But I’ll tell you why: First of all, we didn’t have any clutter at all—very few toys and clothes. Secondly, we had help at home, so when my parents arrived from work, the laundry was done, dinner was ready, and the house was clean. What a privilege!

I got married in 2006, and one year later, I moved to Montreal, Canada, to study and have the experience of living abroad. Life is different here in many ways. Having help at home is not as common and a lot more expensive. I always thought of having 6 kids, but 3 is a good number.

Having an organized home is key for living with less stress and more joy.

96140933_2523561621307425_7421972219296743424_n

 

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: In 2016, I knew I wanted to become an organizer. But there was an inner thought that didn’t let me ‘jump in the water’ for two years.

That was fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of ‘what if’; what if I fail?; what if no one hires me?; what if I suck?; what if I don’t make money and have to go back to my previous job?…etc.

I learned and I am still learning to confront and overcome my fears. It’s not easy. Sometimes, I just want to stay in my comfort zone and ignore what might help me and my business grow. However, the outcome is so positive that you will be proud of yourself.

Believe in yourself and work hard.

 

96607780_2637991006302434_4166915770942488576_n


Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: For me, feminism is having the same rights and opportunities as men.

 

96286224_876718912803699_2028493004993462272_n


Thank you for reading!

 

I’d love to connect with you!

Click here to connect and check out my site.

Insta

 

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Najiva

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.         


Q and A with Najiva, Jamaica–>New York–>Florida

“Your values and beliefs have a lot to do with how you lead the people around you.”


Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about adding value to people’s lives through personal and professional growth and development. I have worked in leadership and management for 15 years for Walgreens Retail and Pharmacy Operations. My people management skills and leadership skills cultivated a passion in me to help my team members grow, develop, and advance to new levels, which led me to start my own coaching practice, The Consult Table. The Consult Table inspires new, experienced, and future leaders to maximize their potential to achieve the results in their performance. I also have a girls group mentoring program, Girls Dig Deeper Initiative. Girls Dig Deeper Initiative’s mission is to foster, guide, support, and encourage at-risk middle school girls within the schools and communities to empower them to dig deep within themselves to maximize their full potential.

 

96510911_2604670606518015_5195797653673213952_n

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born in the beautiful country of Jamaica, and I moved to the United States when I was 9. From then on, I lived in New York. I left New York after I graduated from high school and moved to South Florida, where I met my husband. We have four beautiful children today. Growing up in my younger years, I always believed in the power of education because my mother was an educator for 24 years in Jamaica and teaches now in the United States. I grew up fascinated with learning, and self-development was important to me. I believed knowledge is power, and once you have that, no one can take it from you. My Jamaican culture plays a major role in the person I am today. Our food, music, dance, traditions, family ties, and etiquette help me to embrace my values, beliefs, and self-love.

 

96575271_2831295350258708_8038762070264512512_n

 

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: Something valuable I have learned is that your values and beliefs have a lot to do with how you lead the people around you. In leadership, what I have learned over the years is that if there is something that you value and live by and your team believes in it, they will follow you. If you reflect on what’s important to you as a leader with your team, they will know what to expect from you.

 

96392330_897181854087023_8866427612805726208_n


Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I view feminism as women having equal access to opportunities, authority, and influence as men. Women should not be turned down from gaining access through the “open door” because someone feels like their gender makes them incapable.

 

96764719_580828635876657_5807019062361849856_n

 


Thank you for reading!

 

I’d love to connect with you!

Email najiva@theconsulttable.com

FB business page: The Consult Table

 

96840576_248776166480459_7949430122057039872_n

 

make this day great quote board

 

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Jenny

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.         


Q and A with Jenny, Cody, Wyoming

“We can’t see the wind, but we feel it. We can’t see the sun at night, but we know it will come up tomorrow. We can’t see gravity, but we see the results. We can’t see sickness, but we see its effects. You can’t see love, but you see it affects. I can’t see God, but I see the difference in my life.”


Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about living life to the fullest. I am a wife of 29 years, a mom of three, a lover of the outdoors, sports, baking, and doing anything with my family! I am passionate about helping people live life more abundantly—mentally, physically, and spiritually. I enjoy helping people overcome their limiting beliefs and fulfilling their purpose. I have been in sales for over 30 years, and this last year, I decided to step out and start accomplishing my goals from when I was younger. I had gone to college to be an athletic coach but stayed in sales since I have been successful at it.

 

95840461_875733492907602_3276699883775459328_n

 

This last year, I really questioned what my gifts are and what am I passionate about, and I have been working on my skills so I can help people the best I possibly can. I became a certified health/wellness/life coach, a corrective exercise specialist, and a Beachbody online fitness coach. Currently, I am still working in sales roles, and I am the Peak Performance Coach for 20/20 Vision For Success Coaching.  

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a Christian home, the baby by 10 years to two sisters. I was a daddy’s girl;  I was a tomboy jock and wanted to be the son he didn’t have. I always put the Lord on a shelf and called upon Him when I got myself into trouble or when something was wrong. I met my husband when I was 17, moved out when I was 18, and have been with my husband for 32 years now. When I was 24, we had our first child, our daughter. I never thought I wanted children, but little did I know that 6 months later, she would get me through some of the toughest, darkest days. A lot of hard things were taking place in my life, and my folks got divorced after 37 years of marriage. God used that baby to help get me and my dad through those tough times. During that time, I had an encounter with the Lord that changed my life. He showed up in the darkest of moments and poured out His love and rescued me from myself. I like the quote, “One who has been forgiven much loves much.” I really grasped the power of amazing, transformational grace and have been growing in that grace since that day.

 

95816124_619732798614673_6352749250647949312_n

 

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: Stay persistent in everything…life, work, and faith. Be the most persistent about running after the Lord. I believe we are all born with a hole and we look to fill it with different things like food, alcohol, exercise, drugs, sex, work, money, etc, but there’s only one thing that truly fills that hole and it’s the Lord. I’ve seen many millionaires have all the women, cars, and money and still not be happy, still feeling unfulfilled. I truly can’t imagine running this race we call life without my faith in Jesus. Sure, I still go through hard times, being a believer doesn’t mean all your troubles go away, but you have the strength to get through them. We can’t see the wind, but we feel it. We can’t see the sun at night, but we know it will come up tomorrow. We can’t see gravity, but we see the results. We can’t see sickness, but we see its effects. You can’t see love, but you see it affects. I can’t see God, but I see the difference in my life. I can see the lives of those around me. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen Him show up in profound ways that there is no denying it was Him, the love I feel, the hope I have. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

 

95960063_261228928584732_187802676287766528_n

 


Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Be a lighthouse; there are a lot of women struggling with so many different issues, being overcome by waves of despair. We need to be a light, a beacon of hope, encouraging one another on.

I want to be the Proverbs 31 woman….

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand, she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 

silhouette photography of hanging rosary


Thank you for reading!

 

I’d love to connect with you!

Click here to connect on INSTA.

Click here to connect on FACEBOOK. 

—Jenny 🙂
AC1CEAA6-578A-4FE4-81EB-9A4854148924

 

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Lisa

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.         


Q and A with Lisa Maslyk, Winnipeg, Manitoba

“I truly wish I had gotten into it when I was younger, but it felt like such a big leap that I wasn’t ready to take at the time. Now that I am in it, I realize that it wasn’t such a big leap at all.”

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born in England and moved to Canada when I was 10. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My mom and dad were always trying new businesses from full-size kit cars to online t-shirt designing. This is probably where I got my business mind. I ended up going the college route into a steady job but always yearned to do something else. It wasn’t until my kids were old enough and didn’t need me or my time as much that I finally ventured into network marketing and acting. It’s funny because both of these careers have really served each other!

 

88991891_578037146132730_5974700598551904256_n

 

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: [Because of] acting and learning, I am way more comfortable presenting myself online and doing videos. My network marketing business has given me an income stream when I am in between acting jobs. Currently, I have several streams of income online. I have one direct sales company that I have been with since September of 2019. I am with this company because I absolutely love the product, so it made sense to me to sell it. I also am an affiliate for several other companies. 

My main focus for my business development and growth right now would be Pinterest and YouTube. I do like Facebook and Instagram, but feel there are too many restrictions in place, and Pinterest is growing so fast that I think everyone should be there! I am very seriously thinking of putting a course together to help other entrepreneurs understand how to use Pinterest for their business!

 

89232586_2818982684856355_6457410757473599488_n

Pictured: Me on set, ready for acting! I played a doctor in the 2020 movie, “Rage Can Kill.”

 

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: I absolutely love network marketing! I truly wish I had gotten into it when I was younger, but it felt like such a big leap that I wasn’t ready to take at the time. Now that I am in it, I realize that it wasn’t such a big leap at all, in fact, it runs very parallel to the business world that I stepped away from. It’s just that now the earnings and the income go to me instead of the company that I work for!

 

89259802_2546866635529084_2826187192001363968_n

 

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: To me, feminism is being able to earn the same amount of money as any other person for the job that is being done. I like what I do because the effort I put into it gives me the same rewards out of it. There is no discrimination of any kind.

 

89100792_854086171774554_368902403275096064_n

 

 

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Click here to check out my IMD acting profile.

Click here for my website. 

 

 

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

 

Woman Wednesday: Thao

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.         


Q and A with Thao, Newark, California

“It’s best to live life to the fullest of our ability, and it’s critical to keep going and get back up when life knocks you down.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about connecting with and helping people! I have been a stay-at-home mom with a home-based business, but prior to that, I was working in corporate in the human resources field. Despite being great at my HR jobs, I was not fulfilled. Then I became a full-time stay-at-home mom, and that has been challenging. For years, I felt guilty about not fully enjoying being at home with my kids as much as I thought. The thing is, I know to my core that I’m made for more. It was not until I decided to take a huge leap of faith last year and started my home-based business that I finally feel empowered to create my own joy.

I now have a balanced life in that I get to be home with my children but also have something of my own! Aside from the flexibility, what I love about my current job is I get to help and impact other people’s lives in ways I never knew I could. It brings meaning and purpose back to my life all because I learned to listen to my gut instincts and did it despite uncertainties.

89233828_190985925465180_7165656319192465408_n

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when I was 9 years old. Growing up, my parents had a successful home-based bakery and were extremely busy with their business that there was no family structure and minimal quality time. Needless to say, I was an unhappy child and didn’t feel I had anyone to go to. My upbringing definitely had a huge impact on the person I’ve become. I struggled with self-esteem and insecurities as a child, and this played well into my adulthood despite having a bold and outgoing personality. However, I’ve done well academically and achieved both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees by the age of 24.

86984871_153002522424293_1233248671626166272_n

I was ambitious, focused, hardworking, and driven. It wasn’t until after finishing my master’s and entering the real world and workforce that I became more lost than ever. For the first time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life! I went into HR, left it, came back to it, and then finally left it altogether after having kids. I desperately tried to figure out my purpose and direction in life, but I wasn’t able to do it for years. I think my self-awareness, resilience, and persistence have been instrumental to my growth and overcoming challenges. After I became a mom, I have been secretly living with depression and anxiety. Finally, I had the courage to share my story last winter on Facebook. It’s mind-boggling what these mental disorders can do to someone’s self-belief and ability to enjoy life. I realized during my darkest moments that the one person who was always there for me despite anything has been God. My struggles have indeed deepened my spirituality and commitment to redefining my life. The only person who could bring real change to my life is me and only me. I am not a quitter!

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: I have learned that no worldly achievements will bring lasting meaning and happiness to my life if I don’t make an effort to develop myself and become the best version of who I am meant to be. Self-growth is the best gift anyone can give to themselves and has personally helped me cope with my mental disorders and life challenges in general. Unfortunately, there’s still a stigma in our society and in most cultures about mental illness. I want to be the voice of people living with mental illness and show others that it is definitely possible to thrive in life despite your mental conditions. I also want young people to know that it’s okay to not know what you want to do in life. Some of us still couldn’t figure it out in adulthood! It’s best to live life to the fullest of our ability and it’s critical to keep going and get back up when life knocks you down. I also wish I was less fearful of trying new things for most of my life. Now, I’ve learned that doing things despite fear is the key to unlocking my best self and best life. It’s never too late!

89251275_2768340093256855_6537685491532169216_n

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: For years, women have been limited by what we can do, and feminism to me is about breaking boundaries and glass ceilings. I see the ideal world of equality, and if that is desiring the same rights and privileges as men, then call me a feminist!

89250909_521910291845736_4388882300729819136_n

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Click here for my website.

Facebook

YouTube

Insta

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂