Tag: inspirational women

Woman Wednesday: Jean

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Q and A with Jean from Chicago, Illinois, living in Lancaster, South Carolina

“I found making jewelry helps me combine my knowledge of holistic healing, Reiki, and using the Chakras to help heal along with the ability to create beautiful pieces of jewelry.”


Q: Tell us about yourself. What are you passionate about? 

A: My name is Jean Schlaiss and I am the creator of Intentions by JS. I make wire and crystal jewelry, and intention candles and wax melts. I have been working at my business for the past three years and plan on continuing to do so in order to keep growing. I am hoping to get my jewelry into brick and mortar and online stores.

I am passionate about alternative healing methods. I am an esthetician by trade and also a Reiki master.  Reiki is a form of energy healing that helps people with relaxation and to destress. My jewelry reflects my passion as I use natural crystal beads and create healing combinations of crystals to put into my jewelry.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My parents, my brother, and I lived in the suburbs of Chicago. We were a typical middle-class family.  Later in life, I earned my bachelor’s degree in science with a focus in holistic wellness. I am currently a school director for a cosmetology school. Finding a hobby became important to me in order to help me relax. I found making jewelry helps me combine my knowledge of holistic healing, Reiki, and using the Chakras to help heal along with the ability to create beautiful pieces of jewelry. I turned my passion for making jewelry into a business. I currently sell at markets; a boutique in Monroe, North Carolina; and on my Etsy store.  

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

A: I have learned how to relax and find my inner peace. Making jewelry allows me to be creative as I continue to find new patterns and styles.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: I feel the word “feminism” has negative connotations. I just believe that women and men should be treated fairly and equally. I have seen the inequality at the workplace and it saddens me. Women always feel the need to be on the defense even if they have the same job, same education, or same ranking as their male counterpart. It is a fight that women will have to continue to have until everyone is on equal ground.

MORE ABOUT JEAN: My husband and I live on a farm in South Carolina. One of my two sons lives with us as well, as he has just completed his bachelor’s degree and is looking for a job. We would love to expand our farm, but that will be in the future. My parents live nearby, and my mother comes with me when I showcase my jewelry and candles at local markets. She also is very creative and offers wood burning art, also known as pyrography. It offers a fantastic way for us to spend time together.  

Thank you for reading!

Shop my jewelry here.

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments? Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Dr. Naieema

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Q and A with Dr. Naieema, Charlotte, North Carolina

“Homelessness was one of the most impactful experiences of my life.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m passionate about female empowerment, my family, and travel. My inspiration comes from seeing different parts of the world, my family, and wanting to teach my daughters that they can do anything that they put their minds to. My favorite trip was to Jamaica, right before the pandemic hit. I finished my PhD and am currently using research-based methods to improve The Determined FemPreneur™, my sales and business strategy program for service-based female entrepreneurs.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born and raised in New York City and grew up with three siblings. There was a period where my mother, my older sister, and I were homeless. We lived on the cold, dirty NYC subway; followed by a slew of homeless shelters. That was until we landed in Ravenswood Public Housing Development in Long Island City, Queens, NYC. Homelessness was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I watched my mother work really hard, but she didn’t have much to show for it. I now use this fuel and those lessons to teach women how to earn more, work less, and make an even bigger impact.

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

A: I want others to know that it’s okay to normalize rest and luxury. As women, we often start our businesses wanting to make an impact. All while sacrificing time with our families, our sleep, and our mental and physical health. It’s OK to build a business where you’re not overworking yourself and that equally serves you and your clients/customers.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Feminism means equality, but it can’t exist if racism exists because there are women who are of marginalized communities.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments? Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Jaycel

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Q and A with Jaycel from Papua New Guinea, living in England, UK

“I remember one of my uncles discouraged me to take up law as he believed it was a male’s profession. I did not let that crush my spirit and dream of becoming a lawyer. I proved him wrong.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I love helping people in whatever ways I possibly can and reading and watching inspirational or motivational quotes or videos, gardening, cooking and baking. Family time is important to me. I love spending time with my husband and my three-year-old son, my family, my extended families. I like discovering new adventures and traveling! I am an outdoorsy person, so I just love nature because it makes me feel refreshed and helps me think clearly. I have a career in law, but I was always passionate about venturing into the entrepreneurial world. I guess my profession aligns with my interest of helping people. I wanted something that I could do from the comfort of my own home, which is what I’m currently working on. I mentor and teach people to work online.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was the second born of six children. Since my elder brother was adopted, I was seen as the older one and looked out for my other four siblings. Our parents were average hard-working people who sacrificed a lot. They did not have so much money, but they had enough to make sure there was food on the table, enough to buy our necessities, and enough to put us all to school. What they really wanted was for us to get a better education and excel in life. Seeing how much my parents had sacrificed really pushed me to study hard and do well in my primary school days to high school and eventually to university. I was fortunate to be selected to university amongst the top students around the country and completed my bachelor of law degree (LLB). Coming from a society where women were seen as inferior due to cultural and ethnic beliefs, I really wanted be the voice of the voiceless and prove that women can take up any role in the society. I remember one of my uncles discouraged me to take up law as he believed it was a male’s profession. I did not let that crush my spirit and dream of becoming a lawyer. I proved him wrong. My parents, especially my mum, had the greatest impact on my life. She pushed forward in life no matter what obstacle she encountered. She always believed in me even when sometimes I did not believe in myself.

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

A: The most valuable thing I’ve learned is to never trust anyone but yourself. I’ve watched people go from being someone I loved, trusted, and looked up to…to being people I never speak to or even want to talk to ever again. I’ve experienced so much deceit, lies, manipulation, and disgusting behavior from people I thought I knew and cared about; it broke my heart. I had experienced the worst relationship in the past to being conned and deceived by my own friends whom I trusted. That’s why I’ve learned not to ever trust anyone but myself. I’ve faced so many challenges in life. I’ve learned that life can be messy and painful sometimes, but always learn to be focus on what you can learn from these moments and become stronger and smarter. That’s the only way to keep forward. Do not let other people’s negativity or opinions discourage you from what you truly want in life. You can conquer anything! You just have to have that self-confidence to deal with whatever life throws at you. You are responsible for yourself and no one else is. Always be yourself. If you want to be happy, you go to work for it.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: To me, feminism means standing up for yourself and for the voiceless. It’s about empowering other women about anything really. It’s about women being accepted and recognized in leadership roles and given the same or equal treatment and respect.

MORE FROM JAYCEL: I’ve paused my career for a while to concentrate on my online business. I mentor and teach people especially moms to set up their own online business.

To connect with me, click here.

Website

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂 Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Fabi

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Q and A with Fabi from Caracas, Venezuela, living in Miami, Florida

“I believe that the most impactful thing a business can do is get massive clarity on their brand message.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: The things I am most passionate about are my business and my family. I am a mom of 3 little girls (6, 2, and 4 months), and I love spending time with them and my family. In terms of my business, I am EXTREMELY passionate about what I do. I love my clients and showing up, giving value each and every day.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I actually had quite a unique childhood. I am from Venezuela, but I spent my childhood travelling all over the world. My dad worked in a multi-national company and they moved us around every 2 years. I lived in Brazil, Venezuela, Spain, the US, and India and traveled extensively through each of the different continents. This DEFINITELY was super impactful for me because it allowed me to learn to adapt to different cultures, which is something I believe I do every day when I work with my clients. I believe I’m adapting to their cultures and personalities as well. It has also given me a truly broad perspective on the world.

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

A: I have tried all the marketing tactics and strategies you could ever imagine. I believe that the most impactful thing a business can do is get massive clarity on their brand message. What this means is understanding who they are, who their audience is, and the outcome they deliver for them. When you know this in your gut, it allows you to show up with magnetism to all that you do. You attract people in a different way because it means you are able to make deep connections with your audience.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: I have always believed deeply in equality and it’s one thing I have always stood for. I don’t live in a traditional household. I am the primary breadwinner for my family, I have 3 daughters, and my husband works for me. I want my daughters to see that anything is possible for them as well.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂 Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Dr. Naieema

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Q and A with Dr. Naieema, Charlotte, North Carolina

“Homelessness was one of the most impactful experiences of my life.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m passionate about female empowerment, my family, and travel. My inspiration comes from seeing different parts of the world, my family, and wanting to teach my daughters that they can do anything that they put their minds to. My favorite trip was to Jamaica, right before the pandemic hit. I recently finished my PhD and am currently using research-based methods to improve The Determined FemPreneur™, my sales and business strategy program for service-based female entrepreneurs.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born and raised in New York City and grew up with three siblings. There was a period where my mother, my older sister, and I were homeless. We lived on the cold, dirty NYC subway; followed by a slew of homeless shelters. That was until we landed in Ravenswood Public Housing Development in Long Island City, Queens, NYC. Homelessness was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I watched my mother work really hard, but she didn’t have much to show for it. I now use this fuel and those lessons to teach women how to earn more, work less, and make an even bigger impact.

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

A: I want others to know that it’s okay to normalize rest and luxury. As women, we often start our businesses wanting to make an impact. All while sacrificing time with our families, our sleep, and our mental and physical health. It’s OK to build a business where you’re not overworking yourself and that equally serves you and your clients/customers.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Feminism means equality, but it can’t exist if racism exists because there are women who are of marginalized communities.

Thank you for reading! Connect with me here:

I can be found @drnaieema on IG or TheDeterminedFemPreneur.com

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments?