inspire – Page 49 – The Woman Wednesday Blog

Woman Wednesday: Jeanette A.

January 20, 2021Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged family, inspiration, inspire, the Woman Wednesday blog, the women wednesday blog, woman in business, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women wednesday, women wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Jeanette A., Wilmington, DE

“Never give up on your dreams and, more importantly, never give up on you. You are worthy of all things great!”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: My name is Jeanette Applewhaite, and I am the proud owner of PinkTeeBag.com! I started my business shortly after I married my husband eleven years ago. While planning our wedding, I created everything from the ceremony floral arrangements to the bridal bouquets. After I revealed our wedding photos to family and friends, I was hired to decorate and coordinate celebrations. However, I later discovered that I was not only talented with floral arrangements, but I am I also talented in crafting as a whole. Crafting feeds my inner happiness and my soul. I founded Pink Tee Bag in 2018 with the goal of creating positive quotes on tee shirts for the entire family. In 2019, I launched my Carrie Nail Polish line, which I have dedicated to my late mother Carrie C. Bailey. Carrie Nail Polish was developed to pay homage to my mother and our bond of painting our nails together when I was a little girl. Pink Tee Bag is now the home of custom apparel, home décor, Carrie Nail Polish, and…new to the Pink Tee Bag family is…Serene Scents! Hand-poured, soy candles. Pink Tee Bag will also be paying homage to my late father, Wallace Jerome Sudler, in the Spring of 2021 with the Wallace J. Collection–a men’s jewelry line! My passion has always been being a great mother to my two children, Kayla (age 22), and Sean Jr. (age 13), as well as being a great wife to my husband, Sean Sr., and our fur baby, Daisy (5 year old Yorkshire terrier). My passion is also to bring positive vibes and great energy to anyone who is in my presence. I am a strong believer in sprinkling kindness around like its confetti!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: As a child, I can recall my mother being very creative; I was in awe of my mother’s creativity. She would take old phone books and sculpt them into different abstract shapes to decorate the house. Whenever there was a holiday or birthday, she would always create phenomenal centerpieces or focal points on the dining room table. My parents raised me to be very family-oriented. We enjoyed family traditions like baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, by my 22nd birthday, both of my parents had passed away. Although I miss them dearly, my husband and I raise our children with the same values and morals that we received from our parents. As for my creative side, I owe this to my mother. I consider myself to be a creative because I am not boxed into one avenue of creativity. While running my business, I am constantly thinking of ways to enhance products and give my customers an experience rather than a purchase. I’ve built my website, pinkteebag.com, to represent a welcoming feeling of comfort and happiness while shopping.

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

A: I would like others to know that, even when the odds are against you, you are still destined for greatness. I lost both of my parents at a very young age. However, everything that they taught me, I’ve used as a foundation for my success. I constantly think about the morals and values that they both instilled in me and I use that as motivation to keep striving for greatness. Never give up on your dreams and, more importantly, never give up on you. You are worthy of all things great! Also, never allow negative energy to determine your outcome in life. As you put good out into the world, the good will come back to you in ways that you couldn’t imagine! And last, be your own cheerleader. Never get caught up in likes or comments on social media; you have to be your own driving force to your success.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism, to me, is to include all people regardless of their gender. I was in education for 17 years; I have held the roles of assistant teacher, teacher, and education coordinator. Currently, I am a family crisis therapist in my state. I have met people of all walks of life, and I pride myself in the respectful relationships that I have gained over the years. I find it imperative to treat all people as an equal; we are all humans who have struggled at some point in our lives. However, as I stated earlier, I tend to sprinkle kindness around like glitter in the hopes that it will make a difference in the way that we treat each other.

Thank you for reading!

Connect with me or shop my store.

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Ashley I.

October 21, 2020October 26, 2020Posted in UncategorizedTagged inspire, the Woman Wednesday blog, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Ashley I., Asheville, North Carolina

“My dad told me that I had two options—I could allow the statistics to govern who I would become or I could recognize that those statistics were BS and define life on my terms.“

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: First and foremost, I am massively passionate about empowering women. Not even just empowering them but ingraining in them their infinite possibility that can only come from intimate relationships with oneself. I am so completely obsessed with reminding women of how incredibly powerful and needed they are in the world, exactly as they are. I believe that when women are empowered, they show up in a way that completely changes the way we operate as a collective whole. On the flip side, my other passions include food, baking, cooking, and feeding people. Feeding people, to me, is absolutely a love language and allows me to nourish people from the inside out. I have also found that if you truly want to know people, share a meal with them. Some other passions include photography, being outside, going on adventures, travel, fitness, and being present in life. Meditation is my jam! Life is what happens when we disconnect from this version of “reality” and connect back into the truth of ourselves.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up seeing two sides of the coin. Being a child of divorce, I had the unique opportunity to experience life in two different ways. On one side, I saw what it was like to live in a balanced partnership through my dad and stepmom. They got married almost 30 years ago, and they’ve been together through it all. They’ve been an amazing example of how it’s done and what it takes to build a real partnership that is equal in all parts. On the other side, I learned what being a strong, independent woman was from my mom. There literally wasn’t any situation that she couldn’t make it through. She always reminded me, as did my dad and stepmom, that anything was possible on this planet as long as I put my whole self into it. I definitely grew up always being told that there were no limits to what I could do in my life. This, in turn, really prepared me for the moment my life did change. When I was 16, I dropped out of high school, acquired my GED, moved to NC from FL and found out I was pregnant (with my now 15 year old daughter). All of this happened within three months. My dad told me that I had two options—I could allow the statistics to govern who I would become or I could recognize that those statistics were BS and define life on my terms. It didn’t matter what the world said or how anyone else showed up in it. What mattered was how I chose to show up every single day, and that’s how I chose to live life from then on. I knew that I would do more, and I would change the space that I was taking up so that my daughter wouldn’t continue fighting the generational battles passed down to us. Fifteen years later, I can testify that all chains are broken, contracts voided, and ancestral lines healed. We are not victims in this family.

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

A: As cliché as it may sound, anything is possible once we figure out what we’re here for and what it is we truly want to do in this world. Not what anyone else tells you, what you tell you. I always tell people that I get what I want and that has proven true 100% of the time when I am fully invested in the direction I am placing my intentions and energy into. It doesn’t necessarily look like how I see it, but it always works out in my favor with far better outcomes than I could’ve created. On the other side of that, once you have an idea of what you want, START TAKING ACTION! Don’t worry about the how. Know your why, and start taking action right now. The ‘how’ will present itself. The universe loves a determined heart. Before I manifested my TV show, I spoke about it for the year I was operating it on FB and YouTube. I would tell everyone that I am the next Oprah, and one day, this will be a globally syndicated TV show. I didn’t know how that would happen. I didn’t have connections, money, or anything that told me it was a possibility for me, but I still knew. I knew that if I kept speaking it, showed up, and took action, the rest would fall into place. As of next week, The TUF Woman Table airs, GLOBALLY, on Amazon TV, Apple TV, and Roku. Best part is, it’s just the start. Seek that which is in your heart and then take the next step, even if it seems miniscule in the moment. Sow seeds continuously, and I promise you they will harvest when the time comes. You cannot fail when you bet on you.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism to me is empowerment, equality, and freedom of the feminine to exist and take up space. It means creating a space for all people who resonate to feel safe, seen, heard, and allowed to be, as is. Feminism doesn’t say that you must show up in this way to be included, instead it allows space for you to just be. Feminism is saying that you are worthy, equal, and important in all capacities. Feminism is the most beautiful space when we begin understanding that it’s about embodying the fluidity, compassion, inclusiveness, and true balance of both the masculine and feminine working together in harmony. Neither one being more or less, simply equal as they are right now. I think everyone has the capacity to be a feminist and the world would be a better place if we were.

Thank you for reading!

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Christine

October 7, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged Inspirational, inspirational woman, inspire, inspired story, twwblog, wcw, WCW Blog, woman crush wednesday, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, womanwednesday.blog, womanwednesday.com, women stories, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens stories, womenwednesday.blog, wwblog2 Comments

Q and A with Christine, Boulder, Colorado

“When I did say ‘yes’ to trying something new and get out of my comfort zone, I almost always had a blast and was so proud that I accomplished something new.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’m passionate about many things such as business, health, family, God, and helping people thrive by bringing them up and helping them see their potential that they have lost seeing. I currently am a project control analyst at Ball Aerospace, and I love my job so much. I get to work for an amazing company that provides crucial ideas, objects, and units that help keep our country safe from the ground up. As a young woman, starting my career at a place like Ball is empowering. I feel respected, I feel valued for all my opinions, I’m learning so many new things every day, and I get to use my passion for helping those around me by leading team meetings that remind everyone that even though we are working from home, we are a team and we are here for each other. I get to facilitate Q&A’s that the team have and haven’t voiced since working remotely has made people lose their voice that much more. By leading these team meetings, I help rebuild and restore our strength as a team, I get to build people back up and give them a place to vent all their worries, questions, and concerns, while also allowing them to have a place to speak their mind and say what’s working best for them and what they want to see happen in the future. From these meetings, management gets to hear from us all and everyone’s ideas, concerns, and voices all get heard and people couldn’t be happier, which makes me so happy. I thrive knowing I’m helping others to thrive and feel confident too!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years were amazing; I couldn’t of asked for a better childhood. I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, in a great area and apartment complex where all us kids would constantly play outside together, explore what nature had to offer, and we all felt safe even though there wasn’t always a parent watching over us all. I’m the youngest of two; I have an older brother and having him made me feel as though I got interested in what men liked too like sports, video games, and wrestling around with one another. I am very girly, but because of him, I also am a girl that doesn’t mind getting her knees dirty, playing videos games with my boyfriend, and watching sports. My mom was a stay at home mom when we both were very young. She cooked and cleaned the house daily, she took naps with us, and really just made the house so warm and loving. My dad owned a restaurant at the local mall that was down the street from our house and, because of that, we went to the mall often for the free food and the really fun arcade place they had there. Having the freedom to be around so many kids in my community and then being able to run around the mall knowing everyone knew my brother and I (that we were my dad’s kids), they all would watch over us and we always felt so safe and a huge sense of community.

There is truly nothing better than being exposed to a diverse group of people at such young ages. It helped us understand other cultures. I grew up as both Christian and Catholic. God has always been at the forefront of my life. I have a big heart, and growing up with my dad owning a restaurant, whenever other kids from my school or neighborhood were hungry, my brother and I would take them to eat at my dad’s restaurant and my dad was always more than happy to feed anyone for free that needed the help. I learned how to give and help others in their time of need at a young age. My dad was always helping anyone out that truly needed it. God has always placed me where I needed to be in order to help the people He needed me to help and in order to thrive in areas He needed me to thrive in. Being able to help people and to motivate them and spread positivity in this world has always brought me so much pleasure, and I know that that comes from my religion and love for God and the love He has placed in me and the compassion and love He gave me for other people.

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

A: Something valuable I’ve learned that I want others to know is that life is too short. As we’ve all heard this many times in our life, it’s true. I blew off group gatherings before because I was tired or wasn’t in the mood that night. I’ve wasted some opportunities to go out and try new things because I was nervous to do so or too scared, and I’ve said no to potential job opportunities because I wasn’t sure if it was for me. We’ve all done things like that, and what I’ve learned was when I did say ‘yes’ and push through to go out with friends even though I was so tired, I almost always ended up having such a great time. When I did say ‘yes’ to trying something new and get out of my comfort zone, I almost always had a blast and was so proud that I accomplished something new. And when I did allow a random job opportunity to come into my life, it didn’t always work out, but sometimes, even if I left with just meeting inspiring and wonderful people, that was worth it to me. Life is too short to be unhappy, to over stress, to worry and be anxious. We don’t truly take advantage of every day, every minute, and every waking breath we are given by God. We need to let go of the nonsense, worry and stress less, get rid of toxic people and habits in our lives, and learn to take advantage of our everyday gifts of life. Meet new people, try new things, say ‘yes’ to the chances you do have to hang with the people you love, put yourself out there every once and a while, and don’t waste your life. You never want to look back and say, “I wish I did that, I wish I said yes, I wish I could hang with that person just one more time, etc.” You want to know that you lived a good life, made your mistakes, but came back stronger every time and really love that life you are living with the right people in your life and the right career. Life is too short, be happy, love hard, giggle as loud as you want, and eat that piece of cake!

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism means a few things to me. It means equal pay and equal rights amongst men and women, but it’s also more than that. When females come together and build each other up instead of tear each other down, I love that. I love seeing women who feel weak be empowered by other women, have their crown readjusted and put back together by other women helping them and rebuilding them to be the strong, confident queens. I hate seeing women tear each other apart through their own insecurities. When we come together, help each other out, build each other’s confidences back up, and stay strong together, we are one heck of a tight force that no one can then mess with. Empowering each other, inspiring and motivating one another, and pushing each other further than our comfort zone makes my heart full and that to me is what feminism should be all about.

Q: Is there anything else you want to tell readers?

A: I want to thank Samantha for reaching out to me and giving me this opportunity to be a part of this wonderful website. When she did that, it reiterated how I love when people are so kind to one an another and when you can inspire people you don’t even know is watching. I love inspiring people for the positive and knowing I somehow did that to her by posting my usual posts, that felt amazing. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this!

Thank you for reading!

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Olivia

July 22, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, advice blog, blog, blogger, blogging, blogs, business, cool, drug addiction, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, environment, Faith, family, happiness, happy, health, home, how to be happy, how to live, inspiration, inspire, journal, learning, life, natural disaster relief, natural disasters, news, photography, photos, religion, success, travel, trends, truth, video, volunteer, woman, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, woman's true story, womans stories, women, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, writingLeave a comment

*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 Olivia, from Charleston, SC, living in St Louis, MO

“You will always have a problem if you look for one.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am most passionate about people and natural disasters. I love helping women come out of their shells and become the person they want to be.

My obsession with natural disasters came after I lost 80% of my possessions in Hurricane Michael, Panama City Florida, October 10th, 2018. In December of 2018, I partnered with a close friend and helped with the #ComeBackStrongProject. We hosted the event at a local mall in Panama City. We gave toys and supplies to those in need at the event. It was a kick start to my humanitarian efforts.

In February of 2020, I volunteered in the Bahamas to help with the hurricane Dorian relief efforts with the organization All Hands and Hearts. I plan on volunteering every year going forward. I am also writing a hurricane survival guide for tips and supplies after the storm.

Olivia has lived in a lot of places; her husband is in the Air Force. She’s lived in Charleston, South Carolina; Panama City, Florida; Atlanta, GA; and St Louis, MO. But her favorite place is wherever she is helping rebuild communities after natural disasters.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born a Buddhist in South Carolina. My mother was born Catholic and converted before I was born. My father was an atheist. His parents were Jehovah’s witnesses. Needless to say, I have much respect for people with different religious views.

We were not wealthy by any means. We always had the cheapest house in the best school district. My mother and father were very big in our education. Despite the lack of funding, my parents always found ways to share life’s experiences with us. We went on vacations and tried a variety of foods.

My father was addicted to drugs, and my parents divorced when I was 8. A little about my family dynamics. My mother was 35 when she had me, and I’m the oldest of 3. She didn’t have children in her first marriage. My father was also married previously, but did not have any other children. When my parents were first divorced, my mother went to college. She actually got her double masters while being a single mother of 3 with minimal family help. (That is part of the reason I have the drive that I do. I honestly feel extremely privileged to be able to build my dreams without the same obstacles she had.)

I started working when I was 15. My father moved back into the house when I was 16 for two years to help my mother co-parent. They weren’t together; they just loved us more than they disliked each other. They were actually friends “sometimes.” I did pageants and went to 6 proms and was relatively popular in my town and city. My dad moved out when I was 18, and I moved in with him when I got out of high school. My father passed away when I was 20, and I paid for his funeral. I was also in an abusive relationship at that time.

I did a lot and learned a lot on a little, but it is definitely a part of what made me the woman I am today.

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

A: Never give up. No matter how hard it gets. You will always have a problem if you look for one. Your perception is your reality and sometimes you get in the way of your own growth.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Equal treatment of men and women. I’m very textbook definition when it comes to this topic. My thoughts have developed over the years and I fear that women are losing touch with their individual power.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Jacqueline

July 15, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, advice blog, author, blog, blogging, books, cool, Faith, God, happiness, healing, health, help others, hope, inspiration, inspirational words, inspire, journal, life, news, photos, religion, spiritual healing, the Woman Wednesday blog, the women wednesday blog, true story, truth, woman, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, woman's story, womans blog, women, women authors, women wednesdayLeave a comment

Q and A with Jacqueline, Eastover, South Carolina

“There is a purpose in your pain.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am the pastor of Healing in the Vessel Ministries and an author. I am passionate about seeing people heal spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I have a passion and heart for the youth, which has led me to various positions within the ministry and career field.

Since 2002, I have served as youth director, a mentor, and a Sunday school teacher within my local church. I am a former paralegal, educator, and substance abuse counselor. I use my gift of empowerment to transform lives within my ministry and career field. I found this passion as the Holy Spirit began to reveal itself to me through dreams and the doors that God began to open.

I have just currently finished my new book, From Bitter to Better.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I have earned a Master of Arts in practical theology from Regent University, Master of Counseling from Webster University, Columbia SC, a Master of Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University, Lynchburg VA, an Associate Degree of Paralegal, graduating Magna Cum Laude from South University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Francis Marion University, Florence SC.

My family includes both of my parents, who empowered me by their love and prayers. I always had a journal since the third grade, which later led me to discover my gift of writing and becoming an author. My various positions led me to become a pastor as God was calling me into that arena.

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

A: I have learned that there is a purpose in your pain. Every tear that I have shed has allowed me to become a more reliable vessel so that God can use for His glory to empower, equip, and encourage His people. I would love for others to learn from my story that God still performs miracles.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism symbolizes the empowerment of women.

Q: What else would you like others to know?

A: My hobbies include running, walking, meditating, and writing, counseling youth, and working in the community. I am the author of Healing in the Vessel: A Mother’s Love A Daughter’s Journey of Faith, and From Bitter to Better. I am the co-author of several anthologies: Grief to Grind Anthology: How did I lose Myself in a Relationship, Meant for My Good, Women of Power II, Hearing God’s Voice Above The Chaos, and It takes Money Honey. I am an international speaker for the I AM Her Women’s Conference. I am an Amazon bestselling author. I have been featured on the cover of I AM Queen Magazine.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Connect with me on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/lenisegoodwin

Instagram: lenisegoodwin

Twitter: Jacquel58497682

Website: www.healinginthevesselministries.com

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂