Woman Wednesday: Normadelle


Q and A with Normadelle, Jamaica

Know your worth, your skills, and your value.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: What am I passionate about is visual arts, art education/art therapy, children, nurturing, counseling, nature, ocean, and the outdoors. I grew up in Jamaica, and I always liked creating with my hands, acting, theatre design, hand painting on clothes, piano playing, music, collecting, making things, painting, collage, jewelry making, and paper mache. My parents allowed me to choose my profession, allowed me to be creative and to be me. I’m a retired art educator and art therapist. I worked at a psych hospital doing art therapy groups. I have a natural skincare business, creating body butters, soaps, scrubs, etc. I also teach part-time at an art studio.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I went to high school, art school, and received a master’s degree. I had an early exposure to the arts: ballet lessons, piano lessons, and acting classes. I also write poetry. Early exposure allowed me to have an appreciation for all things artistic—possibilities and opportunities, problem solving, etc. I’ve been asked and paid to do many artistic activities, set design, banners, workshops, curate exhibitions, and hang art privately and in a gallery where I was a director, wrote publications attached to exhibitions, made pinatas and face painting for parties. Any and everything art-based, I’ve experienced. That’s my passion!


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

A: Follow your dreams. When I was about nine years old, I sat on a rock and painted and declared that I would become an artist! Don’t be scared; just do it! Know your worth, your skills, and your value. When asked to do a job you’ve never done before but it’s within your discipline, pull on all that you know and utilize it! You can veer off from your intended career path once you’re passionate enough. Know and study yourself to know your capabilities.


Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Feminism, to me, means empowering yourself with an education, financial know-how, self-esteem, confidence, and independence to succeed!

MORE FROM NORMADELLE: My organic skincare business evolved through my creative and artistic streak! So did my jewelry making. I love what I do; it’s my passion! I also love to write about personal experiences in the form of poetry. I’m originally from Jamaica, West Indies, and have lived in Atlanta, GA, for the past 27 years.


Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Website

Woman Wednesday: Cynthia


Q and A with Cynthia from Malta, Europe, living in Ibiza, Spain

“Don’t let go of your vision.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: My passions are wild and colorful. Travel has been my first passion, and although I’m traveling less currently, this is when I feel most alive. I have been passionate about using our full potential doing what we love, since very young. Coming up with creative ideas for the sole purpose to experience wild breakthroughs is my ultimate enjoyment. I have been immersed in yoga for the last 20 years, and this deep connection with oneself started from here.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Although I had a happy childhood, things turned less so in my 20s when my parents separated. I was brought up in Malta in a very academic school with not much outlet for creative space. Even though I was left to explore my love of travel and adventure since very young, my dad supported me in more masculine subjects which led me to years of soul searching, “what shall I do with my life?” One example was both my sister and I studied piano. She was an excellent pianist. I wasn’t, or shall I say, not in the strict way I was taught. Studying piano frustrated me immensely, but I still had to sit for one hour per day studying excruciatingly boring scales. My parents talking about my frustrations to friends and family certainly didn’t help with the “something is wrong with me” implications of this. I now know (after much digging in and searching inwards), this was all meant for me to lead me to this path of transformation and spiritual awakening and helping others do the same.


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

A: For years, I struggled to see who I truly am. Being in a masculine role since I was very young, I lost touch with my feminine (but powerful) side. This led me to choose a career in banking that was soul-sucking and took me a very long time to realize I’m actually a creative person. I am now so passionate about helping women find their purpose in life and, with their zone of genius, they can create wildly successful businesses, creating the income and impact that they desire (whilst still managing a family). Even if you’re stuck for years and years, don’t let go of your vision to create your mission.


Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: OMG! It is such a broad term in my opinion. Feminism for me is the women rising above and beyond their minds. I still feel that mum and dad have their place in the household and to a certain extent during childbearing years, his might be unavoidable. But we women need to rise above societal norms of “he can’t take care of the kids and house all by himself” whereas it’s totally fine for women to. I’m still so disappointed our partner/husband earns more than us, and we accept our role as a housekeeper instead of a rising Goddess. This is the time for more women to make more money, so we can make more impact and create communities.


Thank you for reading!

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

Woman Wednesday: Hanah H.

Q and A with Hanah H., Indianapolis, Indiana

“We get to determine what our success looks like because we have control of our life.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m most passionate about being a mama and wife while creating a better life for my family. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a mom, but I also knew that I didn’t want to have to send our kiddos to day care or live off a single income. That’s when I started a virtual assistant business so that I could be a work-from-home mom and have time and financial freedom. But I soon realized that I was still trading time for money and providing this type of service would never help my family reach the time and financial freedom I so wanted. So, I shifted my business into freelance writing and earned 20x my income within the first two months while working fewer hours (for real, I’ve done the math on this a dozen times). Finally, I was able to start building the life of my dreams because I finally had control over my own life. After creating success in freelance writing, I became passionate about helping others ditch the overworked and underpaid lifestyle by building their own freelance writing businesses. It’s my mission to guide people along the exact roadmap to becoming a freelance writer. I’ve held nothing back in my course Freelance Writing with Hanah Harvey.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis and went to a small school where I met my husband during sophomore year. He had somehow moved all the way from England and landed in our class with only 15 people. Talk about meant to be. We grew up together and rode the roller coaster of life, both settling into the mentality that hard work equals success. Working overtime and having money in the bank means you are successful…even if you don’t have enough time to do anything with that money.

That’s when my husband said the sort-of-blunt mantra we now live by: “If you don’t like it, change it.” And all of a sudden, we realized that working 60-70 hours a week wasn’t what we wanted out of life, so we changed it. September 2021 marks 11 years of togetherness and learning to do life on our own terms because we now understand that we get to determine what our success looks like because we have control of our life.


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

A: This might sound harsh, but it’s a game changer: If you don’t like it, change it. If you are unhappy with where you are at in life, whether that be work, location, finances, or how you’re spending your time…then change it. You can have control over your life, you just have to choose it. I’ve been there, stuck in the rat race trying to find my place in this world. It’s when I truly understood that I get to define what success looks like for me and I get to control my life that I was really able to make the changes, and becoming a freelance writer was exactly what I needed.


Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: To me, feminism is not only a movement, but a right for women to be able to live life how they want to live. To leave behind what society says they have to do and create a life on their own terms. Whether they go into politics, medicine, construction, or being a stay-at-home mom, women get to choose that for themselves. I’ve spent a lot of my life proving so that I can keep up with the guys, and I’m not less than just because I’m a woman. It means so much more to me now that I have a daughter. I will fight tooth and nail to make sure she has equal opportunities and isn’t boxed into a corner just because she was born a she.

So, how did I actually create time, location, and financial freedom for my family? I created a stable and profitable freelance writing business, and I’m giving away all my secrets. Freelance Writing with Hanah Harvey is my signature program that is the exact process I used to build a freelance writing business that let’s me go to the zoo on a random Wednesday, never again have to request time off to spend with my family, and allows my family to have financial freedom. Learn more at: hanahharvey.com

Wondering if Freelance Writing is for you? I’ve created a free, four-part training series that will walk you through how freelance writing can change your life, if freelance writing is for you, what you do and don’t need, and how to create stability and wealth. Go to hanahharvey.com/free to get this free gift.


Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

http://www.hanahharvey.com

Woman Wednesday: Topaz

Q and A with Topaz, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

“When your cup starts to overflow, get a bigger cup.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m passionate about serving others, specifically women entrepreneurs who are looking to have a more fulfilled life. I want to support others’ life purpose and create balance and ease. I spent over 16 years as a coach in various ways. I started out as a personal fitness coach and moved into an education role with the University of California Irvine. I taught leadership development courses at the ropes course for UCI and later became a corporate team building coach. I spend every morning exercising, meditating, and sitting with my feelings. I love anything with water, so I live 15 minutes from the ocean. I am an avid paddle-boarder, and I love to surf. I am currently working on my new life coaching business. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life and I can’t wait to support as many women as possible.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a mountain town, population of 100. My house that I lived in did not have running water or electricity! I learned how to do whatever it took to make “it” happen, this carried on through my adult life and career. I think one of the most valuable quotes a past mentor told me when I said I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t even cope was, “When your cup starts to overflow, get a bigger cup.” This was a whole new perspective I had never thought before, and allowed me to take a birdseye view of my life. I realize that everything I want is possible.


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

A: I want everyone to know two things: First is that you need to put your oxygen mask on first! This is so important to know that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.
Second is that you will get triggered by fear, and it’s okay to feel those triggers and to push past the fear and do it anyway.


Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Growing up, I was afraid of other women. I was afraid of rejection and not fitting in. It’s only recently that I discovered how incredible women are and embraced the power of the divine feminine. So, to me, feminism is fully welcoming my fellow sisters with encouragement. I want us all to empower each other to grow and be stronger and love and support each other.


Thank you for reading! Connect with me here:

Website

My schedule link to book a complementary 30 minute call: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21479123&appointmentType=19218580

My August 20th workshop link: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21479123&appointmentType=25276636

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Woman Wednesday: Dr. Naieema

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?