Woman Wednesday: Chitra


Q and A with Chitra, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

“I definitely have come to realize my outer world is a reflection of my inner world.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I am passionate about living life to the fullest; doing what makes me happy. My husband, kids, and I love traveling and being in nature, so that is something we do quite often.

I have loved natural skincare since I was young. The Body Shop used to be my favorite shop to hang out in. Even if I could buy a small jar of lip balm from there, it used to make me happy. I somehow knew I always wanted to do something with natural ingredients as I love the smell of shea butter, cocoa butter, and essential oils, but I didn’t know where to start. About 6 or 7 years ago while reading Dr. Oz’s website, an article on ’99 Amazing Uses for Coconut Oil’ (one was on how to make lotions bars), I had a lightbulb moment. Immediately, I started researching this. I started off by making lotion bars, but it didn’t do that well in Malaysia as our country is quite humid, and it was not suitable to use lotion bars in our weather. Then about 2 years later, when I was looking for something for my skin and couldn’t find anything that helped, I decided to make it on my own and this time, I formulated a balm to be used on my face to reduce freckles and scars. I also made one for my mother and she introduced it to her friends. As I wanted to do it right, I studied on natural skincare formulation. I took a few courses before I started it as a business. That is how Esha CG Beauty & Health started. We are into our third year now. It brings me so much happiness that I can be of service to people and when I get messages from our customers saying that our products have helped them or their children heal certain skin issues that they had.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: There are 6 of us in our family. Mom, dad, and 4 children. I am the eldest, and I have 2 sisters and a brother. I grew up in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Being the eldest and helping out with my siblings from a young age has made me a responsible person. What I find really hard now is our brother passed away last year from cancer and he was 29 years old. This has impacted me a lot, but this has also made me realize I know I want to do what I love as long as I can.


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

A: I have learned that it is important to believe in yourself, do what you love, and don’t give up. I have made mistakes, but I learn from them.

When I first started, I had a few people telling me what I was doing wrong. I started off with my own pocket money, so I didn’t have a big budget to start with great photography or proper packaging. It was basic, and that was what some were talking about. Slowly, I reinvested the sales money into the business and changed the packaging, took better pictures, bought better quality ingredients. Even if you have to start small, it’s okay. Just start with what you have. If I would have waited until I had more money so that I could do it 100% right, I may have not started until today. Last year, we were nominated for two of our products and one of it won the Readers Choice Award from BabyTalk and MamaPapa magazine. For the employee of the magazine to call me alone was a surprise, as I had no idea how they found me. My marketing is just not one of the best. It’s from word of mouth that our business is growing.


Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Feminism, to me, means equal rights for women in every opportunities. I do not consider myself to be a feminist, but at the same time, I don’t keep quiet when someone tells me it’s okay for a man to do that but not me because I am a woman.


Q: Is there anything else you would like the readers to know?

A: Life has its ups and downs. It’s not always a bed of roses. There are days where I am just not strong; I cry if I want to, but I pick myself up and don’t stay there for long. I do the best in what I am doing; do it with love and trust the universe knows what’s next for me. I definitely have come to realize my outer world is a reflection of my inner world. The moment I started loving myself and working on myself and stopped judging myself so much, I attracted better circumstances in my life.

Thank you for reading!


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Woman Wednesday: Christine


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!



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Woman Wednesday: Darlene

*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 Darlene, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

“You become a light in the world when you step into your own innate wisdom and purpose.”

 

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: If I stood on a street corner and shouted my truth, I would say to women to find your power and love within yourself. It is there! Your real, wonderful self is waiting for you to discover it! You are God and Goddess. You are divine. Find that within you and live from there. All else then falls into alignment. When you know that you are divine, you live joyfully. We are all here to learn our purpose and then give it to others to fulfill ourselves. It’s a neverending circle.

My clients want a clear plan forward, based on what they really want.  Finding their passion and their path forward is always easier than they think. It’s usually staring them in the face…they just can’t see it yet. Their path forward then serves as a roadmap to know how to bring in the success they’ve wanted with life and business.  Especially for women who are starving/hungry for meaning in their lives after being defined by outside parameters. A source of inner peace.

 

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I guide women to find a joyful, deeper connection to what really matters to them. The women that find me often have deep, self-worth wound(s) that have held them back. They believe they are “not enough.” I use proven methods to help them identify exactly what is holding them back. 

Then together, we create a simple plan forward. They end up feeling confident in their choices and happy in what they are doing. (Actually I get tremendous joy from this, but don’t tell anyone!)

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I remember growing up feeling insecure and an outsider. I did the “good girl” things that were expected of me–and was deeply unhappy–always pleasing others. I realized later that so many of my life choices were based on what I was “supposed” to do. Be the “good daughter,” “good wife,” “good employee,” no matter what I felt inside.

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The final straw was working in human resources at a bank. Employees were considered literal “resources” to be used as needed by the big corporation. I’m amazed how bad it had to get before I had the nerve to quit and stop selling out my soul, but I finally did.


It took me years to have the compassion with myself and the clear perspective to choose another way—a way that was based on what spoke to my soul, not what I was “supposed” to do. I shorten that time for women to find their own self-compassion and perspective. It doesn’t have to take years!

 

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

A: That putting yourself last doesn’t serve anyone.  You become a light in the world when you step into your own innate wisdom and purpose.

 

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Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: That women can choose to know they can own their own greatness.  A greatness that comes from integrating all the pieces of themselves and letting go of what does not serve them. To know deep within they have a choice to thrive. To make their lives rich, abundant, and deeply satisfying.  Women can choose to make their lives WHAT THEY WANT IT TO BE.


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Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

 

Instagram: instagram.com/limitlessjoynow

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Woman Wednesday: Allison

*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 Allison, Denver, Colorado

“I believe that if we let ourselves be paralyzed by our fears, we’ll never achieve our full potential.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’m passionate about documentary filmmaking because of the ability to connect people through stories. I’m currently touring the film festival circuit with a documentary about two elderly, married entomologists. I’ve filmed digital content for clients like National Geographic, the BBC, the Travel Channel, Lonely Planet, NBC, and a host of others.

Steve Jobs famously said, ‘The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation to come.’ I fully believe that! Stories have such incredible power to inspire, to reveal our shared humanity, to bring about positive change, and to create empathy and emotion (humor being one of my favorites).

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I’m also really passionate about helping female entrepreneurs acquire the skills to create their own video content from home. With the development of the COVID-19 coronavirus, I think a lot of women will be working from home over the next few months, doing more video conference calls, and trying to incorporate DIY video into their business to bring in clients. I wanted to help other women continue to succeed with their businesses! So, I recently began sharing the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years from big-budget film shoots and digital storytelling content and modifying it to help women create high-quality DIY videos from home. I’m really dedicated to helping them learn to make videoes and storytelling their business ally. I’m passionate about showing them not only learn how to use gear but also how to map out the story arc, messaging, and branding in each of their videos and conference calls with clients; how to develop a strategy before they begin putting up videos; and how to map out the way in which each video plays into the larger story of their business. Once they have that knowledge and skill set, they will have such incredible power to inspire and connect with clients!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was a major introvert as a child. I was very quiet and spent an enormous amount of time reading. I loved stories, and I read everything from Roman mythology to the history of Dorothea Lange, to the latest science fiction novels. At 15, I began taking summer school classes at Stanford, and I later received both my undergraduate and master’s degrees from Stanford. My early fascination with storytelling influenced my decision to become a newspaper reporter after graduation. After a time, I transitioned to telling stories through film and video and incorporated the skills of a print journalist into my approach to documentaries and digital content.

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

A: When I first picked up a camera, I remember being very intimidated by the technical aspects of it. And I remember being similarly daunted by all of the logistics and crafting of a story arc when I made my first film. But I believe that if we let ourselves be paralyzed by our fears, we’ll never achieve our full potential. I steadily acquired the storytelling and production skills and the knowledge of film gear, and I would love to help other women out with that—especially female entrepreneurs who are working at home and need to incorporate DIY video into their business. I definitely empathize with how video can initially feel very formidable. My message is: Don’t let that fear paralyze you! There are so many ways to DIY it. And I’m more than willing to help anyone out that needs advice. There are many statistics about the power of videos and storytelling, but for me, it all comes down to the ability to connect with others, to inspire and motivate them, and to foster our shared humanity.

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Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: To me, being a modern feminist means supporting those who identify as women, lifting each other up, amplifying our voices, and having the right to personally choose how we live our lives. I also think it’s crucial to consider feminism through an intersectional lens if we want the movement to be truly inclusive and representative of the voices of women of all races, classes, religions, abilities, and orientations.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

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Woman Wednesday: Jessica L.

*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 Jessica L., Beijing, China

“When you start to doubt yourself is when you will fail. Follow your heart and believe in yourself and your calling–wherever or whatever that may be–one hundred percent.” 

 

 Q: What are you passionate about?

A: What I am most passionate about is helping people, animals, and the planet. I feel like legacy is important and leaving a positive impact on the world will make my life both meaningful and rewarding. When I can, I volunteer in doing animal rescue missions. When I have money, I donate to good causes. In my professional life, I spent most of my twenties having fun, but now I have started my own business.

With an MBA in international business and marketing, I have decided to use the skills I have to help people at a grassroots level. My business is focused on helping small service businesses find more customers through online marketing, as well as individuals who work for themselves forge important networking connections and find business opportunities through LinkedIn. In this way, I am able to see small businesses with potential grow and help those with genuine services to offer to realize their business goals.

 

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Pictured: Jessica reporting on elephant rescue sanctuaries in southern China’s Yunnan Province in February 2019.

 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: For the last nine years, I have been living in China. After graduating from Purdue University, I was lost about what I wanted to do with my life. A friend offered me a teaching job in rural China for a year and I accepted. There, I found I enjoyed working with local orphanages and found so many wonderful new friends as well as business opportunities. I hosted and helped produce a TV show for two years called Joy in China, which aired on ICN TV stations in the USA and Canada. I soon became a marketing manager for the Chinese market for a winery in California. Finally, I found an opportunity to work with China Radio International in Beijing as their social media marketing consultant as well as a part-time host. There I learned the skills I would need to start my own business. While working with large companies I didn’t always feel I was using my skills for good. Further, I hoped to help my own life by finding a business that could benefit others while also giving me a degree of independence in my life. Now, I am able to conduct business on my laptop from anywhere while also seeing the results of how online marketing can transform a small business.

 

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While in China, I learned to never judge a person when you first meet them. It’s easy to say but often hard to implement in our own lives. Living in China gave me the chance to be the person who lives on the outside, who is judged immediately upon entering a room. This gave me the opportunity to really learn what that feels like and do my best to never do that to others.

In China, I found many Americans sometimes feel entitled depending on the situation. I learned to let go of my entitlement and go with the flow, so-to-speak. For example, when spending a holiday with Chinese friends, there is always that inevitable moment when plans change. All of the Chinese friends you’re traveling with will have changed the plans in Chinese and forgot to translate this to their “foreign friends” (as we are often called). When suddenly the Americans in the group find out something has drastically changed, they have one of two options. Get angry because something important was not translated, or be humble and realize you are a guest in a country where you do not speak the language and be understanding of the cultural differences and language barriers.

 

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For over three years, Jessica was host of a television show that aired in the USA and Canada on ICN TV called “Joy in China” that introduced viewers to tourist areas in China that are off the usual beaten path. 

 

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

A: Everyone I talk to is usually surprised I moved to China. Surprised I started my own business. Surprised at many things in my life. If there is anything I have learned, it is to not let fear dictate the paths you take on your life’s journey and to always believe in what you are doing one hundred percent. When you start to doubt yourself is when you will fail. Follow your heart and believe in yourself and your calling–wherever or whatever that may be–one hundred percent. 

 

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Pictured: Jessica interviewing Peyton Manning, former quarterback for the Colts NFL team in Beijing, China, 2017. Peyton Manning was there to promote American football in China.

 

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I would never declare myself a feminist, despite sometimes living the life of one. To me, feminism has been associated with strong, forceful, and sometimes angry women that are too often punished for being assertive. Instead, I firmly believe in advocating equality between men and women, especially in the workplace, while also remembering that preserving harmony is an important persuasion technique. Too often I have seen others assert their opinions so forcefully it puts others off. I believe living through actions, as a strong woman with her own business, will help others see how important it is to take women seriously. Step by step, I believe women through their strength and actions will further advance the idea of equality for both genders in the workplace. 

 

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Jessica worked as both a reporter and social media marketing manager for various Chinese media outlets for over three years.

 

I’d love to connect with you! 

Jessica Luo Digital was established in July 2019 to help small service businesses and freelances expand their online presence to find leads and new customers. For more information, please visit www.jessicaluodigital.com.

 

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