A: What I am most passionate about is my mission to empower and encourage women to navigate through the ups and downs of life, while seeking the promises of God. This passion came from a personal traumatic experience after the loss of a child, which left me seeking God for answers. During that time, I established a women’s ministry that I felt would be both relatable and transformational. Beauty for Ashes Ministries Inc. is now a faith-based nonprofit organization.
My focus with this nonprofit is to be a bridge that helps women impacted by life’s challenges to find meaning and purpose. The mission is to provide resources to encourage, empower, and educate women. The ultimate goal is to help women develop a positive outlook and self-image. This is done through seminars, workshops, and support sessions, using various tools and literature such as my published self-help book titled A Walk Through the Valley, which deals with grief and healing. The vision for Beauty for Ashes Ministries Inc. is to be recognized as a premiere holistic resource for women from all walks of life.
To ensure that my work is effective, I am continually working on my personal enrichment. I am currently pursuing a certification as a Christian counselor as part of my commitment to changing lives and leading souls to Christ.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was brought up in a family that was centered around spirituality. Although diverse in religion, the message was universal: seek God first. I feel that my faith has shaped my thoughts and perspective on life as a whole. Along with the belief in the scripture, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, my parents always encouraged me to be my true authentic self. That sheer vote of confidence landed me a lot of opportunities in various activities, such as modeling and pageantry, which I feel adds to my desire to help other women boost their confidence.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: What I have learned through my journey through life is that as you keep going, you will come through on the other side and there’s life after.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: To me, feminism means the support and advocacy for the rights of women to remove barriers and eliminate discrimination because of gender.
“Personal development is more important than the right business opportunity.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about creating an unconventional lifestyle where work and life are more in a flow, rather than compartmentalized. This is why I love investing in things that give me time freedom as well as financial freedom. I invest in real estate, stocks, and online products that I don’t have to spend too much time on every day. Some days I may spend a lot of time, especially at the beginning of an investment but not consistently every day. The idea of a lifestyle like this was seeded from when my mom had an MLM business growing up. Her experience taught me about passive income, helping others, and personal development. Currently, I’m working on establishing a micro wedding and event venue in Alabama, learning to trade stocks, and teaching people how to invest in property without using much of their own cash through an in-depth, step-by-step, online course.
Q: What is a micro wedding?
A: A micro wedding and event venue is a niche that became popular during COVID-19 for smaller events and weddings geared toward immediate family and best friends. (Usually 50 people or less total.)
My micro wedding venue is called The Greenhouse Venue in Smiths Station, Alabama, and it’s a 250 sq ft Greenhouse (glasshouse) on one acre of land. It provides an intimate location and a unique experience for small but nice events. The greenhouse (glasshouse) is more for people than for plants. The four sides and ceiling are made of reused windows, so there is 100% transparency to the outside, and it feels much larger than it is.
Q: What does MLM mean?
A: MLM stands for multilevel marketing, which means you get paid on how well you’ve taught others and how well they teach others. Every MLM has a different product niche. The one I am involved with is Shaklee, health and wellness products. My mother started a Shaklee business when I was three years old after having huge health benefits from their products.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and I have one sibling (brother) and my parents. My mom was born and raised in Holland. She moved here when she was 19. My brother is one year younger than me. He is an Eagle Scout, a high school football player, and now an attorney. My dad passed away in 2022. He was in sales, a CEO, and a business owner from New Jersey.
My mom had an MLM business since I was three years old, and my dad opened his own business when I was 12, so they were entrepreneurs. Due to her being involved with Shaklee, I was exposed to a lot of women business owners all throughout my childhood. That was normal; grown women were business owners in my worldview. So now as a grown-up, I think it’s normal to be around women business owners. But I learned that it is not normal for most people, so my online course about investing in real estate and involvement with Shaklee is for people who want to learn to be business owners.
My brother and dad are very traditional, so when you asked about feminism, I would say I saw firsthand the rise of women owning their own power. The women in the 80s and 90s in Shaklee had their own businesses alongside their husbands who had their own businesses or they worked together (versus the traditional way of women working for their husbands or family businesses).
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Personal development is more important than the right business opportunity. Look at the people you’re around—your family and friends. Are they where you want to be? If not, then add MORE TIME with people that are where you want to be. Or make a different move that is going to put you on a different path. It is scary and they won’t like it because it’ll be different, but do it anyway and trust they’ll appreciate you later.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Feminism means to me the opportunity for females to have more options than the traditional stereotypes.
MORE ABOUT KELLY: I am engaged, and we don’t have a date or venue set yet. My fiancé is retired military and now building his home renovation business. We’ve been together for 7 years. We have 3 cats. We live in the Atlanta area. We have traveled so much that we don’t do that much anymore. We are homebodies and like to go out to dinner with friends. We are in building mode right now, and we focus a lot on developing our spirituality. I know how boring that all sounds, but it’s what’s important right now. We understand that there is an ebb and flow to life, and it’s okay to burrow in and focus on what we want at the moment, without too many distractions. The next step will be explorational-type travel—learning cultures and their languages, seeing historical landmarks, etc.
Q and A with LaurenM. from Chicago, Illinois, living in Jacksonville, Florida
“Having a solid circle and choosing to not give up is what got me through.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about serving others in an excellent way. I’ve been this way since I was a little girl. Today, I happen to do that via legal services as a business attorney. In this role, I help business owners protect and monetize their businesses. Through international business law, I help with setting up entities, mergers and acquisitions, trademarks, contracts, copyrights, and employee law.
I also love to travel and experience cultures. I think this yields different perspectives on life which provides a greater sense of appreciation and understanding of people. Jacksonville is where I currently reside, but I am a digital nomad, so I travel often. My business is 100% virtual.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My mom had a big impact on me regarding my career because she would always tell me it was good to be a doctor or a lawyer. My stepdad told me about a dream he had of me being a lawyer years later, and I was from then on set on becoming an attorney.
I was always advanced. I started school one year early and skipped a grade. This positioned me to go into high school at 12 years old and graduate high school at 16.
A funny story my family often tells me is that I was meant to be an attorney as I’ve always been outspoken. At the age of four, I was riding with a family friend and she was speeding, I told her to stop but she didn’t. Eventually, she got pulled over and was talking her way out of the ticket, when I piped up and told the officer that she in fact did know she was speeding because I told her.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I’ve learned that once you say yes to your purpose, purpose will chase you down!
I want others to know that there are no limits to the things you can achieve and do.
Even though I knew I wanted to be and felt called to be an attorney, the road to becoming an attorney was not easy. There were many moments I wanted to give up. I had a solid circle of encouragement and those who believed in me even when it didn’t feel good for me. Having a solid circle and choosing to not give up is what got me through. Anyone who puts their mind to it can do it!
Q and A with Maria Z. from Bogota, Colombia, living in Palm Beach, Florida
“I believe loving what you do has the biggest impact in life. I try to live every day with purpose.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m very passionate about my work. I believe that love is a force that guides us, and I love the human body and the human experience, and I love the magic that there is in how we were designed. The human body is such a simple yet complex system that is fascinating to me. I come from a medical background of 18 years. I went to school for surgical technology and health services administration. After everything changed with COVID, healthcare was never the same, however, people still need healing and I love healthcare so much that I decided to further my skill set and obtain my certification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, ultrasonic cavitation, radio-frequency therapy, and laser Lipo.
Though I was familiar with the treatments from experience with my first child, the aftermath of my second child and the challenge that I was having to get rid of the “saggy skin,” despite exercising and keeping a healthy lifestyle, was what really pushed me to dive deeper into alternative treatments other than surgery. I also have a fairy hair and children’s entertainment business that is my heart. I started this project in 2020 inspired by my little girl and my friend and mentor who introduced me to fairy hair. Nellarina’s is a project based on magic and love, and I am known as the Fairy Hairmother, or the Queen Fairy as my friends call me [she laughs]. I believe in sparkles, and my inner child has healed tremendously with this project. I love to serve the community and have had the honor to work with foundations like Hands and Feet, which helps children in foster care, and the Palm Beach County Schools as a volunteer for their school events, and I am obsessed! I love to sparkle the kids, and their smiles when they look in the mirror is the best payment I receive!
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I am the youngest of two sisters, and I come from a big family. I went to an all-girl Catholic school and moved to the United States when I was 16. It was a huge culture shock to be quite honest. My father’s health wasn’t so great growing up, so my upbringing was a little different. My parents worked in sales; my mom was one of the top Realtors in Bogota during the 90s, and my dad worked in sales. With both parents being entrepreneurs, it is only natural that I would develop the same mentality, so I grew up hustling! I would bake and sell my cookies in my building and candy to my friends.
After I graduated high school, I went to college and worked in healthcare full time while attending Keiser University, where I graduated with my degree in health services administration. Then I pursued a second degree as a surgical technologist from Keiser College, where I graduated with honors. I obtained my national certification with the highest score in my class and had the privilege of being a part of the advisory board for the student leadership body. I believe loving what you do has the biggest impact in life. I try to live every day with purpose.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: If there is something I would like others to learn from my story it’s that only we are responsible for our destiny. Sometimes, we tend to get in our own way because we’re scared of failure, but understanding that there is no failure only lessons to be learned, we realize that we can always start again and do things differently.
I feel like the most valuable tool I have and what has helped me the most has been prayer/meditation. Being able to ask for divine guidance and really taking the time to listen will help you take the steps needed that are in alignment with your true purpose.
Remembering that we all put our pants the same way in the morning keeps me humble and grounded; it allows me to expand from a more authentic and empathic place, and to really take the time to listen to others…sometimes it’s important. To be of service is important. Walking without judgment is growth. Everyone is their own world, and oftentimes, we forget people are fighting battles we don’t know about. Being kind is important. A life of service is a life well-lived.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Well as the proud granddaughter of a widow with seven kids who raised them by herself and a mother who hustled to provide due to unfortunate circumstances, I believe feminism as a term has been misinterpreted by many.
I feel like being a feminist is embodying the soft side of what makes us a woman while balancing the strength, courage, determination, and fearlessness that women carry without trying to be like our male counterparts (I know personally I wouldn’t want to be like a man). As women, we are sacred portals of life and even men come from women; we are the ultimate creators, we are sovereign and powerful! We are the ultimate warriors and even Earth is a woman. We run the world!
MORE from Maria:
-I’m only 4’10”
-I am a Clair
-Cooking and exercise are my mental health
-I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, and currently reside in Palm Beach County, Florida
“Balancing full-time work and studies, I scraped by to provide for us, dreaming of a brighter future.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m deeply passionate about family, travel, spending quality time with my daughters, lifting weights, being a foodie, and nurturing my spiritual connection with God. Additionally, I’m passionate about making brands look seriously good on social media through designing graphics, editing reels, and creating captivating video content. My journey into this creative realm began after leaving the corporate world and delving into farm life, where I discovered a love for digital marketing and revenue generation through social media strategies. Currently, I’m focused on building out my educational suite and website to assist online business owners in enhancing their online presence through digital products, templates, and coaching.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, as the youngest in a family of five. I attended Calvary Christian School and later Owens Community College before finding my passion in fashion and marketing. I pursued my bachelor’s degree at BGSU and later obtained my executive MBA from the University of Toledo, diving into entrepreneurship and digital marketing. Sports like softball and cheerleading were a significant part of my youth.
Once trapped in a harmful relationship, I found the courage to break free and became a single mother, determined to create a better life for my daughter. Balancing full-time work and studies, I scraped by to provide for us, dreaming of a brighter future. After years of perseverance, I finally saved enough to buy our own home, a symbol of our newfound independence and security.
During those five years, I delved into self-discovery, finding solace and guidance in the teachings of the Bible. I honed my skills, built a nest egg, and envisioned a life where I could be both a devoted mother and a successful entrepreneur.
Then, in an unexpected twist of fate, I took a chance on love through a simple swipe on Tinder. Little did I know, this bold move would lead me to the love of my life, transforming our family of two into a joyful quartet.
Welcoming our baby girl into the world was a miracle that filled our hearts with boundless joy. Her arrival not only brought us immeasurable happiness but also ignited my creative spark. Inspired by her presence, I ventured into the world of digital entrepreneurship, birthing my first passive income stream: a comprehensive guide to mastering video creation.
Our family’s journey has taken us far and wide, from the bustling streets of LA and NYC to the serene shores of Cozumel and the cultural richness of Lima, Peru. Each adventure has woven new threads into the tapestry of our story, reminding us of the boundless possibilities that await when we dare to dream and embrace life’s twists and turns with open arms.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Throughout my journey, I’ve learned the importance of having a clear plan and staying true to your vision. It’s crucial to be mindful of who you partner with in business and to prioritize building your own brand rather than solely focusing on corporate endeavors. My experience has taught me the value of perseverance and the power of collaboration for the greater good.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: To me, feminism is about working collaboratively for the collective advancement of all individuals, recognizing that there is strength in unity and support. It’s about breaking down barriers and promoting equality and opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender.
The Woman Wednesday Blog 