women blog – The Woman Wednesday Blog

Woman Wednesday: Valentine

June 30, 2021August 16, 2021Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged Africa, entrepreneur, feminism, Inspirational, inspirational story, inspire, wcw, WCW Blog, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women blog, women crush wednesday, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women entrepreneurs, women in business, women inspiring women, women stories, women today, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens rights, womens stories, womentrepreneur4 Comments

Q and A with Valentine from Kenya, Africa

“Be the driver, but let passion be the drive.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about helping aspiring service-based entrepreneurs who are stuck and confused to stop going round in circles, gain clarity, formulate a strategy whilst leveraging digital marketing to continuously generate leads, and create a wildly successful business while they live the life they choose. Over the years, I have always been interested in marketing, and at the time, I didn’t know much about digital marketing. I started my job as a waitress in Dubai in 2012, whilst learning online about marketing. It took a lot of hustle, tears, hard work, rejections, training, and a huge mindset shift for me to finally land my first job in a marketing department in one of the fastest-growing cities (Dubai) and grow to become a marketing manager. Once I started, there was no stopping me; I read many books, learned everything I could, attended so many webinars. I worked successfully in the marketing field up to when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we had to stay at home. At this point, I realized there was a lot digitally that I had already accomplished and a lot more that I needed to learn. So, once again, I decided to use quarantine time to study. That is how my journey with digital marketing started. It was quite easy because I had already had the basics, so it was more of just advancing my knowledge and thinking bigger.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a small village in Kenya, Africa. I lost my mum when I was 5. Honestly, I don’t know much about my background as I didn’t get to know my father to date. I grew up with my loving grandparents. There isn’t much to say about my background, except that I also had this fire within me that made me feel like I wasn’t extraordinary. I tried to fit in; I always wondered why I was different. Most of my skills are self-taught as I didn’t get a chance to study anything I wanted in college. I have always had a huge affection for orphans, which led me to start my foundation called TOF(Talented Orphans Family), which is geared towards developing orphans’ talents to make them independent and also teaching them skills that can make them dependable in society. This was the most fulfilling thing I had ever done, but as I was the sole financier, it came to a stop as I had an accident that caused a fracture that disrupted my earning and functioning capabilities. This would just be a tip on the iceberg to what I have endured over the years and also achieved. Everything has led me to my destiny. I am strong now, unstoppable, and ready to conquer then change the world. My experience has taught me to overcome any situation, to understand people’s situations, and to relate easily to them. I believe that this is the right time for me to make an impact.

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

A: When you are at the saddest and lowest, most painful level you can be, that is where you get sharpened. That is the time you can become reborn. That pain is what, when used the right way, can turn you into someone very powerful. We all have this greatest strength buried deep inside each one of us; only a few people get the chance to fully experience this strength. The feeling of being unstoppable. When you have lost it all and there is nothing else to live for, you have a choice to give up or to dig deeper than ever before for your hidden strength. It’s more like a superpower. Digging and tapping into that inner strength will change you and make you as strong as steel. You will then be ready to become anything you set your mind to and there is nothing that can put you down because you already know how to get back up.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: When I talk about feminism, this comes to me on a personal level, coming from a background where women are known to stay in the kitchen and learn to be wife material. I do not want to be put in a box of what I am supposed to become or who I am supposed to be as a woman. Being a woman is just my gender; I should be judged by my capabilities, my skills, and my intelligence. When I am talking to fellow entrepreneurs, I need them to understand that being a woman or a man has nothing to do with how intelligent one is. If I succeed in something, it’s because I am just that good, not because of favors or because I am a woman.

MORE FROM VALENTINE: Something I have learned and would like to share: You do not need to make it perfect; just start and keep learning, keep improving. If you keep going, you will keep getting better.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Jemma

May 19, 2021Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged beauty, beauty business, book, business book, confidence, entrepreneur, Essex, forgetting fear, helping others, helping people, helping women, making a difference, value, woman, woman from Essex, women, women around the world, women blog, women empowerment, women in business, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens storiesLeave a comment

Q and A with Jemma, Essex, UK

“To fail simply means, to me, first attempt in learning.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I have found myself with a great passion for the beauty industry and making others feel more confident in themselves. Especially with semipermanent makeup for the ladies who have lost their eyebrows over time; some of the reactions after treatment truly are amazing and make it worth while. During the pandemic and my business being hit drastically, I then started a few other projects to keep myself busy, but to also connect with other women. I started a Facebook group for women wanting to grow in their careers or run their own business to connect and network. There are a few groups online already; however, I found them filled with a lot of spam and very hard to find value in most of the posts. So, I set out to fill the group with educational posts. My aim was to inspire, motivate, and educate. Around this same idea, I have also cowritten a book, which is due to release in May/June [soon!]. Me and my team want to release a series of books aimed toward women in business. This first one is to help women grow their leadership skills. I am so excited for its launch; I really can’t wait for others to read it.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Growing up, I was always fairly good at school; I tested well and I never failed any class, but I knew I lacked the motivation to continue with academic education. I always knew deep down I needed to work for myself, but the ’system’ always wanted the student to go to university/college and aim toward an academic education. I went back to education a little later in life, around 23 years old. I did open university, which is online based, to pursue a psychology degree; however, I again dropped out after the first year knowing it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t see a future in working for anyone else. Which then whilst working part-time in a job I hated, I stumbled into beauty treatments, which made me money fast, and I loved my clients. I’m lucky to call many of them friends now. I found a passion in making them feel great. Which makes me feel valued.

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

A: After speaking to many many women, one of the main topics was they are scared of failure. Which really upsets me! As children, we are always finding our way and never get it right the first time! Why is it we’re expected now as adults to be perfect [the] first time. We never stop learning, which means we will never stop making mistakes! Some of my biggest breakthroughs were learning from mistakes! We throw around the saying “learn from your mistakes,” but I don’t think people truly resonate with this. To fail simply means, to me, first attempt in learning.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I want equality for women in business. Only 7% of CEOs are women. Only 17% of the new businesses set up in 2019 were by women. Now, a lot of this can be reasoned to the inequality and subconscious biased that still exists against women, but it is also the consequences from the years of inequality women have had to face; most of us have lost the confidence. So, I want to bring back that confidence for women. I think the pandemic has been profound for women who work full-time office-based jobs, since they were able to prove they can work effectively from home. Which I think is incredible that now, finally, women are able to maybe manage that work/family life more and keep their careers instead of having to step down from their positions to start a family.

MORE FROM JEMMA: I love collaborating with other women and do believe that we need to work together if anyone resonates with this also, you can find me on:

Facebook

Insta

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you! 🙂

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Charli B.

January 27, 2021Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged Australian woman, empowering, inspire, inspiring, motivational, strength, true stories, true story, true women, wcw, WCW Blog, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women blog, women crush wednesday, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women in business, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens storiesLeave a comment

Q and A with Charli B., from Sydney, Australia; born and raised in Brisbane, Australia.

“We are growing in a world that is rapidly changing and open to change. It’s time, now more then ever, to start believing in yourself and creating a life you’re proud of.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’m passionate about changing the way women view the lifestyle we are trained to believe is the way of life. I don’t believe we have to go to university to get a degree to then work a 9-to-5 job we hate to survive. I believe in living—living to your worth, your passions, and doing what you love, which is why I became a business coach. [I want] to teach women that there’s more to life than the 9-5 and to help them to believe in themselves and to take a chance on themselves. I’m a 19-year-old entrepreneur who skipped university to create a life for herself and family. At 19, I was given the position of head of marketing as the marketing and engagement manager in a financial company. I also run my own successful, international business and run it all by myself. I’m not saying this to show of; I’m saying this to show you it’s possible. Trust yourself and believe in yourself enough to take a chance.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Four years ago, while I was in high school, my life was accompanied by loneliness and depression. Life felt so ordinary, empty, and predictable. It was mundane, and I felt unfulfilled. I started to notice the negativity I was surrounding myself with and the life I had built. I realized that I was merely surviving. I was annoyed at the world and above all, annoyed at myself. I felt alone, unwanted, and betrayed. How do all of these people have such beautiful lives, living peacefully with themselves, and I am stuck with me?

I took my frustration and self-hatred out on boys and partners, becoming obsessed with the need to have someone love me, whether it be for a night or a couple of months. I started attaching myself to guys no matter how they treated me; at least it took my attention away from having to deal with myself. But I knew there was more to life. I knew this was not what I wanted my future to look like. The idea that “this was it” made me angry. I was unwilling to settle for “this.” It led me on a path to question my life.

I was seeking advice, looking for solutions, and finding out who I was. I started back at the beginning and stripped every layer back. I looked at my root cause and every experience that had led me to where I was, and I started one after the other to work through them and accept it for what it was. I started to find and discover who I was. I become a YouTuber, a social media influencer, a model, all of which had a great impact on who I am today.

With the skills I learned from these businesses, I started to understand business and understand what makes you stand out from the rest, how social media can have a great impact on your business and influence. Not too long after, I found the personal development world where everything started to make sense, which is when I became a mindset coach. Using the skills I had learned through my own personal experience and trainings I had, I started to develop a greater understanding for how people work, how sales work, and how much of an impact our mindset has on our success. After two years of being obsessed with growth and development, I was able to allow myself to love and accept myself. I finally was able to run my own business, and do it properly…without the obsessive negative talk, mindset, and lack of self trust holding me back. In 2020, I moved from mindset coach to business coach! I developed my own strategies and systems for my business now having nailed it through my periods business, which is how I help my clients grow and develop their businesses and get constant leads and clients.

While working a full-time job and with the effects of COVID-19, I knew it was now or never. I invested $5k into my first coaching business while, living payday to payday with little than $4 left in my account each month. I was determined to give myself and my loved ones the lives they deserve, and to help my clients provide an incredible life for themselves and their families as well! The time and love you put into your business will allow you to share that with others. Self-hatred and your internal battle stops you from living. Stops you from creating what you want and living true to your passion. It keeps you in survival mode and doesn’t allow you to grow and thrive. I want to share this because I once suffered from anxiety and depression; I once lived in self-hatred and with limiting beliefs; I wasn’t an A grade student. I was able to get conquer dyslexia. And I have taken life lessons from everything I did to improve myself and utilized this to propel my business. Growing a business will test everything you have, and it’s important to have the backup support and strategies to do it right! Now, I stand here and in front of you, grateful and fulfilled, to lift and inspire you and to testify that I was once there too. Now, I have created a life for myself. I am not special or any different than you.

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

A: There is another way; life doesn’t have to be this stereotypical life cycle. We are growing in a world that is rapidly changing and open to change. It’s time, now more then ever, to start believing in yourself and creating a life you’re proud of. I spent a lot of my year stuck in a nasty, negative relationship with myself, including self-hating, putting myself down, and self-blaming, which then created the life I had. Dull, boring, depressing, unsuccessful. I was sick and tired of it. I was annoyed that ‘this was it,’ so I made a really big change and started my self-love journey. I’m very proud to say that, two years later, I have created a life I’m proud of. I love and am excited about all because I knew it stopped and started with me, my mindset, and what I focused on.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism, to me, means the art of a woman understanding her power, worth, and respecting herself. I believe it’s a woman coming into her own, having that ‘I’m a boss a** b**ch’ feeling and giving herself the permission to be fully self-expressed.

Thank you for reading!

Check out my coaching biz here.

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Maja

December 2, 2020December 3, 2020Posted in UncategorizedTagged advice for women, Croatia, Croatian, Free meditation class, Free meditation classes, Maja, meditate, meditation, Meditation blog, meditation class, Paris, Paris France, support women, woman crush wednesday, woman empowerment, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women blog, women crush wednesday, women empowering women, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women help, women helping women, women stories, women today, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens rights, womens storiesLeave a comment

Q and A with Maja from Croatia, living in Paris, France

“I learned to trust my inner guidance; whenever I followed it, it led me to amazing places and opportunities I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about inspiring people to follow their heart and live their best life! I teach meditation, breathwork, energetic alignment, and law of attraction [in order] to manifest a life of your own design that is aligned with your purpose. I’ve been living this way for a really long time, and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life in any other way.

**Take a completely FREE meditation class with Maja by clicking here.**

Ever since I broke through my fear of visibility as a teenage girl, I have been able to tap into my passions and share my gifts with the world. I’ve been pursuing my passion for music and singing for a long time and teaching others to free their voice, which led me to coaching and healing work. I’ve had my first spiritual awakening in my late teens and living in a spiritual way has truly helped me manifest amazing things from magical opportunities, performing in front of thousands of people, having my on radio show on national radio, traveling to amazing places, my life in Portugal and to today in Paris! I believe it’s all about energy and what you emit into the world. When you are aligned with your heart’s desire, everything flows effortlessly. In the past year or so, I have decided to expand my visibility so I started my podcast and YouTube channel, published several meditations on Insight Timer, I’ve been featured on many summits, blogs, and have done many guest-speaking gigs. I feel like that’s a better use of my energy, as I am able to help more people, so this where I’m heading next.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a socialist country, and I have been through many hardships, [including] war, which affected me deeply and turned me into apatriot and a hippie. Ever since that moment, I stand for peace, love, compassion, and kindness towards all beings. I believe we all deserve to be loved and there is plenty of abundance for everyone. That is what everyone really wants: to be loved and accepted, and I like to help people find that love and peace within. Happy people=happy world, and that’s the kind of world I want to live in. I realized that if we work on ourselves and become better people, we are able to influence our inner circle and possibly more if we’re willing. One person can make a difference, and we all matter.

There was one activity in particular that helped me break through my fears quite a bit, and that is improv theatre! By making a fool of myself in front of other people many times, I realized I can do anything. It gave me a confidence boost I needed and honestly, without it, I wouldn’t be able to do anything I loved…as everything I do involved interacting with people. I also learned that by facing my fear over and over again, I get better at what I do and am able to handle it much easier.

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

A: Anything is possible if you believe it is. I was surrounded with nonbelievers who tried to put me in a box many times (some still do!). I learned to trust my inner guidance; whenever I followed it, it led me to amazing places and opportunities I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. A big part of my success is faith, trusting in Divine timing and that I’m being guided all the time. I observe, listen, and act when inspired. It just works! It’s not always easy, as our mind and doubt interferes, but if you learn to be in the present moment and tap into your intuitive guidance, it becomes easy. I have manifested things many thought were impossible or unrealistic, just because I believed. Many told me that my example inspired them to do the same and pursue their dreams. That, to me, is worth the effort.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I have been supporting women for many years now and believe that, if women support each other, we can do amazing things! We have a long way to go to get equal rights, but we are doing the work and I feel more and more women are stepping into their power and owning it. This is what is needed to take our place in the world, which is why I am very passionate about helping women tap into their inner power. We are much more powerful than we think, yet we have been lead to believe we are the “weaker sex.” I’d like to contribute to changing that perspective and doing whatever I can to inspire women to be their own superheroes.

Thank you for reading!

Check out:

Take a FREE meditation class with me here. Follow me!

My Podcast here.

YouTube

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Let us know! Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Alison

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged blog, blog for girls, blog for women, blogger, business, educational blog, entrepreneur, how to make a difference, inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational story, inspire, inspire women, inspired, learning, make money, money, true stories, true story, Virginia, Virginia Beach, WCW Blog, woman crush wednesday, woman crush wednesday blog, woman entrepreneur, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, womans blog, women, women blog, women crush wednesday, women entrepreneurs, women in business, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, WW, WW blogLeave 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 Alison W., Virginia Beach, Virginia

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about helping women feel beautiful in their own skin. I am the owner of Wanderlust Dream Hair, and I sell hair toppers for women with thinning hair, women with hair loss due to medical conditions, and women who just want that extra volume! I have always had fine, thin hair and tried everything to make it appear thicker: hair extensions, volumizing spray, et cetera, but nothing really worked for me because traditional hair extensions do not address thinning on the top of your head. I also started medical treatment for chronic migraines that created even more hair loss, so I was motivated to find a solution. Then I discovered toppers! Toppers clip to the top of your existing hair and create the appearance of thicker, fuller hair.

Body image is such a big issue for a lot of women. Most of us don’t realize that those celebrity hairstyles we covet are just wigs, toppers, or extensions. Hollywood paints a false picture of what a naturally beautiful woman looks like.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years were volatile. I was born with a limb difference (Poland syndrome), which means I only have two fingers on my right hand. So, confidence was a big issue for me growing up. Add thin hair to that, and you have a recipe for a wallflower. My mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away when I was 13. I remember when she brought home her first wig from the wig bank. She hated it. It was hot and because it was made for someone else, it never fit her comfortably. She was embarrassed to leave the house somedays because of how she looked. I really wish that we had known about toppers back then. I think she would have loved them. My mom is a big part of my “why” when it comes to my business.

Pictured: One of Alison’s clients using her Wanderlust Dream Hair topper.

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

A: Something valuable I learned from a young age, due to my limb difference, is that sometimes you have to find your own way. You have to figure out how to do things yourself and not try to imitate someone else’s process because it might not work for you. I think this idea is helpful in life and in business. Comparison is the thief of joy. We are resilient, and it is amazing what we can do when we let go of traditional mindsets about how to do things and figure out what works for us. I’ve also learned to laugh at myself more. I started taking improv/comedy classes a couple of years ago. Being on stage is one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. It has also boosted my confidence in general. The first rule of improv is to make your partner look good, which means saying yes to whatever they say. So, if they tell you that you are an alien, you are an alien. I’ve learned a lot about teamwork and confidence doing improv. I highly recommend improv; it is so good for the soul.

Pictured: Before and after of one of Alison’s clients using her Wanderlust Dream Hair topper. Hair topper is shown on the right.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism is a word that has always had a bit of a negative connotation to me. I am more of an egalitarian; meaning in my marriage, we share all of the responsibilities. There is no such thing as woman’s work or man’s work. My husband is the better cook anyway! And I can lay a tile floor. I love busting through those gender expectations. I am definitely not anti-man, but I am definitely pro-woman! I think it is important for women to support other women. Yes, we have disadvantages in the workplace. Yes, we are not always treated equally. So, I think it is important to support and encourage each other as women instead of tearing each other down. We women can be super competitive, but I want to cheer on my competition. I want us all to win.