*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 Najiva, Jamaica–>New York–>Florida
“Your values and beliefs have a lot to do with how you lead the people around you.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about adding value to people’s lives through personal and professional growth and development. I have worked in leadership and management for 15 years for Walgreens Retail and Pharmacy Operations. My people management skills and leadership skills cultivated a passion in me to help my team members grow, develop, and advance to new levels, which led me to start my own coaching practice, The Consult Table. The Consult Table inspires new, experienced, and future leaders to maximize their potential to achieve the results in their performance. I also have a girls group mentoring program, Girls Dig Deeper Initiative. Girls Dig Deeper Initiative’s mission is to foster, guide, support, and encourage at-risk middle school girls within the schools and communities to empower them to dig deep within themselves to maximize their full potential.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was born in the beautiful country of Jamaica, and I moved to the United States when I was 9. From then on, I lived in New York. I left New York after I graduated from high school and moved to South Florida, where I met my husband. We have four beautiful children today. Growing up in my younger years, I always believed in the power of education because my mother was an educator for 24 years in Jamaica and teaches now in the United States. I grew up fascinated with learning, and self-development was important to me. I believed knowledge is power, and once you have that, no one can take it from you. My Jamaican culture plays a major role in the person I am today. Our food, music, dance, traditions, family ties, and etiquette help me to embrace my values, beliefs, and self-love.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Something valuable I have learned is that your values and beliefs have a lot to do with how you lead the people around you. In leadership, what I have learned over the years is that if there is something that you value and live by and your team believes in it, they will follow you. If you reflect on what’s important to you as a leader with your team, they will know what to expect from you.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: I view feminism as women having equal access to opportunities, authority, and influence as men. Women should not be turned down from gaining access through the “open door” because someone feels like their gender makes them incapable.
*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 Cait Scudder, Los Angeles, California
“Spend time getting quiet and getting clear on what you want to create and bring into the world. Vision is the birthplace of all creation, so you need to take the time to do this.”
A: I’m obsessed with helping women monetize their genius. To dial into exactly who they are, what makes them unique, and to help them bring forth those gifts into the world, and ultimately, turn them into a business that changes the world. I ‘ve always been most lit up and passionate when I am helping people. I am so passionate about helping women leverage the power of energy, strategy, and sales to grow a business because so many women struggle to believe it’s possible, that they have something unique to offer. Nothing could be further from the truth. To watch the women I serve A) fall in love with their own capacity and uniqueness of their genius and B) develop a roadmap to turn those gifts into a profitable business, I feel like I’m doing what I was put on this earth to do. I share these nuggets inside my FB group,podcast, and daily motivation on my IG stories. Outside of my career, I’m also passionate about my health (I run daily) and emphasize inner work-mindset and spirituality as much as maintaining my physical health. Now that we’ve settled in LA, I’m also loving the process of slowly settling in, setting up a home, and doing all the domestic things like cooking. After jet setting around the world and living in Bali for 4 years, I’m loving the change of pace.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of going big. Be it on stage speaking, on the sidelines coaching, or teaching at the front of the room—I knew I was meant to be a leader.
I attended Amherst College and spent my undergrad years keeping straight A’s in the classroom and getting my hands out in the world. At the ripe age of 20, I became the Director of International Programs for a local non-profit organization, raised $10,000 of capital, and founded a thriving rural literacy initiative in Costa Rica that still, to this day, is one of my proudest accomplishments.
Upon graduation, I felt the urgency of the world’s needs and desire to bring my gifts to the table in an even bigger way. I knew that teaching, leading, and inspiring others was my core purpose and work on this planet, but I didn’t know how or what this looked like, yet. So, I did the safe thing. I dove straight back into academia and earned another degree because my mind told me I needed more letters after my name to be worthy of serving at the level I wanted to serve. I earned my Master’s in Teaching from Smith College at 23, shouldering twice the workload of required of me and volunteering 10 hours a week on the side (yes, while in graduate school). On the outside, I was a beacon of success. A peak performer and giver to boot.
But on the inside, I felt utterly depleted. I was an anxious, depressed wreck, burning the candle from both ends, leaving nothing for myself. And we all know how sustainable that is. I hit rock bottom midway through the year and knew there had to be another way. What kind of educator, mentor, and leader could I expect to be if I wasn’t taking care of myself first?
Two years later, I quit my teaching job and got a plane ticket to Bali to pursue a women’s leadership training and advanced yoga certification program that rocked me to my core. I invested in myself and my growth at an unprecedented level and taught myself in the process that I didn’t have to play by anyone’s rules but my own.
And guess what happened? I spent a month deepening my relationship with myself, and days later, I met the most mind-blowing, heart-blasting love of my life in pure serendipity. I traveled to 7 countries in 6 months and kissed goodbye for good to the conventional 9-5 life I thought I needed. I gave myself time to dream big and permission to have it all. I launched my business in mid-2017 and scaled to 6 figures in under a year, all from my laptop while traveling the world. There were times I thought I couldn’t do it. Times it felt scary AF. But staying trapped in a world where I was grinding myself into the ground, not using my gifts, and denying myself the fulfillment, freedom, and impact I desired was way scarier.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Spend time getting quiet and getting clear on what you want to create and bring into the world. Vision is the birthplace of all creation, so you need to take the time to do this, and if your vision gets muddied by everyone else’s business [or dreams], you could very well end up creating a business [or dream] that doesn’t look like you.
And with that said, don’t try to be everyone else. In the coaching industry, there is a lot of ‘the blind leading the blind’ and women scrambling to imitate other successful coaches. The women know who are the most successful and have created sustainable success in their businesses are those who have done it their way and created a true niche for themselves.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism to me means women taking a stand and having a voice that weighs equal to men. It means knowing I don’t have to marry into wealth and success, I can create it for myself. It means knowing that I don’t have to wish and hope for a boss who can provide me security, that I can go ahead and become my own boss. Most of all, it means knowing that by taking an unapologetic stand as a woman leader blazing a trail, I’m doing it for all the women who will come after me, and in so doing, be a living example that for them, too, everything is possible.
*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 Lachelle, Oceanside, California
“I learn from these stories and it’s important to me. They color the dreams of my reality and future and help me find the adventure in my life. Find your life’s adventures.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about my work. In fact, I am a bit of a workaholic. So, when it comes time to find extracurricular activities, my time is often limited. My day job is in marketing analysis. I also am a managing partner at Panels Comic Book Coffee Bar in Oceanside, and I am an avid reader. I love what I do, so immersing myself in my projects helps fuel my passion. I am also passionate about traveling. I like to live in different places for a week. Grab a cup of coffee there, and find a coffee shop to read in. My husband helped me fall in love with comics. I read novels and some comics growing up, but he introduced me to the medium not just as a superhero story but as a way of storytelling that I fell in love with.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My family moved around quite a bit, so I ended up spending my early college years in DLSU and then moved to CSU Monterey Bay, where I graduated in accounting. Before I became glued to a handheld device, the most entertaining mobile device was a book. I loved reading stories and making them. I would tell my siblings stories on long car rides. In a career full of crunching numbers, I believe numbers are giving us a story. I am just reading it. In my day job, that means reading numbers to help my company make sound decisions. In Panels, it helps us understand what people want.
Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?
A: Don’t give up; embrace the challenge. Nothing is beyond your reach.
I hear people struggle with things they feel are beyond their reach. Saying, “I can’t do the things I want, I can’t start a business, I can’t get this career, I can’t find the right partner…”
I want to address how I found those things in hopes of inspiring others: I found the right guy because I didn’t waste my time. Before my marriage, I hadn’t celebrated an anniversary with a guy. I didn’t waste time on dates that I didn’t think sparked joy. I didn’t make excuses for them. If we weren’t a fit, I was candid and wasn’t afraid to be alone. I didn’t beg to stay and I didn’t need a conversation when it was over. I hadn’t even planned to stay with my husband initially; I told him my career was important and a priority. Rather than pulling away, he respected that and pursued me.
I was stuck in some odd jobs before I found one I loved. I pushed myself in all those jobs to move upwards. I was doing front desk/accounting for a hotel and during that time, I created a proper approval process because I noticed the sales reps were spending the marketing budget unchecked. At Panels, I came on as a soft partner and took over responsibilities from my partners when I noticed that it was overwhelming them. I don’t just do my job. I do it as if I was managing myself and then manage upwards to tell my superiors what I want and where I want to be. Recognize needs wherever you work and find ways to rectify it. This will serve you in growing personally and in your career.
When my husband told me on our first date, “I want to open a comic book coffee shop,” I was a bit incredulous. However, as I learned more about him, I was excited to push him towards that dream and told him how much having a business was part of my dreams. We pushed each other, did hours upon hours of research, detailed and checked one another. The biggest lesson from this is that you should work to bring the best out of people. Push them to pursue their dreams and never put those dreams down. Also, find people around you who will push you towards those dreams as well.
Finally, I have accomplished the things I want because I plan for them. I made less than 30-40k a year after college and I traveled around New England, visited Hawaii, and Big Sur. I was able to do that because I planned for it. Having a life where I get to explore is a priority to me. I read as much as I do because I find an opportunity to. Even if it’s on 15-minute breaks between tasks, I learn from these stories and it’s important to me. They color the dreams of my reality and future and help me find the adventure in my life. Find your life’s adventures.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: I have been harassed in and around the workplace for being female. I have been overlooked for opportunities because of male competition. I have been treated differently for being a woman. The primary place this has come from has been other women. The hesitancy to promote women, or treat women differently, or downplay the ability of women, must not come from women. Feminism means promoting pride in our work, being proud of the competitive advantage that we have, and fostering that. We can be our worst enemy, and we have to work to help each other overcome that.
*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 Keisha, Antigo, Wisconsin
“Life is not defined by circumstance but instead comes from an understanding of yourself and your true power.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: Nothing excites me more than to see a woman step into her true power, her purpose. I am passionate about helping women realize what’s possible for them. I love providing the tools and guidance to shift their mindsets, manifest their dreams, and shift their whole life experience.Check out the Abundant Mother Hustler email list and more here.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A:My childhood and young adolescence molded me to be and live in survival-mode most of my life. I grew up in multiple homes between my grandparents, father, and mother, but around age 14, I permanently moved out and bounced around from friends’ homes throughout high school.
I believe my struggles, my life stories, and living with constant uncertainty developed this passion inside me to overcome, to learn, and to discover that life is not defined by circumstance but instead comes from an understanding of yourself and your true power. I am living proof you can transform your outside world and life from within your mind.
Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?
A: Every single person has a gift, talent, and ability. Every single person has the power to transform their lives if they shift to a higher level of thinking. 95% of what we do is controlled by our subconscious minds, 5% is influenced by our everyday level of thinking, known as our thoughts. When a person discovers and learns how to master their thoughts, they can transform their subconscious and accomplish/attract their desires, unearth their talents, gifts, and abilities, which allows them to live a much higher quality of life. That’s where my passion to teach comes in and why I do what I do.
*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 Cierra, Dallas, Texas
“If I could give any advice to people starting out pursuing a life of financial freedom, it is DO NOT GIVE UP! Yes, some days will be harder than others, and yes, some days you will be lucky to break even. Yes, it’s going to seem like people around you are taking off before you, but stay patient.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am a beauty enthusiast and was born in Fort Worth. My passion for enhancing one’s own natural beauty through eyelash extensions has led me to create two brands of my own, LashedByCeeand Bleu Luxe Collection.
Being a Lashboss was never my intention nor was it my long term dream, but I’m more passionate about it than ever! After having my second child, I knew that just having a 9 to 5 was not going to do my family any justice. Watching my mom growing up being Superwoman, I’ve always aspired to be that woman. The woman that can work, provide, and flourish. No matter what obstacles I have seen my mom go through, she always handled things gracefully. I want nothing more than my boys to see me as Superwoman with an amazing pair of lashes.
Whether you prefer individual extensions or the traditional strip lashes, LashedbyCeeis able to cater to all your luxury lash needs. I have over a decade of experience creating realistic looking lashes while complimenting unique facial features of all eye types.
Q: What were your younger years like?
Growing up, I was a huge tomboy. I never really got into makeup or anything glamorous until I had kids of my own. My two boys are the ones who motivated me to add a feminine touch into my everyday attire and promote this same energy among my clients as well.
Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?
A: If I could give any advice to people starting out pursuing a life of financial freedom, it is DO NOT GIVE UP! Yes, some days will be harder than others, and yes, some days you will be lucky to break even. Yes, it’s going to seem like people around you are taking off before you, but stay patient. I think anyone that has tried to pursue something that they really wanted goes through those series of questions. I found a great support group on Facebook that promotes women entrepreneurship, and some days, these ladies really get me by! I would like to have a storefront within the next two years, and hopefully starting classes of my own by next year. I encourage everyone and anyone if you find passion in something, try to see how you can make money off of it. Becoming an Eyelash Tech is by far the best investment I’ve ever made for my family and me.
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