by Elizabeth Jennings | Mar 13, 2019 | INSPIRATION
I am a successful beauty business entrepreneur and it did not come easy, but it came and it’s continuing to come. But for many years I was really ashamed of talking about the success that I have obtained and you don’t have to tell somebody how much money you’re making or how much was in your bank accounts or any of that stuff. Cause honestly I just have boundaries and I feel like there’s certain things that you share and certain things that you just don’t, I don’t care how much someone is paying you or how much someone likes you. There are just some things that don’t need to be shared with everyone. But I didn’t feel that I was worthy of sharing the successes that I gained because I felt like at one point that it was something that if I said I would be bragging, and I didn’t feel comfortable with it.
Here’s why you have to share your story and glory. It’s cool to talk about the struggles and to let people know what and where you may have fallen short or you may have failed. But it’s even more important sometimes to share it with people from the failures and from the shortcomings, the success that you have achieved and the glory that you have received. And when I talk about glory, I’m talking about the stuff, the, you know, the money, the blessings, the higher levels, all of those things. That’s the glory. You know, that’s just some of it I should say. You have to share that because it’s not just for you, it’s to help somebody else. You never know who is going to be inspired by you, who needs to hear what you have gone through and how you overcame it and how you obtained the victory.
Because there’s somebody that’s going to walk that same path that you have walked. And actually, there may be many people who will walk that same path that you walked and they need to know that somebody like them experienced similar situations and made it out! That gives them hope. And they can say, well, if that person did it, I definitely should be able to do this. I definitely should be able to obtain victory and not live in defeat. They will feel they can get over and above their circumstances and struggles and be greater and better than where they are right now. It gives people hope and that’s what people really need because we do live in a very dark world and discouraging society. You have people that are rooting for you to fail, so to have someone that they look up to, even if they’re younger than you, it’s not always about someone looking up to you because you are older than them.
They may be older than you and they may not have found that person in their life that they can relate with. They can say, wow, this person is doing it and they’re younger than me. If they can do it and I’m still here, it’s not too late for me, I should be able to do this too. So that’s why you have to share your story and your glory and do not be ashamed of it. So do you have issues with sharing your story and your glorious outcomes because you feel like you’re bragging about it or you don’t want anyone to feel that you are thinking that you’re better than them because you’re talking about the blessings that have happened in your life?
Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity,
by Elizabeth Jennings | Mar 6, 2019 | BUSINESS
I just wanted to do this quick blog just to encourage all of my business owners, all of my entrepreneurs, and just discuss something regarding business. Don’t be afraid to start over. I am an entrepreneur as of ‘06 and the current business that I have right now, I started in 2008. Last year, 2018 was a pretty rough year for me in business.
Not so much regarding the business itself, but a lot of it had to do with dealing with people. And for the majority of us in business, most of us have to deal with people, whether the people are staff, the people are our clients or customers. On some level, we have to deal with people. And let’s be honest, a lot of people in this world can just be extremely messy, entitled, spoiled, and dishonest. Just a number of things that we can think about and say regarding people. And sometimes these people that you have dealt with in business can try to make you feel like saying, “Is this even worth it?” “Do I even want to continue moving forward in this?” “I think I’m just going to give up.” Remember why you started the business. Remember why you got into the field that you chose to get into for your business and for your entrepreneurship dreams.
And were any of those people in your, in your mind’s eye when you started your business? Was it depending on them? If you are aligned to either start the business, push forward in the business, have success or have a failure or whatever it is in your business, did they really matter? Did you do it for them or did you do it for you? Remember why you started in the business. And don’t be afraid to start over if you have to. Last year marked 10 years from me in the industry that I’m in, which is the beauty industry, and I made a video on my youtube channel and you can go check it out. I don’t remember the exact title of it, but it was along the lines of, 10 years in this business and I’m not stopping. I’ll have a link to the video on this blog.
I really had a motive for making that video. And one of the motives was to let anybody who may watch that video, who may know of me, who may know a little bit of my story know that whatever they think I am going through it is not going to stop me. And the thing about it is nobody knows everything about you. I don’t care what they think they know. They don’t know everything about you. And I can tell you, nobody knows everything about me that they think they know just because they may have heard this or they may have seen that, but I was letting people know, no matter what, I haven’t stopped. No matter what I’ve gone through, I’m not going to allow other people to be the cause of why I stopped. If I choose to stop, it’s because I make the decision to do it. Not because other people have worn me out or tore me down and they made me feel like I’m inferior or I just can’t do this.
I can’t make it and I have to stop. I have dealt with so many people that will make you feel like if it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have what you have or you wouldn’t be able to do what you’re doing and it’s like, these are people that I encountered, you know, down the line in my business that didn’t know me when I even had the thought of this business or when I even started the business years ago. Just because you met me five years ago, or you met me two years ago, or you met me a year ago and you think you know something about me doesn’t mean that you know me. And it doesn’t mean that you know my business. And I’m saying that about me to encourage you. Just because somebody thinks they may know you just because somebody thinks that they have your number and they can tell you about yourself or tell you about your business or tell you what you need to do for your business, and they really don’t know.
Don’t allow these people to get into your mind and to get into your heart and to get into your spirit because there are so many people that you may think are for you that really are not. Some are really wishing for your downfall. And sometimes those people that are connected to you, they may be a business partner. It may be somebody in your family, it may be a coworker or an employee, a staff member, you know, somebody like that. And they make you feel like they’re for you and they want the best for you and they’re trying to give you advice or they’re trying to help you out, but they really want to see you fall. Ask me how I know!
If you encounter situations like that, don’t be afraid to start over. Some people may make you feel like you can’t do it without them. They’re not your God. They’re not your source. They’re not your life-giver. You don’t have to give in to that and you don’t have to worry about things like that because it can be intimidating for a moment, but it should not stop you from starting over. If you have to let go of some people and you have to start over, then don’t be afraid to do that. It’ll actually be for your benefit in the end.
So some of those people that are hangers-on and they make you feel like they have your best interests at heart and you can’t make it without them; or they make you feel like they have a lot of great ideas about your business and they can really help you and they really want to support you; a lot of times it’s not true and they’re really hoping and wishing for your downfall!
So you have to be okay with letting some people go. Ridding yourself of some people, separating yourself from some people and starting over. And even if that means you’ve been in business for 25 years, it’s not too late to start over because you still have life and breath in your body. You can continue to make it and yeah, sometimes when you’re starting over you may have to cut back and let go. Sometimes you may not be making as much money as you were before, but you can start over. That’s temporary, a set back for a comeback.
Just like the stock market. The stock market has its times when it goes really high and then it has some times where it has some loss, but there will be a correction so look forward to the correction in your business, but don’t be afraid to start over.
Let me know in the comment section if you had to start over in your business at some point, or if you have some things going on right now and you’re going to have to start over and you’re wondering how you’re going to do that.
Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity,
by Elizabeth Jennings | Feb 8, 2019 | BUSINESS
So we know that people who have so many opinions and who are so critical usually don’t have much responsibility and don’t have a lot going on. I have been the position of being a business owner for a little over ten years now. In the beauty industry, but an entrepreneur since 2016. I never got into it because I thought it was something easy, but I got into entrepreneurship because honestly it was something that I had to do. I didn’t have many choices. I didn’t have a lot of people looking to hire me, so when you are in a position where you are not in demand, then you have to make the demand for yourself. So becoming a licensed massage therapist, licensed esthetician and certified lash stylist, I had to make a lane for myself many years ago because there weren’t many places I could go to and have a satisfactory and financially sufficient career opportunity. I had to make the opportunity for myself, so having the experience of being an entreprneur, I have had many ups and had some downs.
I have learned a lot more from the down moments than I have from the up moments. Yes, it feels great to win, to make lots of money and amazing to have your phones ringing and having people schedule for services and want to see you. But boy, you definitely learn a whole lot about people when it’s the opposite. I’m not saying that I’m going through a situation like that right now. A lot of the things I’m experiencing right now are choice that I made for myself. I decided to step away from my business working with clients hands on as much, and working on the business more and be more of the “BOSS” and be more of the business owner than someone who’s operating like an employee who just happens to own a business. I was so satisfied with doing that for so many years, but in 2018 I learned a lot about my business and other people and myself due to situations that happened that were beyond my control. It put me in a position where I had to put things in perspective and make some changes. So when I had to do things differently I learned a lot about people and when changes occurred how people can flip at the drop of a dime. I immediately learned that those who criticize the boss will never really be in the position to be a boss, because being a business owner comes with ebbs and flows. Ups and downs. Complaining never changes a situation, and quite frankly is just plain annoying. I don’t think that people can’t share their opinions, but being the BOSS and owning a business is far different than working in a business and just earning a paycheck. So I have learned that I am built for this. Yes, when I worked as an employee I had my moments of frustration and things but have never took it to the extent that I have seen many do when they couldn’t get their way. So I have learned that those who criticize the boss will never truly be one.
by Elizabeth Jennings | Feb 8, 2019 | BEAUTY
Hitting 40 last year really didn’t make me feel any diffeent. But one day I woke up and I literally saw myself; I took the time to look in the mirror. And I saw myself. I started to see some lines, a little laxity in the skin that wasn’t there before. And I began to wonder, does continue to be this way each and everyday after this?
Although I’ve alwasy been aware of taking care of my skin, I am ever more conscientious about it at this point. Taking the time to truly cleanse, apply my skincare products and regularly doing this throughout the day and before bed has become essential.
I only wish I knew all the things that I do know now many years ago. I may have prevented some issues I am currently experiencing now. But in waking up and seeing myself, I started to see the experience of things I have overcome and conquered to be where I am now. I looked into my eyes in the mirror and saw into the past for many of the years and days I cried countless tears due to circumstances and situations that I had to go through in my life, family and business. And then I started to see some of the lines differently. I stated to myself, these lines are well deserved, because I made it through so much, and now the lines are seen as glory. The lines are being revealed because they are shown through smiles and laughter now, instead of the days I cried and was upset and angry. So yes, I woke up and saw myself. And I’m thankful to still be here; lines and all!
by Elizabeth Jennings | Feb 8, 2019 | LIFE
Television, movies, social sayings and memes often make it out that family is over everything else. But to what extent? Does that mean if you don’t have a close family relationship that you are not complete? I think family is important. But I have come to realize that is not everyone’s situation. I have had to come to that realization a long time ago. I didn’t grow up in a close knit family. Unlike my only sibling, who I am not close with either, I am okay with it. Because all in all, I am an individual before I am a family. I was born alone, as Elizabeth L. Jennings. I didn’t grow up as a twin, I didn’t have anyone at my hip the entire time. I didn’t grow up with I Love You’s and hugs and kisses from my parents. But I grew up knowing that I was created in the image of God because I’m here. And that is enough.
I’ve been blessed to be in a marital relationship for years, but even in that I knew that my life was my life, and I had to make myself happy. Yes, when it came to things I wanted to do for my career, I didn’t put family over everything. I had to sacrifice time and many things to do what was mandated to become who I am today in my career. I know I can never get the time back that was lost on nights out with the husband or spending time with our son. But I am okay with that. Listen, not everyone has the perfect life. And who says life is supposed to be perfect anyway? Oh yeah, that’s right. Television and media. But those are just that, telling a vision and programming. I am just not made that way and will never feel guilty for not having a closely knit family growing up, or even now. That doesn’t mean I love any less, I just love differently. And I’m cool with it.
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