Today we’d like to introduce you to J “Sasha” Joseph.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I guess you can say that it goes back to Spring semester of my 5th year in undergrad at Florida State University. In a dream, I was told that once I graduated from school, I would be moving “north of Macon,” and it would be “good” for me. I woke up from the dream and decided to look up what I heard. As a born and raised South Floridian, I knew nothing about Macon or Georgia. On the map, Atlanta was the next big city “north of Macon”!
But things didn’t go as I thought they would following that exciting dream. The previous couple of years had tumultuous times for me with classes. So though I was supposed to graduate that summer, it was then that I was dismissed from the university based on academic performance.
I had the dream in February and by August I was packing everything I had and moving back to my hometown in Hollywood, Florida. I was crushed but determined to make a life for myself as a budding adult. With no degree to show for my schooling, I took an entry-level position in banking as a teller. Within two years, I became a banker and had the support of a manager who wanted to groom me for corporate growth. I was “moving up” and making a place for my self in the world after failure. Yet, internally, I was in desperate need of peace. I prayed and asked God to help me find it. I told Him I was willing to do anything. What I had not anticipated was His response.
It was around that time that I heard a sermon preached by DawnCheré Wilkerson on shifting from the role of consumer of the church to being a producer for the church. The message spoke volumes to me. I knew this was God’s way of furthering the conversation. Shortly thereafter an opportunity came to study ministry at the church I attended while receiving a bachelor’s degree. This was it! This was my shift to becoming a producer. Then came the downside. The program required full-time attendance. I had to choose between my growing career and this new-found route to the peace I prayed for. Needless to say, I resigned from banking and took up the challenge to go back to school.
After completing two years of study and in preparation for graduation in December of 2016, I began praying about what would be next for me. God reminded me of the dream I had four years prior about moving to Atlanta after graduation. It was time! I graduated on December 19th and by January of 2017 I was in Atlanta. I was a college graduate with a degree in ministerial leadership going to work as a banker. I was “moving up” again… Growing financially, pursuing my master’s in counseling, building new relationships in my new city.
But about two years in, I began feeling an internal angst. There was a level of fulfillment missing. I knew a career in banking was not my life’s mission so when the opportunity to teach in the public school classroom came, I leapt for it. I was not afraid of starting over. I worked for about a year and a half before realizing that I had misunderstood the call. As a teacher at heart, I thought pursuing a career in the public school setting was the answer. I completely ignored the fact that I now had a degree in ministry. Here I was, five years later, after hearing the message about producing for the church doing my own thing again. This time, I was going to have to make the toughest decision I had yet to face: leave the classroom with no other “career” lined up in mind or remain there, barely scratching the surface of contentment and peace.
I took that step. I turned in a letter of resignation to my principal with no job lined up and no intention to have one either. This time, I was betting on my gifting as a teacher and my knowledge of God’s call for me to minister. I spent years searching high and low for “it,” the place in the world where I had peace. But God helped me to see that I wouldn’t find peace anywhere in the world. It was something that only He could establish inside me. He did so by encouraging me through each shift with His Word.
Since leaving the classroom, my focus has been on creating Bible study content through life lessons. Teaching from God’s word is my ultimate passion and I have seen the lives of my peers flourish because of my willingness to share what I learn. I guess you can say that God wanted to unravel this whole thing here in Atlanta being that there are so many young people going through transitions. I’m just one to say I’m grateful for it all and excited to continue this journey!
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not! I laugh while answering this because the most consistent aspect of the trek is the uncertainty and challenges that present themselves. Being with faith does not ensure an easy path. Being with faith ensures that there is goodness that is worked out from all we encounter.
The hardest struggles for me were getting to places where I had begun to establish comfort after suffering losses and failure, then having to sacrifice that comfort. I look back at times in the journey where I searched for peace. Just when I thought I’d found it, there would be a call presented to me to walk away from the thing that seemed to offer it. All of it has been a hike of learning to trust God more than I trust what I could see around me, trusting Him that the life I thought was being built for my success paled in comparison to the plans He has for me.
And that doesn’t ever really stop. I believe we all are continually called out of comfort and into faith in some of the seemingly most strange ways. I would tell any young woman to ask God to build her faith, help her in the areas where she struggles with doubt, fear, and unbelief, and pray for a relationship where she truly knows His voice. Despite the twists and turns and disappointments I have encountered, and still do, I have always seen it work out for my growth and strengthening. And I now walk with peace that I never had.
In sharing truth with any other woman setting sail on her quest, I would also tell her not to be ashamed to follow the way that the Lord has set before her. I didn’t think that my love for the Lord and His Word was “cool” in college. It was conflicting because it challenged my desire to want to be like my peers. I’ve learned to embrace that I am bent towards God’s Word with a natural disposition to teach what I learn. And I can’t care when others don’t understand that about me. Remember to be you. Breathe that. Walk in the essence of your true person. You are necessary. If you don’t show up…. who will?
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
As far as my work goes, I’m building a brand as a beautician. Currently, I specialize in lashes and nails with more to come. I have always enjoyed the art of manicures and beauty so when I’m not teaching and writing, I’m slaying acrylic sets and lash extensions LOL! A man who doesn’t work doesn’t eat so this is my full-time gig.
The name of my business is Precision Beauty, ATL. I really love connecting with people so it’s interesting how I still get to minister as I work creatively. While the ladies get their nails and lashes done, we have girl talk and I get to encourage them with God’s Word if and when the conversation permits. It’s truly a beautiful exchange. And I can say that I have met some of the most amazing people as clients who encourage me too!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Ooooh, good question! My favorite app is YouVersion’s Bible app. There are some really great devotional plans there that help me to keep a healthy perspective of the journey.
My favorite books are written by authors such as A. W. Tozer and John Eckhardt. Dr. Caroline Leaf is another phenomenal believer whose extensive work with neuroscience has led to some of the most astounding truths in mind health. So, I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Pursuit of God, Destroying the Spirit of Rejection, and Switch on Your Brain. Those are just a few of my favorites.
Contact Info:
- Website: Precisionbeautyatl.setmore.com
- Instagram: @precisionbeauty_atl @theWholeSasha
Image Credit:
Sasha Joseph
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