Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Smith.
Keisha, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I remember after the loss of my daughter writing in a journal, reflecting on all of the pain I endured and overcame over the past years. As I wrote each word, my page began to be filled with tears. I survived some of life’s hardest battles and because I survived that was my sign, I had something to do. In those moments, I began to pray and seek my purpose.
In 2016, I created Flawed & BeYOUtiful Corporation. Flawed & BeYOUtiful is a cosmetics and beauty line created to empower women to Be YOU, For YOU. As a sexual assault survivor, I provide other survivors and women with quality beauty products to help enhance their natural beauty, while encouraging them to embrace their flaws and all.
Creating FAB gave me the courage to publish my first book “Where Silent Secrets Lie” in 2018. Where Silent Secrets Lie is based on a true story, my story of sexual abuse from a child’s perspective. While promoting Where Silent Secret Lie and empowering women through FAB, I identified another need in our community. Youth in our community was suffering greatly from the lack of resources and opportunities to help them succeed in life. After identifying the need for our youth, I created a solution and made the sacrifice to help our youth through my nonprofit organization Crowned for Purpose.
Crowned for Purpose is a 501(c)3 organization that provides mentorship, tutoring, college preparation, entrepreneurship training, and job readiness training to youth in the Metro Atlanta community. CFP bridges the gap for our youth to give them the best opportunity to succeed in their own unique path. Serving our youth comes with great responsibility but the reward is far greater.
In 2019, I launched The Purposeful Experience a mentoring and coaching program designed to help women become FEARLESS, CONFIDENT, and EMPOWERED to live their lives on purpose and in purpose. I am always reminded of how hard it was to overcome sexual abuse and the necessary steps it took for me to get to a place of healing. TPE was created with women in mind who are ready to find their voice and stand in their truth.
It took several years for me to understand that everything I went through was about me finding and fulfilling my purpose. My purpose was being birth through my pain and it was up to me to own my voice.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been far from smooth. I have spent a lot of time figuring it out through trial and error. My biggest struggle along the way was trusting the process. Although I knew it was going to work, I was fearful of the unknown. My advice to other women who are starting the journey is to JUST DO IT!!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am most proud of how Flawed & BeYOUtiful has touch so many lives. When I hear the stories of women and what they’ve overcome, it warms my heart. What sets Flawed & BeYOUtiful apart from others is that we sincerely care about how our customers feel when using our products. Our products are beyond makeup but empowering women. We all are imperfect people in an imperfect world but serving a perfect God. We all are fearfully and wonderfully created. We empower our customers by inspiring them to know it’s not about your imperfections but being comfortable and confident in your own skin.
What were you like growing up?
Yes!! As a child, my Dad was a business owner and planted the seed of entrepreneurship in me. When playing with other children, I was always a leader and a business owner. I would play in my room for hours holding board meetings.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flawedandbeyoutiful.com
- Phone: 770-241-5294
- Email: info@flawedandbeyoutiful.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/flawedandbeyoutiful
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/flawedandbeyoutiful
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/flawedandbeyoutiful
Image Credit:
Xena Proctor, Brittney Gardner, Keisha Smith, Selective Focus
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