An Inspired Chat with ELENA SMITH of FULTON, DEKALB, GWINNETT, MIDTOWN

ELENA SMITH shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning ELENA , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
The Bible and nature.

In the midst of this beautiful, creative, exponentially growing and social media filled world we live in, I still get lost in time by just walking through nature, checking out waterfalls and listening to the movement of the wind. It is nothing shy of a good time doing a hike in the fall, listening to the leaves crunch beneath my shoes, while seeing the beautifully colored leaves fall upon me. This is a reminder to me that there is a new season brewing and one is exiting. Or even doing a hike in the winter with the bare trees revealing so much more of nature and allowing me to be able to see further than normal because of the lack of leaves. This is a reminder to me that some seasons you are granted clear visibility while other times you need to just walk by faith even if the leaves are in the way.

While there are so many things to see, smell, touch, hear, etc. while walking through these paths, these nature trails, forests, etc. I am still offered stillness, calmness, peace, self awareness and the time to find self again.
In the same way, I am walking through this journey in life, with constant distractions, past reminders, things to see, smell, touch, try, worldly pressures, etc., however, the application of reading my bible (or walking through my Bible) and applying it still offered stillness, calmness, peace, self awareness and the time to find self again.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey there beautiful souls.
I am Elena Smith, born in Arkansas and mostly raised in Georgia. I am passionate about all people and animals. I have two businesses that represent that to the fullest. These companies are ATL TAILS ADVANCED PET CARE and UNDER GOD APPAREL & COMPANY.
ATL TAILS focuses on animal care. The animal care services range from basic grooming to giving oral to overnight stays. UNDER GOD APPAREL also known as UGA & Co. focuses on the humans. This brand offers apparel for the soul with affirmation phrases and acronyms that create more conversation about God.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Oh my. This one is long.
I remember being in elementary, possibly the 5th grade, playing for the school basketball team. This particular day we had a travel away tournament. This tournament was about 2.5 hours from Little Rock in Texarkana. I was enrolled in a private Christian school. We had no private transportation or public school bus, as many private schools do not due to cost and the spread out housing of the small student population.
This particular game, I carpooled with a schoolmate/teammate and her family.
We get to the game safely, we win a few, lose a few and head back home.
On the route back, we stop in this town call Friendship, Arkansas to get more gas and certainly use the restroom. There was a car full of little girls under the age of 12 and we had been eating snacks and drinking Capri Sun’s, so of course we needed to go to the restroom. My teammates mom gets out to pump gas, we all run inside.
We get inside, go to the counter and there is a gentlemen standing so tall over us. The counter was already very tall and he sky rocketed above it.
He leans over the counter and is literally staring boldly and blankly at us. Now, as we entered this small gas station we were happy and giggling because we raced to see who would make it inside first. I literally thought he was upset because we were playing while entering the gas station. So at this time 2 of the girls had already asked about the bathroom and received no response.
My family schooled me early to say, “Sir, Ma’am, May I?” etc. so I yet again think that he just doesn’t like how we entered the place nor how they asked about the restroom.
So, by this time I step back to make sure I can make eye contact with him over this tall counter even though he was still leaning over towering us.
I then say “Sir, do you have a restroom? May we please us it?”
This man picks up a huge shot gun and says “Ya’ll can, she cant”. Meaning, my teammates can and I, the little black girl, cannot.
My teammates all surround me and say we need to leave. Like now. We all immediately head back to he car and proceed to explain what happened to the mom of my teammate. She immediately stopped pumping gas, did not fill up the tank, she told us to get inside the car and we sped off.
Silly me, I was in a car with four white females. I had no idea that the color of my skin would be a problem to anyone, any day. I had not experienced it directly.
Now, while I was made aware of racism, I, up until that age had always had pleasant encounters with the opposite race. I read about it racism, segregation, I heard stories from my family about it, even read articles about my grandmother helping to desegregate the Arkansas State Capitol cafeteria. I know about MLK, I know the reasoning behind his passion. But I was blind and had not experienced it.
This day taught me that some people will love me and protect me and others will not. And while I still see souls and not color, this has led me to be very careful in this world because I am labeled, judged and marked by the color of my flesh, not by my actions and not by the love I dispense but by the very color of my skin. And so with that being said that moment shaped how I saw the world, but it also reminded me that there are some good people in the world.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes.
I was diagnosed with several myomas. Most people call them are uterine fibroids. And while this is a rapid and well known situation for so many females, I was not ready and I was not expecting this to be a chapter in my life.
My largest one was 9.8lbs. My uterus was the size of a 22week old pregnant woman.
These fibroids took over my life, I missed so many events from being sick, missed so many days at work from the pain and barely being able to walk. I am stubborn I would try to fight through the pain. I knew that once I had surgery that was it, I would have to have a full hysterectomy at 33. I would not be able to house my own kid in my body. I fought that so hard. The thought of being a woman and not being able to produce one child. Not even one. It hurt me to the core. It made me think less of myself. It bothered me as I am an only child. It confused me as God had placed so many kids around me, including my 3 beautiful God kids.
I was shocked, stunned and got wrapped up in one section of my identity. But through grace, perseverance, affirmation and good support I never gave up. I had the surgery and have never felt better. By not giving up I got a better life. WOW.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
That God loves you. But that’s something for you to explore…

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop getting off the phone so fast, I would hug my people longer and I would stop acting like every day is counted for. Hmmm. I should incorporate this now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atltails.com
• Instagram: @favored___