Today we’d like to introduce you to Jameelah Anderson.
Jameelah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’d like to say that my story began as a pregnant teenager. At 17 years old when I got pregnant, I had no idea who I’d end up being or where I’d go in life, but I felt very strong about providing my daughter with EVERYTHING. I decided that I’d have to become somebody and that I’d make a name for my family that would span generations.
So after being fired from a teaching job I chose the off beaten path and dove into the world of entrepreneurship. It was more of a double whammy. I chose entrepreneurship and empowerment all in one swipe.
See, nothing inspired me more than all of the amazing confidence I’d built up as a result of attending Agnes Scott College. Being in a same-sex environment gave me the courage and confidence to speak intellectually and openly amongst my peers. I decided to start Empowering Eve, an agency that catered to the confidence and self-love needs of women and girls and out of that vision an all-girls camp-Camp Bella was born.
I hired a small staff, started camp and got my life coaching certification and started pouring my heart and soul into healing the hearts and self-esteem of the girls and women who will hundreds of descendants to come.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
HELL NO. The biggest struggle I’ve faced on this ride has been KNOWING. Knowing that after all of the effort that everything is paying off. Knowing that there’s no need to look left or right, but to remain focused on what I’m here to do and who I am here to serve. Knowing that the programs and curriculum that I’ve created are a perfect match for the people that I serve and the audience that needs them the most.
In the traditional job world, things are mapped out and laid out. There’s a path, there’s a way to get where you want. Taking certain steps and doing certain actions eventually bring you to your desired destination. Yet as an entrepreneur there’s a lot of blind instinct, feeling around and groping the wall in the night. My struggles have come in knowing and remembering at all times that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Empowering Eve – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My company is Empowering Eve. Empowering Eve is a personal development agency designed to educate and empower the evolution of girls and women. We serve our girls through summer enrichment programming focused on self-discovery and self-esteem. We serve women through our offering of online classes and coaching programs.
I am a coach, educator and a speaker in the agency. I specialize in powerful conversations and curriculum that assist in uncovering layers of self. So many women are suffering from beliefs and myths that keep them from reaching their highest potential, it is my job to offer the dialogue and the genuine inquiries that take them beyond the surface in life and business. In that same regard, our summer curriculum is designed to ensure that girls are empowered to remove any societally imposed myths about who they are and how far they can go.
In the era of the “me too” movement, it is so telling to see how many women have endured long-lasting trauma as girls and it is our mission to do our part to teach our girls that their voice is POWERFUL and NECESSARY. Our motto for the camp is “Happy GIrls. Happy World” We truly believe that by affecting 1 woman and 1 girl, we can improve the lives of at least 20 individuals as women are the nurturers and caregivers of parents, children, friends and even neighbors.
As a company, I am most proud of the way that we are able to provide one to one care, love and genuine connection to every single one of our customers. Our relationships with customers are our hallmark and 300 years down the line it is the one aspect of the business that I expect to improve tremendously.
We are set about from others by the amount of time we’ve been in business. Personal development has a much shorter industry lifeline than other industries. We have been fortunate to have been offering services since 2011.
What makes us different is that we are very successful at offering services that transform lives. Summer camp attendees have returned to school with confidence that has funneled them into high heights. Women attending our vision board workshops have reached and exceeded long requested goals. Clients who have undergone coaching services have crafted personal brands that aid them in building a robust business.
Our business is really geared to those who are willing to put the spotlight on the internal characteristics that have the biggest impact on their social and emotional fortitude,
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success based on the amount of fullness I observe. While ‘fullness’ may sound a little woo-woo, it is no secret that Robin Williams didn’t feel that fullness and while one may characterize him as successful, his deep-seated sorrow would say otherwise.
After working for others and now working for myself, I’ve come to understand fullness as the status one has when they are moving onward on their designated path (alignment)+ things are going in according to their desired plan and are impacting the lives of many others in a positive way (results)+ they care for themselves (self-love) for which they feel thankful and appreciative of all that they have{gratitude}.
So having offered the above formula, I can now explain the criteria for which I use when I describe myself as successful.
There was a time in my life where I based it on what the world offers (notoriety, money, degrees) but nowadays success is so sweet and so welcoming to so many without any of the above.
Contact Info:
- Website: jameelahanderson.com, campbutterflybella.org
- Phone: 6784040966
- Email: admin@jameelahanderson.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jameelahanderson
- Facebook: facebook.com/jameelahanderson
- Other: facebook.com/projectbellagirls
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