Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Marie.
Jasmine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey looks a lot like making my own way and following the breadcrumbs to discovering my passions. I graduated from NYU Stern’s School of Business and began a career in brand marketing at Unilever. After almost two years, I ended up leaving and moving back to Atlanta to reconfigure my next steps before landing in Chattanooga, TN. That’s where I started my first business — a marketing firm. I’d say that was my first substantial proof to myself that I could make a living off of my talents, and earlier in my career than I ever thought. I had these examples of how I had faith and pitched for and landed every opportunity I went after: arriving on NYU’s campus needing $13k with only a summer’s worth of two part-time jobs saved; petitioning to the business school that they’d receive a return on their investment if I was awarded additional scholarship money — which I did receive; pitching to Unilever that I was the perfect future employee even though I heard numerous times from the HR recruiter they were not selecting candidates from my school, getting the job, then helping NYU to become a core recruiting school, etc. With these experiences, I wondered how I could encourage students to do the same.
That desire led to a university tour, From Passion to Paycheck, to Cornell ILR, Columbia School of Journalism, NYU, UCLA, UT of Chattanooga, and an innovation conference. Those insights I gained from speaking to students about their desires fueled the launch of my HR creative consultancy focused on millennial and Gen Z attraction, engagement and retention strategies — Yvolve (e’valv). Yvolve (e’valv) was the venture where I learned so much. I learned the in’s and out’s of doing business with Fortune 500 companies. I learned how long it could take for a traditional company to adopt innovative practices and processes — from pitch to signature on the dotted line — two years. I wasn’t prepared for that and that venture left me with debt and a distaste for long sales cycles lol.
I refocused my attention with my newfound knowledge to what I loved and was great at naturally and what others were drawn to me for: making space for others, acting as a sounding board for those ebbs and flows millennials often found themselves navigating after graduation, being a reflection of a journey of self-trust and taking risks off the beaten path, etc.
As I founded ‘adulting with ease’ and ‘black girls breathing’ — I bring learnings about who I currently am, what I’m passionate about and what my current definitions of success are. I’m so proud of the woman I’ve become — having stripped away others’ definitions of success after attending a top business school and leaning into what makes me full of joy and purposeful.
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?
Definitely has not been a smooth road. My first company did really well. I had some of the top businesses and institutions in the city of Chattanooga as clients and made their 20 under 40 list in less than a year of operation.
My second business, though I felt I received lots of guidance on how to pitch and do business with Fortune 500 companies as an Emerging Young Entrepreneur Fellow of the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council — I didn’t expect the long sales lead times and wasn’t in a position for it financially.
Being an entrepreneur has its share of uncertainty, doubts, and longings to work a full-time job again lol.
But I’m grateful for the three years of experience and learnings that led me to where I am now. And the success I’m seeing with my breathwork and mindfulness practice — creations straight from my heart.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Black Girls Breathing and Adulting With Ease story. Tell us more about the business.
‘adulting with ease’ is my 1:1 and group sessions breathwork and mindfulness practice. My offerings have morphed since its launch in 2017 when it was focused on coaching/guidance for students to me feeling the urge to start teaching the personal practice of breathwork that had helped me through the ebbs and flows of my own personal journey.
Once I added breathwork as the core service and focus of my business, whether 1 on 1 sessions or corporate mindfulness sessions, is when I got the inspiration to be able to provide this powerful tool specifically to black women in a way that was accessible (economically and geographically) as this specific alternative healing / meditative practice is not affordable for some with average sessions running from $200 – $300. Black girls breathing currently has 1350+ members in meetups in Atlanta (launched Nov. 2018), Dallas, Houston, NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, and Detroit (other cities launched the beginning of this year). We host a virtual breathwork circle every 3rd Sunday and are planning a tour to our meet-up cities in 2019.
I’m super proud of being able for my ventures to be a testament to my commitment to make wellness “real” and “accessible.”
Some exciting news is that beginning Friday, February 8th, clients can now book a breathwork session in my new practice space in Grant Park inside the Cafe of Life Chiropractic and Healing Center.
About breathwork: breathwork is a powerful active meditation technique used to usher stagnant energy out of the body, help acknowledge and release difficult emotions and traumas, and decrease anxiety and stress; thereby creating space for more creativity, self-trust, self-love, and living life from a place of abundance and not fear or old traumas.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t necessarily believe in luck as much as intention, miracles, and faith.
Faith has played a huge part in my life.
I took a leap of faith when sending in my $1,000 deposit to NYU when I hadn’t even seen the campus but knew in my Spirit I was supposed to be there. I’ll never forget the miraculous moment after petitioning to the Deans at the School of Business for additional scholarship money in order to enroll the next semester (I was working three jobs and was $1,000 short) when they awarded me the $1,000, told me they took care of the next semester in its entirety and encouraged me to apply for the alumni scholarships. I was hesitant as I only had a 3.0 GPA but applied anyways. The day before I heard a decision, I was in church when my Spirit told me to tithe $130 — I’m pretty sure I only had $160 to my name. But I was obedient and the next day I heard that I was awarded the $13,000 scholarship for every year beginning my sophomore year (the amount I needed to fill my financial gap exactly). I was able to focus more on my studies, get involved in student organizations, serve on the Dean’s Student Roundtable, and study abroad in Paris.
So many more miraculous moments exist like that in my life. And I’m open to receiving more every day.
Pricing:
- $155 per breathwork session
- $20 for black girls breathing monthly virtual breathwork session
Pricing:
- $155 per breathwork session
- $20 for black girls breathing monthly virtual breathwork session
Contact Info:
- Website: adultingwithease.com
- Email: jasmine@adultingwithease.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatgirl_jmarie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adultingwithease/
- Other: https://www.adultingwithease.com/black-girls-breathing/
Image Credit:
Gerald K. Carter (Diversity Photos, diversityphotos.com), Shekeidra Booker (Smarche Photography, smarchephotography.com)
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
