Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Danielle.
Hi Leslie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Honestly, my story began when I was in high school. I was the friend that helped er’body with their relationships, lol! I then went on to get my BS in Human Development and attained five certifications in marriage & family education. I created my own life strategy firm and began serving women and marriages and writing a marriage devotional.
I began to see that my entry point into my client’s home was the majority of the time through the wife or women who desired to be married. The consistent issue was lack of soul care and time care for herself so she was always overwhelmed, lacking true faith and the purpose and plans God had for her through entrepreneurial aspirations that were lying dormant within her. There was a common fear that they had which was if I go after my dreams I won’t be able to have the home life I desire where God, bae & the kids are a priority. I would walk with them and their spouse if they were married on how to be intentional with their relationship with God, routines, date nights/days with themselves, bae, the kids, and friends. It was never about this OR that but this AND that. It would always begin with me instructing them to get a journal and get a planner.
The journal was for reflections, releasing, and becoming intentional about being aware of what was truly going on with their soul (mindset, will, emotions). The journaling would help them be able to express themselves better, have better boundaries, sleep better, get clear on what they really wanted versus what others wanted for them and so much more, The planner was to help them begin becoming intentional with their time in a way that reflected their priorities, removed the what’s for dinner mental clutter, and what they really wanted. Creating the time for what mattered most and then creating if they wanted to time for anything else. I would always tell them, one day I will have the planner and journal you use but until then get what works and I will teach you how to use it best for YOU.
The firm was going well but I was beginning to feel like something was missing and I wanted MY LIFE to reflect what mattered to me the most which was being a mom to my daughter and having more energy and time to do/live the way that allowed me to impact more women instead of just one on ones with clients. I didn’t know how but God did.
In May 2019, my best friend unexpectedly passed 11 days after my birthday and I was devastated. I had never experienced grief of this magnitude. Whew! I wanted to stop ALL the things and didn’t have ANYTHING to give. I immediately shut down my firm cause I didn’t want to bleed on my clients in the midst of my grief. I was suffocated by my grief and really trying to understand why. I began seeking God for the next step. I knew I had to live for my daughter but the grief-stricken me was no good for her. I needed to become intentional with my soul care and heal. So I became my own client and tried to grab a journal/notebook but it wasn’t working and I was frustrated because I needed something more.
As a natural creative, I decided to create my own journal pages that would help me be intentional with my morning and night routine. I needed to simplify the controllable when everything seemed out of control, especially the emotion of grief. I needed consistency. Everybody was like do this and do that. I was like how to sway. I’m barely functioning. So for my morning page, I knew I wanted to be intentional about being grateful, establish a promise to myself for the day to do one thing for me, hold space for God and our devotion and what I got from it, pray, meditate, and then visualize by dreaming with God days and life where I wasn’t hurting anymore. I could do each of the 6 for 1 minute each or for however long I needed every morning. At night I wanted and needed to focus on the wins of the day, be accountable to my promise, declare God’s promises and or better over my life, a lesson for the day, and reflect and release all that I could so I could sleep. I could do those 6 in 1 minute each or as long as I needed. These morning and night pages became the WERK that would help me on my grief journey and to begin becoming my best self.
When the pandemic hit, I knew more people would need the morning and night pages I created so in July 2020, I created a preorder link for The Overflow Journal and named it after my best friend who passed. The preorders were out of this world. I was like oh ok God this is what we doing huh and Worth The WERK was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I definitely believe nothing has to be hard. Effort not perfection and partnering with God allows our WERK to be intentional. It was a learning curve to go from a service-based to a product/lifestyle-based business.
When I put out the preorders in July 2020, I had never made a journal before. I knew this was a dream business but never thought I would really do it, especially no time soon.
Learning how to create our products with the right dimensions and needs for our manufacturer and learning the lingo for all things creating your own products was like getting a master’s degree. Then add ya girl being ambitious going from one product – The Overflow Journal to EIGHT products in three months – The Overflow Planner, 5 WERKbooks (freeform journal notebooks), and the WERKColor Bundles. Umm yeah, I was learning and creating all the things. All the artwork, graphics, interiors, and verbiage for each product with just me and God.
I was not expecting to start my own best self resource company for women but it has been the most rewarding WERK I have done.
As you know, we’re big fans of Worth The WERK. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Worth The WERK is a resource company & community for women to become intentional with their soul care & time care that reflect their faith, priorities, and the life they want.
Our products help simplify the effort that is deserved and necessary to be a priority in your life so you can partner with God, BE who you are called to be, LIVE life, and overflow in the titles you carry with ease.
Culture wants us to chase the bag and do life where what really matters is not the priority. Our Worthy WERK Network community and products help you run your race at God’s pace in a way that reflects what really matters to YOU and the bag is the overflow.
I am most proud of the impact that we have made as a company in such little time. The testimony of women who are gaining clarity of who they are in Christ, deepening their relationship with God, having more intentional time w/bae or even getting a bae that reflects God’s best, being more present with their children w/date nights, starting their business, allowing others to invest in what they have to serve, and decreasing anxiety and stress so they are their best! Like that is what it has really been about!
We took a break at the end of 2021 and are so excited for our first drop after our hiatus in February 2022 with our new products.
Our Worthy WERK Network has been serving our customers so they can truly be around like-minded women who know they are worth the WERK and God’s best!
Pricing:
- Worthy WERK Network: $47
- The Overflow Journal: $57
- The Overflow Planner: $57
- WERKBooks: $17
- WERKColor Bundles: $17
Contact Info:
- Email: heyboo@worththewerk.com
- Website: www.WorthTheWERK.com
- Instagram: @worththewerkxo
- Other: www.WorthyWERKNetwork.com
