We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jade Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jade, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
To have resilience is to have the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances and endure hardships. Resilience can be thought of as either a character trait or a skill. I personally believe that resilience in it’s truest form is a character trait. While one may in fact learn the skill of resilience, it can also be lost with time if it is not an innate characteristic that one possesses. So for me, resilience is not a skill that I developed; resilience has naturally been a part of what makes me who I am. I have this internal belief to always make a way no matter the circumstance. I stand by 4 P’s that support my resiliency; Plan, Perseverance, Patience and Pivot.
1) Always have a PLAN. You can not be resilient towards something without a final destination. Know where you are going. I have a blueprint of all of my goals and aspirations and I map out the different paths for each of them respectively. Now, although things do not always go as expected, having a plan gives me that solid foundation. It helps me clearly define my purpose that my resiliency needs to be applied to.
2) Have PERSEVERANCE. Perseverance is your ability to be persistent in doing something no matter the difficulty or delay. I have always had the belief that no matter the circumstance, no matter how many no’s I hear, no matter how many times I fail, no matter how long it takes, I will not give up. At the end of the day, who in this earthly world can tell me no when my God has already written my story and determined my destination. All I have to do is believe and persevere.
3) Be PATIENT. It is a marathon not a race, When you are too eager to reach your destination, you can often make poor decisions. Understanding the importance of patience will allow you to analyze situations to determine the best course of action. Do not be discouraged by the timeline of success for others, Your journey is your journey. Be patient and stay the course.
4) Be prepared to PIVOT. One’s ability to pivot is very important in distinguishing their resiliency. As mentioned above, plans do not always go how we expect them to go. However, if you do not learn to pivot, you will stay right behind the roadblock that got in the way of your plan. Once you pivot, you will be able to get from around that roadblock and reach your destination. Use that roadblock you just conquered as an opportunity to grow, change your approach and proceed to your end goal.
These 4 P’s are the building blocks of my resiliency. I could not have come this far on my journey had I not possessed these traits. But most importantly, I have an abundance of faith; in myself and in my God. Faith in my God, gives me peace of mind. In the midst of difficult times I have no worries because I know that what is meant for me will be. God put me on this path. It was already predestined for me. Faith in myself, gives me the ability to do the work needed to execute the plan that was written for me. I believe in myself every step of the way; through the good and the bad, I stay resilient.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am very honored to be able to share my story with everyone, this time in a different season of my journey. If you have had the chance to check out my two other features, you may be a little bit familiar with my story. If you have not, I will give a brief summary. I have always had a passion for beauty since young. After I graduated high school in 2012, I created a YouTube channel for makeup content and began to build a presence on social media in the makeup community. Fall of 2012, I started my journey to achieving my Bachelors in Chemistry from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. In 2013, I began my journey as a self-taught makeup artist under my brand, Luxe Glam Beauty. In 2016, I graduated with my bachelors degree and over the course of a year really dove into building my clientele and scaling my business. In 2017, I started a Masters in Cosmetic Science program at University of Cincinnati and simultaneously rebranded and started to build my cosmetic line, Heiress Cosmetics. In 2020, in the midst of Covid, I launched my e-commerce store in April and opened a storefront location in November; the first cosmetic store inside of the Hy-Vee Arena. In efforts to further scale by business, I decided to pivot and obtain my Esthetics License. So to fast forward, in May of 2022 I started Esthetics School at Mitsu Sato Academy. Now here I am, in May of 2023 I graduated and achieved yet another goal. I am now Jade E. Williams, Entrepreneur, Cosmetic Chemist, Licensed Esthetician, Certified Makeup Artist, and 2x Certified Lash Artist. My story is so special to me because it is unique in the sense that I decided to tap into every aspect of by business and obtain different perspectives in the industry. First and foremost I am a CONSUMER of beauty products. Then I became a PROVIDER of beauty services. Then I became a RETAILER of cosmetic products. Then I became a FORMULATOR of cosmetic products and now I am an ESTHETICIAN, a specialist of skincare, which skin is the underlying foundation of the beauty industry. In this season of my journey I am honed in on the skincare side of the industry. I am partnered with an amazing skincare line that aligned with my values and vision and am now looking to opening a luxury skincare studio, The Skin Lab Esthetics, that will provide spaces for other talented skincare professionals. I am also working on a couple skincare retail items that will be available this Fall. I am so grateful for all of the support I have received and would love for everyone to continue to follow me on my journey.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three things qualities that have been the most impactful on my journey have been my authenticity, my eagerness to learn and my resiliency. In the beauty community it is easy to become influenced by trends or popularity. By staying authentic to myself, I am able to produce quality products and services that are easily recognizable as my brand and that is what will separate you from the rest. In an industry where there are so many similar services and products the best way to distinguish yourself is by doing something that no one else can do; which is to be YOU. No matter how hard someone else tries they can never be YOU. So be true and stay authentic. My eagerness to learn has helped me achieve my goals of becoming knowledgable of the different aspects of the industry through education. It is also important to note that in this industry, continued education is a major component of mastering your craft and being the best at what you do. Lastly, my resiliency has probably had the most impact on my journey. There have been so many no’s, denied business grants, failed business plans, etc. and through it all I have persevered and remained resilient because I know that this is my path and success will come. You just have to put in the work. My advice for those who are early in their journey would be to follow your passion. Do not chase the trends or they money because when all that is gone, if you don’t have any passion behind your vision you will not have any will to remain resilient. Also be a student of your industry. No matter how seasoned we are, there is always a new knowledge, techniques, products and innovations. Do not be afraid to connect with your peers, as we can all learn from one another. And lastly, don’t give up. The road will be hard, but remember your purpose and continue to persevere.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
As an entrepreneur, my mind is always going 24/7. I’m always thinking of new ways to improve my business and increase revenue. At times, I find myself having a ton of short term goals that I would like to accomplish but realistically, you can not do everything at once. I become overwhelmed and then I end up hitting a mental roadblock because I’m stretching myself far too thin. So I would like to stress the importance and planning and prioritizing. It is okay to write down all the goals that you want to accomplish but it has to be strategically mapped out. Figure out what your biggest priority is and what makes the most sense and flows with your business at the moment. Set a deadline for that goal and then after you accomplish that goal then you can move on to the next one. This will also help to maximize the quality of whatever it is you are providing. When we are focused on too many things at once, we can not truly give it 100% because we are giving 20% to five different things. Again, it’s a marathon not a race. You will be able to accomplish all the things you want to do. Just be strategic, patient and most importantly remember to prioritize your mental health.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heiresscosmetics.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/heiresscosmetic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/heiresscosmetic
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/heiresscosmetic
- Other: THE SKIN LAB ESTHETICS: www.instagram.com/theskinlabesthetics www.facebook.com/theskinlabesthetics www.theskinlabesthetics.com –> Launching Soon
Image Credits
Caleb Gunn – ACA Photography
