We were lucky to catch up with Catherine Gulley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Catherine, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Well, where do I start, I struggled with my confidence and my self-esteem for a long time. Growing up my self-esteem was so low. I got teased a lot and I believed what some people would say. I didn’t believe in myself at all. I just didn’t think I could do anything, but God. I had to pray and ask God to help me and that’s what he did. I had to do the work, so I started with looking in the mirror and finding something I liked and then loved about myself. I did that and my self-esteem started to come up. then I had to do the work with my confidence. I’m still working on my confidence, but I’m nowhere where I was. So, what helped me to get my confidence up was when I started dancing on the praise dance team. I had always wanted to dance, but was to shy, scared and didn’t believe in myself. But the Lord helped me out and I just had to push myself to do it. And it was the best decision I ever made. So, I started pushing myself a little here and there. It’s still a little scary sometimes but I can’t go back so I’m going do it scared if I have to, to get the job done.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hi readers, I’m Catherine Gulley. I am the CEO of Next Seven. It’s a new business that I started, well it’s been out for a min, but I had to close it because of some personal issues. But I’m back and ready to get started! So Next Seven is a denim company, we distress denim jeans and denim jackets. We do denim shoes as well. We can take old shoes and turn them new with some denim. Next Seven is all about denim. I love denim if you didn’t get that. My grandma was one woman that loved some denim. She was the one who bought me my first denim dress and the love of denim started. I believe I was in high when the love started. I started my business because I didn’t want to work for anybody anymore. But also, I had seen a jacket I wanted and didn’t want to pay what they were asking for, so I seen a video of the denim jacket I wanted and learned how to make it myself. So, I had to talk to myself and God about this. God gave me the ideas and the name for my business. So that’s how Next Seven started
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Consistency, Believe and Push. Consistency, you can’t just work on your business sometimes or when you feel like it. If you decided to open up a business, then you got to do the work daily. It needs to be on your mind daily, thinking of different and nice things, how to grow your business. What would make your business stand out. You got to do the work. Believe in your business and yourself. Don’t talk yourself or anybody else talk you out of what God gave you. It’s not always easy, but what is just easy all the time when it comes to business? You can do it, just do the work. No more excuses. Get up and believe. Push yourself when it’s hard, when people come with their negative talk, when you have negative thoughts. Push and remember why you started and wanted to do this business. It’s so easy to stop, but why do that? The money and people don’t always come fast, sometimes it takes time. So, ask yourself “Are you up for the challenge?” I had to learn all of this. I wasn’t consistent. I had all the excuses in the world. I didn’t always believe I could do it. I felt like it was too much work at times because I didn’t have any help. I started over a few times and there is nothing wrong with starting over. Sometimes that what you need to do and get around people that believes in you and your work. If not get away from them asap. Get around people that’s going to help push you not bring you down. Remember you got this.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most important thing my parents did for me was prayed for me. Because I couldn’t do none of this without God. My parents definitely believe in me and my business, God is the one. My parents taught me to believe and trust in God with everything. Now it’s not always easy, but I got a relationship with God and when my faith is not where it needs to be I get on my knees and get to praying. I pray when its good or bad. My parents taught me not to give up on myself. Keep going, keep working, stay consistent. So, I do what I need to do now, because it hasn’t always been this easy. I mean It still isn’t easy all the time, but I have come to far to turn back now.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/next_seven2022
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@Catherinegulley9111
- Other: Website coming soon
