We recently connected with Stefany Blair and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stefany, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my Heavenly Father, knowing that I have the beautiful heart that he gave me, as I am made in his image. I always think about the way He takes care of all of us in every way, so I aim to imitate him. No matter what circumstances I find myself in, I always know that I am well taken care of because I do my personal best to take care of everyone in my presence, even from afar. Because my intentions are good, I believe that I will always be blessed. And this is where my resilience lies, in knowing that I have His approval and am looking out for the best interest of everyone I encounter. So even if trials befall me, I have faith that I will always bounce back quickly because my Heavenly Father always blesses me for my love for Him, people, and my endurance.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was at a point in my life where my health was deteriorating. I was dealing with gut issues that caused heart palpitations and sometimes I would go into Atrial Fibrillation. Every day I felt like I was fighting for my life. The mental pain was unbearable at times. I started to look for answers. I was living paycheck to paycheck while also dealing with this serious health issue that caused me to miss a lot of days at work. I knew I had to do something that would push me to the next level, despite the circumstances and challenges I faced.
In 2017, I decided to become an entrepreneur as a Credit Repair Agent. I worked alongside Anthony Camilleri, our company’s Executive Vice President at the time. He taught me a lot about pushing through as an entrepreneur, no excuses. I learned from the best. I made it all the way to Sales Director (a.k.a. the Money Spot) but my health condition prevented me from moving forward with our company.
I was still looking for answers, as I was frustrated with knowing my health was preventing me from reaching my business goals. Through research I found that Sea Moss Gel has 92 of the 102 minerals our bodies need. Sea Moss Gel helped improve my health condition. So, I was intent on helping others receive the same benefits I was receiving. In 2021, my husband, Damon Blair and I launched our Sea Moss Gel business. Since then, our mission has always been to heal our communities one jar at a time. We now wake up to a beautiful purpose. We love helping people feel better from the inside out. We want them to know that even when they feel defeated health-wise, there is always hope. Along with the tons of health benefits, we have mastered the art of making our sea moss gel taste like dessert, with many delicious, all-natural, fruit-infused flavors. This is what keeps our customers coming back for more and more. We have been able to help so many people dealing with all types of illnesses to feel their personal best and thrive. We sincerely care about our customers and their well-being & they can feel it. This is what our brand is all about!
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?
I learned early on in my journey, that you must have the necessary skill of adaptability. Entrepreneurship is an iterative process, and new challenges and opportunities present themselves at every turn. It is impossible to be prepared for every scenario, but to have a successful business, leaders must be adaptable. This means remaining flexible to ensure your business keeps moving forward, no matter what unexpected changes occur.
What also impacted my journey was being able to be comfortable with failure. I failed on so many occasions. And no matter how defeated I felt at that moment, I could smile. Why? Because failure is the main ingredient to success. Without failure, you will never succeed. Knowing this, I became intrigued by hearing the word NO because then I knew I was one step closer to my Yes. So, my advice is to never let fear of failure hold you back. Always maintain a positive attitude to allow the possibility of success to propel you forward.
Lastly, you must have long-term focus. Instant gratification and business do not go hand in hand. My mentor, Anthony Camilleri, once told me that if you hang in there with your business for 3-4 years, by year 4-5 you will reap the full reward for all your hard work. That one statement has stayed on my mind throughout my journey. Through all the ups and downs our business goes through, I always keep my eyes on the prize. I celebrate all my wins, even the small ones, and look forward to the future successes of our business with faith and hope.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities, or knowledge you needed to be successful?
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, it truly takes a village to help business owners on the road to success.
Jasmine Chanelle is a phenomenal Business Coach who has helped me with learning the skills needed to be a successful business owner. I joined her Boss Brand Bootcamp back in 2018. During that time, I learned so much from Jasmine about changing my mindset, how to tell my story, market my business via social media, overcome imposter syndrome and so much more. Jasmine’s platform is called Mom 2 Mogul where she has helped so many mothers leave Corporate America and become extremely successful entrepreneurs. I signed up for Jasmine’s Instagram subscription at the end of 2022, right at the time when I was relaunching our Sea Moss Gel business. We have earned a significant amount of income from my business based on Jasmine’s amazing advice. She sets the perfect example in business and in life. I am so thankful for her always being so ready and willing to share her knowledge and expertise with me and so many women who aim to be successful entrepreneurs.
Working alongside Executive Vice President, Anthony Camilleri, has been a major game changer for me. Anthony is a phenomenally successful Realtor who owns multiple businesses, including restaurants and night clubs in the beautiful suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. He also became a Million Dollar Ring Earner in our credit repair company. Anthony taught me how to navigate through the Network Marketing industry & the business world. He also hired me as his Social Media Manager and being in this role helped me learn content creation and social media marketing strategies all at once. Anthony mentored me, helping me receive three promotions, including Sales Director within our Credit Restoration business. Anthony believed in me in a way I had never experienced in business. I incorporate a lot of what he taught me back then now in my Sea Moss business. I appreciate all the time, energy and effort Anthony took to help develop me as a businesswoman. Truly a moment in my life I will never forget or take for granted.
My loving Husband and fellow CEO, Damon Blair, has been extremely helpful in assisting me with running our business successfully. Mr. Blair is such a caring person who takes care of everyone around him, even before they would have to ask. We work together very well in business because we both care deeply about our customers, and we share the same vision. I appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into our business. I treasure the moments we are working side by side just so we can see the beautiful smiles on our customers’ faces. Mr. Blair is a natural-born Life & Business Coach. So along with everything I have learned from my mentors, my husband encourages me nonstop daily. When I am at my wits end and my back is against the wall, I can always turn to him for advice and leadership. He is a very logical thinker, so Mr. Blair always provides the best practices and solutions, and they always work. I appreciate the way my husband so lovingly motivates me to keep going, especially when I am dealing with anxiety/depression. It is not always easy, but he helps me pull through. Blair is his middle name, and I am so glad that we have branded our company with his name. I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for me and our business.
My parents have played a major role in my success in business as well. When I was young, my father, Bobby Harris Sr. (who was a Manager at Methodist Hospital) would take my sister, Cherella, and I to work with him. He allowed us to work a few hours as if we were adults making a living. We learned everything from typing, data entry, word processing, proofreading, and editing. My Dad was a manager at the time and would take us on rounds at the hospital as he supervised his employees. My Dad taught us how to converse with everyone from the Janitor to the Doctors and CEOs. I learned excellent work ethics from my Dad. He used to work odd jobs on the side just to make ends meet. Dad would take my siblings, Cherella, Bobby Jr, Brian, and I with him so we could learn the tricks of the trade and what it means to have a job but also take on a side hustle. I appreciate my Dad for instilling this amazing drive in all of us. He always taught me to ride the wave, meaning there will be times when everyone will praise you and there will also be moments when people will dishonor you. He taught me no matter what, stay afloat, ride the wave and you will always succeed. Truly priceless advice I will never forget. My Mother, Joan Harris, has also played a major part in my wins & successes as well. My Mom has always had a huge heart for helping people in every way. She has worked many years in the field ministry teaching the Bible to her students. Mom always made her Bible Students our family and she has never left their side. Seeing her selflessly give of herself to others helped me to always do the same. Secularly, my Mom worked hard through the years as a CNA. Home Health Aide & Teacher’s Assistant for Special Needs children. When my Mom’s friends were dealing with terminal illnesses, she and my father would take them into their home and take care of them for as long as they needed them to. This has always touched my heart. I have learned so much from my Mother about how to have empathy for people and take care of their emotional and physical needs, with the purest of intentions. Being an eyewitness to her very loving and nurturing personality made me always do my best to take care of people who need my help, sincerely and from the heart. I follow my Mother’s example by taking care of all my customers, assisting them with any illness they may be facing, holding their hand every step of the way, never letting them go.
I can truthfully say my business is successful because my foundation has always been set. Everyone in my life, from my family, my friends, my business partners, my customers, and my followers on social media have all really helped me to grow as a person and as an entrepreneur. Words cannot express how appreciative I am of all of them. I am forever grateful and will never forget or take for granted the enormous impact so many have had on my life and our business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seamossbyblair.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/seamossbyblair
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/seamossbyblair
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefany-blair-38a122150?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@seamossbyblair
