Meet Danielle Atkinson

We were lucky to catch up with Danielle Atkinson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

First, I believe confidence is not arrogance, it is a knowing of oneself, truly. Confidence and self-esteem come from a place of being unsure but being totally convinced of who you are. This walk is truly a journey, and both of these attributes come from a lot of insecurities and a lot of failures along the way. I was called names as a young woman because people didn’t like how I looked. It started in school because I attended a school where I was the minority which made me see myself as different from most of my peers. I was criticized for my hair, my skin color, my clothes, and all the while I would go home on the weekends to a neighborhood where more people looked similar to me. I lived during the school year with my grandfather and would live in the city on the weekends. So, what I learned about living in two completely different worlds. This was how I learned to exist in different spaces with different expectations. I would soon develop a “Super Power” of sorts that I created within my own mind that allowed me to smile despite my pain, my rejection, and my own self-esteem challenges. At times I wanted to hide and just run away but I knew I could not, I knew I had to be my best. Noticing as I matured the beauty and self-reliance I had developed during my youth gave me strength for whatever challenges I would face as I grew. I would take the words that hurt and see the beauty behind those words, and that gave me the confidence to know myself for myself. I allowed myself to see my beauty even when those around me did not. I became a beauty professional to bring out the beauty in those around me and that turned into a passion! I decided not to be angry, but to celebrate those who did not see their own beauty and I would encourage them to see who they truly were inside.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am excited to share that I LOVE All Things Beauty! I am a Beauty educator, and I Love to give back to young people who are trying to find their own light. My company is You Made Me Beautiful LLC. I am a mobile cosmetology educator with a passion to create more passionate cosmetology educators. I feel the most alive when I can assist someone with finding their own why, or passion and inspiring them to go after their own purpose. My business is all about teaching beauty, every aspect of beauty and every type of beautiful is what I bring. I am working on a beauty line of skin and hair products that will be organic and will be for keeping the skin hydrated. I have two books on Amazon, You Made Me Beautiful a poetry book that celebrates you and your own beauty. The second book is Truth, My Truth which is a book about different events in my life. I also have a blog which I post new inspiration, poetry, short stories, and other upcoming event announcements. The web address is: https://youmademebeautiful.academy

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?

The first quality that I believe helped me tremendously was the skill of listening. The second thing that I believe helped me on my journey was prayer. Lastly learning how to be quiet. When you first begin your journey there is so much to learn and so many people and circumstances become important to your whole picture of where your life may take you along the way. Learn early that learning is always occurring even when it seems there is nothing happening. When you learn how to listen it will bring you into rooms that you may not be experienced with but pay attention. Also, when you are quiet no one can know what you do not yet know. You may be the least experienced person, but everyone has been the least experienced at one time. Stay quiet, observe, and speak about what you know to be facts. Your journey doesn’t have to be loud, but it should be purposeful. I have learned that what I don’t know, when I say a prayer, somehow it works and that has carried me through many moments in my life.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents told me I could do anything. My mother overcame many health challenges which showed me that I could overcome anything in life I put my mind to do. My father helped raise his younger siblings when his mother passed at a young age which showed me that no matter what keep moving forward and don’t allow life to define who you can become. They fostered a sense of wonder and imagination in me that allowed me to dream bigger than life even if I did not know the “how”. They demonstrated love and selflessness in spite of their own life challenges. I saw strength in them which enabled me to overcome times of uncertainty.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Unique Atkinson

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your