We recently connected with Joy Edwards and have shared our conversation below.
Joy, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Since the young age of five, I have experienced various forms of abuse from many different people in my life. I was in and out of therapy until the age of seventeen.
At nineteen, I was a single mother struggling to make it on my own. I failed numerous times and had to ask to go back home which was in some ways a blessing, but a horrible experience mentally and emotionally not just for me, but my kids as well.
To say depression has been a part of my daily struggles is a total understatement, but I can honestly say when I was at my lowest and felt the most alone, it was my kids that became my biggest support system.
Whatever idea I had, nothing to them was too crazy, too far-fetched, or unrealistic. They believed I could do anything I imagined and supported me and believed in me every step of the way.
I wish I could say that I have overcome the challenges that come along with managing depression and PTSD and my mental health is no longer an issue, but the truth is, I’m a work in progress. Some days and weeks are better than others, but I have been abundantly blessed to have three beautiful and wonderful sons that encourage me, believe in me, and support me every day.
To hear them say to me, “Mom, you’re the best, I love you” or “Mom, you’ve been through worse and you made it through, you got this, I love you” means more to me than I can put into words.
My children are my biggest supporters, my cheerleaders, and my biggest source of inspiration. It is my love for them and my desire to give them a life of love and abundance that keeps me going.
It is my desire to make them proud and their never-ending love, support, and encouragement that keeps me going and keeps me believing in myself even when everything seems to be working against me.
It is the love of my children, their belief in me, and my belief and faith in God that gives me the strength and courage I need to keep moving and pushing forward every day. They are my everything and my “Why” in business and in life.
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?
The day I became a mother, my life was no longer my own; it belonged to my baby. Every thought in my mind revolved around what was best for this little life I literally held in my hands and arms.
I questioned everything. Was I going to be good enough for him, would my love be enough, how in the hell will I know what to do? There was so much I knew I didn’t know, and a million and ten things I had no idea I didn’t know.
One thing I found out very quickly, the bathroom was the only place that was truly mine when I was in there. In the bathtub and the shower, I could let go and release all my fears, heartaches, and everything else I was feeling through prayer and tears.
My kids followed me everywhere, to the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room, you name it, if I was there so were they. The only place they were not allowed to follow me into was the bathroom. They would play outside the bathroom door or in the living room waiting for me to come out. If I took too long there were knocks on the door and the little voices of my boys calling my name asking, “Mommy, are you done yet?” Crazy enough, I often miss those days.
In 2014 when I began my business, yes, I needed relief for my very sensitive skin, and at the time, I was also looking for solutions for a chemical burn on my scalp, but as time progressed, I knew I wanted to help women escape the chaos of life.
Regardless of whether or not you have kids, women lead very hectic lives. Women are natural born nurturers and without thinking, cater to the needs of those they love and are closest to them.
Whether you find comfort and peace in your home office, your bedroom, or in the kitchen letting your creativity flow through your cooking, those areas are easily penetrated at will by others; however, the bathroom is the one room in the house where you can go, close the door and be undisturbed and be alone with your thoughts and feelings.
I initially focused my brand on helping women combat dryness for their sensitive skin, and while my products do soothe dry, sensitive skin, more importantly, my brand focuses on soft, silky, bubbly textures, eye-catching colors, and designs, and the power of fragrance to evoke feelings of love and peace, and create an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity to ease tension from the mind and body.
Sweet Surrender is more than an emerging bath and body care brand, it’s a way of life. Every product is an opportunity for women to surrender all their worries, stress, and pressures to the universe. As you cover your body in a rich, creamy lather, you’re preparing to wash away all that does not belong on you or your body.
Tension, insecurities, and negativity are all washed away leaving, soft hydrated skin, a clear mind, and a light fragrance that evokes confidence, beauty, and inner calm.
I believe all women and every body is beautiful. I believe all women deserve to feel confident in themselves and love their whole selves and those are the feelings and emotions I strive to evoke with every product I make.
It is my heart’s desire and my mission through Sweet Surrender to help all women fall in love with loving themselves and feel beautiful and confident in themselves and their bodies.
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?
Knowing I wanted to empower women to love themselves through daily self-care was the first step in my journey. You can’t progress toward anything if you don’t know what your end goal is.
In my journey, determination, perseverance, and faith are the most important qualities needed to succeed, and not necessarily in that order.
Life is full of ups and downs, you have to be able to pivot, shift, and roll with the punches. It has been my experience that the only way to do that is to be determined to not give up, have faith that the tough times won’t last forever, and have faith that you will have what you need when you need it.
I am a believer. I believe in the power of sincere prayer, and through sincere prayer, the Universe (God) will answer and provide all that is needed and asked for.
If you don’t have faith in yourself and your abilities and faith in the Universe (God), it will be hard to have the determination to keep going and pushing forward to persevere when things get hard and unfortunately, there will be trying times. You can’t reap a harvest if you don’t take the time to sow the seeds of prosperity and work diligently to nurture and cultivate those seeds knowing, believing, and having faith that no matter how long it takes, your harvest will come in due season.
No matter where you are in your journey, being grateful for all that you have accomplished and being grateful for all that you’re working toward will go a long way in strengthening your ability to have faith and the determination it takes to keep pushing forward to persevere no matter what comes your way.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I believe in working smarter and not harder. If you have strengths you can monetize and live a comfortable, fulfilling life doing it, I say go for it! Double down and go all in! Go ham!
Sure, it’s great to be a well-rounded person and I wholeheartedly believe you should never stop learning, but why place your strengths on the back burner and focus on something you’re not as skilled at?
To not fully utilize your talents and natural strengths is doing yourself a grave injustice. That’s not to say one can’t do both, you can absolutely focus on your strengths and look for opportunities to improve other skills at the same time. The more you’re willing to learn, the more you will grow personally and professionally, and over time, you will become more well-rounded.
Ten to twenty years ago, the status quo was to work hard, and hustle and grind your way to the top to reach your goals. Now, that is changing. People are getting tired of the constant grind and are looking for that “easy” button.
While the big, red “Easy” button may not exist, you can make things easier for yourself by doing what comes easier and more naturally to you. Why focus on engineering when you love chemistry? If you’re naturally gifted and talented when it comes to art focus on art and design and leave law school for those who love research and debate.
Life is full of opportunities to learn and grow and you can always find ways to improve certain areas and aspects of your life, but if you focus on what you love and enjoy doing, life won’t be so hard and you can find more happiness and enjoyment in your daily life.
Before I was an entrepreneur and soap and cosmetics maker, I was in the Administrative field for quite a while. It came naturally and easily for me, but my heart wasn’t really in it. One day, I took a class in cold process soap making and I instantly fell in love.
I made up my mind in 2017 to become a full-time soap and cosmetics maker and devote my time, skills, and energy to building Sweet Surrender. Marketing and Advertising is not my thing, but my background in Administration and customer service has made learning these skills a bit easier.
I still have a lot to learn and I’m sure the opportunities to learn them will present themselves, but in the meantime, my daily focus is on what I love, and because I truly love and enjoy what I do, I’m able to create a well-rounded fulfilling life I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sweet-surrender.biz
- Instagram: @sweet_surrender_co
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/4sweetsurrender
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-edwards-aa10b88a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SS_BathBody
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFbsAV5PyEITSJNoVIb7Cw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-surrender-spa-quality-bath-and-body-care-henderson-2?osq=sweet+surrender
Image Credits
Joy Edwards
