We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ariel Smith. Check out our conversation below.
Ariel, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Ahhh, this is an amazing question! I would say I’m most proud of building ME. Last year, around this time, was one of the hardest moments of my life. I was battling Depression, Suicidal Ideations, Anxiety – you name it. Somehow, I still continued to post on social media, and I still managed to create, even when I was not in the best head space AT ALL and almost despised the concept of creating something new. Through my depression in that season, I was able to build a solid foundation with myself and I built the best relationship with God and spirit that one could build when it comes to a personal and intimate relationship. Brick by brick, I focused on building a foundation that would last and one that I would be proud of. My business, Glow With Flo, focuses on Self-Care, first, and Skin Care second – I wanted to embody that, no matter what the process looked like, I needed to find out what Self-Care meant for me in that season, and I did – in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Now this time around, I’m in the process of trying not to revert to my old ways just because it’s a place of “comfort”. I am currently in the season where I am stuck between the woman I am striving to become and the woman who I once struggled to get away from. What people don’t share about the woman you once were, is that there is comfort and a feeling of familiarity that you want to stay close to. So here I am in this internal battle between being excited for my new, yet being uncomfortable with the unknown, while simultaneously grieving what once was, and would much rather go back to a place of “comfort”. People only see the end results – they rarely get to see the process. I am so proud of the woman that I am today – and I hear people say that they “envy” me and my personality and how bold I am, but no one knows how dark it really got. No one knows how it felt on the days that I couldn’t stand up or speak out for myself. So when people say I’m outspoken and transparent/vulnerable now – it makes me proud because I remember those days when I was shunned for showing too many emotions, or how stuck and isolated I felt when I didn’t use my voice because I did not know how to verbalize what I was feeling. I remember those moments when I had to fight to prove myself and advocate for myself and was still told that I was “wrong”. People don’t see those battles, they just see the finished product. So I am most proud of building me (internally: emotionally, mentally, and spiritually) and 100% proud of the woman that I am today.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey Beautiful People! My name is Ariel Smith, but I sometimes go by Flo, due to my middle name being “Flora”. The name of my business, Glow With Flo, is simple – you are glowing with me. Glow With Flo is a Self-Care Movement, and Handmade Skin Care Brand. I teach women how to put themselves first, and glow from the inside out, starting with one Skin Care product at a time. For many of us, the only “Self-Care” that we experience is our shower time, so I made it easy for women to practice Self-Care during their sacred time. For example, if you’re having a bad day, you can take something as simple as a Body Slushie (also known as a Sugar Scrub), and rub it on your skin in the shower as a means to scrub your bad day away and watch it go down the drain (a simple Dialectical Behavior Technique).
I always found myself putting other people before myself. I put their needs and wants on my To-Do List before ever considering what I needed or wanted, and as someone who battles mental health on a regular basis, mainly Depression and Anxiety, that’s an absolute no-no. I put others first and experienced a great deal of burnout. At first, I couldn’t verbalize this feeling, but after receiving my Bachelors and Masters in Social Work, I completely understood what was happening. In my studies during my graduate year (2018), I won my Graduate Research Symposium at Clark Atlanta University for sharing how “Changing Your Routine Can Change Your Life: How African American Women Overcome Adversity Using Self-Care Strategies”. Little did I know, this Conceptual Paper turned Research Symposium was planting seeds and 3 years later, Glow With Flo was born.
Through Glow With Flo, I have been able to create and launch over 60+ products from Body Care (Body Slushies, Soufflés and Oils) and Skin Care (Cleansing Powder, Serum, Face Mask), to Self-Care (Journals, Hoodies, Tote Bags, T-Shirts and Coffee Mugs) and my Sip & Glow Workshops where I teach women how to create their own Skin Care products. I have been blessed to win my own Summer Storefront in Geneva Commons in 2022, and I have had the honor of meeting some amazing customers (my Glow Getters) over the years. Glow With Flo has been in business for 4.5 years, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the next years to come.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Whew! These questions are AMAZING! I would have to say the woman who gave herself completely and without question. I was a giver – this was a strong love language of mine. I felt like everyone needed the love that I had to offer – and it was so genuine and innocent. I remember I just met someone, wouldn’t even call them a friend yet, and I missed their birthday after a month or so of meeting them – when I apologized for missing their day and told them Happy Belated, they said “It’s okay, people miss my birthday all the time” – afterwards, I put their birthday in my calendar and never forgot it again!
I poured so much of myself into other people, and it often led to me getting so little in return. A part of that was because God didn’t create everyone to be thoughtful givers, and also, I gave to some people who shouldn’t have even had access to me, if I can be honest. As you can imagine, Christmas and Birthdays for my loved ones was the best time for me to show my talents! But one day, I received a measly candle and gift card to a place I RARELY go to – items I never even asked for – mind you, I’m a simple girl: a TJ Maxx Gift Card = HEAVEN. Ever since, things have shifted for me, not in a negative way, just in a more cautious way. I am very particular on who I give myself to, who has access to me and who I can freely give to without expecting anything in return because that’s who I am and that’s what I love doing. When it comes to my business, if someone makes their 3rd purchase of the year, I add in free gifts – why? Because I created the platform to give and I love that for me.
The best part about setting boundaries and learning lessons is that once you master the art of knowing when to pause, stop or slow down for your own sake/healing, God starts sending you people who reciprocate the same love and gifts that you provide – my best friend came into my life a year after I launched my business, and it is the most equally yoked relationship I’ve ever had in my life (i.e. she buys me something just because it’s Wednesday) and I am truly grateful. We always worry about losing the small teddy bear until God provides the 5ft teddy bear we didn’t even know we needed!
So shout out to the old me, she was wonderful and needed to show me how to set healthy boundaries, know my worth and build healthy relationships moving forward!
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
There is something so sacred and profound about still choosing to get up and move forward when life is trying to push you down and keep you down that people rarely talk about. From a spiritual standpoint, during my struggles I’ve learned so much about God and about myself that I’m impressed! In my season of spiritual warfare, it taught me three things – 1. The enemy can NEVER take away what God has for you – 2. He can only slow you down and distract you from reaching your full potential/what God has for you. 3. When I am on my way to my next breakthrough, big break or success, that is when the enemy starts playing his mind games. So now, when I go through something, I’m no longer angry at God – I’m asking “so what is it that the enemy is trying to pull me away from? Why is he trying to slow me down now?” and this typically gets me excited (once I overcome the devastation, right?) – because in my mind, “Yesss! I’m almost there” and I get honored because the enemy finds me that important to try and slow me down.
When you skip the journey of failure, you don’t get to see and appreciate the entire journey of becoming. I now know what being broke/in debt/financial distress and irresponsibility looks like so that I can appreciate and know how to sustain the wealth that God has for me in the near future. I now know what it looks like when I stick to how I’m feeling versus sticking to the plan to provide more structure in my business and lean more towards emotional selling versus being too depressed to continue business per usual.
Suffering has also taught me how dope I am and how much of a capacity I actually have to run a business. I’ve experienced countless heartbreak, grief, trauma, etc. while running a business, but it has all taught me to keep moving. Running a business centered around Self-Care also holds me accountable because I can’t just dismiss my pain or suppress my emotions – I have to deal with them in order to heal properly. I have given myself the permission to heal AND run a business focused on Self-Care – I vent and share my experiences via my YouTube channels, I share my emotions via my blogs on my website, etc. I heal AND create – only suffering can teach that.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
God told me that I was going to be the catalyst for Generational Wealth and the first millionaire in my family. The journey that I am currently on with Glow With Flo and beyond is deeper than becoming a full-time entrepreneur. Glow With Flo has opened so many doors, and I’ll continue to expand this brand and my personal one far beyond what people may see. I have turned my parents’ basement into my personal warehouse and this is only the beginning. However, it’s easy to say that my Faith has been on a rollercoaster in this season because from the outside looking in, I am nowhere near on the fast track of becoming a millionaire – no consistent income, in financial debt and distress, etc. However, I’m also aware that God has not given everyone a vision nor the ability to “create” as well as I can, and I am intrigued to see what God is about to do in my life and for my brand. It may be hard to prove, but my mind is made up that God has way more in store for me than what I’m seeing and experiencing now.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
That I am an all-around kind of person – multi-faceted. I keep showing people what I’m expecting them to want to see versus showing them all parts of me and posting for the sake of showing them who I am. I take pride in being very transparent, vulnerable and being an open-book, so I want to show more sides of that. Outside of being the founder of Glow With Flo, I’m also a Content Creator who’s gotten invited into a lot of ambassador programs, I’m a creative when it comes down to social media and content – but I’ve been scared to take a leap and dive into it because I know it’ll be time-consuming but I know that I’m 100% capable. I want people to see my sense of humor AND my serious side. I want to dive deeper into mental health as well. As someone whose life has been on the forefront on social media this past year, I still have been suffering from mental health and I want people to understand that just because you may see someone post often, it doesn’t mean you know the full story nor should you assume that they are doing “great” just because they’re posting and laughing. For some people, laughter can be medicine while for the others, laughter can be a cover-up or a mask. I want people to understand that they still need to check on their loved ones and advocate for us small businesses as much as they do their favorite celebrities – people who they’ll never get a chance to meet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MyGlowWithFlo.com
- Instagram: @GlowWithFlo
- Facebook: @MyGlowWithFlo
- Youtube: @GlowWithFlo
Image Credits
Justerica Angelic, Cynthia Smith
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