We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Beals-Grandelis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Many, many people ask me this very question. As a 47 year old woman, who turns heads in every room I enter, my response may be shocking. I would say confidence and self esteem were never my strongest qualities. They are traits that I have acquired with time, finesse, and some degree of self-awareness.
Through time, I have learned that the more understanding I have had about myself, the deeper self-confidence roots have become.
I mean try to wrap your head around this scene. I was only 1 of 3 Cubans in the ENTIRE county, raised by a single man, during the 80’s. Diversity wasn’t exactly a thing yet. Gay marriages were banned. Latinos were predominantly living in Florida or California.Yet here I was, a half Cuban girl stuck in western Pennsylvania.
When I became a teenager, my step-mother didn’t take much interest in showing me how to step into my femininity. So, I learned by default. Generally trying something new I found in a magazine and letting my classmates eat me alive or applaud it. It was a weird time for me. We weren’t poor, so not many understood how awkward I always felt. People expected me to naturally be born with confidence because I was born privileged.
However, looks can be deceiving. Our home was large but it wasn’t full of love. My mother left when I was 4 years old. My step mother despised me. I had no female sources to really fuel the self love required for attributes like self esteem. Products of a healthy environment would understand what I mean by this. Eventually The narrative of : Are they looking at me? Talking about me? -Or- Do they like me?
Turned into: They Probably are looking at me. THEY Most likely ARE talking about me. And they MOST likely do not like me. For some reason understanding that as long as I didn’t align with those thoughts, fueled my self love. I just started pouring love, understanding, empathy into my own heart.
I sat with myself. I didn’t run. I didn’t try to escape. I learned that perfection really doesn’t exist. I learned that EVERYONE has a story. I learned that most people don’t understand that they have the key to their own optimal level of confidence AND self-love. That we really don’t need to turn to anyone else or outside sources.
For a brief moment in time, I taught high school students. I learned from my mentor that teaching kids was 20% content and 80% everything else. I understood what he meant and influenced as many as I could to believe in themselves. To allow the energy from both haters and supporters to drive their purpose.
Covid-19 changed the world. I left teaching to pursue a life of freedom as an entrepreneur. When everyone told me I couldn’t, I wouldn’t succeed, and it couldn’t be done… I chose to take a leap of faith , in my own abilities, and just DO IT! Five years later, I am a content creator, business owner, and print model.
If I could leave my readers with any impact at all, it would be this. Just be yourself. It is enough.
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?
As an ISA certified arborist, my business model is predominantly all about tree preservation. We have a sonic wave tree decay detector that shows tree density, with 100% accuracy. This helps my customers make an educated decision about their tree care. How decayed it is and where, etc.
If we need to remove a tree, our super pro team uses physics and skill with all ropes for felling, lowering and removing. We are known to remove trees where cranes and trucks cannot reach. We have removed trees in hotel courtyards that span over the roof, with zero damage.
We also plant trees. So far we have planted over 300 trees between Arbor Day and for our customers. Educating people on trees. The health benefits that we receive from them, the property value we accrue from them, and the species that depend on them are just a few of the educational topics I cover.
I also treat trees for pests so we can keep them alive longer.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that you must know to have the most positive impacts for you.
1. You absolutely must have the ability to put your head down and plow through it. There will be so many naysayers along the way. They are your tests. They scream, “How bad do you want it?!” But the grit is what makes you keep going. This part is the hardest part. Keep going. Without grit, you won’t go far.
2. Remember just 1% every day. Look. Maybe yesterday you pushed yourself, but today you rest. Maybe tomorrow is a mental health day. Just listen to your body. Make small improvements every single day. You’ll see a big difference faster than you think. Small wins really do add up.
3. As long as you DO NOT BELIEVE in the negative voice we all have, you have already won. That voice we all know well. Remember, it’s just fear driven thoughts of anxiety. Best part? They’re not even real. That voice can come from your head or the mouths of the haters. As long as you don’t believe them, it’s just more static. When you are on your path , the haters become bigger. The voice becomes louder. This is why it is difficult to be successful. You must be able to push past it.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Looking for like-minded people to inspire others. I believe in passing it on. We all have that ignition in us. I started as one of the biggest underdogs that I know and am now building a legacy. It is not about us, but our future. The message I am sending loud and clear. Is no matter how ridiculous you are to others, keep rising! Keep being yourself. Your life is your own unique path with its own destinations
Find me on the socials but Instagram is my fave. @stephbealsgrandelis or email me @ [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greatmountaintreeservice.com
- Instagram: @stephbealsgrandelis
- Facebook: @greatmountaintreeservices
Image Credits
Great Mountain Tree Service owns rights to these photos
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
