Reesy Neff shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Reesy , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I recently had a speaking engagement. The speech was called “When self-care becomes self-sabotage”. It was a speech about my journey with seeking to be a “perfect” stepmom, wife, employee, woman and how that quest impacted my mental health. it was a very vulnerable speech, obviously. I had suspicion that I was not alone in my struggles. In fact, at the end of the speech, I play Jelly Roll’s song “I Am Not Okay” which specifically speaks to not being alone in “not being all right”. My feelings were validated when I had so many women come up to me after the speech and express their own mental health battles. I believe there are a lot of people struggling to be “perfect” at everything. In addition, and because of social media, there is the constant reminder that everyone else looks perfect. This, of course, is not reality. However, I do believe we, and specifically women, are measuring themselves against these “picture perfect” people and it wears on them. And we are not talking about it out loud and we should.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the founder and CEO of Omega Ecycles. We recycled end-of-life IT equipment as well as perform data destruction. Our mission is to make the world a greener, cleaner and more secure place one laptop at a time. I am passionate about protecting our planet as well as one of people’s most valuable assets, their personal information. I am an entrepreneur, woman in tech, author, motivational speaker, and cheerleader of people.
In my personal life, I am married to my soulmate. I have 4 children (technically they are step children but I don’t use that word) I have 4 wonderful grandbabies. I love being a Nana. It’s the best job in the world. I enjoy reading, traveling, line dancing and spending time with my family.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
While I might not have described it as feeling powerful at the time, I would say I first felt powerful and/or felt that I could change my world when I was 7 years old and made a plan to escape daycare. The summer between 1st and 2nd grade, my brother and I had to go to a daycare. Prior to this, we had this wonderful older lady as a babysitter. She retired so my parents had to find childcare for us during the summer. Mind you, this was a very well-known and well-thought of daycare. However, I decided I did not like it. In fact, I felt like I hated it. I had a friend that felt the same way. I devised a plan. My thought process was if we were to run away from daycare, our parents would really know how much we hated it and wouldn’t make us go back. Keep in mind this was the 70’s and there was not a lot of locked doors or the safety protocols we have in place today. I told my friend we would both ask to go to the water fountain at the same time. I made sure it was during a time when she would be in a different class than me so it would look less suspicious if we both wanted water at the same time. The plan was we would meet at the water fountain and sneak out the front door. We would walk to her mother’s office which was close by. The time came. We made it to the front door and then got scared and didn’t go. At the time, I would not have said I was feeling powerful, especially considering fear kept me from following through. However, reflecting on that moment, I was definitely stepping into my power and learning how to make things happen…even if it wasn’t a true success at the time. No escape from daycare. However, what a brave 7 year old I was to attempt such a thing.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Prior to owning my business, I was a regional manager for a bank. I oversaw 24 branch locations. I had been through several bank mergers. I had gone from having one of the best bosses/mentors to one of the worst. He was tortuous. My kids were going through a lot coming from a broken family. In addition to the normal teenage stuff, I had to deal with kids totaling 4 cars, 2 rehabs, eating disorder and more. I was working 50-60 hours a week, cooking, cleaning and doing everything I could to be as “perfect” as I could. Because being perfect would make everything alright. Of course, it doesn’t! I lost my brother at the age of 44. I was having health issues. I had several different surgeries, one of which, almost cost me my life. Finally, one day after an incident at work with this horrible boss, I broke. I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD and slight agoraphobia. I was put on all kinds of medications. It was a very hard time. I remember the exact moment I decided I would not give up. I had just left a therapy session where the therapist had inappropriately said I would have to break all ties with all of my children or I would end up in a hospital. This was her opinion not mine. I left the appointment in tears wondering what was I going to do. I parked my car behind the mall to think and calm down. At that moment, I thought I have a choice. I could choose to stay where I was (a terrible rut which is the same as a grave except the ends are open) or I could make a different choice. I know not all mental health issues can be solved by a choice, however, it was for me. I chose to live. I found a different therapist and worked hard. A problem cannot be solved at the same level it was created. I had to rise above my emotions and make a different choice. I found my way back to me.
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. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
It might sound cliche, however, I rely on my husband. My husband is my best friend, soulmate, confidant and trusted advisor. He helped me start my business. He has had his own successful business for over 13 years. He keeps me grounded when I feel overwhelmed by all things entrepreneurial. I bounce ideas off of him all the time. And when I am stuck, I go to him for advice. While we have the same values, he thinks differently than I do. This really helps when you need to look at a problem from all the angles. He has helped me so much in my journey as a business owner.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
A strange feeling started to happen to me after I turned 55. I started to consider the fact that I will not be here forever. With those feelings came a much stronger need to have an impact. I have always defined success as having left a person or place better for having been there. Now, I feel that so much more deeply. I would want my children to say I left a beautiful legacy of love, kindness and understanding. I would want the world to say I helped people, one person at a time….that I made a positive difference in my community. In addition, I recently received one of the best compliments I have ever had. After one of my speeches, a woman whom I very much respect, came up to me and said “You give people the freedom the be themselves”. This is one of the things I would want people to say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.omegaecycles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reesyneff//
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reesy-neff-53480116/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reesyneff//
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/ReesyNeff/e/BO9Z9QDQZN/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
Image Credits
Laura Boyd (only the headshot photo)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
