We were lucky to catch up with Emily Mills recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emily, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
Generosity is often thought of as benevolent gift-giving. But I believe generosity is more about sharing access to opportunities, shared time and relationships than simply material resources. In fact, generosity that is extended only in the context of material or financial gifts apart from relationship, is dangerous. True generosity cares about the recipient. As a child I was gifted the generosity of time, talent and opportunity through teachers at my public school, my grandparents, my choir teachers and coaches. To this day, I’m not a fan of gifts that are void of intention or connection. The most generous people who taught me the value of extending generosity toward others offered me listening ears and helpful wisdom so that I could be empowered to determine the next step. I remember when I turned 12 or 13, a neighbor who was a single mom offered to take me to get my first “real” set of makeup at the department store. She was giddy to jump into this stage of life with me and show me how to choose colors that would highlight my natural beauty. We could have never afforded to splurge on Clinique so while this was a generous financial gift, my mom’s friend Lisa also gave her time. She drove me to Dillard’s and talked me through the process so I would feel confident and worthy navigating that space. Over and over I can recount moments of generosity gifted to me through time and relational connection.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Over the past 20 years my life has been devoted toward creating space in society for women impacted by sexual exploitation, trauma and trafficking. It’s been a winding road, one that has been woven and spun by heartache, beauty and resilience. My husband and I founded Jesus Said Love in 2004 through reaching women in strip clubs in Waco, Texas. We were involved in Christian music ministry at the time and really thought our lives would be singing and writing music. But stepping into the strip clubs, we saw a world we didn’t know existed and for years held stories that spun our theological, societal and psychological frameworks upside down. We confronted our own biases. We began to ask larger questions about systemic injustices, racism, patriarchy. No story was the same but each one bore the mark of common threads. The largest, deepest, gruesome cut was the one left by childhood sexual abuse. Not one woman we met in the clubs stood without this scar, a scar I too bore. As stories were collected and problems were faced, we recognized outreaches weren’t enough. Giving gift bags once a month to women in the industry with no tangible resources, next steps or solutions was short sighted and dangerous. Brett and I listened and learned what women in the life wanted and needed. 89% said they wanted out but had no means of survival other than commercial s*x. So, we committed our organization to helping with job training, living wage jobs and micro-loans for entrepraneurial women. But even through our best efforts we were still staring at the issue of affordable housing. Paychecks were getting washed away by increased housing costs and trying to break cycles of poverty seemed impossible. We began to look for models of care that encompassed all of the issues we faced in our village: stable community, safe housing, living wage jobs and sustainable outcomes. We found it in Nashville, TN called Thistle Farms. We began receiving training and certification in their model and committed to doing this for our community AND their children in Waco. In January of 2023, JSL was gifted a small apartment complex by Magnolia Foundation to expand and rebrand into Lovely Village. Lovely Village (formerly JSL) is a community of healing for survivors of sexual exploitation, trauma and trafficking. We provide two years of free housing for women and their children, living wage jobs for mom, and wrap around services within our already existing network. Lovely Village is the expansion and rebranded name of Jesus Said Love!
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 have defined my life are: my creativity, ruthless curiosity about God, myself, others and the world, and the pursuit to bring forth goodness. My creativity was evident early on in my love for music and writing. While I was an athletic kid who participated in team sports all the way until varsity in high school, I am a creative at heart and still write songs nearly everyday. Thank God for voice notes on the iphone! I think curiosity is a trait of love. I believe our curiosity, if we’re kind with it, can lead us toward the depths of love and peace even if we go through painful discoveries. Early on the pursuit to bring forth goodness looked like helping others, being a teacher’s pet and a bend toward perfectionism. I think when I see those kids now I want to hug them and say “you’re already good! you don’t have to try so hard.” But, everyone has to work their story out. Today bringing forth goodness comes from a motivation that trusts my good heart and good gut, not to prove it to anyone. I can do more good by focusing on what I am supposed to be doing than worrying about bringing forth goodness in others. “live and let live!” Resources that have been helpful in my journey of personal and professional growth. Creativity: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and any creative group you can get involved in! For personal curiosity: The Allender Center resources, The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast, and authentic community. For bringing forth goodness: Let Your Life Speak, Parker J. Palmer, Dare to Lead, Brene Brown.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
As we expand and rebrand into Lovely Village, we’re looking for businesses, creatives and like minded individuals who want to create more opportunities for women and their children who are overcoming vulnerabilities. Won’t you be our neighbor? Our apartment complex in Waco, Texas awaits renovations and we have an empty lot suitable for five more units that still need funding to build out! Every unit will be a space for a woman overcoming sexual exploitation, trauma and trafficking as well as their children. We partner with businesses that provide grants for women and children. We collaborate with clothing brands and boutiques to raise awareness. We can create wholesale accounts for stores to purchase our Lovely Village candles, fragrances and body products that generate jobs for survivors! We partner with corporations who want to invest through donating a portion of their profits toward helping us build out Lovely Village. The sky’s the limit to how you or your company can be involved! We need all hands on deck. It takes a village!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lovelyvillage.org
- Instagram:@therealemily.mills
- Linkedin: Emily Mills
