We recently connected with Qiana Sweet and have shared our conversation below.
Qiana, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Growing up I was a middle child, but I was also the oldest of my mom’s kids. I never knew my mom to give up on anything. For as long as I can remember my parents said things to me and asked me questions that made me think of things differently. I remember growing up feeling like my parents were very different from my friends’ parents. They valued certain things that others didn’t outright express.
I always felt like I was being held to a different standard than my friends and older siblings – and to be fair my older siblings didn’t live with us. We grew up mostly in different apartment complexes, and being a child growing up in the age of technology I didn’t spend a ton of time outside. I was always just kind of off in my room alone with my video games, not that I minded.
In 2002 my younger brother and sister were born. There was this new found sense of responsibility. I often helped with their changing and feeding, and as we all got older we stayed home while my parents went to the store or ran errands. As a teenager I watched a lot of Judge Mathis and Divorce Court with Judge Lynn Toler. I strongly believe that my upbringing and some of the tv shows I watched, either alone or with my mom, shaped they way I think in terms of logic and decision-making.
I often tell the twins I was like the third parent and that I helped raised them. I recall our family going through a tough time, and as kids it wasn’t;t blatantly obvious to us. The first thing I noticed was we stopped going out to eat as often. This included random trips to fast food restaurants and our usual restaurant dinners on Fridays or Saturdays. We didn’t go to the movies as often and we spent more time at home. When Christmas time would roll around my list usually consisted of games and random knick knacks. My siblings’ lists were more on the side of Jordan tennis shoes and other name brand items. I remember my mom sitting down with me and saying that they really couldn’t afford to get that for the twins and just commenting on how expensive their lists were. As the older sibling I took it upon myself to talk to them about their lists, and ever since then I feel like I’ve always played a logical role in their lives. Using my personal experiences and information I had gathered I always made it a point to give them the best advice I could that would help them on their way. There were times where my parents couldn’t afford to take us on vacation but they made it happen and we had an amazing time together no matter where we went.
In 2018 my mom was re-diagnosed with colon cancer. While the transition to her needing more help was slow at first, I never saw her behave any differently. I remember somebody that had often talked with her saying to me, “I don’t think she ever wanted anyone to know how bad it hurt.” No matter what we went through, I never saw my mom give up. She was always there for us in whatever way we needed her. She took up for us even when we didn’t do right. She took in my nephew as her own even though all of her biological children were much older than him. She was a phenomenal mother and an amazing friend, and each day I thank her for the role she played in my life. As I continue to help raise my nephew, I can only hope to make the same impact on his life that my mother had on ours.
People often compliment me on my wisdom, values, and work ethic. I pride myself in being a genuine person and constantly working to be the best version of myself. I’m extremely grateful for the way I was brought up even though I may not have understood it when I was younger. My parents gave me invaluable experiences that shaped me into the person I am today. I owe my resilience to my mother in particular. She never spoke a word of what it meant to be resilient, but instead embodied that each and every day that she lived. I learned one of my best traits from one of the best people to ever touch my life, and she never even had to speak a word to teach it to me.
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 a naturopathic herbalist I run XO Tigerlily, a Holistic Wellness Company. I got my start with skincare in 2018 and since then we’ve evolved into a sort of wellness hub that focuses on encouraging our community to make healthier choices and incorporate holistic remedies in their daily lives. On our website you can find a variety of skincare products, bulk herbs, herbal teas, and herbal capsules.
Our Virtual Wellness Center opened in July of 2022, where we offer 1-on-1 wellness programs focusing on shifting our clients’ mindset and their overall lifestyle. On Thursday’s we offer discounted wellness sessions as a part of our Community Wellness Day initiative. We also have an education portion to our company, the Tigerlily Academy. Currently we offer an online course, Foundations in Botanical Businesses, alongside ebooks that teach others about strengthening the immune system and holistically healing eczema.
I’m currently focused on growing the wellness aspects of my company. This includes the current rebrand we’re undergoing, creating more digital products that can assist our clients and community on their wellness journey, and fine tuning our programs for the greatest impact possible.
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?
My closest friends affectionately refer to me as “the professor.” This is because I research meticulously to provide proper recommendations for my clients, I genuinely care about the wellbeing of others, and I’m very knowledgeable when it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle and incorporating herbs in the process. There were nights when I was first starting my company that I would stay up into the early hours of the morning fascinated with ways we could use herbs and natural butters to take care of our hair and skin. In my personal journey I also learned how to use many of those same herbs internally to manage my chronic eczema. Remaining dedicated to my overall health has allowed me to set an example for my family and impact my community by embodying the change I wish to see in others.
If you are just starting out in your journey, my biggest piece of advice is to be optimistic. Never in a million years did I see myself owning a wellness company. I actually started college with the intent to become a veterinarian and own a veterinary hospital. Those long nights of research and building my company transformed what was once a hobby and side business into how I plan to make a living for the rest of my life. I always tell my clients “Optimism is medicine.” When you are able to operate in the light of life and you put all that good energy out into the universe, you will begin to attract everything you desire and live this amazing, joyful life in the process. I would also say, stay dedicated. You have to believe in your vision before people can even begin to recognize the power behind what it is you offer to the world. Creating that good juju and staying committed to the vision will take you a very long way. Always be willing to do more and learn more so that in turn you can earn more and impact more.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client has a general idea of where they want to improve in their life and has an open mind. This client is dedicated to their healing and maybe even sharing that with their families. Other characteristics include being coachable, willing to follow a protocol, and willing to learn more about holistic health. My ideal client is tired of feeling exhausted, chronic pain and inflammation, and tired of seeing disease run rampant through their family because of poor diet and health habits.
When the client is ready I can help them live a happier life by shifting their perspective on things happening around them, helping them identify triggers and ways to overcome their obstacles, and encourage them along the way to becoming a more optimistic person. I can also help the client evaluate their diet as it may affect underlying conditions, show them how to incorporate herbs into their daily life for long term healing and preventative care, and focus on creating wellness protocols to suit their specific needs.
My mission is to help women of all backgrounds heal themselves and their families using holistic methods. I am dedicated to helping women set achievable goals and maintain optimal health by providing products, services, and educational resources that are rooted in plant medicine practices.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.xotigerlily.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thetigerlilyxx
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetigerlilyxx
- Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@thetigerlilyxx
Linkpop: www.linkpop.com/xotigerlily
