Meet Shakira Harsley

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shakira Harsley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shakira, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

For years, I helped women feel beautiful on the outside—as a makeup artist and photographer, I mastered the art of enhancing outer beauty. But there came a moment, quiet but undeniable, when God started tugging on my spirit: ‘There’s more.’ I realized I wasn’t just called to create beauty, I was called to awaken purpose.

That shift didn’t happen overnight. It took prayer, stillness, obedience, and honestly—letting go of who I thought I was in order to become who I was created to be. That’s how Emerge was born.

Emerge is not just a brand—it’s the movement I needed in my own life. A space rooted in faith, where women can align their minds, emotions, and finances with their divine assignment. Finding my purpose required me to stop hustling for external validation and start listening to God’s direction. And now, I help women do the same: realign, refocus, and emerge.

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?

My name is Shakira.Denise, and I’m the founder of Emerge—a luxury, faith-based lifestyle brand designed to help women align spiritually, emotionally, and financially so they can walk in purpose and experience true freedom.

Emerge was born out of one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I had to grieve the loss of two family members who meant everything to me. I experienced the ending of relationships I thought were forever, and I carried the weight of betrayal that left me questioning everything—including myself. But through that pain, I found something greater: clarity. I realized that while I had spent years helping women look beautiful on the outside through my work as a makeup artist and photographer, God was now calling me to help women heal, align, and rise from the inside out.

This brand is deeply personal. It was built in the quiet moments, in the prayers I didn’t always have the words for, and in the stillness where God reminded me who I was. Emerge isn’t just a business—it’s a movement. It’s for the woman who knows she’s called to more. The woman who’s been through the fire, who’s rebuilding from broken pieces, and who is ready to step into the version of herself that’s been waiting to breathe.

Professionally, I’m focused on building an ecosystem of intentional tools and sacred spaces for that woman:
✨ The Emerge Affirmation Decks – to speak life and truth over her journey
✨ The Guided Journal – to help her reflect, release, and realign
✨ The Prayer Candles & Essential Oils – to create sacred space for spiritual clarity
✨ A VIP Community Platform – where women of faith can grow together in wealth, wisdom, and wholeness

What excites me most is that every product, every post, every prayerful decision in this brand was created to offer freedom. Not the surface-level kind, but deep, soul-rooted freedom—the kind that only alignment with God can bring.

We officially launch on July 25, 2025 at 7:25pm, and right now, I’m inviting women to join the VIP list for early access to our Biblical Alignment Collection and all things Emerge. This isn’t just about products—it’s about purpose. It’s about helping women emerge.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been spiritual alignment, emotional resilience, and honoring vision through obedience.

1. Spiritual Alignment
Everything I’ve done—and everything I will do—begins with God. I don’t move unless I’m led. There were seasons where clarity didn’t come through strategy, it came through stillness, surrender, and prayer. For anyone just beginning, I would say: build your foundation in faith. Get quiet before God. He will reveal the next step when the time is right. Trust His pace over your plans.

2. Emotional Resilience
There were moments when life felt like it was all falling apart—when grief, loss, and betrayal tested everything I thought I knew about strength. But through that pain, I learned that God doesn’t waste anything. He used every broken place to rebuild me stronger and more aligned. My advice is this: Let Him heal you deeply. Don’t rush the process. Rest is still part of the work, and your resilience will be rooted in how well you allow yourself to be restored.

3. Honoring Vision Through Obedience
I’ve always had ideas, but this season required more than inspiration—it required surrender. Obedience meant walking away from what was familiar to pursue what was divinely assigned. For those who are dreaming right now: Write the vision, yes—but also ask God how He wants it built. Move with Him, not ahead of Him. He’s not just the source of the vision—He’s the architect of how it all comes together.

Every step of my journey has been shaped by grace. And my hope is that women who are just beginning will know: you don’t have to do it all at once. You just have to stay aligned, stay faithful, and trust that when God calls you to something, He will also equip you for it.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Absolutely. I believe that God connects people on purpose, for purpose. Right now, I’m in a season of building, expanding, and laying the foundation for something that’s so much bigger than me. As I prepare to officially launch Emerge, I’m prayerfully seeking aligned collaborations—women and organizations who are purpose-driven, spirit-led, and passionate about helping others grow in faith, freedom, and abundance.

Whether it’s partnerships for content, events, brand alignment, or community development, I’m open to connecting with those who feel led to pour into the same mission: helping women emerge into the fullness of who God created them to be.

If you’re reading this and feel a divine nudge to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. You can connect with me directly through my Instagram @plantoemerge or join the VIP list through the link in my bio to stay in touch with everything that’s unfolding.

This isn’t just business—it’s kingdom work. And I believe God is aligning the right people at the right time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_shakira.denise_
• Youtube: @_shakira.denise_