We recently connected with Shawana Jackson and have shared our conversation below.
Shawana, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I develop my confidence and self esteem from my mother. My mother was a strong and very independent woman. She taught me and my siblings to always follow your dream and never give up. There will always be challenges in life and being able too take them head on and beat them will always make you a strong person. My mom was a single mother too me, my sister and my brother.
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?
I am a single mother of four children and a nephew I raised. I work as a property accountant but my passion is my foundation The Erma and Latoya Jackson foundation. My foundation is named after my mother who I lost in 2020 and my oldest daughter who a lost a year later in 2021. The Erma and Latoya Jackson foundation was started in 2022 and it is a place for single mothers and fathers to come to for help. We are still in the process of growing but the foundation is here for support and to inspire a parent who has lost hope. My reason for starting this foundation is to make sure that single mothers and fathers will know that life can be hard sometimes and challenging but no matter what life puts in front of you remember to always put your best forward and never give up. Each year the Erma and Latoya Jackson foundation has an annual picnic on Labor Day and it is for families and friends to come out and spend a day of free food and fun with my family.
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 strength is one of my most important qualities. My strength has gotten thru some of the most difficult times in my life. Weather it’s personal or professional.
My ability to inspire. I never knew i had this ability until i spoke to some of the women in my circle who told me i have inspired them to go for their dreams and not to let nothing discourage them from achieveing it.
My love for my family. I raised five kids as a single mother and it was not easy. But i manage to finish high school after having my first child at fifteen and graduating college while having a full time job and being a full time mom. I had no vacation, no sick time and not much sleep time either.
Never give up on your dreams. Keep reaching for your goals.
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?
I’m looking to collaborate with people who can give me insight on how to make my foundation bigger and better at what i want to achieve in creating The Erma and Latoya Jackson Foundation. My foundation will be a place for single parents to come to for resources and helpif needed. I want to inspire and motivate as many people as I can. In 2022 I started the Erma and Latoya Jackson Foundation Labor Day Picnic and i want this event to become a huge success in the future. I am working on my 501c3 so that i can get some sponsors with my event.
