Upon entering BLK STRY Studio in Frisco, TX you're greeted with luxurious sofas and plush chairs reminiscent of any high end lounge. A 90s R&B playlist consisting of, but not limited to SWV & Xscape provide the soundtrack to hushed chatter, without the drama of course (if you know, you know). Beautiful women from different backgrounds, ages and cities fill the room with hugs and laughter.
This was the third annual Know YOUR Beautiful Symposium – an event birthed from LaJune King's Know YOUR Beautiful photography campaign and her thriving Photos by LJK business. After an ice breaker, LaJune shares heartfelt remarks about how mentoring young girls and having a daughter of her own blossomed into a movement to encourage and empower black women and women of color. She emphasized how easy it is to think we're alone when going through the issues of life. However, reaching out to share your story and inviting others to do the same helps to strengthen us all collectively. This symposium did just that with an array of speakers from educators and advocates to artists and survivors.
“What separates heroes and villains is how they use their super powers” - Briaina
Briaina reminded us to embrace the good and the bad. After experiencing divorce due to her ex's infidelity, she rebuilt herself and her life. She took the moment to reflect inward and began the journey of healing with the help of her life coach. She told us to thank our past selves for getting us where we are now and it's the hard seasons in life that build our character to make us stronger. Now, she is the life coach for other women experiencing the difficulty of finding themselves after divorce. Helping them to retrain their thinking and guard their hearts while working towards becoming their best self in the midst of pain.
“Life is too short to not do the things you want to do” - Annette
The free spirited photographer and artist from Detroit shared a lesson learned about facing your fears. Annette was afraid to fly, but loves to travel. She decided to soar above the naysayers – family and even friends who couldn't understand her desire to spread her wings by moving to a new state. Growing up she was bullied because of her height, but little did she know it would only propel her to greatness and eventually a circle of newfound friends who would only lift her higher than she imagined. She showed us that having courage is not the absence of fear, but persevering in spite of it.
“You are worthy, you are enough” - Adrienne
It took Adrienne grieving the loss of a friendship to realize there's more people in her corner than she realized. After a friendship break-up shattered her trust, she lost confidence in herself. Being told she was “too much” caused her to morph herself into someone she was not. Breakthrough came after seeing the many friends still in her life and the acceptance from those who stayed. This helped her to accept and love herself, which is most important. She taught that friendships should be genuine and not transactional. Everybody isn't for everybody – and that's okay. People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
“Trust the process, stop rushing the process” - Shamar
Shamar's journey with infertility inspired her to uplift women with similar struggles. Through miscarriages, fostering and most recently adoption, she showed us that the path to motherhood is not always easy, but worth it. She found peace in the midst of the storm and spoke about how her frustration with God's delay transformed into a newfound purpose to encourage women. Her Rainbow Baby Collection is currently undergoing a rebranding called Treasured where women from all walks of life will be reminded of how we are all treasured by God in spite of the difficulties we face.
“Every piece of you is magic even if you don't see it” - Kelly-Ann
Right before her turn to speak, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to Kelly-Ann. A stark contrast to the years of abuse she endured growing up. The infectious smile you see on her face and bubbly positive energy is due to her hard work of implementing boundaries to preserve mental health and peace. She claims not to be a public speaker but her testimony of overcoming obstacles has encouraged and enlightened more than a few. She is a survivor who helped us understand the meaning of how choosing yourself is not selfish and forgiveness is for you, not for the ones who hurt you.
“Your gift will make room for you” - Nikki
KYB Woman of the Year, Nikki, is a registered nurse and brilliant self taught makeup artist and owner of Allure Faces by Nikki. She clarified that passion and purpose are two different things, but when these align it's that much sweeter. We can't measure success solely by external things and everyone has a purpose to live a happy fulfilled life. Even as an entrepreneur she still sought deeper meaning in her work. By helping a coworker climb the corporate ladder, she realized her purpose was pouring life and encouragement into people whether it be a patient or makeup client. Her story is a reminder that we are all responsible for finding our own purpose in life and to pursue it relentlessly.
The level of courage and vulnerability these ladies displayed while sharing their stories is inspiring to say the least. It motivated me to continue processing my own struggles and challenges with grit and grace...which encompasses what Know YOUR Beautiful is all about. I look forward to next year's event and can't wait to see what's in store for the future of this women's empowerment movement.
Blog written by Rhonda Simpson