Sistah Code 2.22: I Will Only Compete with Who I Was Yesterday

One thing I love about this Sisitah Code/ Affirmation, is it's a reminder that with each day you are granted just do your best. I mean at the end of the day that's all we can do is to continue to put one foot in front of the other and be the best we can.

This past Sunday I was awarded Most Influential at the 4th Annual Girl Boss Awards Gala hosted in my hometown of Columbus, Ga. I'm still in shock that I was nominated and took home the trophy. I've noticed that when you place your focus on what your heart and God truly draws you towards, things like this occur unexpectedly.

The reason I am in a state of shock for this recognition is because I was nominated two years in a row for Best Cosmetics for Pretty Mink'd Out and I didn't win. The first year I was only a few months in business and honestly just wanted that exposure for my brand. The second year, I was for sure I would win, I did all the proper promotion to vote, vote, vote! but that year I didn't win either. I didn't get upset because I was still successful that evening in sales from being a vendor, so I looked at it as still a win for my brand.

Now here we are in 2022 and I had no intentions to participate in this year's award activities. I wanted to keep my focus on school, my businesses, brand structure and most of all my why? I didn't want to become overwhelmed, and my focus didn't need to shift outside of that.

While staying focused and basically in tunnel vision mode, ironically, I was nominated in five different categories, and I'm thankful that I won one.

Although I didn't win those other years, this one mean so much more to me. I didn't do all of the advertisement to vote as I did before, I mentioned it and let it take its course. I felt as if people want to vote for you, they will, the same way they nominated you.

This shows me that people are actually listening or watching, they see what it is that I'm doing and even if they don't quite get it yet, they support me. Within everything I do, I choose to inspire and influence even with my eyelash packaging, I encourage in every box. The goal has always been to inspire beyond the eye of beauty and I'm doing just that and more.

No matter what happens, giving up on yourself is too easy, so we're not doing that! Fight and work hard for what you believe in, and by fight, I mean the battles we face in our own heads, the failure we place on ourselves before we even try. Don't be afraid to lose, fail or make a mistake because that's where our best lessons are. If I would have given up on myself, I wouldn't have experienced this opportunity, this win, this feeling of accomplishment and motivation to stay the course.

Instead of giving up, I choose to use each day that I'm granted to do better than I did the day before. A new day is a new opportunity to learn, be passionate about something and grow. Passion leads to purpose, and I now know I'm on my purposeful path.

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