1. Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name Is Kareisha Phillips born in Pomona, CA. I’ve worked in the medical field for a number of years as a nurse assistant, My mother and father separated when I was a young child, so I grew up in a one parent house-hold with one older sibling.
My mother experienced many challenges raising two children as a single parent, but before my 16th birthday she passed away from an accidental drowning, leaving my sister and I to live with Family members.
I moved to Fresno, CA to live with my fraternal grandmother. My grandmother picked up where my mother left off, taking me to church week after week. To be honest it was quit exhausting for a teenager. I would sometimes hide at a friends place to deny myself. she caught me once and pulled me by my ear and off to church we went. She was a great compassionate woman who loved her family. She was funny and loved to dance, my mother having some of the same characteristics, I’m not surprised how lucky I am to have finally found myself and loving myself more and more. Before I would come into a place of self love, I would experience self hatred, planted by words that would play like a recorded player “YOU ARE A CHILD ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE” in my head. Leaving me depleted and desperately wanting the Love that died with my mother. I would say to myself how can anyone love me if “I am a child only a mother could love”. While on the care of my mother at age 8 or 9 I experienced a chemical burn due to perming my hair and it left my hair follicles weakened and eventually thinning over time.
As a young adult I was diagnosed with “Alopecia Areata”. For years I would go into hiding, wearing wigs and hair pieces until one day freeing myself of this burden. I shaved off what was left of my hair and was blessed to start modeling and using my experience to inspire others. I am now volunteering my time to help others who suffer from Alopecia Areata and other mental and emotional disorders.
With regards to your modelling; how was the feeling like the first day you went for audition?
My first Audition was a post on Facebook. A picture of my new look, I had a lot of likes within the modeling and photography groups, people wanted to work with me based on my look. I had no trained skills and when I did my first photo shoot. It went well.
I felt so good and excited. An unbelievable experience
2. What stimulated your interest in entrepreneurship and why did you choose this particular work?
I’ve always wanted my own business and as a model you are your business, you branding yourself, networking and meeting wonderful people, traveling etc. After experiencing years feeling hopeless and low self esteem modeling would be a way out to express myself. To build self confidence and help others do the same.
3. What are some of the services you provide? Any memorable project(s)?
As a model, I do Motivational Speaking, fashion shows, hosting events and print modeling.
4. What is your vision for the next 5 years and where do you see yourself as an entrepreneur?
In the next five years i hope to have established my own non-profit Organisation and have built an empire that helps young individuals with emotional healing and self esteem building.
5. What would you say is your biggest challenge as an entrepreneur and why have you not given up?
My biggest challenge is continuing to believe when you want to give up, when you have every reason to throw in the towel, but you still have the one reason to go on, knowing someone will need your help and when they come your not there. That’s what keeps me going.
6. What gets you out of bed in the morning and what keeps you up at night?
My children gets me out of bed, I want them to see that today is a new day and every day you’ll have another try at doing something you didn’t get to do before. Talking with God keeps me up at night, hoping I’ve done something that will bring praise to His name.
7. In one word describe your life as an entrepreneur.
I create “Love”
8.What has been your greatest inspiration?
Life gives me inspiration. There was a time I didn’t value my life, now I’m inspired by what I’ve been able to do with my life.
9.If you had the chance to start again, what would you do differently?
I don’t think I want to, I may not be the woman I am today.
10.What significant advice would you give out to people like your kind?
Continue to believe and whenever you feel discouraged look at where you are from where you started and agree that you have made progress.
11.Please are you married? And growing up,how did you treat rejection.?
I am divorced, I was angry, I cried, I didn’t understand why I couldn’t be loved and accepted. After the death of my mom, I originally went to live with my maternal aunt, after getting into a big street fight she sent me away to live with my fraternal grandmother.
Her actions were meant to hurt me, but eventually it worked for my good.
I’m Kareisha Philips, This is my story.
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