As part of the Morning Lazziness series about empowering women who encourage and do incredible things with their ideas in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ernetta Caldwel.
Ernetta Caldwell is an actress, playwright, director, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, and registered nurse, who currently works as a school nurse in SC to serve children within her community. She spoke at the “Power Up Summit” with Kim Coles, Lisa Nichols, Forbes Riley and Chrisette Michele.
Her book, “A Journey To A Healed Heart; Healing Through A Painful Divorce” is about overcoming dark places to find her destiny. She is the CEO/founder of Beauty for Ashes Transformations, LLC where she inspires women to reinvent themselves to be all that God created them to be by transforming their mind, body, and spirit to be in alignment with God’s purpose for their lives despite life’s adversities.
She is a transformation coach empowering women to heal and rediscover themselves after divorce/heartbreak by embracing self-love, building confidence and courage to live out their best lives. She is the creator of the “Prayer Vision Box” which is all about being intentional with prayer and creating a vision plan for your life and future. “Pray it, Believe it, See it.”
Her goal is to passionately help women transform their lives and complete her God given assignments while on earth.
Here’s what we found out about Ernetta’s daily routine, followed by an exclusive Q+A.
Can you share the story behind your journey as an entrepreneur and what inspired you to start your own business?
I am the CEO/founder of Beauty For Ashes Transformations where I teach women to heal and rediscover who they are after divorce or heartbreak. My business was started due to my own personal experiences of childhood molestation, foster care, teenage pregnancy at 14 and later on in life I would experience the devastation of a divorce and wanted to give up on life but God never gave up on me. Now it’s all about me being on the other side and reaching back to help other women to overcome life’s adversities.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the business world, and how have you overcome them?
Challenges I face in the business world as a woman is finding resources that help women to be successful in my business. I have overcome them by not being afraid to ask for help.
How do you balance your professional and personal life as an entrepreneur?
I balance my professional life and personal life by having balance. Understanding when to say no and staying focused on my passion purpose keeps me motivated to keep moving forward.
What strategies have you found most effective for networking and building connections in your industry
Strategies I found most effective for networking and building connections in my industry are all about getting out of my comfort zone and meeting new people. Whether going to community events, conferences and empowerment retreats it has allowed me to connect with people I would not have met had I never took the steps forward.
How do you approach mentorship and seek guidance in your entrepreneurial journey?
I have truly been blessed to connect with wonderful people along the way of my entrepreneurial journey by connecting with them through different events or by people I knew. I feel as though it is important to have people to help lead and guide you on your journey.
Can you talk about a specific setback or failure you’ve experienced in your business and how you bounced back from it?
I would say a setback for my business was having a two day women’s conference and not having enough women to buy tickets to attend. I bounced back by asking for sponsorships from community resources to help me.
In what ways do you prioritize diversity and inclusion within your company or startup?
Ways I prioritize diversity and inclusion within my company is all about believing we are all unique but play a major role in making a difference in this world.
How do you stay motivated and resilient during tough times in your business?
Ways I stay motivated and resilient during tough times in my business is looking at the bigger picture and keeping the faith. I understand that there are women that are broken and need healing to get them through to the other side.
What advice would you give to other aspiring women entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
I would say know your “Why” and remember why you started when things get ruff.
What is one quote you live by that has guided you in your entrepreneurial journey?
My reason for starting my business was to help broken women. My favorite quote is “Your story is someone else’s survival guide. This helps me to understand that my business isn’t about me, but about me helping someone else.
Can you share a memorable success or milestone that you’ve achieved in your entrepreneurial career?
A memorable success story was having a women’s conference and the women who came to see transformations by releasing their past and moving forward in their future. I was able to put the conference together in two months. At the conference I performed my stage play from my book “A Journey To A Healed Heart; Healing Through a Painful Divorce” for the first time. It turned out to be a great success.
