We recently connected with La’dawn Young and have shared our conversation below.
La’Dawn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
As a creative there are times when you wonder if you will ever see a return on your investment. You wonder time and time again, “Am I doing enough?” I still ask myself this question everyday. I can honestly say I am further in my career than I was 4 years ago, or even when I first launched in 2017. I am happy as a freelance makeup artist but I struggle to find balance with my other businesses. I am currently in school for Arts Management and Entrepreneurship. Being an adult student who is an entrepreneur is complicated. There are plenty of moments when I wonder if it would be better to just work a regular job. The answer is no it would not be better for me. When I was working my Fashion Show, I had to get another job to help support the funding of the show. This was very complicated as I was dealing with a mental breakdown and was not medicated for bipolar disorder. So in the end I have learned to become a working entrepreneur and to take my meds. With multiple businesses and multiple jobs the question still arise ” Am I doing enough?” The answer is yes and no; I am doing a lot, but am I really getting a lot done? If I was able to focus on one goal I believe I would have been further. If I had a regular job I would still be unhappy knowing there is something greater I should be doing with my life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
InnHerBeautii was established in 2017. It was govern to assist women with building confidence and self- esteem by embracing the imperfection that makes them who they are. We provide beauty enhancement services and offer events and workshops to the community. In the 2020 InnHerBeautii took a shift and became IHB Management. This area of the company focuses on development of projects and events produced by local entrepreneurs. We assist companies with bringing ideas to life by seeing the vision and executing the project. We also offer business consulting and project management.
Our purpose is to create an environment for women to feel safe and empowered. We want local entrepreneurs to know there is no dream too big to bring to life. Our mission is to provide services to those in need regardless of the background or knowledge of a particular field. Through beauty enhancement services we will enrich women with the ability to feel just as great as they look. With workshops focused around self- confidence and awareness, we are able to equip women with the tools they need to thrive in their own lives. InnHerBeautii makes an impact one way or another, starting one woman at a time.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was 22 years old I worked at the highschool I graduated from. My role was a college guide for AmeriCorp. I served with the 10th through 12th grade students. At the time, the school was taking a shift and had been divided between two separate schools within this one building. Both schools had different levels of support and it was very hard to get the school system to do fundraising for the seniors. I decided to have my company sponsor a fashion show to help raise funds for the seniors fees and dues while promoting unity in the community. Everything was going well until the staff seen how invested I was. So many people came up against me and tried to tear me down with their words. I was lied on, lied to, cheated and even disrespected at some points.. But that did not stop me from helping the kids. Two weeks before the show, I attended a networking engagement and unfortunately, a door that was not properly mounted fell on my head causing a bad concussion. Determined not to let anything get in my way, I still hosted practices and workshops leading up to the show. I even had a person try to take over the show the day of the event and tried to market my show as a project of his own. You can imagine how challenging this was for me, however my level of resilience spoke for itself. After losing my voice I knew this was a battle greater than me and there was a reason I was chosen to do this task. Today I look back at the 22 year old me and wonder if that same girl still lives or if life has suffocated her to death.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My life is full of pivots, I have changed paths more than I can count. The interesting part is every time I took a shift it still would align with the main goal in some way, shape, or form. When I decided to attend makeup school I was wrongfully expelled and went into a deep depression. In my mind that school took away my opportunity to become a makeup artist. Little did I know, no one can stop what God has ordained. I had to find the loopholes in this industry and I did. I got certifications in lashes, eyebrow threading, makeup, and microblading. This allowed me to work in boutiques and salons. If I would not have taken that opportunity to pivot from how I thought things should go I would have never found my greatest potential was just a certification away.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: innherbeautiillc / touchedby_clevelandcookiee
