We were lucky to catch up with Lorena Hixson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lorena, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
When I was a baby I had a life-threatening tumor on my face. I went through numerous reconstructive surgeries and was left with a scar on my right cheek. I became extremely self-conscious about my scar and allowed it to affect me negatively. I thought because I had this scar, I was not worthy of being loved. I looked for validation from EVERYONE but myself. I didn’t even know what it meant to love myself. Every thought that went through my head was negative and self-limiting.
About 5 years ago, I finally decided I’d had enough and I wanted to change the way I was thinking about myself. I realized I would never have a healthy relationship with anyone else without working through my own stuff. And so my personal growth journey began.
I started therapy, I read every mindset book I could find, I started journaling, and began using positive affirmations. It took time and a lot of hard work but eventually, I noticed a shift. I noticed that my thoughts were nicer and I no longer despised myself. I was starting to love my flaws and accept myself. I learned that I am worthy of goals and dreams.
Now 5 years later, I have a business that is focused on supporting women through their self-love and personal growth journeys. I provide tools/resources to help women start their own journey to become the best version of themselves. I never in my life pictured I would be here, but I would not change it. It’s amazing how things fall into place once your mind is free from self-limiting beliefs.
Lorena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am the founder + Owner of Passion & Growth, a monthly subscription box to inspire more self-love and confidence! Our products and resources are a reminder to be unapologetically yourself! I have a passion for personal growth after struggling with self-image and confidence most of my life. My vision at Passion & Growth is to empower women all over the world to change the way they think about themselves. I am building a supportive community of women who fully accept, embrace and love themselves so they can create an authentic and unapologetic life.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I started with an audience of ZERO. I came up with the idea of my subscription box first and then decided to start all my social media. I was nervous and had no idea what I was doing or what my “strategy” was. All I knew how to do, was be myself. I was very vulnerable in the beginning and I shared my own personal stories of why I wanted to start my business. I shared my struggles and wins very openly.
Since I was starting my business and creating everything from scratch, I took my followers along the journey. I asked for their opinions on brand colors, logos, and even the final box design. My followers felt engaged and like they had a say in what was coming.
I spent 3 months building up my social media. During this time. I did 2 giveaways and was on a couple of podcasts building brand awareness. When I launched, I had just under 1k followers.
Social media can be scary but it can also be a great way to get personal and show the person behind the brand. Get your audience engaged and let them be a part of the journey!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I was in high school when I first started noticing my anxiety. It started small with test anxiety and then with bigger things like public speaking. Eventually, I had this constant fear that everyone was judging me, talking about me, or were “mad at me.” It’s an exhausting way to live.
I didn’t realize I had anxiety until I got older, but as I got older it got worse. The moment I knew I suffered from anxiety more than most was in college when I had my first panic attack. I didn’t know what was happening to me and I felt like I was dying.
I start feeling overwhelmed, sick to my stomach and I was worried about everything. In the past, it has gotten so severe that I felt like I couldn’t get out of bed. Luckily it hasn’t been that severe in years but I will never forget how it feels.
It’s not my anxiety itself that pushed me towards entrepreneurship, but it was the process of learning how to cope with my anxiety. Once I learned that anxiety wasn’t inherently a bad thing, I was able to re-direct my feelings. I had to learn first and foremost what my feelings meant. I went to therapy and did a lot of work on my own learning about how the mind works. I figured out I was holding myself back. This knowledge pushed me to start my own business and focus on helping other women overcome their self-doubts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://passionandgrowth.com
- Instagram: @passionandgrowth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/passionandgrowth
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS6bdNDNNgFJd3N_kkHPehg
Image Credits
Becca Bond Photography Anna Laura Sommer