Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Marquisha Frost. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dr. Marquisha, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
The biggest risk I’ve ever taken in business is risking myself via vulnerability. My business, Marquisha&Co., is in many ways my life’s work, but also my life. A risk is the potential of injury or loss and each day I wake up and lean into vulnerability, into sharing, into purpose, into living loudly and authentically, I risk losing more privacy, more control over the narratives shared and believed about me, and pieces of my life that are sacred. I am a very private person so learning the art of what to share and how to share it is one that intrigues me. I have also grown quite good at it. I am personable. I know that I am loved, respected, and admired and in many ways, or so I have been told, it is because how relatable, humble, and authentic I am. I lead life with a grace that has been gifted to me by my creator and the risks associated with it could never outweigh its benefits, so I do it anyways.
I share pieces of my story, my life, my ups, downs, hurts, trials, errors, triumphs, for the betterment of other people. I am finding new ways to share some of the things that have long sustained me, while also still attempting to honor the people around me who may not want to share as much, specifically my children. There’s an art to story-telling and living authentically and I don’t want to fumble that by attempting to be trendy. So, my balancing act between risk and reward is to always lean on what feels real, what feels natural. It often serves me well, but in some cases has not. But I keep doing what I feel led to do and how I feel led to do it because I don’t believe that you choose purpose, it chooses you. What we do get to choose though, is how we live it and I have chosen to live mine for the world to see, touch, learn and heal from. It makes me a target for unwanted opinions and gossip, but also for God’s grace, mercy, and continued blessings.
I don’t know that I have ever or will ever take a bigger risk than that.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a certified life-coach and counselor, officially. But I am so much more than that. Marquisha&Co., is so much more than that. Marquisha&Co. is a self-improvement platform. It’s whole reason for existing is to make space for people to do, be, become, and live better. It provides individuals a first-class education, practice, system of support, and sustainability in becoming healthier, happier, and better versions of themselves.
In 2022, right before giving birth to my last child and first daughter, I wanted a platform that held my many talents, interests, and the sole purpose was alignment. I didn’t want to welcome her into chaos. I didn’t want to continue to over-extend myself. I wanted to be intentional about everything I had a hand in and all that was connected to me. In many ways, my business journey has mirrored my personal journey as life’s changes have helped me to become a more polished, refined, and prepared version of myself.
I meet people where they are. I help them make meaning of life. It is often meeting and speaking with others that I find revelations for myself and my own circumstances.
I am most proud of The Sanctuary Collective. It’s a federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization and exclusive, members-only extension of Marquisha&Co. that works to connect women to the supports, networks, and services they need to thrive. It’s a space that ignites creativity to and for me and has really pushed me to become a more business savvy woman. I have also found this space to be my greatest challenge as much of what I preach, I am forced to practice as the leader of this sacred space. It brings me joy and it also keeps me humble and hungry for more. The Sanctuary Collective, also known as TSC, is an area that I see the most growth for the future of my business because it directly benefits, includes, and serves others.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Authenticity. The more I share about who I really am, what I really think, what I really do and how I do it, the more people are drawn to me. I think there’s something people appreciate about truth. It’s hard to contend against.
I decided years ago that I wanted to be who I wanted to be versus who others wanted me to be and it’s the single, most freeing act of resistance I have ever done for myself and by myself. I am not bound to other people’s thoughts and opinions of me because I know who I am and whose I am. This knowledge of self and the one that created me, The True and Living God, gives me the courage I need to live in and lead with, my truth.
I have never thought of this as a strategy for growing my business, but in all honesty, it is my biggest marketing tool both in and on social media and real life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In the last year, I really had to unlearn the idea that it was my job to show up for everybody. I don’t know when I learned it as it was never communicated to me, but like many of us, it was something I just took on. I was the one everyone called, relied on, requested, leaned on, and in my time of need, I didn’t have that level of care, security, and love reciprocated to me. I knew then that.I needed to unlearn what it meant to be good to others and learn what it really meant to be good to me. I lost my partner in August of 2023 and all of what I thought I knew about life, love, business, and relationships shifted drastically. The people I expected to show up, disappeared and those that I expected the least from, gave the most. I had to relearn what it meant to honor and love myself when my life didn’t mirror everything I thought I had ever known.
I had to let go of a lot of unhealthy habits rooted in what I believed to be service, but what started to feel like servitude and I had to let a lot of people go. This release wasn’t something I had expected, planned, or even wanted, but it was so necessary for my own peace of mind, freedom of expression, and growth and development.
Change is hard. Transitions, no matter how much we prepare for them, talk about them, experience them, are difficult. I had to also unlearn what I was taught about grief because after experiencing it first-hand, it is so very different than anything I have ever studied in a textbook. The way it settles in and makes a home among strangers, is something I never want to grow used to.
While I serve others and help them through their darkest times, grief forced me to practice what I had been preaching all these years and put it to use for myself. It’s the hardest thing I have ever had to do and I am still doing it. I am in a place right now where all that it is teaching me is fueling me to be kinder to myself, more efficient, more intentional, and to maximize the time I spend with the people I love the most, my children and by doing so, I am reminded of the things I don’t want them to ever learn from me. A few of those things are lack of boundaries, dishonoring self, lack of faith, and allowing others to make decisions for them out of fear of failure. These are things I had to unlearn as an adult and it is my hope that I hope I am modeling better habits for them in real time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marquishaandco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__thedocisin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmarquishafrost
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquisha-frost-ph-d-609481107/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/__thedocisin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQpBWWCmkaxQ0w2Xvve5rTA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@__thedocisin https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/marquisha-frost-omaha-ne/1054853 https://linktr.ee/marquishaandco
Image Credits
Chanea Brewer