We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ebony Bailey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ebony , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My business was built out of one of my personal life’s most trying and frustrating times. I was going through some unexpected issues, and a friend gave me a devotional to read. As I read the devotional, I immediately connected with the book as I read every word on the pages. It gave me the strength and perspective I needed to get through each challenging day and reminded me that seasons change and that what I was experiencing had an expiration date. So I began to journal and write things down that inspired me. Before I knew it, I had pages and pages of inspirational messages and prayers. I shared some of the things I wrote with some trusted people, who told me how needed this was. So, out of my pain, I could create something that someone else could read and be impacted, just like I was when I read “Jesus Calling.”

A year later, my first book was created and published called In His Eyes, I Am Enough. It is a 21-day devotional that challenges you to look at yourself through the lens of God. This devotional helped create the very author platform that I now stand on. Now I help others publish books, journals, and devotionals like me, battling with self-worth and acceptance, by reminding them of who they are and showing them the importance of their story. In addition, I help people amplify their message by bringing their voice to print.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Ebony S. Bailey. I am an author strategist, creative, and purpose enthusiast that challenges women to wake up and walk in their God-given purpose on PURPOSE. Yes, I provoke women to be intentional about their life purpose and to use one of the most powerful tools they possess, their voice. For many women (me included), silencing and toning down was a regular occurrence. However, things in my life started to move when I jumped out of my comfort zone and opened my mouth.

The Author
Self-esteem for me was like riding a rollercoaster. Another drop, twist, or turn would appear when I thought the ride was ending. To escape the inconsistency I faced, I would write. I wrote about my feelings, desires, hopes, declarations, and whatever was on my mind at the time. I would write about the things that I did not dare to say out loud at the time or even something I just needed to get out of my head. Then, during a challenging season in my life, I was gifted a devotional, which gave me the push I needed to get through each day. It was like the author wrote that entire 365-day devotional just for me. Before I knew it, I had begun journaling daily. It was something about writing that helped the load I was carrying not seem so heavy. By the time that season of my life was over I had created mini devotionals from my own experiences. I used the pages of my journal to speak to the struggles I was facing internally and externally. I dealt heavily with not fitting in and feeling “enough.” It was crazy because I had a loving family that pushed and supported me, but I still doubted myself.

Consequently, the more I wrote, the stronger and more confident I became. Finally, I tapped into who God called me to be. Then, He told me to share my pain, encourage those whose voice was stifled, and remind them that they are enough. So in 2017, I published my first book, a 21 Day Devotional entitled “In His Eyes, I Am Enough.” Since then, I have published two other books; A Purposeful Start and DreamPad’s: The Vision Book.

The Web Series
During the Pandemic, I created a platform called She Woke Up. It is a web series in which I bring successful women to talk about business tips, dreams, thriving in the workplace, roadblocks, momin’, and actions to avoid “sleep paralysis.” I share my virtual stage with entrepreneurs, influencers, coaches, instructional leaders, psychologists, authors, publishers, singers, and more to give practical tools to show up and thrive in every room and on every platform you can afford.

DreamPad
No matter what, I never stopped writing; I never stopped creating! Journaling was a practice that kept my mind clear and free. So I took some of the activities I completed to keep me grounded and a few signature sayings and placed them in various journals for others to experience. Thus DreamPad was born (Capturing your dreams one page at a time). The DreamPad line is perfect for those who need subtle reminders of how strong, valuable, and necessary they are, along with a safe space to store their innermost thoughts.

Purposely Booked
My creativity and passion for empowering others and helping them to “give their vision a voice” drove me to partner with Premier Branding and Marketing Solutions to launch and run the company’s publishing division, Purposely Booked. As a result, I have mentored and coached several people into believing their stories, experiences, and voice matters while awakening their confidence to share it.

I strongly desire to help, educate, assist and motivate those who want more but are gripped by fear or lack the knowledge to reach their goals. Through one-on-one coaching and inspirational and directional videos, I help others identify and expose the root cause of their stagnation while encouraging self-discovery through devotionals, journaling, and accountability. I pride myself in creating a space for women to gain information, develop relationships, network, and grow with others. From online groups, in-person workshops, my She Woke Up Web series, and more, I help equip women to tap into their best selves by amplifying the voices of those who allowed life, others, and circumstances to silence them. I will continue to spread the message of self-love and worth to all who will listen and push to cause us all to “Wake Up” while dreaming “Awake.”

My biggest challenge was ME! It was not believing my voice mattered and that others needed or even wanted to hear what I had to say. My lack of confidence in my natural gifts and abilities caused me to procrastinate and drag my feet as I walked into the things I dreamed about. Another challenge was perfectionism, and because of that, there were times I would pick things apart until there was nothing left! Then, one day, I started saying to myself “Purpose is not perfection, and perfection is not purpose,” so if I keep waiting for perfection, I will never begin.

What causes my brand to stand out from the others is my company can take you from conception to completion without stifling your voice and changing your message. Instead, we enhance and amplify your words while keeping them authentic to you. In addition, because our sister company “Premier BMS” has specialized offerings, all your publishing and branding needs are cared for in one place.

Mentors are KEY, because, in case you didn’t realize it… We don’t know everything. Mentors help you see your blindspots and help sharpen your skillsets so you don’t just get to the rooms and tables you dreamed about, but you can stay and thrive there. I had to be honest with myself and find a strong mentor in my areas (yes, more than one deficiency = more than one mentor) of deficiency. You won’t always have one you can reach out and touch but find someone where you are aspiring to go and study them. Study their movements, read the books they read, see if you can find their morning routines, etc. This will help you to prepare for where you are going. Also, invest in yourself and your craft! Go to conferences, take courses, buy books and implement the tools you gain from them.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has been my best source of new clientele so far. I make sure I treat each person the way I want to be treated. I value everyone’s time and appreciate them trusting me with their “baby.” Because of that, I make it my mission to be a woman of integrity and handle them with care.

Many people mishandle people, and I make sure that my clients feel supported, valued, and heard.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Like many people, I am building my brand as I work a full-time job. When you work doing something you are not passionate about, it sometimes makes for some challenging and overwhelming days. Because I know my ultimate goal is to be a FULL-TIME entrepreneur, I have to remind myself that my job is funding my dreams. Keeping that in my mind helps me show up and have the right attitude as I go throughout my workday. I won’t lie and say it is always easy because it is NOT.

It makes for some long days and nights. I wear many hats as a wife, mom, full-time employee, 2-time business owner, and business administrator to my husband’s business, to name a few. And trust me, that can be tiresome, but as long as I stay focused on the ultimate goal, I can make sense of the long and demanding days while I am in my building season.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ebonysbailey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebsbailey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebsbailey
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-bailey-29b216a9
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRm1jt_sQI3eBwJjQ0EnHLg