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

Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I truly struggled finding a name for my company that symbolized who I am and what I stand for. Originally, my mom suggested ELM Corporation because E L M are my daughter Everest’s initials and elm trees are strong… as are women. I know that for a fact because I have met and worked with many strong women over the last 17 years – women who have endured the trauma of rape and remained determined to move ahead with their lives. While I liked the connection of my daughter to these strong women, ELM did not recognize my son Blake, who is a wonderful young boy with a big heart which he often wears on his sleeve. I really wanted to incorporate their names – or, at least, their initials – in my company’s name. Hence, BElieve Originals was born. If there is one thing I have learned, you do have to “BElieve” in something bigger than yourself to succeed.

I chose the butterflies as my logo because they represent transformation, rebirth, hope and freedom. I chose teal blue because teal is the color for rape awareness.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Seventeen years ago, I survived a brutal kidnapping and rape. While I wish I had never been raped, I do not dwell on the negative aspects of the assault. In the aftermath, especially during the two years leading up to the trial of my assailant, I learned a lot about myself. The most important lesson was that I like who I am.

I consider it an honor each time I have an opportunity to speak to women about moving forward after a tragedy because I have come to learn that women… you, me, all of us… are amazing creatures. Women have proven time and time again that they can turn being victimized into being victorious. Alone we are formidable. Together we are unstoppable.

We are strong. We have within us the ability to get through the most difficult situations and remain whole. We are the caregivers. We are the nurturers. We are The Little Engine That Could… and we can.

A few years after the assault, my story became the focus of an episode of Surviving Evil on Investigation Discovery and I Survived on the Biography Channel. I was a guest on Katie Couric’s then talk show. Ms. Couric asked many times how I had found the strength to survive. The simple answer is that I faced what I thought was certain death but, luckily, did not die. That night, I found myself. I discovered who I was and all that I was capable of being.

There is a quote, which I have taken as a personal anthem. “Scars reveal where we have been. They don’t have to dictate where we are going.” Quite a profound statement, wouldn’t you agree?

Scars, both the visible and the invisible kind, are a compendium of life’s less smile-inducing moments. Rather than being etched on our bodies with ink, they are indelibly written in raw, red, raised flesh and painful memories. Painful – no one can deny that being raped is painful. The fear alone makes it difficult to breathe and defending ourselves is almost impossible.

I am not sure that any of what I have written is the answer you are looking for, but what happened to me made me who I am today. I can tell you that if I had not been raped, I probably would not have married a man like my husband (strong in body and character). I probably would not have my son and daughter, who are the reason I wake up every morning. I would not have taken up photography, which is how I spent my time while healing physically and emotionally from the rape. Through those photographs of my family, my garden, and the wonderful and varied wildlife that is Florida, I discovered my creative side. I learned I was “crafty.”

You asked me to tell you who I am. I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and a proud survivor. As Helen Reddy declared in her popular song of the 1970s, I am woman! I have never been prouder of my gender than I was 17 years ago and still am today. As the owner of BElieve Originals, my goal is always to encourage women who have been traumatized to keep moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel. I promise it will get brighter with each step taken.

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

As a result of being raped, I have a very deep scar on my left wrist – caused by the zip ties used to bind my hands. Over that scar, there is a teal blue ribbon tattoo which I designed for myself. Teal blue is the color of assault. During the trial of my attacker, the prosecutor asked why I had chosen to mark myself so publicly. I told the jury, “Since I have to remember what happened for the rest of my life, I want to remember that I survived.” I look at that tattoo every day!

Many of my jewelry and clothing designs are meant to project a feeling of strength… of hope… of resilience. I continue to work with doctors and attorneys who have patients/clients struggling to deal with the trauma of rape. I meet with these women and listen to their fears. I share my own fears and how I have learned not to ignore those fears but to use them for my own benefit. I like to give these women one of my creations so that in wearing a bracelet or a pair of earrings they will know they are not alone.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Like most people starting out in a home based business, I opened an account with Etsy. There was no way I could compete with people who had been operating for years. Jewelry and clothing have a limited “scope.” Bracelets are bracelets. Earrings are earrings. Tee shirts are tee shirts. I quickly realized that for me “up close and personal” was the only way to become known. I started my own website, began a Facebook page dedicated to BElieve Originals, and began giving my creations to my children’s teachers as holiday gifts. The word started to spread.

I am lucky that my mom is in the entertainment industry. She knows lots of people and, being my biggest supporter, she features my creations at her events. Again, word spread. I do craft fairs when possible but with two young kids involved in hockey, golf, fishing, the arts et al, time is limited.

No matter what career path a person chooses, competition is fierce. Time, patience and determination are the best marketing tools anyone can employ. Time and patience are virtues I am still learning how to harness. Determination… I learned I had a lot of that 17 years ago!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.BElieveOriginalsllc.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BElieveOriginals