We were lucky to catch up with Mrs. Brie Elise Turner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mrs. Brie Elise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

Yes, One of the best bosses, I’ve ever had was Nikayla Boyd. When I met Nikayla, I was young and inexperienced in my field and I needed someone to give me a chance. Nikayla was that person. She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and she challenged me and helped me grow in my job and in my confidence. She did not micromanage us, but she was always there when we needed her. Because of this, I was inspired to have confidence in my own business. I felt like I could honestly do anything, because I knew that everything I needed was deep within me and I just needed to pull it out.

There are so many examples of how she was a great leader, but one particular time was probably one of the final days at the job. I was teaching at a very challenging school. I won’t go into detail, but for the average person it would have been a nightmare. But the situation didn’t scare me. I handled it so well to the point where the students were even shocked at how calm I was. When I finally was back in the office, Nikayla and I just laughed, because I handled the situation so well in comparison to how I would have handled it when I first got hired 3 years earlier. She doesn’t know it, but those moment really inspired me to be the woman I am today. I’ve yet to meet someone in leadership who is quite like Nikayla. I thank God for our time together.

Mrs. Brie Elise, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, I’m Brie and I was born to a teen mother and adopted at the age of three weeks. I am a tumor survivor who has had over 150 surgeries and has overcome many obstacles in life, including domestic violence and teen motherhood. I was told that I probably wouldn’t live to see the age of five and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to speak. I currently speak and present at conferences all over the United States, encouraging women to walk in their purpose and never settle for less than what they deserve in ANY area of their life.

By the age of 17, I was a mother of two, but I didn’t let this stop me from achieving my personal and career goals. My mother always told me that I wouldn’t be “just another statistic”. I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, a Masters of Science Degree in Public Health, and a Masters Certification in Healthcare Management. I am currently working towards my final degree, an MBA. I’ve worked tirelessly in my community with inner-city youth and I am passionate about the authentic empowerment of women. I’m the author of Glam Grace and Mercy Devotional and the Founder of the Glam, Grace & Mercy Conference.

I also have two devotionals published on the Bible App, which reaches over 500 million devices worldwide. I am also the curator of the Glam Code Prayer Calls and The Dignity Project (A project that helps homeless women get feminine hygiene products). Last but not least, I am the curator and creator of a home goods line called: Wife Of The Party Candle Co. In a nutshell, I’m a woman who loves Jesus, loves to laugh, and makes others feel absolutely amazing about themselves. When you truly get to know me, you’ll almost always leave with your love tank filled.

I’m most proud of my current business : Wife of the Party Candle Co. Wife of the Party Candle Co. is a Black-owned and Woman-owned business that was birthed from realizing I needed to spend more time caring for myself instead of trying to be superwoman! Candle-making brings me so much joy and has truly helped with my anxiety. I’m a wife, a mother, author, entrepreneur and the list goes on and while all of those titles are nice, none of my titles define who I am as a person.

I really had to dig deep and accept that I’m more than my husband’s wife and I’m more than my children’s mom and more than my career. These are titles that I absolutely love, but many times you forget who you are outside of those beautiful responsibilities. Many times we associate our emotional security with the titles we hold in life. I’m a passionately amazing, unique, eccentric woman and my worth is just as valid without my titles.

Wife of the Party Candle Co. is a home goods & essentials line that specializes in scented candles! We have a passion for womanhood, wifehood, sisterhood, mental wellness, humor, and homemaking. It was created with the ultra-feminine, ultra witty woman in mind. Women are often considered the “glue” that keeps everything together. We created this line to encourage self-care, self-love, freedom, laughter, inspiration, and relaxation.

So many things set Wife of the Party Candles apart from others! Many of our candle names have inside jokes and humorous descriptions and people absolutely love them! An example of some of our names includes: “He’s Probably Watching You Walk Away” – described as Peach Bellini, White Hibiscus, Cream & A Little More To Hold On To”. One of our best sellers is: “Smells Like A Fine Black Man”-described as Musk, Teakwood, Bourbon Moss, Woods & Money If You’re Lucky”.

We have an R&B Collection launching. Scents names from this collection include:
“Can We Talk?”
“Smells Like 90’s R&B”
“Tenderoni”

Each scent bring back a memory from the days of real music and soulfulness existed. You’ll LOVE them!

We also have our Fall Collection dropping in late September. A few of the Scents from the Fall Collection include:
“Oversized Sweater”
“It’s Fall Yall”
“Autumn Caramel Apple”
“Snuggle Weather”, just to name a few.

I’m really proud of my creativeness with my brand. I’ve found my niche and it’s truly a blessing to be able to craft candles and add a splash of my witty personality to them. Our candles currently come in three sizes: 9 ounces and 15 ounces and 3 wick jars. We are priced between $14-$30 and we have sales all the time!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give when it comes to building your audience is being authentic and utilizing storytelling. I’m a natural born writer and story teller. I have a ton of true stories and events that have happened in my life and I love to share these stories with my followers as inspiration. A few years ago, I built my audience while doing Outfit Of The Days. The pretty pictures would reel people in, but the inspiring caption would keep them there. Since growing my platform, I’ve realized my followers are pretty loyal. Whatever I share, they engage and support me and it’s truly because of the relationships I’ve taken time to build.

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

My entire life is a story of resilience. At 3 weeks old, I was adopted. At 3 months old, I was diagnosed with Recurrent Respiratory Pappilatomas (recurring tumors on the vocal cords). Doctors said I would live to see 5 and they said if i lived longer my mom would have to learn sign language because I would never be able to talk. I had over 100 surgeries. If tumors were removed on a Monday they would be back by Wednesday. I LIVED in the hospital. I had so many surgeries the walls of my throats collapsed so in order for me to live, I had a bone graph surgery, where they took a bone from my rib and inserted it into my throat to keep the walls of my throat open. (Hence the scar on my neck). After that surgery I was in remission for years. At 15, I got pregnant by an abusive boyfriend. 26 days after my 16th birthday I gave birth to baby girl.

I gave birth to my son in October 2005. So here I am 17… with two babies. I literally would take my kids to school and everywhere else I needed to go. I was suffering from depression, anxiety, etc. When I turned 18, I decided to go off to college. My life changed for the better. I was able to get out of that abusive relationship and break the soul tie I had with him. Fast forward to now, I’m in remission, I have several degrees, including a bachelors and a masters degree. I’m married to the love of my life, I have a flourishing business and I’m genuinely happy. God is good.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wifeofthepartyco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wifeofthepartycandleco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WifeOfThePartyCo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brieanaturner/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/bdriskill