We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yasmin Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Yasmin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2018, I was dealing with self-discovery after trauma. This was an emotional place in my life where lacked confidence, self-worth, and depression. As part of my healing process, I started to journal and be of service in church. The more I wrote the more I healed, during the phase of self-awareness I realized the method I used on myself can help someone else develop a breakthrough. Birthing my first book, The Silent Destruction. I went on to publish an entire series including a journal. At the end of December 2019, I put part of my vision into effect with the face it, speak it, heal from it method. Utilizing this method to process life after trauma. I continued to push my books as an author, until I became certified as a life coach in October 2021. Five years later I traveled back in time to my childhood passion, writing poems. Winning my first award in an international poetry contest. going on to having my first published poem in December 2022. Pivoting my literacy and coaching into Yiry-Elements a women’s mental health advocacy organization. I believe I was not meant to be put in a box, so I decided to approach mental in a way that is unconventional while keeping and maintaining the privacy aspect.
Yasmin, 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 a paralegal and healthcare professional. After completing college, I went into the healthcare field and never left. I started in the trauma unit at one of the most well-known trauma hospitals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After some time in my jack-of-all-trades position, I started to wonder what people’s life would be like after they left the hospital. Sometimes it may have been life-changing. The most fascinating part was the brain and how we process trauma. Eventually, some changes were made, and the unit downsized. Switching gears to the insurance side in customer service, yes one of my biggest pet peeves, good customer service. Adding on more responsibility as a legal document reviewer for Power of Attorney, then moving to the technical side of the business. Never forget the curiosity about how the human brain works and processes information. They “why” behind my product line of t-shirts. When I create t-shirts or write books, I think about the information being processed and how it helps to promote my life coaching method to support others in their journey. What sets me apart from others is my analytical thinking and my uncommon approach to developing a solution. I am most proud of my children first and foremost but having the opportunity to be a participant in the Guinness World Record, and achieving the goal feels amazing too. I would like my potential clients to know that my organization supports dreams and birth vision in life, business, and communities.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Life has taught me to always have faith over fear. As women move forward from past trauma the unlearn of what leaving for however long you stay is a process to unlearn. As a teenager and young adult experienced physical and verbal abuse in unhealthy relationships that damaged how I viewed myself as a person. Lack of love myself, and confidence. and understanding my self-worth was a voyage I had to take alone. Understanding I am enough and having a purpose at some point was a hard pill to swallow. Over time getting connected with other people who knew my story while supporting me through the transition of an emotional roll-o-coaster of depression and defeat is the reason I know my faith out way someone else’s opinion or vision of me or my life.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I am involved in a Toastmasters International club. During COVID-19 I just happened to be the president of the McKeesport Area Toastmasters Club of roughly 10 members when we needed to switch from in-person meetings to online only. Pivoting over to the Zoom platform was challenging, but everyone was patient and willing to learn something new. We would sometimes teach the new updates, so everyone understood how to utilize the features. I believe it helps us to be a strong group of people and work together
Contact Info:
- Website: yiry-elements.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yiryelements
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yiryelements
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/yasminbrown
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yiryelements
- Youtube: @igotthetea-zw7op
Image Credits
Library photo taken by Alicia Arveson Salmon