Jessica Kiely shares her story with us - from the numerous difficulties she has faced in life, to being the business owner, entrepreneur and mother that she is today! She has truly moved through life’s struggles to achieve success in many areas.
Name: Jessica Kiely
Website/Blog: www.wanderessbeauty.com
Social Media:
Personal –
Facebook
Instagram
Linkedin
Professional –
Instagram
Facebook
Photo:
Tell us a bit about yourself …..
I am Jessica Kiely. I am 40 years old. I have 2 daughters, one is 7 years old and one is 4 years old. I am the Founder and Chief of Wanderess Beauty – a green beauty start up business that has been born in Bondi. I live in Bondi, about 10 minutes to the iconic Bondi Beach.
Jessica is a visionary and brings an entrepreneurial attitude to everything she does. She leads with heart, professionalism, sharpness and a big smile filled with endless enthusiasm.
Jessica started her first business straight out of university and since then has never worked for anyone else. She created New Horizon Tutoring, was the Founder of The Frank Team and is now the Chief behind Wanderess Beauty.
Jessica has over 15 years experience in the creation and delivery of training programs for a wide range of learners having run her own training business from an early age. She has a passion for educating with endless enthusiasm so that others are inspired and empowered to make their ideas a reality.
What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in life & how did it impact you?
Just over 3 years ago, my marriage fell apart and my (now ex)husband moved out. I had a 9 month old baby and a 4 year old as well. I became a single mum overnight. I was quite depressed and had very, very low self esteem. My world had crumbled, my dreams had been shattered and life was very dark. I spent most days crying to myself and questioning everything.
At that point I really thought there was something wrong with me. And then I had to deal with this emotional and life upheaval while still being a mum, and negotiating a divorce. When I look back on that now, I am amazed that I made it through......although it is a very #firstworld issue, it really has been the struggle of my life to overcome, mostly because of my own internal and mental demons that I have had to face and become friends with. (The brain experiences emotional pain in the exact same way as physical pain, so it actually feels the same to us).
So - over the last 3 years I have re-built myself from the inside, out. This is through therapy, books, research, self development programs, spiritual journeying and just down-right hard work.....with lots of tears.......all while still being mum and managing life on my own. I am NOW a big believer and advocate for the power of the mind, and re-wiring for wholehearted success and it all being possible.
Now.....3 years later, I am on the verge of launching my new business, Wanderess Beauty, which has been like giving birth again! It is something that 3 years ago, despite having already run my own business in the past, I was CONVINCED I could not do, and was not capable of any more. I had been convinced that my past achievements stood for nothing and that I was not capable of creating, running and building a business to sustain me and do really well. Overcoming all of that, to say to myself, “ok I am going to give this another shot, I can do it”……was a MASSIVE risk, a scary undertaking but also once I had made the decision and promised myself that I had NO WAY OUT, I believed it and said yes to it.
And to me.....this is success, no matter what happens with the business....I have proven to myself and my own inner world, that I am worth it, I am enough, I am capable and that struggle is the best thing that can happen to me as I know how to turn it into lemonade.
What would you say are your greatest achievements in life thus far?
Being a mum to 2 amazing daughters – it is an ongoing journey of course, but each day is an achievement!
Overcoming crippling self doubt and deep unhappiness.
Learning to love myself, and all of the imperfect perfectness that I am!
Starting and running my own businesses ever since university.
Not giving up on myself.
Stepping back in the ring, to dare greatly once again (as Brene Brown would say).
Professionally: delivering career development and entrepreneurship programs to over 30,000 over 10 years, working with every level of government through my business, working with large corporates through my businesses, being able to travel to all states in australia to deliver programs with my business, traveling to Bahrain in the Middle East to deliver a program, traveling to Yogyakarta in Indonesia to be a part of the Global Entrepreneurship Program, leaving a lasting positive and inspiring impression with all that I have worked with – I still get people who say the program they did with me with The Frank Team has left a lasting positive impression. Being a finalist in the Telstra Young Business Women awards.
How did you work through your struggles to achieve the success you have today?
Firstly, I made a DECISION that I wanted to move beyond the hurt, pain and darkness. That I wanted a way out of the mental madness. I made a decision that I wanted to understand how I had got to where I was, who I was being, and what the lesson was that had been put before me. To learn that lesson, and grow stronger from it for myself and for my girls. So I got BRAVE and I started looking at myself.
I went out to seek answers, from anywhere and everywhere. I soon realized that I needed to RE-WIRE myself and my brain (this was from The Brain That Changes Itself). So I became super aware of what I was FEEDING my brain and soul every day. And became very selective, that I only wanted to feed it with information, and energy that was nourishing and helping me to re-wire.
This included:
Therapy – counsellor and psychotherapist
Introspection
Meditation
Books – from The Brain that Changes Itself to Think And Grow Rich, to Skin Cleanse to Silent by Gregory Malouf, to The Power of Now……and more
Podcasts
YouTube channels – Gary Vaynerchuck
Self development workshops
Tony Robbins seminars
“Success” is a very loaded word, as is “achievement”. It is very personal as well. No longer do I use the societal definitions of these, but my own.
Some days success and achievement are just doing ONE thing for myself, and ONE thing for my business. And some days success and achievement are recognizing the rumble within my own mind, the spiral I have got into and showing myself compassion (not daggers), and looking to see what lessons I can learn from it about myself and life, and make friends with the rumble rather than push it away. Some of this “wisdom” I have learnt and am still learning, I am writing about through @wanderesswisdom.
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped. Tony Robbins
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin147787.html
What is one tip you have for keeping motivated?
Feed your brain and yourself wisely. Have a constant stream of motivating, inspiring, uplifting, enlightening information coming into your environment all of the time.
Who is someone that helped you on your journey from struggle to success?
Gregory Malouf - (LinkedIn) - He has a series of books that he has written which really helped me, emotionally and spiritually. And then I got to work with him on a workshop series on Self Leadership that we delivered to real estate agents all over the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This was a big turning point for me.
What qualities do you think are essential in a person in order to be successful?
Curiosity.
Determination.
Bravery.
Self Compassion.
Do you think there are benefits to going through hardships before achieving your goals?
YES
“…….her mind had been pulled into a tug-of-war that drained her, shifted her focus and had her questioning herself, again. But the war too had a purpose. And led her back to herself…….” @wanderesswisdom
The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you. Tony Robbins
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin147786.html
What are some plans and goals you have for the future?
Launch Wanderess Beauty subscription box service – end of July this year.
Build the Wanderess Beauty video platform further and reach more people.
Continue on my own inner journey, always learning for myself and to then share with others
Lastly, what is one piece of advice you have for others to overcome difficulty and achieve success?
“Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.”
~Sonia Ricotti
Source: https://tinybuddha.com/wisdom-quotes/accept-what-is-let-go-of-what-was-and-have-faith-in-what-will-be/
So take heed of Jessica’s advice, and the many other professionals she has consulted along the way during her journey. Have faith that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to!
