“But, because I’m more connected to God, I look at challenges or bumps in the road as God giving me the chance to grow and show others that they too can overcome rough situations.” – Jessicah Pierre
A woman is beautiful inside and out! Despite the struggles she face, you will find her making a way through it all. No matter the season of her life, she is usually tirelessly giving herself towards something. Whether it be a career, relationship, friendship, family, or children, the woman is built to carry it all and look good doing it as well. In this generation of fast living, Instagram models and temporary situations, it is remarkable to have incredible women living above and beyond the norm. Women who are no afraid to take a stand for Christ, Women Equality, Real Love and Change. “Women overall continue to have greater postsecondary success than men: In 2015, 39% of women aged 25 to 29 had completed a Bachelor’s degree, while the same was true for 32% of men.” – The Hechinger Report.
Despite the adversities thrown at women it DOES NOT stop them from being amazing, brilliant and successful. One of those amazing women who has been an example of strength and excellence is Jessicah Pierre. I met Jessicah in 2014 in Boston before a trip to Puerto Rico. She invited me to her home as if we knew each other forever, we talked about things from hair, education, vacation spots to just being a Haitian young woman in today’s times. She literally uplifted me with her sweet spirit and humor. I think days later I came by her house again, and we ended up watching the first episode of “How to Get away with Murder” (My brain can recall the smallest things lol). Anyways, the Jessicah I met then who told me some awesome things she wanted to do is actually living out what she said today. She is a media and communications professional, political blogger and social entrepreneur. This woman is a POWERHOUSE who has yet to touch the pinnacle of her career. It remarkable to see how much a young woman can evolve so wonderfully over these past few years and showing no signs of stopping. I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to feature this woman of God and share her story with you all. Read more about her below. 🙂
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jessicah Pierre and I am a media and communications professional, political blogger and social entrepreneur. My work has been featured in local outlets such as the Bay State Banner to national outlets such as BET. Growing up in a Haitian-American household, my interest in politics was sparked at a young age from listening to my family’s debates around Haitian and American politics. Being a Boston native from a low-income, first-generation immigrant family I’m very much aware of the issues that marginalized people in my community face. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2013 with a B.A. in political science, I decided to combine my interest in politics and writing skills as an avenue to create social change in my community while inspiring others to do so as well.
I have always been passionate about advocating for women’s issues, particularly women of color. This ultimately led me to creating Queens Company, a brand dedicated to empowering women of color. This brand was inspired by my strong circle of girlfriends. They currently sit on my advisory board, where we work together to host unique networking events, workshops, discussions and create an environment that provides a mutual support system for women of color in Boston. Our mission is to ensure that our members have access to a strong support system like the one my friends have established so that they can confidently become their best selves.
Do you have a relationship with God?
I have a unique relationship with God. Like a lot of other Christians, I was raised to believe that my relationship with God had to be exactly what my family or church said it should be – to view God as a separate entity where I must be fearful of him and always follow what I heard in church. But as I ventured off into my own spiritual journey, I realized that God is within me and ultimately, the way I treat myself is a reflection of how I treat God. This realization has been so critical to my relationship with God and allowed me to grow closer to him. I’ve learned to trust, listen, and believe in myself more because I can literally feel God working through me.
I’m not really religious but I consider myself to be very spiritual so I pay a lot of attention to the type of energies that I feel and my instincts because I feel as if that is God’s way of communicating with me. Having this increased connection with God has allowed me to be more in touch with who I am which essentially is aligning me more with my purpose.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that I am perfect or that bad things don’t happen to me but it has changed my perception on why I do go through tough times. But, because I’m more connected to God, I look at challenges or bumps in the road as God giving me the chance to grow and show others that they too can overcome rough situations. I’ve learned to trust God, myself, and whatever path he is putting me on.
How have you incorporated God into what you do?
God is central to everything that I do. Whether it’s my career or my relationships with other people, I have learned that it’s important for me to be open and let God do great work through me. The reason why I am not afraid to follow my passions when it comes to the work that I do is because I believe that the passion that I feel is a nudge from God telling me to go in that direction. Everything from the initial ideas I get to the actual execution of those ideas, I believe, are a sign from God so I run with it.
Why is your relationship with God important to you?
“My relationship with God is important because it gives me the confidence that I need to pursue my goals fearlessly.”
Self-doubt and fear are two things we all struggle with as human beings. Ultimately, those two things stop a lot of us from fulfilling our purpose or pursuing our dreams because they seem so risky. But, because of my relationship with God, I have been able to quiet down those fears or that negative self-talk that holds a lot of us back.
I have also been able to work on letting go of the idea of being a total control freak. As an ambitious girl, I have a bad habit of wanting things to go my way and as I grew closer to God, I’ve learned that at the end of the day I am not in control. Knowing that God is leading the way and that he always has my best interest at heart has really helped decrease my stress and anxiety. I am a very stubborn person though so this is continuously a work in progress.
Do you know your purpose?
Just like everyone else, I am still adamantly seeking my purpose but one thing I do know is that my purpose is bigger than me. God has shown me time and time again that I should always think big because he has my back. I pay a lot of attention to the work that I do and look for signs where God could either be affirming or steering me away from some of the decisions that I make and so far this technique has been leading me in the right direction towards fulfilling my purpose. I don’t how to explain it but I literally feel God working through me and it’s amazing!
How does your purpose help others?
I always knew at a young age that I wanted to help other people but I never really knew how I was going to do it. Growing up, my life wasn’t very easy. I lost my mother when I was 9 years old and not having her around to help me grow-up has been very hard. But, it also gave me a great sense of empathy where I try to be very cognizant of how my actions make other people feel. I do my best to leave people happier than before I interacted with them. I believe that my ultimate purpose in life is to use my story to inspire people to be their whole selves. We live in a world where everyone thinks they have to be a certain way or seek validation from others but I think that the best way to contribute to the world and honor God is by being the best version of yourself.
What is the most frustrating about your relationship with God?
The most frustrating part about my relationship with God is understanding that I’m not perfect. Just like everyone else, I make mistakes and I do not always do the right thing. I’ve learned to understand that just because I have a close connection with God, doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to be this holy person because quite frankly it’s not who I am. I go out with my friends, party, and drink but I do my best to keep my heart and intentions good.
What is the most fulfilling about your relationship with God?
The most fulfilling part of my relationship with God is feeling his presence inside of myself. I refer to God before I do anything and I rely on my gut feeling to guide me and I attribute that gut feeling directly to God. When your faith in God is strong, you worry less because you know he has your back. So even when things aren’t going the way I want them to, I don’t stress because I truly believe that God has my back, even when I don’t understand what he’s doing. So I always have this confidence where I know everything will work out regardless.
Do you have a team of believers? How do they contribute to your growth?
I’m blessed to have an amazing group of girlfriends who also have their own personal relationships with God. We all have our own unique views on our spirituality based on our own experiences but it never gets in the way of our friendships and our abilities to support one another because essentially all of our relationships with God are rooted in love. We constantly pray for each other and encourage one another to become better. It’s really beautiful and I’m very grateful to have these women in my life.
What would you like to see from God over the next 5 years of your life?
Simply put, I would like God to continue to use me as a vessel to do good in this world. I don’t have an exact idea of what I would like to see from God because I know that he is going to lead me exactly where I’m supposed to be and I will continue to be happy and abundant no matter what the journey looks like.
Who do you hope to inspire?
I hope to inspire everyone I meet but in particular with all of the work that I do, my mission is to inspire women and girls of color. We face difficult options not only being females but also having melanin in our skin. When we talk about social justice issues or inequality, women of color always seem to have it worse. I look at my grandmother and my mother, women who took complete ownership over who they were despite the people who talked down on them, and that type of resiliency and strength should always be celebrated. I want to inspire women and girls of color to take complete pride over themselves, flaws and all, and use that to inspire others to do the same.
What advice would you give someone who wants to step out on faith?
My advice would be to just DO IT! That gut feeling that is giving you the urge to step out on faith is God speaking to you. Trust him and trust yourself and watch the amazing things that enter your life simply because you let go of fear and decided to follow God. It’s an amazing feel and the abundance that comes with it is life changing.
Where can people go to connect with you?
People can follow me on Instagram and Twitter – @lipstcknpolitcs. They can also follow my business page to learn more about our events and happenings on Instagram – @queens.company and Facebook – Queens Co.
Jessicah, you are an amazing soul and I love you. I pray the Lord continues to guide you in every step you take daily as you walk into your purpose.
