Taking Community Excellence to New Levels!
Lauren Jackson is giving back to her community in a priceless way by being a mentor. Mentorships are vital in the continuation of growth. It’s a beautiful thing to see how many mentors grow by becoming greater at their craft and the mentee equally beneifts as they now have a close resource during their times of need. IMANEE takes mentoring to a new level with a special focus on women empowerment. Say what?! With her model, more than one person can be great at a time! Yes sis! Let’s be great together. We think it’s safe to say Lauren is Queen of Community Excellence.
What inspired you to start your business and why?: I was inspired to start a mentoring program after serving as a mentor throughout college, engaging in lots of community service work and the inspiration I received from my young cousin. The program is actually named after my cousin and it was my way of showing her that all dreams are possible. Working with girls and helping them realize and actualize their potential, brings me so much joy. I have often encountered young women who seek validation from everyone but themselves. This organization reminds girls that the only validation they need is from the person staring back at them in the mirror.
What does your company stand for?: The name IMANEE stands for Instilling My Ability to Naturally Embrace Excellence. The acronym speaks for itself in that our main goal is for girls to know they were born with excellence already instilled in their being. Society creates a need for girls to crave attention from unhealthy outlets and often creates an unrealistic view of what success looks like for girls and women of color. We stay for self awareness, self affirmation and greatness.
How do you create the life you want?: I write down my goals. I have learned the value in celebrating every moment and I look for wins every day. It can be as simple as making someone smile or complimenting another person. When I stopped becoming so obsessed with looking like I am "winning" and actually started celebrating the small victories, life became a lot more enjoyable.
Where do you find inspiration?: I find inspiration from the women who are in my tribe. As an only child, sisterhood has been so important to me since I was a child. The women in my circle are powerhouses. Everyone has their own journey, but we are not afraid to uplift and support each other. I am also blessed to have women mentors who speak to the power in me. Having people who see me in the moments that I can't see myself, is a powerful and inspiring thing.
How has your business made you a better person?: Having these beautiful girls as mentees, has definitely expanded my capacity for love. Also, the joys and pitfalls of running a business has definitely helped me trust myself and my vision. I have learned to be more focused, more disciplined and more discerning of character.
What makes you HUMAN?: My love for people, especially women. There is nothing more humanizing than knowing how to celebrate others when they win. I have learned to celebrate the highs of others and pray with people through their lows. Life is about connections and those connections keep me grounded.
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CONNECT
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ebsite: http://www.imanee.org
Social Media Handles: Instagram: imanee_org
Facebook: IMANEEOrg
Twitter: @IMANEEOrg
Email: Lauren@imanee.org