Patience. Passion. Purpose. These three keys will guide you to your calling, and Brieanna Smith is dedicated to using her platform to motivate you into having faith in your direction! Black Girls With Purpose, based in Arlington, Texas, is a non-profit that serves as a resource for Black women and girls looking to excel in their own goals and dreams, all while offering a warming sense of community. Black Girls With Purpose initially started after Brieanna published her first book, “The Black Girl’s Guide to Living on Purpose”, and it has grown tremendously into a dope and much-needed community staple since then! Whatever project you’re passionate about, Brieanna encourages you to courageously charge after it. She also wants you to remember to take it easy during the times you don’t feel like yourself; self-love is especially important when you don’t feel worthy! Keep that love close while you continue to work in your purpose. Brieanna, we admire your commitment to uplifting Black women. Greatness just keeps on coming! We’d love to introduce you to Brieanna, Queen of Purpose!

What inspired you to start your business? What motivates you to keep going?: I founded Black Girls with Purpose in 2016 after publishing my first book The Black Girl’s Guide to Living on Purpose. Motivated by conversations with my students and invitations to speak to teens, I kicked off a series of workshops that provided a more in-depth view of the principles my book taught. 

Those workshops soon became events and Black Girls with Purpose went on to host its first conference in the fall of 2017.

Over the course of our two and a half years since inception, Black Girls with Purpose has had the opportunity to serve 1000 young women through partnerships with Kingsley House and local divisions of national organizations such as Operation Pathways and the Urban League.

We were also able to partner with the Essence Festival Day of Service in 2018 to host a Boss Up entrepreneurship workshop for teens.

When we moved to Texas in the fall of 2018 we underwent a rebrand to help expand our reach. I co-founded a nonprofit to better serve young girls and then shifted Black Girls with Purpose's target audience to women of color seeking community. 

After our recent Activate podcast series I started receiving messages from women who were moving forward with the product launch, they were getting samples of their book printed, they were launching the podcast and the YouTube series, they were moving forward in their purpose! 

Rather than allow that momentum to fade away I, I felt personally responsible for providing a space where they could receive the support and motivation to continue to create.

How do you create the life you want?: I create the life I want through building community, setting goals but also being flexible with my plans and understanding that whatever does or does not happen for me is all in God's hands.

What makes you HUMAN?:

To be human means to be flawed and blemished but thankfully I've learned I don't have to hide that part of myself because God has been able to use my weakest spots and most shameful moments to bring him glory. I don't have to be perfect because He is. 

What are three things your want people to know about self-love?:

When it comes to self-love I want people to know that 

1) you have to practice it everyday, even in moments when you don't feel worthy 

2) When you do practice self-love it helps others to see how they can love you properly 

3) if you don't practice self-love you're a lot more likely to practice self-abuse. You may find yourself giving into negative self-talk too. 

What's something we can incorporate today to LIVE LIFE WELL?:

I believe living life well is attached to understanding your God-given identity. If you know what you were created for then rather than drifting through life you can maneuver it purposefully so my personal advice would be to really sit and ask God "Who have you created me to be and have faith that He will reveal it in His perfect timing. 

What has been your own journey with self love and/or wellness?:

I didn't believe I was deserving of anyone's love, not mine, not the love of family or friends, but thankfully overtime God showed me I'd taken on a distorted perspective. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:1 the one who isolates himself pursues selfish desires and acts against all sound judgement so instead of constantly relying on me, I had to let others in and tap into the power of community. I started sharing my struggles instead of pretending to have strength and this freed others up to do the same thing and become purveyors of self-love and wellness. 

Email Address: brie@blackgirlswithpurpose.org

Website: http://blackgirlswithpurpose.org

Social media handles?: @blackgirlswithpurpose

Any books or apps recommendations?: No More Holding Back by Kat Armstrong & Living Courageously by Joyce Meyer & A Jewel in His Crown by Priscilla Shirer