By Kayla Sosa
In an effort to spread self love to all women, Shawnda Louise Michael Jackson has started a transformational coaching service called Life’s Beautiful Diamonds.
“I transform women’s lives from coal to beautiful diamonds,” Jackson said. “Those who have low self-esteem, lack of confidence, who feel like they need a makeover.”
In addition to doing hair and makeup, Jackson also does coaching sessions where she helps her clients work through their issues and insecurities that are holding them back.
“I have seen (clients) transform from sad and depressed to happy and excited to live again,” Jackson said. “Sometimes when people see their makeover, they cry … or even when I’m giving them coaching sessions and I throw something out there that causes them to think about some things and put it in a different light.”
All of this started back in 2012, when Jackson graduated from beauty school. She quickly opened up her own salon while simultaneously running a record label.
“I’ve always been a person that loves people and helps people,” Jackson said. “I started giving people advice when I was young.”
She gained significant momentum in 2015 when she traveled to Virginia to do some veterans’ wedding makeup and hair.
“I was told that a lot of them feel like they’re not loved, they don’t have a place in the world, and they didn’t have anyone to talk to,” Jackson said.
After that, Jackson wrote a book, “The True Beauty in Me: Loving Yourself Even When Others Don’t.” She gave copies of the book to those Virginia women, and continued to spread the message to anyone who would listen.
“When I saw that I was helping a lot of people with my self-love movement and it was really changing people’s lives, I was like ‘Okay, I think this is what my calling is,’” Jackson said.
Jackson is looking to help all women, but pays specific attention to women veterans and the issues they may be facing. She comes from a family line of veterans, and her son is an Army veteran.
Why choose to call women “diamonds”? Jackson said her transformation process is similar to that of a diamond.
“Coal goes through a transforming and refining period to become a beautiful diamond,” Jackson said. “Just thinking about everything that I do and trying to put it together with the concept of what a diamond is worth, what it means and the value.”
After winning second place in the Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur Lab Business Pitch Competition in April, Jackson plans to use her $3,000 winnings to enhance her website and marketing, as well as pay the fees to become an LLC.
To book an appointment, visit www.lifesbeautifuldiamonds.com.
Shawnda Jackson’s 4 Quick Tips for Self-Love Inside and Out
- Self-Affirmations – “When you get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say: ‘I am worthy. I am beautiful.”
- Dress yourself up – “Even if you got to put on some mascara and lip gloss to make yourself feel good, even if you don’t feel like wearing makeup, just to go out there to look like you’re not tired.”
- Keep up with your hair and nails – “Because if you do something, you will always feel good about yourself.”
- Put yourself first! – “If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love anyone else.”
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