Jessica Huie is an award-winning entrepreneur and recently wrote a book ‘Purpose: Find your truth and embrace your calling’. Jessica had a difficult childhood being expelled from school at 15, becoming pregnant at the age of seventeen. However, she managed to turn things around and landed herself an illustrious career in publicity where she managed to work with some of the world’s biggest stars.
How did you manage to write a book about finding your truth and embracing your calling?
There was nothing strategic about writing this book. She spent the last 20 years of her life being able to achieve success in her life. She went on to achieve one goal after the other. She was constantly thinking about new goals and aims in her life. The book was a complete detour of her past experiences. Her father was terminally ill and she was caring for him. It was the first thing in a very long time that she was able to free herself from the addiction of continuously working. For the first time, she was present and in the moment. She wanted to be there for her father. One night, at 3 in the morning while she was attending her father, she picked up a pen and started to write on the back of an envelope. She found herself in the stream of consciousness and those few sentences written on the back of the envelope later became the most important part of her book.
What did you write on the envelope?
It was an expression of what she was feeling at that time which was unlike anything she had experienced before in her life. She found new strength in her life that she never knew existed before. She was heartbroken but inspired in some way by this incredible love that emerged in despair due to her father’s terminal illness. She could think of many childhood memories she shared with her father and how her father had a great impact on her life and on her personality.
There was a moment where she sat holding her dad’s hand and she recalled an event from her childhood when she was seven years old. She had a friend in school who had a ‘pink shiny coat’. Jessica says her family did not have the money to buy that pink shiny coat. She was incredibly jealous of this coat. One day at school, she took her friend’s coat and dumped it in the toilet. The incident was traced back to her. One evening while Jessica was in her bed, the phone bell rang, her father picked up the phone and dashed in Jessica’s room after the call had finished. He asked Jessica to dress up quickly and told her they were going to that girl’s home to apologize for what Jessica had done to her coat. On their way to the girl’s home, her father lectured her on the importance of being honest, the importance of not envying anyone else and the importance of being accountable and responsible for our actions.
Do you think your greatest breakdowns are opportunities for greatest breakthroughs?
Jessica thinks everything happens for a reason. When we feel like everything is falling apart, most of the times these are the things that are not meant for us. There is always a lesson or an insight that we can take from those experiences. As human beings, we are stubborn and we try to hold on for what we think is right for us. Most of the time we stay on to it because it is comfortable to hold on to that position or job and also because it is frightening to venture into the unknown. Ultimately, it is down to us to live the same life and suffer or to muster up all the courage and design a new life that is meant for us.
What attributes connect you to your purpose?
Our values and what is meaningful to us connect us to our purpose. We step into the truth when we take into account our values, what we stand for, what is meaningful to us. We start to channel those values through our talent in order to be of service to the world. Since we are all wrapped up in this world, our purpose will always be linked to in who we can be for others.
What are some of your accomplishments that you feel proud of?
Jessica is proud of the fact that she managed to write a book (Purpose: Find your truth and embrace your calling.) that had a huge impact on all its readers. The other proud moment was when she took her daughter and parents to Buckingham Palace where she was rewarded by the Queen for her entrepreneurial services.
What do you think you did that helped you get rewarded by the Queen at Buckingham Palace?
Jessica thinks the award from the Queen was largely because of the multicultural greeting card business that she started 12 years ago. She was looking for a very specific greeting card for her daughter. While searching for the card she realized there were no cards in the market that represented the multicultural people that make up most of London’s and the country population. In that moment, she felt compelled to do something to change that and so she built a whole business around it. Jessica thinks that was the first time she responded to her inner calling.
Do you still run the greeting card company?
It is still running in a smaller capacity. Industry around greeting cards has changed drastically over the years. The introduction of digital cards has changed the space. The company is still running but Jessica herself is not much involved in that business anymore.
How can people know what ideas to follow?
The ideas that give you goosebumps are the ideas to be followed. They should move you and the ideas should be compelling.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
The best advice she has been given is that in order to be successful we have to make ourselves vulnerable. This is not just confined to professional or financial success. It can also be related to love, happiness and fulfillment. Jessica has come to realize that everything we want requires vulnerability.
How can we connect with you?
Website: https://www.jessicahuie.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahuie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicahuiembe