When I first met Ayana, it was in Fort Mill, SC at church. She always had a pleasant demeanor, and she was so cool. We hit it off right away. We shared similar interests with other members of our church. We would go to different Charlotte venues to eat and converse. It was an awesome community experience. This was how I was able to get an understanding into who Ayana was. At the time, she was attending Winthrop University. I noticed she was very involved in student and public relations. That in itself is admiral for a young lady to be focused on serving others. Fast forward to today, Ayana is a mighty jewel in our community. She owns her own business in political consulting, event coordinating, and team building facilitation. I am excited to highlight her this month! She is stepping out and crushing goals and just living! It has been a joy to watch her blossom. If you haven’t met Ayana, you’ve missed out.

If I could sum our interview up into one word, I would say it would be: Authentic

I chose authentic because she is raw, honest, and relatable. Ayana’s life depicts selflessness. Her life shows us a life of putting God first. A life of impacting others. A life of dancing and accepting who you are and being free in that.

Our interview:

1. What did you think (when you were small) you would be when you grew up?

Growing up I aspired to be a singer/dancer but my passion for helping others grew and I loved giving advice to others so I had a realistic career aspiration to be a Psychologist/Counselor. Although I am not a licensed psychologist, I still remember and apply many of its theories and principles in my new career aspirations.

2. Give a brief synopsis of how you got where you are today.

There’s so many things I attribute to how I got where I am today. Of course, I am thankful for my parents and my upbringing. I grew up on a military base filled with people of various cultures which fueled my love for diversity. I believe my undergraduate experiences at Winthrop University developed me into the woman and leader I am. I believe my graduate experiences at Columbia College taught me to embrace the many facets that I aspire to be in order to bring positive change to the world. I believe my previous political experiences on a presidential campaign and my current experience on a national committee for a third party showed me how influential I can be to the nation’s political landscape. Lastly, I believe my ability to network and make meaningful connections with others, especially community leaders, got me where I am today.

3. How important is it for you to live a PURPOSE driven life?

It is very important for me (and others) to live a PURPOSE driven life. I think that if you don’t find your purpose in life, you will end up constantly striving to find it. I also believe knowing and finding your passions help you with your purpose. It has helped me know what to say no to, what my aspirations are, what to work towards, etc.

4. What is your current contribution to the world and/or your community?

Awe man, I appreciate this question. My current contribution to the world and my community is to be myself authentically and make sure I am poured into in ways that keep me healthy, refreshed, and motivated. With that, I am able to do the justice work I feel God called me to do and not get burned out or frustrated. Everyone will jump on a bandwagon of popular opinion and agree with what others are saying but by being my authentic self, I don’t meet the status quo. I think more people need to do that and I want to lead by example.

5. What is your favorite quote that you live by?

Quote: “There’s no sense in complaining if you do nothing to change it” quoted by me, but also, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” sticks with me!

6. How do you want your life to impact others?

I hope to change people’s lives for the better. If they feel alone, they find a community for them. If they are passionate about something, how to navigate and bring positive change through their passions. I aspire to inspire! I hope that those who I come in contact with will become more open minded, more informed, and even more motivated & inspired to help bring positive change.

7. What was one of the greatest victories you’ve had in life and one failure (and how you
overcome)?

Another question I appreciate! I believe one of my greatest victories in my life was deciding to take my walk with Christ seriously and strive to live everyday pleasing to Him. I am not perfect and of course, I fall off sometimes. I find comfort in noticing His everlasting love and inspiration when I am challenged by the Spirit. Everyday is a new adventure in my relationship and walk with Him. It keeps me on my toes and in a place of gratitude. One failure I had to overcome was with my self-esteem and confidence. I had very bad eczema (and still battle with it today). I was teased and bullied for it. I thought I was ugly and hated my skin, completely overlooking the other beautiful qualities I had. My perspective on my skin affected my overall thoughts of self-worth and self-esteem. I eventually found to accept my flaws and embrace my personality. In college, I found my triggers that caused breakout and decided to change my diet. Even now, I am still working to get rid of my eczema so I am still a work in progress. However, my self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence is higher than it was before. I learned to see the beauty in what I thought was ugly and still believe that God made all things beautiful.

8. If you could tell the next generation anything, what would it be?

Don’t allow others to place you in a box. Dance to the beat of your own drum. Listen and practice wisdom. Learn to find the beauty in everything. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated when things don’t go your way.  Lastly, “above all else, seek God {a relationship with Him, His love, His Word, His kingdom} and everything else will be added unto you.”

Wow, I am amazed at God! We encounter many types of people daily, but it is a blessing when we encounter such a jewel in the earth. This interview was absolutely amazing. I feel honored to be able to write about this awesome woman of God! She has a true testimony of the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. She was ridiculed for having eczema. She felt ugly. But God! Ayana did not allow scrutiny to stop her. She persevered through it all. Her contribution to this world is her authenticity. That is her story.

Ayana we salute you as one of the Carolina’s most precious jewelz! We pray that every thing that you put your hands to, will be blessed! Thank you for your authentic contribution to the community and to world!

Blessings,

Dreeka Gallman (Precious Jewelz Founder) Self Care = Self Love