Shakira Hemphill understands how life’s most difficult journeys can lead us to beautiful destinations. Through years of pursuing self discovery, building community, and establishing an unwavering commitment to her faith, Shakira has emerged as an esteemed entrepreneur, life coach, and community leader. Women of Worth, her non-profit organization that empowers women to pursue their passions, represents Shakira’s dedication to uplifting others. Shakira has now released The Promise Devotional, which allows readers to discover their own purpose and perseverance. Shakira sat down with BAUCE to share her insights as well.
Rejection can Provide the Foundation for Opportunity
Shakira originally did not envision this life path for herself. She could only secure her dream in the long run by not getting what she wanted in the short run. Shakira explains, “I started in education over 20 years ago. I had a belief that I could be a principal. Before that, I graduated from Spelman College and then I applied to law school. Specifically, I believed in being a child advocacy lawyer. But, I did not get into the law schools that I applied to. That was a difficult time, so I had to re-center myself. I did so well academically at Spelman, and I wondered why that law school outcome happened the way it did.
After that, I applied for Teach for America and moved to New York. But my heart wasn’t there. So, I went back to D.C. and got a teaching job the day before school started. I set up my classroom the night before and made a whole lesson plan. That was the start of taking risks in my life. I am a preparer – I like to have things lined up. So that was not my style. But when my students walked into my classroom they were so happy. That was a reminder that it’s not about the detailed plan. It’s about the execution.” At the same time, Shakira encourages women to reflect on their own role in different outcomes.
She clarifies, “I had to shift how I looked at ‘no’- it became ‘not right now.’ It’s a delay not a denial. Be reflective and be honest with yourself. Think about what could have been done differently and think about what you could have done to prepare. Take ownership of how you could have created a different situation. But at the same time, be careful of that negative self-talk.”
Prioritize Your Relationship With Yourself
Despite collecting professional accolades, Shakira was not immune to internal struggles. Shakira held senior leadership roles at organizations such as the Center for Youth and Family Investment in Washington, D.C., multiple charter schools, the United Planning Organization, and even the Mayor’s Office of Washington, D.C. But she grappled with self-doubt in her early days.
Shakira divulges, “I did not have a good relationship with myself. I did not start out believing I was worthy until I worked on that relationship. I found myself in a space where people told me that I was ‘amazing’, ‘a leader’, ‘beautiful’, and ‘smart’ but I didn’t feel those things. I was so ashamed to be a mother who had a child out of wedlock. I felt that I needed to be a wife, a mother, a woman with a certain caliber of friends, and a certain income bracket, etc. What I desired is the opposite of how I was raised. I was chasing after a covergirl story when God already had designed a blueprint of who I am called to be.
God was telling me to not covet what other people had. It was around 2014 when I began to transition in my belief system. I started to believe that what is written is real. So now I think more about my words, how I define myself, etc. From there, I saw a transformation of the inside of me that became a transition on the outside. I needed to understand who I am in my most vulnerable state or in my most unashamed state. My authenticity and the shift of having an ‘aha moment’ is when I realized that God already gave me a purpose and assignment.
Recognize the Power of Community
Community has played an important role for Shakira throughout her life. She confirms, “It’s important to have community. When we’re having hard moments, we tend to isolate. Sometimes we don’t recognize that community is the insulation that helps prevent isolation. It is okay to be by yourself in certain seasons, but people can also support you in those times. My lesson has been how to receive help and support when people want to give it. I would tell a woman who is dealing with rejection, fear, or abandonment to remind themself daily that they have a purpose. There’s a harmful stereotype that women don’t support each other. That is a narrative made to keep us in isolation. We are better together than isolated than separate.”
Own Your Story
According to Shakira, we can all shape our narrative and connect with others through shared experiences. She elaborates, “It’s always good to think about your story and storyline… I started Women of Worth because I had so much pain and no one to turn to. This was the intersection of pain, isolation, and faith. I was looking for places I could go as a safe haven beyond church. God called me to coordinate a prayer call at 6am and provide this space for other women. After that, I realized that Women of Worth was meant to be my calling and do it full time.”
In her leadership role, Shakira has learned how to share her gift for storytelling with a broad audience. She shares, “Part of the signature framework is having women reimagine their story. A lot of times, our values are based on how we were raised. Sometimes we are running away from experiences and basing values on that. I encourage women to really look at their own experiences and pick out what stood out in their own story line.” In terms of a framework, Shakira presents questions such as, “What are the things that are really important to me? What are my big three values?” For next steps, Shakira states, “Go through those three and drill down to create sub-values and identify your non-negotiables.”
Learning to live unapologetically is an ever-evolving and deeply personal process. After undergoing her own challenges, Shakira developed an unshakeable connection to her faith and a level of perseverance that she now shares with other women. For BAUCE women who are navigating a difficult season, her story serves as a golden reminder that the best is yet to come.
