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Empowering Creative Entrepreneurs: A Q&A with Jasmine Star
Happy Monday, beauties!
I am THRILLED to share a new “Real Women, Real Balance” interview with you today.
Jasmine Star’s blog was one of the first blogs I ever read.
She was a professional photographer and I had no interest in photography whatsoever – and yet I read her blog weekly. To know Jasmine, is to know that she is magnetic and it doesn’t matter what she’s talking about, she will draw you in.
Her blog drew me in. Her personality, her authenticity, her drive, her passion…she is a light in the world and I am honored to now call her a friend.
Jasmine and I are in an online business group together and I am continually inspired by her creativity, passion and her heart. She has a zest for life that is absolutely contagious and I can’t wait for you to get to know her today….enjoy!
Empowering Creative Entrepreneurs: A Q&A with Jasmine Star
Jasmine dropped out of law school, picked up a camera and pursued her dreams, later being named one of the top photographers in the world. She built a worldwide brand from scratch and leveraged social media marketing to build a six-figure business in her first year. Jasmine amassed hundreds of thousands of followers through her online educational efforts, and empowers entrepreneurs to build a brand and market it on social media.
I hope you enjoy this Q&A…
Hi Jasmine! Will you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a
- dreamer
- hustler
- photographer
- business strategist
- wife
- entrepreneur
…but not necessarily in that order.
What inspired you to start your business?
I have to be honest. Really honest. When I was 25 years old, doctors said my mom was dying of brain cancer. She was only 50. In that moment, I thought I was having a mid-life crisis. I was literally half the age of my dying mother.
In that moment, I understood how fast life flies by and I promised to do everything I could to ensure I didn’t look back on my life from a hospital bed and wonder What if…
Is starting a business scary? Yes. Unpredictable? Yes. Awkward, painful, stressful? Yes, yes, yes. But following your passion and dreaming BIG are exciting and life-giving, too. Entrepreneurship makes you thrilled to work for something you truly want and believe in. Running a business makes you breathe deeper… and it makes you trust in yourself and your ability to succeed more than you could ever imagine.
Oh, and here’s some good news: my mother miraculously recovered from brain cancer…and she’s the first person I call when I’m ready to make yet another business decision.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m actually pretty strict with my daily schedule. As in, I drive people crazy with my organization of it.
I wake up around 4:30 a.m. each morning and start the day with prayer, meditation, and reading. After that, most days look very close to the following:
5:00am Make tea
5:10am Respond to email
6:30am Hot bath and read
6:45am Cuddle with my husband and dog (I won’t admit who’s my favorite)
7:00am Walk the dog
7:30am Plan the day
7:45am Engage on social media (respond to comments, DMs, and engage with FB groups)
8:30am Leave to work out
9:00am Workout
10:30am Shower and prep for the day
11:15am Create content
2:00pm Meetings/podcast interviews/FB lives/etc.
4:00pm Engage on social media
4:30pm Create content
6:00pm Computer closed
6:30pm Dinner
8:00pm Read, binge on terrible reality TV, and/or catch up with friends
10:30pm Good night!
I’m curious, what do you do when you’re not working?
I read (a lot), I practice yoga, I watch indie movies, I walk through museums, I run on the beach.
Basically, I prioritize self-care.
Two years ago, I couldn’t stand straight without feeling pain in my lower back. In fact, it felt like a stab of fire in my spine. After seeing specialists, chiropractors, and enduring physical therapy, my husband (and business partner) signed me up for a hot yoga class. He gave me a week membership in a small white envelope. Just try it, he whispered as he slid it across the table to me. Begrudgingly, I went. After 14 minutes, I wanted to die. I was hot, sweating profusely, and wanted to crawl out for fresh air. (I also wanted to punch the instructor in the face for being so calm and peaceful while I was certainly close to death, but let’s not chat about that, m’kay?)
I completed that week of hot yoga because I was desperate for relief…and I haven’t stopped going. I practice yoga every day and my back pain has alleviated beyond my wildest imagination.
In the past two years, I’ve committed to seeing an acupuncturist twice a month, a chiropractor twice a month, and practice yoga every day.
As you know, The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to approach health & fitness with a balanced mindset. How do you handle the pressure as a woman to look or act a certain way?
I’m what you’d call a silent sufferer. On the outside, people wouldn’t guess the emotions I stuff deep into my soul. I’ve been told that I give the impression that I’m determined…unstoppable…und
Because I’m such a private person, I have chosen five people (one of them being my wonderful therapist) for me to be 100% real with, 100% of the time. The first step for self-care is unpacking what I stuffed deep down.
The second step is taking a hot bath. (Yes, I take a hot bath every day.)
The third step is taking deep breaths. Ten deep breaths are life-changing.
What does balance mean to you during your current season of life?
I’m going to be realllllly honest right now…balance isn’t something that I understand or feel confident talking about. Why? Because people wouldn’t look at me and say OH NOW THERE GOES A BALANCED PERSON, you know?
But I can say is that if my priorities are in check, I feel the most balanced.
If I can honestly say God is first, my family/friends are second, and my business in third…I’m feeling the most balanced.
Who/what inspires you to keep living well?
My mother. I know that must sound cliché, but it’s true. She’s taught me everything I know about fighting against the odds, no matter how high they are stacked against you.
What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a busy life?
If you commit to anything for 30 days, you’ll see an immediate impact. I never (never, ever) thought I’d practice yoga everyday…I never thought I’d enjoy baths (isn’t that for old people?!)… I never thought I’d pray and meditate every morning. But I worked on creating a habit, which turned into my life necessities.
What projects are you currently working on that you’d like us to know about?
Running a business is hard. Running a business and trying to use social media to grow it, is even harder. Why? Because we’re all trying to find the right balance of our time. In light of this, I created Social Curator, which is a boutique digital marketing agency for business owners. This monthly subscription is a done-for-you solution for your social media needs by providing curated photos, caption templates (so you know exactly what to say on social media), and a monthly action plan magazine to ensure you’re getting more followers, increasing your engagement, and having FUN along the way!
If you’d like to score FREE curated photos for you to try on social media, check it out here: www.jasminestar.com/
Thank you, Jasmine! It’s an honor to have you here on the blog today. Thank you for the work you are doing to inspire others and encourage us all to pursue our dreams – despite the “what-ifs”.
You can keep up with Jasmine on her Facebook & Instagram accounts, or check out her website for more ideas and inspiration!
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