You never know just where your life will take you. Take, for instance, Jewel Gould. She’s currently making a huge difference as an influencer, innovator and wellness advocate – but it might not have appeared that she would have ended up here when she was in her early 20s.
Jewel is now the founder of Balanced Women, a non-profit that works to aid women in leading a balanced life. The organisation is successful in curating spaces and initiatives to allow women to not just manage the demands of their lives, but thrive at the same time.
It’s really making a difference, which must be incredibly pleasing to Jewel considering her own experiences. After all, Jewel knows exactly what it’s like to wear multiple hats and the importance of looking after your wellness in the process.
Jewel – whose roots are in Trinidad – moved to Florida to study Psychology at Palm Beech State College in 2006. She was married by the age of 21 and welcomed three children shortly after. She secured a job in the insurance industry – but soon noticed that her calling lay elsewhere.
After realising that a number of clients were stay-at-home mums who weren’t putting enough emphasis on themselves, she decided that she would try to make a difference. This eventually led to the creation of her popular blog: What About Mommys. She would use this platform to uplift and encourage other mothers by offering help and support on the likes of health, self-esteem and fashion.
Jewel’s brand was a hit and – after sadly losing her own mother to breast cancer – she decided to make the venture her full-time job. She bravely left her role in the insurance industry and began putting more energy into What About Mommys. The change was daunting, but not something she couldn’t overcome.
Speaking to Paycheck To Passion in 2015, Jewel revealed:
“To be very honest, though, the first couple of months after I left my job were difficult, because I’m used to being a working mom pretty much working a nine-to-five job, not at home with the kids that often. What really helped me was just my passion for doing it.”
Jewel would eventually use the experience to start Balanced Women, of which she also acts as CEO. The non-profit’s first initiative is called Sister-Sister and is dedicated to improving the lives of black women. The scheme utilises a number a means to make this happen, including offering the beneficiaries increased education, tools and resources that can help their purposeful dreams to become a reality.
The aim is to make the women become the best versions of themselves – something that is both an honourable aim and one that can seemingly be achieved with a woman like Jewel at the helm.
She is, after all, living proof that women can lead well-balanced lives as they juggle the likes of work, family and other commitments. Due to this, her own brand should only grow as she helps more and more women to find and maintain the same wholesome state that she has.