Conversations with LaDestinee Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to LaDestinee Williams.

Hi LaDestinee, can you introduce yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi, I’m LaDestinee Williams. The owner of Waisted Aura. A North Memphis Native. A self-made small business owner. A soon-to-be graduate at LeMoyne-Owen College with a degree in Social Work. This is my story. Growing up in a single-parent home with my amazing mother made me the solid person I am today. My childhood is a blessing in disguise! Despite the personal things I’ve gone through, I learned so much about myself. Being the only child made me who I am today. I was very much to myself and shy, but I loved drawing, crafting & creating something out of nothing. I grew up with a loving family that I am very blessed to have. I met some influential role models that told me, “Don’t settle for less,” yet I continued to grow into womanhood. My environment was low-income based, but I didn’t allow myself to be a product of that. So, I graduated high school and decided to go to college to pursue a degree I didn’t know. As I continued my journey thru college, I got tired of it. I was working non-stop 12hour shifts, juggling assignments, and carrying the pressure of the college lifestyle. Life hardships were catching up to me. At the time, I didn’t have a vision of what was in store for me, so I decided to take a year off from academics. And to say the least, that was the most challenging year of my life. I mentally clocked out from enjoying my life at the age of 22. Looking back now, I never should have quit like that. Fast forward years later, I am now a growing business owner on the road to starting my career in Social Sciences & Social Work and creating a legacy for myself.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, God gives his most challenging battles to his strongest soldiers. The obstacles I’ve been through made me who I am, and I am still preparing for war every day. One of the biggest battles for me was my mental health. In 2018, I gave up on so many careers, my GPA, my job, and my relationship. I lost interest in my hobbies and felt like everything I did was wrong, like I was working a 9-5, and that was the same thing every time. I quit my job and academics the same year. I stayed home with a broken dream, a heart, and a car. I struggled with self-care, not loving myself, and thinking that the universe was against me daily. I struggled to pick up the pieces of what I had created for myself. Eventually, things took a severe turn, and months after (the best decision), I decided to get closer to Jesus. In August 2018, I got baptized into Christ. It took some time to appreciate life again and what had been given to me! The following year, I was dedicated and motivated to continue anything, which hasn’t stopped since. In 2019, I started working on a “Get Help Journal” for my peers or anyone battling depression. I looked into having a life coach and booking therapy sessions. I researched “How does Mental Health affects African American College students” and used that as my dissertation topic to bring awareness to my HBCU campus. I finished the year off strong before COVID hit. #iamamentalhealthadvocate. So yes, challenging situations happened throughout my way, but I will continue to grow from it all – live and learn.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So my business, Waisted Aura, was manifested in the middle of the pandemic – 2020 and launched at the beginning of 2021. After two years of being unemployed, surviving a mental health breakdown, and losing hope of being a college student with nothing, I revered creating again. It took me half a year to research waist beads origins, start a business plan, and perfect the craft of making. I specialize in handmade waist beads; made by myself and from Ghana & Nigeria. The word Aura has always stuck with me, and I didn’t want the name of my brand to sound cliché. Uniquely I created Waisted Aura.

In these past years, I decided to produce something I once was interested in into something I love! Creating beads and meeting people who feel the same way I do, made me feel complete. Finally, We grew into offering gemstones/crystal bracelets, handcrafted anklets, and African pendants/necklaces. These “crafts” eventually became a habit, a lifestyle, and now a passion! I decided to share my with the world my creations February 02, 2022, by launching my website!

My vision is to connect with everyone who enjoys my work and become an enthusiast of the waist bead community and those around me.

What do you think about luck?
I would say luck can be defined as both success or failure.. So for me having luck is a non-factor. I would say I am lucky to be the chosen one to finish receiving a college degree in my family. Having luck is different for everyone. I know I can’t always win big on a slot machine or a big ticket, but it’s grace for me. I’m gracious to all the people (good or bad) in my life, the rollercoaster of emotions I go through every day, and whatever else is going to happen next, big or small. I’m lucky to be still able to produce items, create, and learn about how to be better for my family, myself, and others.

Pricing:

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waistedaura
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waistedaura
• Other: https://linktr.ee/waisteddestinee