Domestic Violence Survivor to Self-Love for the Goddess in us all, Interview with Shia Joyner

Shia Joyner is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Licensed Esthetician, Reiki Healer, and Culture Consultant. She is also the founder of Zen & Boujee, a luxury wellness shopping experience featuring brands focused on women and wellness. Shia Joyner's pursuit of empowerment for the "new now woman" has guided her through every incarnation of her career. Shia is an entrepreneur with a passion for coaching "women" to manifest their dreams by sharing simple and gentle ways that inspire them to love, heal, and nurture their bodies by being fully engaged in the power they embody. A fierce advocate of accessible wellness, Shia is also committed to giving back to her community by helping women in underserved areas overcome mental illness and support the needs of domestic violence survivors. Shia's goal is to inspire women to be fully engaged in the power they embody and coach them in manifesting their dreams.

Shia Joyner, the early years

Shia was born in Raleigh, North Carolina but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

Shia considers herself a "product of the south." Her role model growing up was and still is her older sister. Shia got the entrepreneur bug from her father, who worked a traditional 9 to 5 and was an entrepreneur at heart. When she was five years old, Shia and her sister started their first business called "Potato Creation," where they would make things out of potatoes and sell them to her father's friends.

Journey to Wellness

Shia was never interested in working out or going to a gym until she moved to Harlem and decided to attend a Yoga class.  While there, she met the most amazing Yoga instructor. That experience inspired her to make changes in her life, which consisted of changing how she eats, drinking more water, and becoming more mindful and meditating. This experience was Shia's introduction to wellness.

Yoga, Fitness, and Being a Domestic Violence Survivor

It wasn't until this year (2020) that Shia Joyner has come to accept that she is a domestic violence survivor. She left that part of her life 13 years ago and wanted to put it behind her, but over time, she realized that part of the healing process is to understand what journey and struggle really are.

Her journey with Yoga was initially for anxiety and depression, but after going through this journey, which included counseling, the underlying factor was that she is a domestic violence survivor. Yoga allowed her to grow and be the fullest version of herself.

Red Flags of Domestic Abuse

Shia believes that women must get to a place where they love themselves enough to leave a domestic violence situation. Shia believes that the following is a list of red flags of domestic abuse:

• A mate that cannot control their tone (speaking loud and argumentative);
• Lack of emotional discipline and self-control, which could lead to emotional, verbal, and physical abuse;
• Economic or financial abuse; withholding financial support so that you are dependent on them.

Domestic Violence during the Pandemic

The number of domestic violence cases has increased significantly during this current pandemic. Shia shared how stress and anger play a significant role in domestic violence, especially if a spouse loses his job and decides to take it out on the person closest to him.

Zen and Boujee

Shia created the name Zen and Boujee while on a Yoga retreat with her mentor in Nicaragua. She recalled just finishing her meditation and looking at a lagoon that was filled with water from a volcano that recently exploded, and the name Zen and Boujee just came to her.

Zen and Boujee Giving Back

Having lived through domestic violence and seeing what women are going through has pushed Shia even more towards her purpose with Zen and Boujee. Although Zen and Boujee make beauty and wellness products, the vehicle that gives her meaning is the social impact company she is developing in her Goddess Box, which focuses on self-love and is a subscription business model. 10% of the proceeds from every box sold are given to nonprofit charities helping victims get away from their abusers.

Zen and Boujee are also partnering with a company called New Safe Start, which has started an amazing campaign that pledged "buy one, get one" where 10% of every box is being donated to New Safe Start to help women to understand how to break free from their abuser and establish themselves to have economic power and freedom. Shia believes that if you love yourself and are economically free, there is nothing you can't do.

Shia received inspiration from actor Chadwick Boseman, who was silently suffering from colon cancer until his death at 43 but continued to walk in his purpose. If he could go through all that he endured and still walk in his purpose, Shia believes she can do it too. Her aim is not just to build a beauty and wellness company, but to help all women find a safe passage to healing from domestic abuse.

All of Zen and Boujee's products are natural and organic. Shia continued to express how she does not want to build a beauty company that sells just cool products. Every product must help or heal someone. The products are plant-based and sourced ethically. Shia believes that plants are all your body needs when it comes to your skin and your gut. The Zen & Boujee products can be found online at www.zenandboujee.com.

Touchless Beauty

To allow the retail experience to come straight to the customers' home, Shia is launching Touchless Beauty. In this program, you take a skincare assessment on their site, and the company will send you the products for you to sample at home, and you can join them online for a Touchless Beauty product party. This pilot program will launch on October 1st, 2020.