Bruised, Broken, and Blessed

Compiled By Annette Morris

Divorce! Abuse! Trauma…we may not have shared experiences in common but the one thing we all have in common is that we have endured some serious trials and have triumphed over them all. In our triumph there’s been some lessons learned that each of us are ready to share with other women that are trying to overcome.

This is a story of 11 women that are ready to be transparent and share their life experiences, traumatic experiences and how they were able to overcome. We know that what we endured was not designed to kill us but to make us stronger and to help pull another sister forward!

Historically for centuries, women and especially enterprising women in business and entrepreneurship have not been seen. Women have been excluded from leadership roles especially in business, commerce and entrepreneurship. Women have had to dull their shine so others would feel good about themselves. Women have been made to feel less worthy, so someone else (usually male counterparts) could feel worthy. Women have been held back because of the fear they would outshine others. In business and in corporate America, so often our gender and the color of our skin (for Black and brown women) has been a source of contention and a stumbling block. Today, women are the fastest growing demographic of new businesses, yet we have so far to go. Women are embarking on entrepreneurship in record numbers because we are tired of being told what we can and cannot accomplish, what to do; how to do it and when. We are tired of working 10 times harder for a fraction of the pay. We are tired of being tired and feeling unworthy.

The purpose of this book is threefold. Firstly, it is to acknowledge God as our guide and the creator, founder and CEO of any business or entrepreneurial journey we embark on. He is the creator of the business plan and the standard operating procedures. He is the one that gives us purpose. He sends us the resources and he illuminate our path. Secondly, it is to shout from the rooftops that the tide is turning. No longer will we feel inadequate, that we are not enough or that we don’t deserve everything we have worked to achieve. No longer will we allow our past mistakes to dictate our future successes. Not only have we earned it, but we deserve it and we down right DEMAND the respect and honor we are due! Thirdly, we hope to leave our trail of sparkle and shine in an illuminated path of glitter for the next generation of women in business to follow as they spring forth, create and blaze their own trails. If there is one thing, we hope you take away from this compilation it is, wherever you go, whatever you do…leave a trail of glitter for those who will come behind you! We were all born with a little glitter inside of us. Some of us just haven’t begun to sprinkle it yet.