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Name: Naghilia Desravines

Business: WomELLE

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Industry: Social Enterprise 

Reason for starting? I love seeing successful women in business, and my goal is to help the ones who want to be successful by creating a community where women can help each other. I always say “the best way to learn is from the ones that are already there.” It is very hard for women who are starting a business, especially the women with ideas but no support. I was there and sometimes I felt like giving up, but someone held me up and that person is my son. He gives me a purpose and something to fight for. I want to help women find that purpose, and we all can fight together. You don’t have to do it alone. WomELLE has your back. If you need mentoring, help searching for a job, building your resume, starting a company or maybe you just need clothes for an interview — we have your back. I believe in the power of women and sometimes we just need help to find it.

Related: Clothing Consignment with a Mission to Help Others 

How do you define success? It takes balls to be a woman, so just taking a chance to improve yourself and take ownership of your life already makes you a successful woman. My goal is to continue helping women, while building local communities in different states. I want to give women a very affordable thrift store where they can shop (either locally, online or via an app). And if they can’t afford it, we give it to them at no charge.

Biggest success: My biggest success so far was the opportunity to help over 100 women in the past year and a half that WomELLE has been in business. Being able to speak to wonderful women with big ideas and see them working toward that goal, it’s like watching a baby taking their first step and it brings joy into my heart.

Related: The Independent Life: Maggie Hallahan

What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? Sometimes it can be difficult working with a woman who is not ready to make a change. The best way to address that, is to give her time and give her space and the advice she has come for. She will be back when the time is right. I wasn’t ready for a change until I gave birth. That day God gave me a wake up call, and I see life in a whole different way now. I know for a fact you can’t push someone to do something they are not ready for.

Who is your most important role model? Growing up as a child, I could never find someone to compare myself to until I got to learn about Michelle Obama. She is my role model.

[box_light]Website   womelle.com
Twitter   https://www.facebook.com/womelle/
Facebook   https://twitter.com/womelle[/box_light]

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Edited by The Story Exchange