Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafeal Henderson.
Rafeal, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey to discovering my purpose began in the summer of 2007. Deep down inside I always knew there was more to life and that I was missing something but I never knew what it was until I opened myself up to a different environment. I can truly say being fearless and stepping into a realm of the unknown changed my life. I said yes to new projects, volunteer opportunities that were out of my norm, I said yes to making new friends, I said yes to anything and everything that was outside of my comfort zone. Through saying yes, I learned what I liked and what I disliked, I was able to learn my strengths, my weaknesses, and I connected to individuals who challenged me to strive to be my absolute best.
If you would have asked me 12 years ago if I would have thought I would be a business owner, I would say absolutely not. I thought I was going to be a CEO of a fortune 500 company so, I planned my life as such. I literally programed myself to believe that I needed to find the right company to start with, work hard, graduate from college early, and I will become the boss by 30. I had my very first job as a customer service representative at Pizza Hut when I was 15 years old. That is how much I was sold on my plan of becoming a career woman. Now, whenever I think about that plan I laugh. That plan caused me to have at least 10 to 12 different jobs and become the running joke amongst family and friends. At events they would ask Me if I had discovered a new career or company to take over. Everybody would laugh and I would have to endure that awkward moment.
Although I have worked for some of the top companies in America being a business owner has been the most rewarding and fulfilling. It has given me power and control over my life. For the first time, I was able to make a choice that was not a result of fear. I do not discredit my journey or the 12 companies I worked for because they are a part of my story. Every last one of those jobs taught me valuable information that only life experiences could teach me.
April 2018, I decided to leave my corporate job, salary, health benefits, vacation, and sick pay to fulfill my purpose in life. I never really knew what people meant when they said the Bible says, “a man who don’t work won’t eat” until now. It has been an uphill battle but I would not change it. I can truly say it was one of the best decision I have made in my life. I prayed, I fasted, I cried, I read books while praying, fasting, and crying and sometimes I would just cry. There was so much emotion and self-discovery involved within this journey and I embraced every moment of it because I was determined to discover my purpose. I made a commitment to take the ride regardless of what it entailed. The commitment I made to seeing this through made it ok for me to have sleepless nights, it made it ok for me to face the unadulterated truth about who I am, and it made it ok for me to properly position and align people within my life. Sometimes it does not even feel like it was a 10 year journey which encourages and empowers me to know I can do all things if I stay the course and do not leave prematurely.
Has it been a smooth road?
I am a firm believer that life is a journey and with any journey, we are bound to run into obstacles that will try and deter us from reaching our destination. I wish I can say my journey has been smooth but I cannot and I am grateful for it. I would not be the woman I am today if my journey was easy. One of my biggest challenges was trying to define who I was as a woman while performing the role of a wife, a leader, and a business owner. Not knowing who I was caused me to compromise what I believe and stood for in many situations. I was not confident in making decisions and leaned on the opinions and thoughts of others. It was hard for me when I realized, my voice was a mere echo of those who surrounded me. There were times where I felt, I was having an identity crisis. I was being the woman everybody wanted me to be instead of the woman God created me to be.
As a result everything around me began to suffer. I accepted clients that I should have turned down even though I knew they would not be the right fit. I allowed others to dictate my value and worth which made me devalue the worth of my business. I lost so much money, time, and even hurt my brand. I spent a lot of sleepless nights, I experienced a lot of moments where I wanted to give up, I’ve had a lot of days of frustration because I could not figure out where I was going wrong.
I learned that just because I put on my business owner hat does not mean I am taking off the other hats I wear. They are all interchanging and working together simultaneously. The best way I could describe it is like a smart phone. The smart phone has many functions and capabilities and performs many roles but in order for it to produce what is being requested, whether it is a map, text message, or phone call it must rely on the built in systems applications that is used to perform a different function. I play many roles and all of those roles work together to make me the best business owner I could be. If I am off balanced in one area it will affect my balance in another area. Not knowing who I as a woman made me off balanced as a wife, leader, business owner, friend, believer and the list goes on. When I discovered who I was as woman, I began to see my business and the others areas of my life reflect what I have been working hard to see.
I would tell any woman who has chosen to take this journey that it is imperative they endure the process of discovering who they are as a woman outside of their other roles whether that is a wife, girlfriend, fiancé, friend, leader, business owner, or any other role they may play. We are our absolute best and most effective when we are authentic and not performing to satisfy others. I encourage all women to be their authentic selves so they can open a world of endless possibilities for themselves.
In one of Oprahs interviews she said she would not be who she is today if she did not trust what was inside of her. She knew a shift was happening in television before it happened and everything and everybody around her tried to discourage her but she trusted her instincts. We will never get to the place of trusting ourselves if we do not know ourselves.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Cherished Moments Planning, Design, & Coordination story. Tell us more about it.
I own an event planning company that specializes in planning, design, and coordination. The company truly embodies its name. My heart desire is to help every client cherish the unforgettable moments in their life. Life is short and if we do not slow down and celebrate every milestone and accomplishment we will not be able to enjoy life in its entirety. The Cherished Moment team accomplishes this major goal by taking the load off our clients by handling all logistics from beginning, middle, and end. What really makes us unique is we thrive on our client’s happiness. We want our clients to be happy every step of the way, so we do what we can within our power to see this happen.
I like to joke around and say we are counselors and therapist because planning events brings up a lot of emotions, pressure, and family issues. We walk our clients through that process just like a counselor would. We answer every question, provide solutions to problems, create action plans, and before you know it our clients have become close friends and family. It is more than just a job it is more than just an event. We are invested in unlocking the door that is going to allow our clients to be present and enjoy their moment.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
I honestly think my childhood has everything to do with my success today. Playing Barbie’s everyday really taught me how to imagine, dream, and create. I am thirty years old and still imagine, dream, and create and that stemmed from my childhood. Growing up, I did not have everything but I did have Barbie dolls and through those Barbie dolls, I created the life I wanted to see. My childhood friends still talk about those times and how we are living out those stories we created as young girls. I always wanted to be a career woman and I would always have the working woman Barbie. Although I may not be that CEO of a fortune 500 company, I am business woman who is creating careers for others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eventsbycherishedmoments.com
- Phone: 714-699-3027
- Email: eventsbycherishedmoments@gmail.com
- Instagram: @eventsbycherishedmoments
- Facebook: @eventsbycherishedmoments
Image Credit:
Martin V. Photography, Will Utley Photography, Vincent Mckinley Photography, Bryan Hudson photography
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