Jasmine Pope

A. Thank you for this opportunity. My name is Jasmine Pope and I was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio (what many people know as Cedar Point), however I currently reside in Toledo, Ohio. I consider myself to be a “Jazz of All Trades.” I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor in the State of Ohio (in simpler terms I provide mental health and substance use therapy). I am an author, collegiate professor, licensed minister, wife, mother, daughter, and so much more!

A. My book In The Middle was a three-year process, but I got it done and I believe it was all in the right time. In this book, I share with readers my very own personal journey of how I found my purpose while also encouraging readers to find their own through various spiritual and inspirational messages throughout the book. I believe we all find ourselves in a place where we are not at the beginning of our purpose journey, yet we are also not at the end. We are in the middle and that is the place where we can be unsure of how all of the things we are going through, have been through, and will go through will help us find and fulfill our purpose in life. I use all of my own personal ups and downs to encourage readers to stay the course and not get distracted by the tests and trials of life. It is my most vulnerable but necessary piece of work and I hope readers are inspired, motivated, and encouraged after they read this book.

A. Honestly, it was never my intention to start a business or go into providing therapy/counseling/coaching services. When I got my Masters in Social Administration (Social Work), my main goal was just to be able to get a position which paid more so that I could be a better provider for my oldest daughter. But I found myself in a place where people would call me, and I would zone out and just begin counseling them even though I did not recognize that was what I was doing. My husband was the one who encouraged me to pursue opportunities to provide therapy. I had two interviews and the second one was the place I believe I was purposed to be at and what led me to becoming a business owner. It is through stepping out on faith in this venture that has led me to not only having Blessings In DisguiZe, but the Pretty. Powerful. Purposeful. Conference and now my personal brand Jasmine Lynn Enterprises. All three allow me to assist women with finding mental, emotional, and spiritual healing that will allow them to operate in their God-given purpose. This journey has been a faith journey for me and has ultimately led me to the success that I have seen thus far.

A. The Triple P Conference was another thing that I never thought I would do. I blurted out the idea one day when talking to my business coach and once I said it, she pushed me into bringing it to fruition. These three things are areas that I struggled in and know that other women also struggle

with. I did not think that I was pretty enough on the inside because I was not pretty on the inside in my thinking. I had difficulty realizing that I was a woman of power and purpose. So, this conference was designed to bring women together from all walks of life to help them understand that “Pretty is a Mindset” and what you think on the inside will bring forth how you feel and look on the outside. It helps women develop an unapologetic sense of who

they are understanding that they are powerful beyond measure and that they have a purpose that only they can fulfill. Although COVID-19 made me change the date of this year’s conference, I hold this conference as close to my mother’s birthdate as possible. My mother passed away from breast cancer 5 and purposeful and this was one of the things that she desired to do but was unable to accomplish before she passed away.

A. I recently began getting more into photography. It brings out another piece of my creative side. I LOVE reading books (Amazon is my best friend). I love writing and am always buying journals because I fill them up so quickly. I am also a lifelong learner and continually find myself in school. I will be beginning my doctoral program in just a few weeks.

A. My biggest piece of advice for anyone who wants to be an author is to just start. Don’t think about what you’re writing or try to correct your grammar and punctuation in the beginning. Just write. Let your thoughts flow freely then once you are done you can go back and make corrections. If you do that from the beginning, you will become overly critical of yourself and your work which can come with negative effects, I.e. you will stop writing. Just get your thoughts out. You can go back and edit and organize as needed later. The focus in the beginning should be to just get it out. Another piece of advice I would offer is to enjoy the process. There will be ups and downs. You will laugh and cry. You will question if you should say THAT thing that you thought you might never say. But it’s all a part of the process. I went through so many emotions. I had to pay for my book cover twice and felt like the process was taking too long. However, when I look back at my process, it made me stronger, wiser, and it definitely helped me to heal in some areas that I didn’t know I still needed healing in.

A. My father is my biggest inspiration. I begged to move with my father when I was eight years old and he came and got me from Winston-Salem, NC where I was living with my mother and brought me back to Sandusky and raised me from that time on. My father was always hard on me growing up, but it was because he wanted me to be the best me that I could be. My father was and is the hardest working man I know. He is the epitome of persevering past every obstacle that is set before you. He taught me the importance of what being focused, walking in integrity and dedicated to learning and growing can do for you. He is my inspiration, motivation, and my hero all wrapped in one. My mother was also a great source of inspiration for me. My mother had breast cancer three times and never once during the process did complain. She remained a woman of faith, strength, grace, and class no matter what she was facing and no matter how she felt. It is through her life and the legacy that she left that I continue to go on and embody those same principles that she did during her time here on this earth.

A. I recently launched my TV show “Purpose Talk” which airs on a local TV channel and is also streamed to my Facebook and YouTube channels. Through this show, I focus on mental health, ministry, and marketplace, all key components of my purpose and that have some connection to the purpose of others. Purpose Talk airs every Saturday at 6 PM. I will be announcing the date of the next Pretty. Powerful. Purposeful. Conference soon and will begin my weekly blog posts again, as well.

A. A fun fact about me is I have a goal to get as close as possible to have the whole alphabet behind my name. If I write my signature out write now, it is Jasmine Lynn Pope, MSSA MACJ BA LISW-S LICDC. Once I complete my Ed. D and my Mdiv, I’ll have a few more behind my name.

A. For anyone who wants to connect with me, they can find me on :

 Instagram @j.lynn.a (I do follow back)

 Facebook

 Youtube

and by visiting my website:  blessingsindisguize.com I love connecting with people across all of my various platforms.