Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyesha “Rayne” Thompson.
Nyesha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For many years growing up, I struggled with low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, and feelings of abandonment because of my family dynamic. My parents ended up in divorce and as a result, my mother and I moved around often. We moved from our hometown, Indiana, to Arkansas, and then to Texas. So, I found myself having to adjust to new environments & new schools with little to no support from my peers… because when you’re the quiet new girl in town, nobody really wants to befriend you at that age, right?
Well, later on in life, this personal struggle translated into adulthood, where I realized some of my behavior was a result of my feelings of abandonment and inadequacy and would later show up in my relationships with others and would serve as an inhibitor to me pursuing my dreams.
So, at age 38, I had an epiphany. I decided that I no longer wanted to live as a victim to this struggle, but that I was ready to defeat it and that my means of weaponry would be helping somebody else overcome their secret struggle of defeat. It wasn’t that I had already overcome, it was that I wanted to pull someone else up with me so that we could rise up together.
Thus, it was from this school of thought that the Esteem Women’s Organization was birthed. I began to understand that by empowering others, I would then become empowered. I understood the power of giving back. So, Esteem was launched in July 2016. Every year since, Esteem has given women from all walks of life, a platform whereby they would share their stories of trial and triumph, at the annual Esteem Women’s Conference.
Although the Esteem Women’s Organization is a faith-based organization, its purpose is to bring awareness to the issue of low self-esteem and its effect on the lives of women of every color, culture, creed and socioeconomic status, and to empower them using tools such as mentorship, workshops, panel discussions, counseling and more.
What I want for the women of ESTEEM to always walk away with is a transformed mind. My desire is to help them see themselves as God sees them, by helping them to ignore the negativity coming from their own inner voice. My desire is for the women to walk away fully understanding who they are and fully embracing who they are.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Prior to launching Esteem in 2016, I had just gone through a divorce, was pregnant & my water broke at four months due to female health challenges. So I delivered the baby, but she didn’t survive. Shortly after that, I had 2 blood transfusions and major surgery to remove fibroids. During this period in my life, I had to take a short-term leave from work. After this, it took about a year for me to bounce back, but I decided since there was still breath in my body and God didn’t allow me to crumble, I wouldn’t let anything stop me from doing what I set out to do.
In 2017, one year after the initial launch of Esteem, another tragedy hit. I was prescribed an antibiotic called “Bactrim” which is used to fight bacteria in the body. It turned out, I was allergic to the medicine and as a result, had a major allergic reaction to it which would change the course of my life. I was diagnosed with “Stevens-Johnson syndrome,” which is a reaction to medication or an infection. I suffered 2nd-degree burns from head-to-toe. I didn’t look like myself and was admitted to the burn unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, to be cared for like a burn patient. The doctors weren’t certain that I would pull through and if I’d pull through, they weren’t certain if the pigmentation in my skin would ever be the same again. But my story is that… MIRACLES do happen!
Not only was I able to survive the allergic reaction, but after just a few months, my skin started to return to its original color! How ironic that I would experience a physical challenge that would threaten my self-esteem yet again, right in the midst of me helping other women. But, it only helped me to become that much stronger!
I attribute this miracle to God!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Esteem Women’s Organization story. Tell us more about it.
Esteem Women’s Organization is a faith-based organization whose backdrop is the Word of God but is not limited to Christian women. It is designed to reach across barriers and span cultures. It is unique in that it offers women a platform to share their story of trial and triumph, many of whose names have never been heard of. I have found that the support of the EWO usually comes from women I don’t know and have never seen before in my life.
-Our acronym for Esteem: Essential Steps Toward Embracing an Elevated Mindset
-Our mission: To eradicate low self-esteem in women using the word of God.
-Our vision: To bring awareness to the issue of low self-esteem and its effect on the lives of women of every color, culture, creed and socioeconomic status.
-Our purpose: To empower women using tools such as mentorship, workshops, panel discussions, counseling, and more.
I am a connector and encourager by nature. I specialize in bringing people together who share a common goal and creating an atmosphere where those goals and dreams can be drawn out and realized. Esteem has made it even the more possible.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
As a woman of faith, I don’t really believe in luck. I believe that everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad and that the bad, will ultimately work out for the good.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mynewesteem.com
- Email: nyesteem@gmail.com
- Facebook: @nyesteem
Image Credit:
Tammira Brownlee of Loving Life Photography
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