Tell me about yourself, I can’t wait for the audience to get to know you!
Hey there! My name is Charity, aka Get It GirlBoss! I am married to my husband, Adam, for 14 years, and we have three beautiful daughters. Chloe is 8, Jenna is 3, and Kaylee (the Baby) is 2. We are new to Houston, Texas, moving from Las Vegas, NV last year. I’m a California girl, raised in the Bay Area, in San Jose, California. I have worked in retail most of my career, as a Store Manager for great companies, but ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being my own BOSS. I knew I had leadership skills from a young age, that my kindergarten teacher noted on my report card that I was “bossy.” Being bossy was actually a very good thing, as I like to be in charge and lead people to achieve a bigger goal. I became an Independent Consultant for Rodan + Fields skincare brand, 2 years ago, and I love how having this “side hustle” has enriched my life in many ways. I’m proud to call myself a business owner and I absolutely love empowering and encouraging women entrepreneurs to be confident in being their own BOSS, and of course, have amazing skin and lashes too! I started my blog, Get It GirlBoss, last year, as a creative outlet to share fashion tips, skincare and beauty tips, and to share my entrepreneurial journey.
What do you like to do in your free time and what is one of your hobbies?
When I have free time, I love to spend my time with my girls. Life goes by incredibly fast, especially once you have children! I love taking them to the Houston Zoo, a beach trip to Galveston, and even to Target, because it’s always fun at Target! Spending time together as a family, making memories is incredibly important. I also love photography, I’m definitely a Mamarazzi, I have thousands of photos on my phone! I also love to paint. I paint for me mainly, I always find it therapeutic and relaxing.
What are the three things that are most important to you?
My family, absolutely! They are the reason why I became an entrepreneur. I value authentic and nurturing relationships with friends. Kindness. We need more kindness and gentleness in our world, and it always begins with us.
Do you think it’s important to set goals and dream big dream?
Absolutely! I have always been a goal setter and dream a big dream! You have to have dreams that are so BIG, that you get a little embarrassed to share your dreams with small minded people. When you limit yourself, you become stagnant, complacent, COMFORTABLE! God has MASSIVE plans for us, and you have to be courageous to step into His plans with faith and be HUMBLE to receive his gift.
What is your vision for your future?
My big dream is to own my own party planning business and run it with my daughter, Chloe. She wants to go to college and earn a business degree, so she can work alongside me in our own business. I love that she is inspired to be her own Boss and I can’t wait to work with her! I also envision going on trips around the world with my family.
When did you know you were called to do this?
I knew in my heart, that I wanted to be a business owner. I followed the traditional path to success – go to college, earn a degree, find a job with a great company, get married, have kids, have a long career, to eventually retire. I was very comfortable being a General Manager for 7 years, living in Las Vegas, with a great reputation and I had just gave birth to my last child in August 2015.
Growing up, I was the sun loving California girl! I never used sunscreen, Baby Oil was my special tanning oil, and I would frequent tanning salons, I loved to be tan! My once cute freckles on my face, became large dark spots, and I developed melasma, from pregnancy hormones. I was desperate to lighten and brighten my skin, and start to truly take care of my skin, besides using just soap in the shower to clean my face! I started as a preferred customer of my friend, Colella, who introduced me to the Rodan + Fields skincare line. She suggested that I become a consultant, and really drive this business for myself, to bring in additional income that could eventually allow me to stay at home full time with my girls. Her husband and I had worked together, and she told me that he always knew how strong I was in running that business and that I was such a “Girl Boss”. I saw this as an opportunity to do just that! It would be an exit strategy out of the crazy and varied hours of working in retail, and I was excited to help others do the same.
I wanted my husband’s input on becoming a consultant, and he quickly shut me down! He was extremely skeptical of network marketing companies, as his Mother had started and failed many times with many different companies. He was not on board with me starting a business. And, I felt defeated.
The days that followed, I could not stop thinking about RF. I had this intense fire in my gut that said, “Do this. You need to do this. You are more than capable. You could truly excel at this. Trust me. Trust me. Trust ME.”
A couple of weeks later, in late October, my husband’s company that he had worked for over 6 years, held a conference call for all the employees. The call was to inform them that the owner of the company was selling his company to a larger firm, and that everyone would need to reapply for their jobs, and that there may not be a position for them and that bases may close. It was the worst news to receive right before the Holidays. Adam came home, incredibly worried. As I held our 3 month baby in my lap, and our oldest two played, I watched my husband crumble in despair. My own thoughts ran through my mind “How would we live off of one income? My income? It’s not enough to pay for rent, utilities, car payments, diapers, food, Chloe’s private school. We had some emergency savings, but it would cover maybe 3 months of bills. I still had Kaylee’s hospital bills to pay off. What are we going to do??
My husband had done an oversees contract to Iraq before our girls were born. He said that he would do that again. This crushed me. I didn’t want our daughters to not have their Daddy home every day, and only see him every 3 months. No. No. That was not an option. As he retreated to his office to start looking for other employment, the still voice whispered within me, “This is it. You know what you need to do.” I sent Colella a text, telling her what was happening. I told her that I needed to do this, and I was willing to work hard. I needed it for my family.
I still wanted my husband’s approval. I wanted his permission to start. A week later, I caught him in the garage as he was working on his car. I told him, “Babe, I want to do this business. I know you don’t like the business model, but it’s not what you think. I know that I’m capable of doing it, and I know I will be a whole lot better than your Mom!” He looked at me, and said, “If you can make a profit in your first three months, then I’ll buy your next kit.” It really doesn’t work that way, as I don’t need to purchase my inventory to sell, but I didn’t want to argue with him, I took that as his unofficial blessing and ran!
I needed to come up with a business name for my RF website, and wanted something that was unique to me. I knew that I’m a badass girl boss and wanted to empower other women to be the same. As I drove to work that morning, with the window rolled down, the early autumn weather in Vegas was just perfect, driving down Sunset blvd along McCarren airport, the Spring Mountains glowing in the sunrise light, I was bumping my favorite Girl Boss, Gwen Stefani in my car. The song was “Wind it UP” and the bridge has a catchy hook “Get it girl, get it get it girl. Get it girl, get it get it girl” Then it hit me! Get it Girl Boss. Yes! it was perfect. I prayed that it wasn’t taken!
The next day, was our wedding anniversary, and it was the night I officially became a Rodan and Fields Independent Consultant. And, it was the night that Get it Girl Boss was born. I felt excited and anxious, and overwhelmed. It was a big leap of faith in myself.
What were the defining moments in your life that helped you realize you’re calling? What steps did you take to make it to where you are today?
God works in marvelous ways. I worked really hard to launch my business, with the goal to help pay off and reduce our debt. The first few RF paydays were always what I exactly needed to pay off Kaylee’s hospital bills. I payed it off in 3 months, what would have taken my over 6 months if I had to carve it out of my regular salary. Then the paydays would go towards paying down my credit card debts, towards things that the girls needed, and to help start my blog and all the expenses that is needed to keep a blog going.
I have gained two incredible business partners that have joined me on this journey. Two women, who are Mothers and needed this business to enrich their families lives. I have clients that are loving their newfound confidence in their skin, I can go on about each one, it’s so inspiring! But, what I’m most pleased, is that I’m proving to myself that I’m stronger than I ever thought. This business, as in any business, has it’s ups and downs. But there are more high points than the low points, for sure.
This has given me the supplemental income that I needed that first year. Everything happens for a reason. My husband was able to secure an even better job in his industry, which brought us to Houston, TX. The base in Las Vegas eventually did close. Being an entrepreneur, in a new city, has opened up opportunities for personal and professional growth. I have joined the blogger community and have made new connections with like minded, and strong girl bosses!
Who is your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspirations are my daughters, because I want to be a great role model for them. And, my first business partner, Sarah. Sarah and I have known each other since Kindergarten, and she and her husband had an incredibly journey, starting their family. After many rounds of IV treatments, they were blessed with triplets. Sarah had prayed and waited for her three miracles, and the thought of having to go back to work to provide an additional income to support a large family, and taking her children to daycare, was not what she wanted to do. She had reached out to me about becoming a consultant, so she could work her business in the small pockets of raising her then 18 month old babies, was what she looking for. I’m incredibly inspired by her tenacity, determination, and BOSSness of how she has grown her business! For someone that has never had sales experience, she has consistently been the top seller on our team, and she conducts her business with such grace and authenticity, it’s incredible! I’m so proud of her!
Who has influenced you the most and what is the greatest lesson you learned from them?
I have had many mentors in my life. The greatest lesson that they have taught me, was not to allow fear take over, and allow that to determine my choices. Be confident and listen to your intuition, and step forward with confidence and posture.
What does being a beauty queen mean to you?
Being a beauty queen means that you are strong, determined, brave and courageous despite feeling weak, timid and unsure of yourself. A Beauty Queen treats everyone with respect, kindness and gentleness, and doesn’t put up with drama!
What inspires you to live with passion every single day?
Passion has it’s ebbs and flows…one day you can wake up with such determination to rule the world, and then something happens, and your day gets turned upside down! Being an entrepreneur, you hear NO a lot! What keeps me going, is that ONE day, I will be living out my dream, being where I want, with who I want, and on my own time.
How did you use that passion to make your dreams come true?
I’m a visual person, so I have a vision “board” on my desktop and on my phone of what my dreams look like now. On my vision board, is photos of my family, the Eiffel Tower, because I promised Chloe I would take her there for her high school graduation trip; a photo of Disney World, so we can go there as a family; a Pearl White Lexus; and a photo of a woman with her arms spread high to the sky which represents freedom to me.
What is a quote or saying that you live by?
It’s my favorite verses from the Bible, Proverbs 3: 5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will keep your paths straight.”
Through the ups and downs of your life what is the greatest lesson that you have learned?
We just have gone through a major down in our life, as our house that we purchased in May, was devastated by flooding during Hurricane Harvey. We lost everything. Thankfully, we were not home while the waters were rising, as we had evacuated out early. Everything that my husband and I had owned, was destroyed. Photos from our wedding and the girls baby books are the main items that I’m very heartbroken to lose. The powerful lesson from this, was accepting and being HUMBLE. Being a BOSS and being used to being in charge of all the areas of my life, it was my friend, Colella, that told me that I needed to “let” people help me. I had to stop trying to do it all on my own, and allow God to help. And, boy, did HE! I’m still blown away by the kindness and generosity of people that have come to help us. Volunteers, from coworkers, friends, strangers, helping to clear out our home, bring supplies, send us money to cover hotel stays, buy new clothes, eat! Whatever we needed or thought we may not need, help came. Harvey took away our belongings, but gave us HOPE. And, we will be okay.
What advice would you give the beauty queens reading this interview about following their dreams?
Be Uncomfortable about being Comfortable. Change is SCARY, but being complacent and putting limitations on yourself is scarier. It’s good to have dreams, but you also need to take action to live your dreams. Don’t let the Haters get to you…people will always have an opinion, and that is fine, but their opinion won’t pay your bills! Show them kindness, some grace, and prove them WRONG! Get it Girl Boss