Name

Camille Yameen

How old are you?

27

Where do you call home?

I feel like too much of a free bird to call any one place home, but I grew up in Liberty, Missouri so those are where my roots and my family are. Currently, I’m living in Peoria, Illinois.

What do you do for a living/profession?

I’m a youth motivational speaker and a writer.

When do you feel most empowered and alive?

When I’m speaking with students, helping them and connecting one-on-one. Being on stage and in front of a large audience makes me feel the direct impact of my work. I can’t get enough of it.

Where do you see compassion shaping your life?

In my every day interactions. I try to approach every person, every interaction and every conversation out of a place of love. It’s not always easy, but I make an active choice to give people the benefit of the doubt, to remember that everyone is fighting some kind of battle and that ultimately, we all want the same things in terms of being understood, heard and loved.

What dreams/goals do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

Number one on my list is publish my book. I’ve been working on it for a little less than a year and I’d love to get the first of what I hope will be many books on a shelf.

Who is your role model and why?

It’s really hard to pick just one because I believe that everyone is our teacher. Everyone I have crossed paths with at one point or another has brought something really incredible to my life. If I had to pick just one, I would have to say my brother. He and I were really close in age while we were in school and he set an incredible example for me in how to study, get good grades, and always strive for my best.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

To teleport. There’s so many places I want to travel to, I wish I could get to all of them faster.

What is your favorite veggie-friendly dish?

Roasted veggies! Sweet potatoes, red onion, whole garlic pieces and brussel sprouts drizzled in olive oil, spiced with cinnamon, sea salt, fresh pepper, thyme and a little Cajun is my jam. I could eat it every day of the week. Sometimes I do!

 

Lady Boss: Ignite & Inspire

What prompted you to explore motivational speaking and start your own business?

It sort of happened by accident, to tell you the truth. When I returned from the Peace Corps, my hometown high school asked if I’d come and share my story with a few of the classes about my work. That turned into more schools in my area asking me to come, then a couple of service groups. I got together with a friend of our family, Cathy Newton who is also a professional speaker and she really encouraged me to pursue it and be true to my passion for speaking. She became my mentor and really helped guide me in every decision along the way. My first big gig was speaking with Missouri Association of Student Councils for about 600 students and I fell in love with being on stage. There was really no going back after that. Speaking in this way gave me a way to share my story from the Peace Corps while connecting with students. It just made perfect sense.

What is your favorite aspect of being a lady boss?

Being able to make my own decisions. It’s so nice to be in charge of my own schedule and choosing to work because I love it. I love knowing that I’ve built it from the ground up. There’s a huge and humbling sense of accomplishment I get from knowing just a year ago, this was a tiny little spark of an idea and now I see how much of an impact I’ve had and how much what I do has had an impact on me. I’m thrilled with the chance to do it my way.

What is one of the biggest challenges you face in successfully running a start-up?

It can be really overwhelming at first. There are so many decisions to make: what kind of website, how do I handle finances, opening new bank accounts, investing money in the right way, sticking to a budget, knowing who to trust and who wants to see you succeed. It can be tough to put on a boss hat and go with your gut. There’s a so much trial and error and you have to be okay with always trying again, trying to do better and to be better.

My biggest challenge personally, I would say was doing so much work alone. I was used to an office setting before the Peace Corps where I always had people to bounce ideas off of and brainstorm. But now, so much of it fell into just my lap. I really had to actively seek out friends and family to act as focus groups for me in terms of design, content, branding and whatnot. I didn’t have a built in community, I had to create my own.

What advice would you give to women seeking to adventure into entrepreneurship?

Do not ask for permission. Even the speaking industry is a male-heavy industry and I hear all the time how nice it is to see a woman pursing it as a career. I was able to start this because I didn’t ask anyone if it was okay, I knew it was what I wanted. I had a vision, so I made a plan. The only “permission” we need as women is our own and once that is granted, there is truly no stopping us.

Thanks so much to our May Queen Bee Camille Yameen. Don’t forget to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and on Twitter @camilleyameen. More information about her Motivational Speaking and her story can be found on her website: www.camilleyameen.com

Keep spreading kindness and inspiration lady boss!