Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Simmons.
Hi Jessica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2006, my mother went on a mission to seek resources for me to combat childhood obesity. She ended up founding a health training organization for families and youth like me, called Healthy Kids & Teens. Fifteen years later, I work alongside my mom and our company has served over 30,000 families across the State of TN and MO. Although I love my career, educating children on the benefits of keeping a healthy lifestyle wasn’t enough for me. I wanted more. I wanted to teach and inspire on a niche level. I not only want to reach kids dealing with issues that I used to, but I also want to reach women living their lives like I live mine, in celebration of everyday luxuries. I started my blog, Luxe Like Lea, to inspire women to celebrate luxury in their everyday lives, like working from home, enjoying a 5star meal, cooking a 3star meal at home, shopping at Saks or the Dollar Store. I believe that luxury is attainable on any budget because it is a state of mind.
I currently juggle between both gigs and although my life gets pretty hectic, I love it! I’m one woman from Memphis, TN, who simply believes that we can all find light in the darkest spaces of life. Good health does mean taking care of our bodies, but it also means taking care of our minds; and our mind can create beauty in even the most ordinary tasks in life. I aim to show my audiences that a luxe life is possible in real life!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest struggle for me has been finding a balance. My schedule is pretty full most of the time, and finding time for rest amongst grant deadlines, meeting with school administrators, health rallies, and shooting and scheduling blog content can be difficult. On top of all of that, I like to be present in my relationships and friendships and it’s hard to do that when my phone or laptop is in my hand 90% of the day. Burnout is real and I’ve been working really hard to combat it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an all-around creative! I’m the TN Manager for Healthy Kids & Teens, a title that comes with many hats, but the most enjoyable part for me is when I’m creating art. I create my own content for LuxeLikeLea and my social channels, I also run the website and social channels for HKT, as well as creating all of our digital graphics and flyers. My absolute favorite part of any day is editing a video for my blog or flyer for HKT. In another life, I’d strictly be a graphic design artist.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I’ve always loved Disney movies and my favorite childhood memory is a trip to New York City when I was eight years old. My mother knew of my love for The Beauty & The Beast and on our trip, we went to see the show on Broadway. I credit that experience in that fabulous city to the moment I knew I was meant to be a creative. I even kept the show playbill! I saw so much creativity roaming the city streets and on that Broadway stage. There’s nothing like NYC!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@luxelikelea.com
- Website: www.luxelikelea.com,
https://healthykidsandteens.org - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_jlea/
