An Interview With Sara Connell
Keep your focus on your goals, don’t let anything distract you from the real challenge, which is maintaining your company and your own prosperity.
Books have the power to shape, influence, and change our lives. Why is that so? What goes into a book that can shape lives? To address this we are interviewing people who can share a story about a book that changed their life, and why. As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lillee Jean.
Lillee Jean is an entertainer best known for her modeling, acting, writing, producing, directing, makeup and lifestyle vlogging. Based on her own experience of online cyberbullying, she is currently working on a passion project called “Project Bullyish.”. She’s a longtime advocate of mental health awareness, online bullying, and global warming, educating the public through her online presence. She is currently filming the third season of “Lillee Jean TALKS!” Live, which is IMDB credited. Past shows can be viewed on her YouTube channel as well as her media website.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?
Being a native of Queens, New York, I became fascinated with makeup at a young age, but I viewed it not simply as a fun beauty tool, but also as art. Watching videos from Mac on the Internet, I thought that the blending was its own kind of art. To see the human face used as a canvas, to elaborate on features, and create makeup art, I thought was incredible. I remember hanging out at the Mac Cosmetics store at the mall, and the staff were the nicest, kindest people I had ever encountered. I was fortunate that my parents encouraged my love of art, so they would let me purchase cosmetics at the store and speak with the people behind the counter. It was amazing to be treated with respect, even at such a young age. Mac Cosmetics will always hold the best memories for me, as I continue my career in entertainment.
Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers a bit about the work you are doing?
In the beginning, I really concentrated on makeup tutorials. I then moved on to hair and skin care, but something was always missing. Over the years, my career has slowly evolved into the entertainment industry. In addition to my Talk Show, which I write, direct, and produce, I am also in the process of creating a documentary called “Project: Bullyish”, which will tell my story of being online bullied for years, as well as show my journey to find real solutions for this sort of digital emotional and sometimes physical violence.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. In order to survive in any business, you need to keep your values in place. You can really end up being sucked into the negativity that sometimes people present when they are in groups. Never let anyone take your dreams away. Fulfill yourself first, remember that you are the most important person in the room, and without you optimized at 100 percent, nobody else can get your undivided attention.
2. Being resilient is an important trait to develop too. I have been torn down many times online, but I always remind myself that nobody is allowed to take my passion, and I always make it a point to come back ten times stronger.
3. Last persistence is everything. When I have something in mind that I want to do I always persist with my ideas, even if sometimes they don’t all end up being displayed at that time in my life.
What’s the WHY behind the work that you do? Please share a story about this if you can.
Having the ability to positively influence people, and hear them when they speak, is the “WHY.”. There are some things we all have in common, I have learned through connecting with so many people on my digital platforms globally. The fact that we all share the same goals, loves, likes, and worries is fascinating. One of my “WHYs” in life is to share my story, ideas, and dreams with others. “Project: Bullyish” has definitely heightened my sense of purpose. I am giving voice to a topic that many people aren’t willing to talk about, digital crimes, which can destroy people’s dreams, their emotional well being, and even their physical health.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
In general, my family has profoundly influenced my life. They inspire me to become a better person every day and to help others based on my position. It is a life lesson to know that your family is one of the most important things in your life.
Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Can you please tell our readers about “The Book That Changed Your Life”? Can you share a story about how it impacted you?
It always makes people laugh and shake their heads when I tell them my favorite book, but here it is. “The Art of War”, by Sun Tzu, is one of my favorites. As a teenager, I was inspired by this book, and I still refer to it whenever I need inspiration. This book is timeless, and I find new meanings in it every time I read it. The fact that a book so old can still inspire so many people today is fascinating. This book stresses the importance of diplomacy over war. To me, acknowledging that war cannot always be avoided is just as crucial as seeking non-violent solutions. Sun Tzu recommends fighting war strategically and psychologically to minimize damage and waste. The strategy was aimed at ending aggressive behavior, and was brilliant. These principles can help you keep calm and focused in all your interactions with people on a daily basis.
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide that you wanted to take a specific course of action based on the inspiration from the book? Can you share a story about that?
When I was 15 years old, I became the focal point of a group of people led by a person who, to this day, is attempting to make my life not only miserable, but also to take my voice, my name, and my means of life, through the Internet. It took me some time to get to the forgiveness stage, but since I’m here, the book encourages me to fight for what is right with dignity and honor.
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
A powerful message can be conveyed with the right words. Understanding the written word and using it effectively in your daily life is so important. By re-focusing their priorities and principles, books help people to shape new ideas and futures.
A book has many aspects, of course. For example, you have the writing style, the narrative tense, the topic, the genre, the design, the cover, the size, etc. In your opinion, what are the main, essential ingredients needed to create a book that can change lives?
A book that seeks to create change should have a clear message that speaks to the head and the heart in the situations it addresses. Imagine how powerful the written word can be to change one’s perspective on the world and reshape one’s thinking.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why?
1. You will always find someone who wants to bring you down for no other reason than that they feel bad about themselves; don’t let that deter you from your dreams.
2. No one has all the answers, but patience will get you what you need in the end.
3. Put your heart and soul into bringing the best version of you to your fans, don’t worry about being likable.
4. Consider hearing out any advice offered to you, perhaps it can be helpful
5. Keep your focus on your goals, don’t let anything distract you from the real challenge, which is maintaining your company and your own prosperity.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
Hopefully one day the world will realize that war and violence doesn’t solve anything. It would be wonderful if we could all be one, and we could respect each other’s views.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilleejean/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQF-GZ2oWfgb1NN3QtJJlA
Lillee Jean Websites: https://www.lilleejean.com and https://www.lilleejeanbeauty.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/REALlilleejean/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LilleeJean
Digital Art: https://www.deviantart.com/lilleejean
Giphy: https://giphy.com/lilleejean
Tenor: https://tenor.com/official/lilleejean
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10479689/
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.
Lillee Jean On The Book That Changed Her Life was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.