We had the good fortune of connecting with Quinesha Hodges and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quinesha, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As a wife and a mother of two children, I have experienced different paces in life. From 2015-2019 I carried out leadership roles in education and I really enjoyed it but my role as an administrator began to overlap with my personal life. I enjoyed leading my team but I really enjoyed loving my family well. In 2019, I realized that I needed to make a few adjustments to ensure that my beautiful children and my amazing husband were not simply getting what was leftover. My family is my first ministry. During the summer of 2020, after much prayer and counsel, I decided to begin working from home as our children started the 2020-2021 school year online. While this decision in itself was daunting, it was also exciting! Recently, my husband and I have focused on regularly taking an inventory of peace and joy in our home. This really has helped in all areas of our lives. Although things were pretty great considering we were moving at such a fast pace, we knew if changes weren’t made, the happiness we had would be short-lived. After taking a leap of faith, our lives are more fulfilling and enjoyable. Life is too short to simply live to work. Setting priorities and taking your time back is so important. If we desire to be masters of time, we must decide to work to live.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder of Affirm Nation, a company based in Katy, TX that aims to establish and cultivate a culture that lives to give. We seek to encourage humanity, physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually through content, media, and design. After seeing a rise in decreased self-efficacy and self-image, individuals struggling with identity, and loneliness, it was apparent that a change needed to occur. My first thought was that I wanted to reach the entire world, but I was completely overwhelmed. It was in that moment of uncertainty Jesus showed me that I didn’t need to reach everyone at once. I simply needed to use my gifts to reach people one word at a time. This journey has not been easy and I have experienced rejection like none other. I have been stretched beyond what I thought was possible but it has all been worth it. Along the way I have learned to only compete with myself, to remember my why, and to never lose sight of my priorities. Our brand is focused on living to give and ensuring quality content, products, and media are available to empower and encourage people to keep going for more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow! I would definitely take them to dinner at Liberty Kitchen and to the museum district downtown. The next morning, I would take them to First Watch in the memorial area for breakfast and then visit the Houston Zoo. Later, we would finish the evening at Helen Greek Food & Wine. On another day, I would recommend visiting NASA if possible in the morning and weather permitting, going to Matagorda beach in the afternoon. The Gumbo Bar in Galveston is delicious and they have great customer service. Finally, I would end the week by visiting the ZaZa Spa, checking out the shops in Rice Village, and strolling through the antique malls in the memorial area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everyone needs a support system and I learned this early on. My husband and our children have been my constant and relentless encouragers. My husband has challenged me to never settle and to remain true to who I am. My sister and brothers have been a steady strength cheering me on. Finally, my parents and in-laws, including my bonus dad and mom have been great pillars of faith in every season. I would never want to leave anyone out. In each position that I have held and places of worship where I served, I have been able to glean so much from my supervisors and team members. These experiences have made me who I am today and Affirm Nation exists because of the impact these individuals have had on my life.

Website: https://www.affirmnation.life/
Instagram: quinesha.hodges_affirmnation
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinesha-hodges-bb50744b/
Facebook: Affirm Nation

Image Credits
Images were taken by Justin Hodges at IHI Media, LLC

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.