Meet YALANDA Pearl” JESSIE | LPC and Boutique Owner”

We had the good fortune of connecting with YALANDA “Pearl” JESSIE and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi YALANDA “Pearl”, what do you want your legacy to be?
What I want people to remember most about me is that I did not let my background prevent me from pursuing my dreams, instead it motivated me. Let me make it very clear that I was the product of a two parent household with wonderful parents that ensured we had the love of GOD in us, but the times that my parents were reared in and the times in which I was reared in were vastly different regarding educational opportunities. My parents were not able to graduate from High School so college was definitely out of the question. I could have easily followed the route of my Mother and my 5 sisters and married immediately after High School but I knew I did not want that and decided I would take a different path. Now mind you, I had no idea it would be the path I ended on, but GOD had my steps ordered and I did not even realize that I was following the path he wanted me to go on, the detours I took were of my own stubborn will however.

The legacy I leave is one that I am establishing for my daughter so that she could be proud of me, so therefore I do things that make a difference to the underdogs of the world, the people with no voices, the people that are being trampled on in various way, the people forgotten by society that are suffering in silence.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Pearl’s of Wisdom Counseling Service is going on it’s 11th year in business. What sets it apart from others is that it initially began as a method of helping Veteran women that had been raped in the military like I was, and it turned into a whole other concept from the very beginning. I am most proud that I am still here 11 years later because most businesses do not survive the 5-year mark. I am where I am today because GOD designed it as such, he knew BEFORE I was formed what I would become. I have learned a numerous amount of lessons on the way, some that could have caused failure, but the goal is to learn from bad experiences so that you do not repeat them. There is nothing about this journey that has been easy, but it has been uplifting, motivating and very challenging.
What I want the world to know about me above anything else is that the word “No” is a motivator for me, not a period. My brand is “be a pearl” because pearls begin as little irritants that are nothing, but the shells that continue to form on them (life lessons) shape their character and determine who they will ultimately become. Every layer on a pearl makes it stronger and stronger until it is hard to penetrate them easily.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If one of my good friends were to come to town, I would take them to my brother’s restaurant, Almost Like Mama’s for some down home cooking that will satisfy their soul. I would definitely take them to church at Magnolia COGIC for some authentic preaching from my Pastor, Terrance Sanders. As for entertainment, Beaumont is a small town and there are not many venues that I can think of where entertaining would be a key factor, unless there is a concert in town at one of the venues or the State Fair which comes once per year. I usually go out of town for entertainment purposes myself.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutouts would be to my husband, Albert, who I was intended to marry right after High School and my precious daughter, Y’hnoree’, who has never believed I could not achieve anything I wanted even when I doubted myself. My sister, Deidre is the best cheerleader that any young girl could have and my brother Joseph that calls me a “go-getter” because I am forever attempting to achieve something different. These 4 people have been instrumental in me being where I am today. I wanted my daughter to have a positive educational role model as there were no college educated women in my family when I initially began. My husband wondered why I was not in business for myself but instead propelling another organization that did not appreciate me to success. My sister has never ceased to tell me she’s proud of me and my brother would come all the way to Killeen to visit me and was the FIRST person I saw when I returned from Operation Desert Storm along with my father.

Website: www.beapearl.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/pjessielpc

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/yjessielpc

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ThePearl717

Facebook: www.facebook.com/POWCS

Youtube: pearlsofwisdomcounselingse4371

Image Credits
All photos are mine