When Life - Getting to know Leah Berdysz of Empowered and Poised

This week, we are getting to know Leah Berdysz from Empowered and Poised. I think Leah explained the mission behind the Empowered and Poised movement best when she stated,

"Life can be tough as a girl. The constant criticisms we receive can be downright brutal. Nothing ever seems to be good enough in the eyes of society. My desire is to create a movement that helps to build girls into Empowered and Poised women by teaching them fundamental skills focused on mental, social, and physical well-being. This movement will allow girls to see that they are perfect just the way they are!"

Let's welcome Leah! 

 

1. Tell me why you decided to start your business. What inspired you? Your backstory.

“Empowered & Poised originated due to my personal experience with anxiety and body image issues. I also realized the need to equip girls to be Empowered & Poised through my experiences mentoring, volunteering, talking with my own friends, and teaching an all girls physical education class.”

 

2 If a partnership, how did you guys meet? If you have a team, can you briefly explain who all is on your team and their roles?

My team currently consists of wonderful women who offer to volunteer their time to help my greater cause. For example, Anika Prots, does a wonderful job editing all of our blogs. I am also grateful for the many women who offer to share their time with our students to teach them important skills, as well as help me in promoting our events. I could not do this alone, so I also consider my mentors a huge part of my team and support.

 

3. Did you always know you were going to be an entrepreneur?

I didn’t always know I was going to be an entrepreneur. However, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

 

4. What did you do before owning your own business?

I was a student before owning my own business. I started Empowered & Poised directly after I finished college. However, a wonderful opportunity was presented, allowing me to teach physical education for girls in first grade through sixth grade. This is now my third year teaching physical education, fifth year working for Rock the House Entertainment, and first year working for LaunchHouse as their community outreach coordinator. LaunchHouse is an amazing entrepreneurial community on the east side of Cleveland that supports entrepreneurs, remote workers, and small businesses.

 

 

5. What gives you balance in your personal and business life?

Time management skills are so important to juggling as many things as I am right now. I still use an old school paper planner to keep track of everything. Even though I work a lot thankfully almost every one of my jobs allows for a flexible schedule.

 

6. Tell me a little about your family life.

I have lived a very blessed life. I grew up in Twinsburg, Ohio, home of Twinsdays. I have a wonderful mother and father and three siblings. My eldest sister, Lindsey, is an elementary school teacher. My youngest sister, Darian attends Ohio University. Derek, my little brother, is a junior in high school and owns his own landscaping business. (If there is going to be another entrepreneur in our immediate family my bet is that it will be him! Be on the lookout, friends.)

 

7. What are 5 must haves in your fridge?

1. Water
2. Peanut Butter
3. Berries
4. Apples
5. Eggs or Egg Whites

8. Do you have any rituals that you practice everyday or each week? For example, journaling, self-care Sunday, working out, etc...

I typically workout 6 days a week. Going to the gym helps to keep me sane. I also believe in the power of prayer.

 

 

9. What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a business/blog?

Go for it! However, I will say to be prepared for tough times. It’s now always easy to run a business and manage a blog. It take a lot of work and a great deal of resilience. What has helped me to get through the challenging moments has been my support system: other entrepreneurs, mentors, family, friends,  and my boyfriend. So, I advise surrounding yourself with people who will be both honest and loving. Networking can help you to find these people if you don’t already have them!

 

10. As an entrepreneur, how do you unplug from everything?

The gym! (Except for when I get crazy and do work while working out….)

 

11. Share a fun fact with me! Something most people may not know about you.

I wish I could transport to new places, because I love traveling but do not like the actual act of getting there.

 

 

12. Where can we find you? 

Website: https://www.empoweredandpoised.com/

Email: hello@empoweredandpoised.com

Social media: @empoweredpoised

 

 

Wow! I am really truly blown away by this movement and the work Leah is doing with these young ladies! It has been more than a pleasure getting to know her better! Thank you for sharing your journey with us, and I wish you nothing but love and success in all you do!

 

Love,