Daily Inspiration: Meet Lindsey Escaja

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Escaja.

Hi Lindsey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was working my job in Corporate America, year ten, and was traveling home from a sales conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I had changed my flight to arrive home earlier than expected to beat a snowstorm in Ohio and once I got to the airport, I found myself a victim of two active shooters – one in baggage claim and the other who had come through TSA check-in two minutes behind me. I was at the first gate after TSA check-in and found myself with no other option than to run for my life, unsure as to whether I would be the victim of a bullet or not. Unsure as to whether I would live to see my father or dogs or anyone that mattered to me another day. There were so many unsures, but I just had to react and pray for the best. It was in that situation that my entire world was rattled to the core.

I had lost so many people close to me; my mother, and my sister, but the thought of my own life ending without notice will change a person. I know this because it most certainly changed me. I ended up driving home following the incident, all the way to Ohio, from Florida high on adrenaline and the next day work expected me to come into the office. It was at that moment I realized that something needed to change. It was at that moment I realized that my job did not care about me as a person, they only cared about their bottom line.

A couple of weeks following the incident, my best friend, Rachel Kerr, had a weekend retreat getaway scheduled.  A getaway that she wouldn’t take no for an answer in my attending as I hadn’t left my house since I returned home in fear of another situation like what I had experienced would happen. It was at this weekend retreat with The Beauty Boost, that provided me with the clarity I needed to make that change. The clarity I needed to remind myself that whatever I did next would be okay – that if I could survive a scenario where I have to fight for my life, I could survive walking away.

The Monday following the retreat I had made the decision to resign from my six-figure salary at my job in corporate America to become certified in trauma-informed yoga – my Second Act as I would like to call it.  My intent was to help others who might be suffering from PTSD like myself. To help others find a coping mechanism that did not involve medicine.

Along my journey, I honed in on my marketing skills from years in Corporate America and I began consulting (content strategy and freelance writing) as well as helping out Rachel with her company. Eventually, Rachel decided she wanted to expand her vision beyond Columbus, Ohio and I raised my hand with a quickness because I stood by the mission. Why? Because it is that mission that helped me begin my Second Act and I had the marketing skills and background to help her expand. To make her vision a reality.

We launched The Beauty Boost Cleveland and The Beauty Boost Cincinnati in 2017 and I haven’t looked back since. Not on my six-figure salary, not on my decision to leave, not on living paycheck to paycheck asking myself what if, none of that.

So, what is The Beauty Boost you might ask and why is it this company and experience that changed my perception of my career trajectory? A career trajectory ingrained in my brain since childhood. The Beauty Boost is a place for women to come together in a community of other like-minded women to feel empowered, healthy, and beautiful. We do this through a plethora of things such as weekend getaways, day retreats, fitness activities, life coaching sessions, goal hikes, accountability groups, and so much more. It is also just an amazing space to find friends after college and network with other amazing local businesses, entrepreneurs, and women on the same journey of life as I am.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Working for yourself is never a smooth road. If there is someone out there reading this that is an entrepreneur and has had a smooth road, please tell me your secrets. When anyone asks me if being an entrepreneur is easy, I tell them it is like riding a bike. Except that bike is on fire, you’re on fire, everything is on fire, and there is limited water to put those fires out. But what I also would tell someone who asks about the experience is that it is fun as hell.

Despite all the ups and downs and unsure moments about whether or not I could pay my bills, every single moment has been worth it. Every single moment has taught me something new either about myself as a person or my skill set and it has been such an amazing thing to experience.

I was taught growing up that money didn’t grow on trees and if I wanted to go to college, I was supposed to get good grades and be good at sports to get into a good school with hard work and dedication. It is that same message that was engrained in my head throughout college where the outcome was to land a good job. But what I wasn’t told? What so many of us are not told is that there are options. That you can take a detour. It is okay to go left, or right, and not down the path expected.

This might come as a shock as a millennial, but my biggest struggle getting started on my journey as an entrepreneur was social media and marketing. Although my background was in marketing and I had created strategies and grown companies’ portfolios by millions of dollars and subscribers, it was hard marketing myself. It was hard trying to figure out what I had to offer or that others had either not heard before or had a story that was worth hearing. The imposter syndrome crept in a lot; which is easy to fall into a trap again with social media at our fingertips and seeing firsthand what your competitors are doing.

But this imposter syndrome gave me room to grow and an opportunity to continue to grow not only as a company but as a person. It forced me to put in the work. It forced me to evolve and as I did so do my work, and so did the digits in my bank account. And this is what I stress to any woman I meet along the way through The Beauty Boost or just in everyday life – if you are feeling pressured either by what you think is expected or that you think you might fall short of your competitors or have imposter syndrome? Go through the motions and remind yourself that you can be anything you want and do anything you want if you have passion and put your mind to it AND most importantly have a plan.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Not only do I run The Beauty Boost Cleveland office, but I have a consulting business that specializes in Content Marketing (strategy, campaigns, email automation, website copy, blogs, website development, and so much more) and I offer 1:1 business coaching to a couple of clients a year. All while teaching yoga to inner-city kiddos, human trafficking survivors, and my local community AND being a foster parent. It sounds way more stressful than what it is, I promise. How? Flexibility. I make my hours. I pick and choose my clients or the projects I work on. I get the ability to say no and most importantly the ability to say yes.

I believe that what sets me apart from others as you can tell by my statement above is that what I do can’t simply be put into just one box. And I thank my father and his work ethic for teaching me this. At a young age, I continuously struggled with what box to check. Am I white? Am I Hispanic/Latino? There was no option to check both boxes and it created anxiety for me, it still does, when I have to select an option.

And that is the beauty about what I do – I don’t have to check any one particular box. I am not strictly a marketer. I am not strictly a writer. I am not strictly a financial advisor. I am not strictly a business coach. I am not strictly a yoga instructor. I am not strictly an entrepreneur. But more so I am so many things and it is all of those things that have made myself and my companies successful. I also take the time to listen to the needs of all my clients and the women I meet who attend our events and enjoy building a connection with each and every one of them to help them turn their visions into reality.

If you want to get involved in The Beauty Boost (https://www.thebeautyboost.net/cleveland) Or expand to another city would love to have a conversation with you!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I have dual citizenship between both Columbus and Cleveland and I love each city for similar reasons because it is like I have my own mini version of The Big Apple, right here in Ohio. I know, I know. I am comparing apples to oranges with the two states, but in reality, it makes sense…although I have my go-to spots in both cities, I find myself never having to go to the same place more than once. How come? Because both cities have so many diverse options to offer from the food to delicious cocktails, to outdoor adventures, to fitness studios, to their amazing museums, and that list just goes on. And what makes both that much better? The people I get to interact with on a daily basis through work and just everyday life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebeautyboost.net/cleveland
• Instagram: @lmve_614 and @thebeautyboost_cleveland