Meet LaTonia Tillman
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LaTonia Tillman was 18 years old when she was diagnosed with vitiligo. Growing up, she was always conscious of her appearance, so going through the physical transition of vitiligo was a difficult challenge to overcome. The beginning of her transition was also around the time she was starting college. This made her feel all the more self conscious and stressed because more spots began appearing on her skin. She started to cover all the small spots on her hands and legs by wearing clothing that would hide it so she could fit in rather than standing out because of her “milky white patches”.
Tillman is a mother, sister, daughter, and a US Air Force veteran, serving 20 years in the military. She is currently a phlebotomy and processing supervisor at UMMC. Tillman wants to show the world that the real beauty of a woman lies within. She expresses that True Beauty is self acceptance, it comes with accepting the good and the not so good parts of you. She always knew she was different because people would point, stare and whisper as her skin continued to change. At one point, she recalls the stares and pointings getting the best of her. It was a time in which vitiligo was rarely talked about. She did not realize just how much having vitiligo was going to drastically change her life. Tillman shares that she suffered from depression. She would often remove herself from a lot of social events so she wouldn’t get the stares or questions. She recalls people mistaking her for being mixed, albino or Caucasian. At times, she felt the need to explain herself. Having white patches, many people would whisper, point or stare and wonder what was wrong with her. Overcoming the challenge took her some time. Tillman expresses that she is not 100% where she wants to be mentally but she does continue to push through, taking it one step at a time. |
Tillman shares that she is thankful to be an advocate for people like her suffering from vitiligo. She overcomes it by ignoring the negative and combating it through education. She shares that educating people can go a long way. If more people know that it’s a skin condition and not a contagious disease, it can help take away some of the stigma associated with it. She sought help from God, her family, and healthcare professionals. Tillman learned to start loving herself for who God made her to be. Once she started self-care, self love, it became contagious. She began doing what makes her happy and letting go of things that no longer served her in a positive way. She surrounds herself with supportive and loving people.
In addition, Tillman also had two children that looked up to her. Her children and family keep her motivated each and every day. They are her biggest source of inspiration. They have been there for her through each step of her journey. She has learned over the years that there is a difference in knowing who she is and knowing what people say about her. Knowing that what people say cannot and will not affect her life unless she chooses to let it affect her. Tillman hopes that she can help others feel less alone.
“Shift your belief in yourself and gain more self acceptance, love, and a belief in yourself that is unshakable.”
She wants people to know that they are not alone. Living with a diagnosis can be very hard, but everything you will go through is something that others have experienced. She shares that you should be kind to yourself, muscle up the strength to own each and every day. She encourages all to realize that we are all different, but we are all the same; so live with no regrets. Tillman urges people to believe in themselves and don’t let anyone or anything stop you from being you. She’s very grateful for all the experiences she's had in her life because they have taught her so much.
“Remember what makes you a unique individual and live up to it.”
She hopes to pass what she’s learned on to the next generation.
We asked LaTonia Tillman what Valiance means to her,
“I think it means fighting through your fears. You have to be smart about the risks you want to take. Choosing wisely doesn't mean that you won't fail, but knowing that whichever comes as a result, failure or success, will be valuable in life. Continuing the fight after you've failed is brave.”
Follow LaTonia Tillman on her journey to making an impact on the world via her social media platform @lala.chronicals
In addition, Tillman also had two children that looked up to her. Her children and family keep her motivated each and every day. They are her biggest source of inspiration. They have been there for her through each step of her journey. She has learned over the years that there is a difference in knowing who she is and knowing what people say about her. Knowing that what people say cannot and will not affect her life unless she chooses to let it affect her. Tillman hopes that she can help others feel less alone.
“Shift your belief in yourself and gain more self acceptance, love, and a belief in yourself that is unshakable.”
She wants people to know that they are not alone. Living with a diagnosis can be very hard, but everything you will go through is something that others have experienced. She shares that you should be kind to yourself, muscle up the strength to own each and every day. She encourages all to realize that we are all different, but we are all the same; so live with no regrets. Tillman urges people to believe in themselves and don’t let anyone or anything stop you from being you. She’s very grateful for all the experiences she's had in her life because they have taught her so much.
“Remember what makes you a unique individual and live up to it.”
She hopes to pass what she’s learned on to the next generation.
We asked LaTonia Tillman what Valiance means to her,
“I think it means fighting through your fears. You have to be smart about the risks you want to take. Choosing wisely doesn't mean that you won't fail, but knowing that whichever comes as a result, failure or success, will be valuable in life. Continuing the fight after you've failed is brave.”
Follow LaTonia Tillman on her journey to making an impact on the world via her social media platform @lala.chronicals
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Meet Kimberly Persiani
Kimberly Persiani is the CEO and Founder of K. Persiani and co-owner of Studio K Beauty Lounge. K. She was born in the small town of McDowell County. Persiani offers a diverse selection of styling tools and cosmetics to consumers at an affordable price without limiting quality. Studio K Beauty Lounge is an eleven-station salon that focuses on customer appreciation and ensuring each guest feels at home. The slogan, “Look extraordinary, while just being yourself” sets the tone and atmosphere for customers. Persiani started the salon after she dealt with difficult management, making it hard for her to work in her creative space. She knew that when she started this journey to ownership, she would want to create a place for people to feel valued and welcomed. She wanted her guests to feel at home.
Persiani’s love for makeup began in 2012, when she started a YouTube channel. Though she put YouTube to the side, she still continued to perfect her craft offline. TikTok makeup tutorials revived her interest in makeup, which then birthed the company, K. Persiani, established in January 2020. K. Persiani delivers a robust collection of styling tools, which include flat irons, blow dry brushes, and curlers. Her first major launch of palettes and makeup brushes were released March 21, 2020 and sold out within 24 hours. She was extremely humbled yet excited about this new endeavor, and she knew that she was on the right path. For Persiani, it was fulfilling and satisfying to have so many people supporting her, and it further solidified that she needed to keep on the path for her dreams.
Her passion for makeup has flourished over time; practicing diverse looks and techniques. Now that she is able to create her own products, she finds even more joy out of each color selection, name created, and color scheme. To say she is passionate is an understatement.
She has faced many obstacles and calamities from the beginning to now. Her first set of hot tools had a few defects that needed to be exchanged. However, she did not let this crush her dreams. Several hours of research and development helped redesign the internals. She also partnered with another vendor to create a higher quality product. Persiani did not give up on herself and continued to be resilient in her efforts to pursue her dreams.
One important person who supported and encouraged her was her husband Demetre. He often pushed her and lifted her up to keep dreaming and building. They are a team, strong in heart and mind, “One band, one sound”! Persiani hopes to get her makeup line in the hands of everyone worldwide. So far, she has shipped to the United States, the Netherlands, and Italy. She knows that this makeup line is what she’s always wanted and seeing it come to fruition is one thing she always hoped for.
Persiani believes Valiance defines creating, innovating, and building something to be proud of without sacrificing integrity. She wants to be an inspiration to everyone growing up in the nations.
@kimber304
Her passion for makeup has flourished over time; practicing diverse looks and techniques. Now that she is able to create her own products, she finds even more joy out of each color selection, name created, and color scheme. To say she is passionate is an understatement.
She has faced many obstacles and calamities from the beginning to now. Her first set of hot tools had a few defects that needed to be exchanged. However, she did not let this crush her dreams. Several hours of research and development helped redesign the internals. She also partnered with another vendor to create a higher quality product. Persiani did not give up on herself and continued to be resilient in her efforts to pursue her dreams.
One important person who supported and encouraged her was her husband Demetre. He often pushed her and lifted her up to keep dreaming and building. They are a team, strong in heart and mind, “One band, one sound”! Persiani hopes to get her makeup line in the hands of everyone worldwide. So far, she has shipped to the United States, the Netherlands, and Italy. She knows that this makeup line is what she’s always wanted and seeing it come to fruition is one thing she always hoped for.
Persiani believes Valiance defines creating, innovating, and building something to be proud of without sacrificing integrity. She wants to be an inspiration to everyone growing up in the nations.
@kimber304
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MEET Kelsi Boyd
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Kelsi Boyd is the Founder and CEO of Silver Market Co. in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. She manufactures small batch bath and beauty products using sustainably sourced plant materials. Boyd says that her community and family are very important to her.
“It's more like an urge to feed your family.” She shares that she was not always the best cook, and rather than actually feeding the people she loves, she makes them things that she believes are helpful and uplifting. In her early twenties, she developed skin allergies to detergents and was still struggling with face and body acne. She started using organic and fragrance free products which helped, but she lived in a rural area where Walmart was the only shopping center in the entire county. The cost of these products and difficulty accessing them inspired her to teach herself how to make her own soap. In 2015, Boyd started gifting her homemade soaps to her friends and family. Soon after, they started sharing her products with other people. This quickly turned into a small pop up shop, which is now also an Etsy store. Over time, she began selling her products to small boutiques throughout the region. These small businesses linked her team with even more supportive customers who inspire them to keep doing what they love. This summer, Boyd and her team will be opening their very first brick and mortar retail space. |
found Boyd grew up in an area referred to as Chemical Valley in Appalachia. This area is filled with various trades and talents that inspired her to learn her own craft. This region has experienced overwhelming economic, environmental and social hardship. Despite its revolutionary history and contribution to the wealth and industrial advancements of this nation, it’s a place that is painfully misunderstood and underestimated by the rest of America.
Because of the lack of opportunity, she decided to try and find her own economic independence and freedom by building a small, sustainable business in the area she grew up in.
“We have always been told that nothing else will survive here, and I couldn't disagree more. I believe that grassroots efforts and economic diversification will help us rebuild our culture. Silver Market Co. is one small effort that I hope can be used as a model for others like me who wish to create for and inspire their community.”
Building a business in a rural area has come with a lot of obstacles. Silver Market Co. operates in a place that has very poor broadband internet infrastructure and high monopoly power. The team pays high prices for the internet so that they can compete in a national market; however, it's not unusual to miss deadlines due to internet outages and connectivity issues. Access to the internet is vital for their small business because living in an area with a small population and skewed demographic narrows the customer base for niche products. Finding venues for pop ups and wholesale buyers was also really difficult to come by when Boyd created the business in 2016.
When asked about overcoming her obstacles, Boyd expresses that the government is responsible for improving the state's infrastructure. In this case, she engages in local and state politics by voting and attending town halls. In terms of navigating the real, day to day problems that arise, she’s simply lucky to have a customer base that respects her work enough to look past some of these inconveniences. Many of her customers are also Appalachian, so not only do they empathize with her, they're working and living through the same hardships.
Creating an E-commerce platform to sell her products nationwide helped her increase her businesses revenue, while also gaining really helpful feedback and reviews that continually help her improve on her products and practices.
Growing pop up festivals across the state like The Handcrafted Cooperative, made it possible for her to meet hundreds of people and introduce her team’s products to them. These customers helped create a demand for their local boutiques to carry their products, which helped Silver Market Co. build its business from a residential location until they could afford to expand into a commercial location.
“Because of zoning ordinances, we were not allowed to sell our products directly to customers. This summer, in our new location, will be the first time we are allowed to open our doors to the public. March 2021 marked our fifth year in business, so it kind of feels like we've done everything in reverse. It's made me a really patient person.”
She credits her partner and other supportive women in her life for keeping her going.
“My partner Nic has been a big advocate in helping and supporting me as I turned my craft into a business. The women in my story that I mentioned earlier also give me a lot of strength and confidence.”
Boyd does not have children of her own yet, but she does have a large family - siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, are all who inspire her to chase her dreams, so that she can tell them to do the same.
“I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who truly love and support you, and challenge you to become the person you want to be.”
When asked about what Valiance means to her, Kelsi Boyd says,
“I think it means fighting through your fears. You have to be smart about the risks you want to take. Choosing wisely doesn't mean that you won't fail, but knowing that whichever comes as a result, failure or success, will be valuable in life. Continuing the fight after you've failed is brave.”
Kelsi Boyd and Silver Market Co. can be found on their social media platforms.
@silvermarketco
