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Overcomers Approach
“The Overcomers Approach” podcast showcases stories of resilience, where individuals transcend challenges to achieve personal and professional success. With a focus on spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and financial growth, the podcast inspires listeners to embrace their potential and thrive in all areas of life. Join us to learn how overcoming adversity can lead to evolution, healing, and lasting success.
Overcomers Approach
Inspiring conversation with Jennifer Lloyd on self-belief, empowerment, and balancing motherhood with community-driven initiatives
From humble beginnings to remarkable achievements, Jennifer Lloyd's story is one of resilience and empowerment. As a wife, mother of six, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate, Jennifer shares her journey to success, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and taking actionable risks. Her transition from motherhood to finding her passion in photography serves as a powerful reminder of how personal experiences can be harnessed to uplift others, especially women re-entering the workforce. Jennifer’s insights shed light on her perseverance and the transformative power of community-focused initiatives.
Jennifer is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, emphasizing the beauty of leadership, motherhood, and entrepreneurship. Her distinguished journey includes titles such as Mrs. Washington America (2005) and two-time Mrs. Korea World (2021 & 2023), and Mrs. Korea Queen of the World (2024). Jennifer’s commitment to nurturing women’s potential has earned her numerous awards. Her leadership extends to roles as co-owner of Lloyd Enterprises INC., a former School Board Director, and Director of the Smize Foundation, along with supporting multiple charitable initiatives. A seasoned model since the age of 16, Jennifer has graced international runways and renowned publications. In 2021, she expanded her portfolio with Jennifer E. Lloyd Artistry, a photography business specializing in high-end beauty and pageant portraits. Jennifer is a 5x Global Beauty Awards recipient and board member. A devoted wife and mother to six children, Jennifer’s unwavering faith anchors her life, inspiring hope and advocating for enduring strength and beauty.
Balancing the dynamics of family life with personal and community engagement presents its own set of challenges and rewards. Jennifer opens up about her experiences of parenting with both grown children and a young one at home, underscoring the importance of teamwork and community involvement. She eloquently discusses how reaching out for support and collaboration can turn struggles into opportunities for growth. By sharing personal anecdotes, Jennifer illustrates how forming connections and volunteering can enrich our lives and help us make meaningful impacts beyond our immediate families.
In a world where nurturing relationships is key, Jennifer offers valuable insights into maintaining strong friendships and sustaining a healthy marriage. Her personal experiences highlight the significance of quality over quantity in fostering supportive networks that remind us of our worth. With a focus on strong communication and intimacy, Jennifer explains how thriving marriages contribute to stronger communities. Her work in photography, capturing the essence of women's confidence and beauty, serves as a testament to embracing self-worth and empowerment, encouraging us all to celebrate our unique gifts and potential. More on Jennifer at her website https://www.mrsjenniferlloyd.com/
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Thank you for listening!
Good day everyone. This is Nicole Ellis McGregor, the founders of the Overcomers Approach, where I meet with people from different walks of life, different experiences, different journeys, but the overarching theme is that we are overcomers and we are striving to go higher, to go to the next level and to really inspire other people and to empower other people. I am so happy to have Jennifer Lloyd here. She is a wife, a mother of six, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and best friend to most of people who come in contact with her. She grew up with no running water, a government assistant. She has a desire to serve and give back, and that is an empowering story to let us know that, no matter what our backgrounds or history, we can strive for greater. We can strive for excellence and have the life that we want. And Jennifer is a passionate advocate. She empowers others. She emphasizes the beauty of leadership, motherhood and entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1:She has a distinguished journey as Miss Washington America 2005, washington America 2005,. Two-time Miss Korea World 2021, 2023, and Miss Korea Queen of the World 2024. Jennifer's commitment to nurturing women's potential has earned her numerous awards. Her leadership extends to roles as co-owner of the Lloyd Enterprises Incorporated, a former school board director and a director of the Smize Foundation, along with supporting multiple charitable initiatives. A seasoned model since the age of 16, jennifer has graced international runways and renowned publications. Jennifer, thank you for being here with me today and just to encourage and inspire our listeners, I just want to know what has brought you here today. Your journey has been just profound, and how did that journey look for you to get to where you're at now? What was the main? What got you here?
Speaker 2:Yes, For so many years, nicole, I was really ashamed of just where I started from, because we came from basically nothing. My parents immigrated to the US with just a college degree or be somebody one day. Because I watched my parents struggle and I thought that that was life. But it really was a journey of just self-belief and gaining confidence. Throughout the years, I was faced with obstacles and now I'm at a point where I can definitely use those challenging times to not only inspire women to just never give up, but use my story to just help someone feel like they're not alone.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, awesome. You know, I love that, I love the fact that and I know that my listeners can relate and so can I. Just sometimes, when you come from a background where there are barriers or you had to strive extra, extra hard or really overcome mental roadblocks or what people might say or what you might even feel for yourself, that negative self talk, to really get to getting that college degree, getting married, being a mother, being successful, sometimes people keep hearing the message that it's not possible, but it most definitely is In terms of getting you striving there and having your parents really role model for you of getting you striving there and having your parents really role model for you.
Speaker 1:You know working hard and making it so that you can. You know support you and the woman that you are today. Was there any overarching theme that stuck out to you as you made your journey?
Speaker 2:Well, something that really stuck out to me was just the transitions I went through and I realized that being a mom is a huge sacrifice, and during that transitional time in my life I had to put a lot of my goals on pause.
Speaker 2:And I remember just reflecting on those moments where I felt alone and I felt like I was doing nothing. And I remember my self-confidence felt depleted because I watched other career-oriented moms dress up, look nice, they could talk about on Facebook or on LinkedIn about their successes Meanwhile I'm raising just kids and I felt like I was going nowhere. But that's so far from the truth. I really had to take a look at how blessed I was and what success really meant to me, and that was, you know, I could raise my family, support our goals, be able to be that mom to have warm, hot meals for my kids. But during that transitional time I saw an opportunity where you know what I could still focus on my goals and create a business where I could make my own schedule yet become more financially independent. And that's when I started my photography business and it was just tapping into my creativity and taking a risk and I realized that it's actionable risk that actually does build confidence. I realized that it's actionable risk that actually does build confidence.
Speaker 2:And when I started my business I didn't have a clue if it was going to be successful, but I had a drive and I loved that drive because it pushed me through trial and error and you can only become a better version through trial and error.
Speaker 2:So, truly, it was just never giving up. And now I'm able to not only use my business to create financial independence for myself. I've been able to reach out in the community, partner with organizations that are global, and I have an outreach that it's really benefiting women all around, because I'm using my story to help women. You see, when I was transitioning, I realized how difficult it was to get back into an industry, a working industry, and I saw that there was a gap, because women who are trying to market themselves online and they've taken a pause. It's really expensive for them to have a headshot. So I'm like I can use my business, provide them a professional headshot where they could feel confident online and on an additional platform. And that has been really fulfilling to me is being able to use my talent and reach out to my community and make a great impact.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you know, I love that.
Speaker 1:I love the fact that you said, like when you started the photography business, you didn't know if it was going to, you know, be a success or not, but you had to take actionable steps to make that happen and you did it and then ultimately, from you, you know doing it the overflow from that was really helping the community, helping other women get, you know, kind of reset, you know, and really needing that professional headshot, because that's important these days now in terms of marketing yourself and PR and being your own biggest cheerleader and, you know, just giving that professional presence that you know people see, and I think that is just phenomenal groundwork, because I meet so many people.
Speaker 1:That's one of the things they talk about, because when you have to remarket yourself or get started again, that's one of the things that you really have to do, and I'm just glad that you're giving back to community and empowering other women to do the same thing, and so I love that. I want to just kind of touch base on your pageantry how has that impacted you and how you feel like that help has helped develop your leadership skills as a woman and empowering others?
Speaker 2:I've always challenged myself whether that was, you know, something like picking up a camera or having a ton of kids putting myself out there especially. You know, I'm 46 years old and I'm like, okay, I'm going to get back in a bikini. But it really gave me some motivation and some goals. So being part of a pageant sisterhood felt like it was just the right arena to put my hat in, because the women who are involved in pageantry are all leaders.
Speaker 2:We all serve the community, so there's a lot of alignment there and I just love that. The focus is about building communities, and so I really enjoyed my time in pageantry and I met some wonderful, wonderful friends through it Awesome, awesome.
Speaker 1:That's so good to know and I and I love that and that's one thing that I've always admired, that's one thing that I would always, you know, my nieces, you know, and I, you know, growing up, and then I see my nieces now taking that on that mantle and I'm really seeing that as a form of leadership. Women are intelligent, smart, beautiful, impactful. A sisterhood.
Speaker 1:You know where we could work together and celebrate the wins in other people and in ourselves, of course but, actually seeing that and that's just something that I just love the fact that that's really something that's still very present and just so very, very important for women, and so thank you. I just want to say thank you, because we women need to see that just in our culture Sometimes we get different messages, but we need to see something that that's just profound and professional and polished and an elegant you know, and speaks for excellence. So I think our girls still really need that in society. So thank you. Being a mother of six how do you do it? How do you stay balanced? What does that look like?
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, I don't know if every day I could say is like. It's not perfect, that's for sure. But my husband and I, we work together as a team and and I have to say that you know, knock on wood, our kids are doing great and they're productive, so I'm very thankful for that. Uh, but I'm in a season right now where Nicole so our youngest is eight years old. I'm still very much that mom driving back and forth to gymnastics and dance and school, but I have a little bit more time on my hands because the other five are done their college, they graduated working. But I love that. Again, I'm in a season where I can give my time back into the community and that's where I find my joy. So, outside of outside of the work, outside of raising, you know, a child at home, I'm spending a lot of time making a difference in the community and that seems to really keep me focused and balanced.
Speaker 1:I like that and I like that. It's such a in terms of like role modeling. You know, like you said now, that some of the kids are older, which I can identify with ours are older as well. Me and my husband have a blended family of six. They're all mainly grown up and you know, out the home and successful and now taking that breather to kind of reset and like remarket yourself and and kind of do the things that you're gifted to do and give out to community, which is definitely an alignment and a passion of mine too and just showing women you know that it can be done, it's very possible and we still the chapters are still being written, you know, and so Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, it's like you can take all this knowledge and, of course, the wisdom you've had, you know, gained and really be able to touch and change a life. Like I get so much fulfillment knowing that my story or my actions are helping women. And, as they say, you know, when you help a woman, you help her family, you help the community, right, and there's just so much like fulfillment for doing all of that.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, I completely agree with that, with that. Like you said, being a parent sometimes it's not always easy. You know there's no book that comes with it, but we do it. And how do you, as a mother, as a woman, like when you hit a road bump or a struggle or a roadblock, how do you kind of help, because I honestly believe that every challenge is an opportunity for growth and learning and taking us to the next step, to promotion or increase or whatever that is. But what do you think? How do you think or how do you view struggles and how can they help women propel themselves to get to that next step or that next goal?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I find it sometimes depleting when you are faced with a challenge. I mean, there are times where I just have to go to bed because at the end of the day I'm just exhausted, lost it. But one thing I realized and again this was a challenge is not to be a perfectionist that I, I am able to reach out to sisters or to community leaders that have the experience and knowledge to just kind of help you, you know and I realize, when you run with a team, you can run faster, but when you run alone, it's just going to take you a little bit longer.
Speaker 2:So my, my advice is just to reach out to other women. And if you don't know how to reach out, you know, look up women on social media, or look up women community leaders and and see if you can meet with them. Meet with them for coffee, or, if you need an, a strategy to get their attention.
Speaker 2:See if there's a way you can volunteer to help them on a project or initiative that you know they're pushing, because you'll often find that when women work together, we build a bond, right and trust that's made. And as you get older, it gets even harder to build or form lasting relationships.
Speaker 2:So the best way is to go in and work, and you may have to work for free, so the best ways to go in and work and you may have to work for free, yes, but realize that not only are you gaining a connection, but you have the opportunity to learn Right and and it's way better to run with a group than it is.
Speaker 1:You know, there's a few nuggets of wisdom that you provided that I really loved. One was sometimes you just have to go to bed and get some rest. Yeah, I think that's really important. That is so important. We don't have to burn ourselves out. And sometimes it just is like maybe we need to go to bed a little early, rest our mind, let our body rest, rest and start the next day. I love that, because sometimes people feel like they just have to run until we burn out. We don't have to do that.
Speaker 1:And then another thing you mentioned was reaching out to other women. Like we do have to step out of ourselves and kind of stretch ourselves and reach out to some of those women in the community or leaders and have a strategy possibly. And that might mean to volunteer, to serve for free, and I think that's so impactful and so important because it's building that trust. You know it's being in that environment and it's not so much. You know I'm asking, you know I'm serving, I'm giving, and there's so many, I feel like so many blessings that come out of that. And so I think for myself that even helps me. I'm not so comfortable, I'm, I'm I'm a selectively an extrovert, but I'm really kind of naturally introverted, so I'm more comfortable, just kind of in my space and you know, but I've had to recently reach out and speak with people and that has brought me so much wisdom, so many wonderful connections and relationships that I wouldn't have if I didn't reach out, you know.
Speaker 1:And so I love the fact that you said that and just to serve and work for free, and so with that, how you're definitely it's reciprocal. Something will come back. What that is. I don't know whether that's growth, that's knowledge, trust, relationship, but there's so many wins in that. Whether that's just serving community, that's something that's growth, that's knowledge, trust, relationship, but there's so many wins in that. Whether that's just serving community, that's something that's honorable and something that is very, very important. And you mentioned, when you help a woman, you help her family, you ultimately help the community, you know, and so I definitely believe in that philosophy. Do you believe that women can have it all or do they have to pick and choose? What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2:Well, prioritization is the key here, because you have to decide, like what is it that lights you up and what is your definition of success? Yes, because, at the end of the day, truly, it doesn't matter how much money you have, right like, you have to find happiness and what you're doing and and in your life, and so what it comes down to is is your time. How much time, how much time is truly the time I get to spend with my husband and my children? And, of course, my girls are my girlfriends, are everything.
Speaker 2:So having the flexibility when they said hey, you know, let's go celebrate Helen's birthday. It's a Friday and I'm like you know what I could make that happen, let's do it, you know. So to me that is that's having it all for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I love that and I love the fact that you really define it. That is that you know. I honestly believe that you know our families, the time, our spouses. You know our husbands. That is something that's so valuable and that's part of having it all and that's really a blessing. However, we define it or prioritize it, like you said, it's really up to us. We define it, but I definitely believe that it's really prioritizing. Like you said, you know your family, your friends, you know being able to go out and have fun, you know, and so those are really timeless things. They're priceless. We can't put a price on it and it's just part of creating legacy as well, which leads me to a couple more questions before we close out. You know being a seasoned woman, 45 and over, for us women out there, still doing it, still beautiful, still focused on our families and just being professional and having fun. Can women over 45 still have fun? What does that look like?
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm speaking a lot about this, nicole, recently, because so many people around me are getting married. All my friends' kids are getting married. My kids are getting married and the best piece of advice I can give to a young woman is just never lose yourself. Yeah, because at the end of the day, you have to feel good about who you are right and we can so easily get so lost in our femininity, where we just want to serve others and we become pleasers yeah, we start losing the ability to speak up for ourselves. So it's so important that you have good girlfriends, a good girl base, where they can remind you of your worth when you don't believe in yourself, that they can pick you up and you don't feel like you're the spunky young person you was before.
Speaker 2:They remind you of who you are, and I just, I love that. So don't, don't lose track of those good friends, the good girlfriends you have. You don't want to lose yourself. You have to still, still invest in yourself, no matter what season you're in. Yes, healthcare, giving yourself grace right, giving yourself permission to feel beautiful. To invest in yourself is the key.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I love that. Like you said, don't lose yourself. Still have that good girlfriend base to remind you in your sisterhood of who you are. Sometimes we forget and we have to hear it, and we have to hear our wins, we have to hear our accomplishments, we have to hear about maybe part of our journey that we forgot. Mean, I love that. That really resonates with me because sometimes I need that for my girlfriends, um, especially if I have a rough day or I just I for forgot, I'm just done, I crash out.
Speaker 1:they're like wait, nicole, you have done this, this, this, this, this and this, why you know, don't forget who you are. You know you're, you're a queen, you're a warrior, you know, you are resilient, you know, and sometimes we forget and sometimes we definitely can affirm ourselves, but it definitely helps when we have reminders from those around us, from the ones that we love, you know, our sisters, our friends. I love that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely, I, I, I couldn't be where I'm at without my girlfriends and, I have to say, like they have watched me go through some of the hardest struggles and have just stayed steadfast in my journey and also been biggest cheerleaders for my wins, and it is so nice at the end of the day, I could still be me and have the women who have been supporting me still there, just there, there by my side. It's really, really nice and it's refreshing. And especially as you get older, you realize like you don't need a whole lot of friends, you just know quality, quality friends that's right.
Speaker 1:I agree, quality over quantity. You don't need a whole lot, but the quality of the circle is very, very important. Um, I also want to touch and I know that your wife and I'm a wife as well um, and there are people getting married. What do you think helps you sustain? You know, um, we still hear of, you know, divorce. That happens um around 50, and I'm a strong advocate for marriage. I believe that marriages and strong families make strong communities. Um, you know, and what helps you sustain? What is it? Date nights. You know what does that look like, because I have friends who are married and they may not have had a good model of marriage and they're really trying to figure this out through trial and error. What has and I know you had your parents, but what do you think sustains a strong marriage for you? Or how do you keep it going? What does that look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my parents have been married for 52 years this year. Yeah, and interestingly, my mom was asked.
Speaker 1:Sorry about that, go ahead.
Speaker 2:That's okay. She was asked a question and you know the question was will you do it again? And she said absolutely not. And everybody was laughing. So I guess my takeaway from that is like, I don't want that, like, but they are together through thick and thin. But I want a relationship where it's it's beneficial on both sides. You know my husband and I, we both made a commitment to stay in communication and date each other.
Speaker 2:So we often will travel together just to kind of get that reboot. And I still am very feminine around my husband.
Speaker 2:There's times where I have to be masculine because of business, but I'm very feminine around my husband where I still want him to find me attractive. So I take great effort right. So I give myself grace and excuse. If I need to go get something nice to make myself feel good and get his attention, I love I need to go get something nice to make myself feel good and get his attention. I love, I love to do that. I also am very feminine in the kitchen. I I still plate my husband's food.
Speaker 2:I like it, you know maybe some people are, you know, more like get your own food, but being able to give him a hot dish and it makes him feel good at the end of the day and you know, we, just we love our intimate time when we have a glass of wine and we can sit and talk.
Speaker 2:So I'm so thankful that I have that friendship. We're on our 17th year now, so it's, it's beautiful. I'm really, really thankful for that and I and I know it's it's not the same for everybody. But you know, relationship is a working, a working beast. You have to work at it, that's right.
Speaker 1:That's right. I love that. You have to put in the work, definitely, it's just not kind of going to exist and keeping ourselves attractive and feminine, like you said, there are points where you have to be mass. You know that masculine energy has to come out with work, or you have to get some things done, or you're leading a team, you know. But then you know also having that quality within yourself to spend that time with your husband, to still serve him as plate. My husband's very much the same way and so and I do the same thing you know in terms of, oh, I think I need to, you know, and I do the same thing you know in terms of, oh, I think I need to, you know, put some perfume on and get real pretty today for him. So I think those are some of the things that are definitely key, real basic things, and then committed to stay, you know, and I think that that's a big, that's a big part of it. You know, making that commitment and following through. So I there are some key things that I completely agree with you on, and I love your mom's humor where she said I wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1:My grandparents are married like a very long time they had 13 kids. My grandmother complained about my grandfather all the time. She had like this humor, but I don't know if it was a generational thing. I honestly don't think she meant it. But she was like, oh, I don't know. I don't know if it was a generational thing. I honestly don't think she meant it. But she was like, oh, I don't want them around here. I ended up with 13 kids, you know.
Speaker 2:My mom was the same way. She said I sacrificed my whole life.
Speaker 1:I'm like, okay, great, but when I look at my uncles and my aunts and myself and my nieces and nephews, and I look at the legacy that comes from my grandparents, I'm very grateful. So one last question, and then we'll close out what would you go back and tell young Jennifer at 16, before you started out with the modeling pageantry kids husband, anything that you can go back and tell yourself that you would go back and say to her now.
Speaker 2:Yeah that, oh, you're going to make me cry that you're enough. You know, I think it's even to this day I'm still questioning, sometimes, just because childhood trauma pops up and sometimes you self-doubt and that's something that I have been working on and, um, and it's so real and I, I, I find that, that realness in me, the hurt that was in me, and, like I, I'm able to really encourage another woman. For instance, like if I have a woman sitting in my chair and I'm about to shoot her, oftentimes she's not very confident because it feels a little intimidating when you have a camera in front of your face, because you don't feel worthy enough, you don't feel like you're right there.
Speaker 2:Women are worried about hair loss, wrinkles. They're not going to wait. They didn't get enough sleep so they're just worried about the way that they're going to present themselves. But I'm always trying to encourage them that you know this. It's just a split second where the camera catches that light in the spirit, and I know how to transform her face with the right lighting and the right angle. The photos can be deleted.
Speaker 2:We're only going to pick one you know the best one, Uh, so don't worry, but yeah, it's definitely um that you're enough, and that was me, my, my encouragement for women today is that you are enough and you're worthy and God created you perfect. You're his masterpiece.
Speaker 1:Yes, you know, I love that. I love the fact that you said that you are enough and I think that's a great message to have my listeners, whether they're women or men, you know you are enough and we are at some point of experience different traumas, similar traumas. That's a wound, that that we're walking through this journey, still trying to overcome that space. I can totally relate to that myself and you know, and I'll feel like I'm enough for most of the year, but you know, maybe 20 days out of those years I don't feel enough, I don't feel worthy, I don't feel like I'm supposed to be in a space. But then I have to remind myself that God, just like you said, created us as his own divine masterpiece and he knew us before we were in our parents' womb. He knew what our gifts and talents were.
Speaker 1:And I love the fact that you photograph women. And we all have those days where like, oh, I don't know if I want this wrinkle to show, I got bags, I didn't get enough sleep, I get all that. I have those days. Oh, I have my holiday 10 pounds, I mean, it's going to show up bigger than that in the picture. I get it. And so I love the fact that you're there to encourage, inspire and to remind the women hey, we can delete, we just need one picture, we just need one, and I love that. And so, jennifer, if any of my listeners want to reach out to you, um, you know, for, maybe, coaching or for photography, what is your web link that they can connect with you at?
Speaker 2:Yes, connect with me at mrsjenniferlloydcom. I have different pages. You can learn more about myself and how to get connected with me, as well as my photography. I have been on a world tour lately, so I have put a lot of my shoots on hold, but I do have dates coming available, starting in the summertime, and I would look forward to working with any of your audience members.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Jennifer. I just want to say thank you again. I know that you've had a busy schedule. You know a world schedule. I'm just so happy and I'm just for your grace and humility and transparency today and just really empowering, encouraging other women, and so thank you, Jennifer, you have a wonderful day. It has been my pleasure.
Speaker 2:Thank you, nicole. Have a wonderful day too.
Speaker 1:You too, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you.