Meet Olesha Haskett, the Reinvention Coach for Women
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Olesha Haskett. Read her story below and get connected with this fellow beauty in the Luxurae Collective.
For those who are new to you and your experiences, tell us a little about yourself and the path that led you to become a life reinvention coach.
I am a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, photography educator, and international boudoir photographer. My purpose in life is to guide Black women in their journey of self-love, boundaries, discovery, and pleasure being their birth rite. In 2019 I founded The Coterie Noir, formerly Boudoir Black Womxn, an inclusive educational boudoir community that fundamentally changes how the broader boudoir photography community captures Black womxn’s essence.
In 2017 I got a divorce and I had to start from scratch to learn to love myself. I had been with my ex-husband from 18 and now being over 30 I was lost. I used my skills in boudoir to help me gain my confidence and practice my version of sensuality without the shame or guilt that happens to a lot of Black women. Because I had to start from scratch I decided to build a journal that would help me on my journey of self-love. I started talking to my clients about the journal and it started from there.
I help my clients process a lot of emotions around feeling worthy, shame about their bodies, and creating boundaries. This led me to create The Reinvention Journal a few years ago. The journal is a memoir and a guide for people 30 and over to become their favorite version of themselves. A few years after its creation I was asked to host a workshop at an international women's retreat and I was invited back the next year. This is what led me down this beautiful path.
What inspired you to guide others into reinventing themselves?
My divorce. I had no idea who I was or what I wanted my life to be. My life revolved around someone else and their needs and desires. Talking with my clients I saw the same thing. A majority of my clients are older women and they were scared to start over or they spoke about the time they wasted. They thought it was too late. I wanted people to see that you can reinvent yourself at any age. There is no limitation on being your favorite self.
What does the ideal Black Woman who’s ready for reinvention look like and what will her life look like after this kind of experience?
The ideal Black woman who's ready for reinvention is scared. She is scared of staying in situations and with people who don't see her worth. She is also bold enough to choose herself. She is ready to define her pleasure and understands she doesn't have to earn anything, but self-love. She is ready to put in the work to be her favorite and most loved self.
After this experience, she might have a moment of grief. The grief comes from realizing she didn't need anyone’s permission to do this work. She didn't have to earn the right to know she was enough. She will feel better in her body and trust herself more. People around her will see that she is standing taller and has an air of confidence. She will realize that being humble serves no one and must always share what makes her beautiful, gifted, and that girl!
What are some common fears or challenges people face during the reinvention process, and how do you help them overcome those obstacles?
A common fear is losing people. A major part of the reinvention process is creating boundaries. Boundaries are a love letter to ourselves. Some people are used to people dropping their boundaries to keep the "peace". Some people will become angry, violent, or ignore you because they no longer have access to you. This can take a toll on the strongest person.
I help them overcome this by creating a strategy and being open about it happening. You have to name your fears so you can face them head-on. This allows for the person facing them to have more control. I also reiterate that we can only control ourselves.
What would you say to someone who feels it is “too late” to start over or reinvent themselves?
Listen I am almost 40 and I have reinvented myself no less than 7 times! Each time I find something new or fascinating about me. You are your longest and most expensive relationship. Why would you believe that you are too late to do anything? You are in the prime of your life after 30. You have lived, learned, and you are not starting from scratch. Use your experiences to help guide you and come to one of my workshops! I got you too.
Contact Information
Speaker Website: www.oleshahaskett.com
Boudoir Website: www.ohexperience.com
Instagram: @oleshahaskett / @ohexperience
Threads: @ohexperience
