Meet Dr. Stephanie Iglesias |

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Stephanie Iglesias and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Stephanie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe risk is something entrepreneurs take often, it’s the biggest part of making it from one level to the next. On a personal level, the biggest risk I have taken is telling my deepest and darkest truth in my personal life story. I have exposed myself at the deepest level. For others, they will either love you for it or hate you. For me, I never cared what people thought of the exposure, what I have cared about is my story had an impact on at least one person. I know for sure it has, so the RISK has outweighed any negative connotation it could have brought. Without a risk, how are you going to fly???

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My name is Dr. Stephanie Iglesias, I am the owner and founder of Testify Skin Care Boutique, an all natural skin care line made with five ingredients or less to heal, moisturize, and edify your skin. This is not just any skin care line. This is a skin care line birthed from my own mess. You see, I am a survivor of domestic violence who endured 11 years of being abused mentally and physically. It wasn’t the physical abuse that got me, it was the mental. The words that broke my mind and my spirit. It became etched within resulting in many days where I felt ugly and unworthy. Many believe that once you leave an abusive relationship these feelings just go away, but I must say from personal experience the feelings become intensified. It was one midsummer day 2019 when I just wasn’t feeling myself. I looked in the mirror and said “girl, you are a complete mess.” But with God, my mess motivated me to utilize my gift of creative arts and established TESTIFY. My testimony of how I turned my mess into a message. Helping women feel, look, and smell good when they don’t feel like themselves.

What sets me apart from most is not only have I developed this amazing skin care line, I am also a creative and multi-talented author, motivational speaker, and creative arts psychologist.

I am the author of my self-acclaimed series Dr. Stephanie Chronicles in which I have written: “FAR FROM PERFECT”, “BUT GOD….WON’T HE DO IT”, and “A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE AFTER ABUSE”.
I am the founder of The Tasteful Art Experience, an innovative business in which I implement various creative arts methodology to promote positive self-expression. Additionally,  I am an advocate for diversity, equality, inclusion and have bestowed an amazing project to preserve the life and legacy of African American Inventor Bessie Blount Griffin. (Please see our foundation @ www.bessieblountgriffinfoundation.org)

When asked what I am most proud of and excited about I must mention two things:

1) I’m proud that I am a Latina who has beaten the odds becoming part of 7 percent of Latinas who have earned their PhD.

2) I’m excited about my service to my Savior Jesus Christ and the doors HE will open for me to walk through to serve the people of this world.

People always repeat the statement, “when life hands you lemons make lemonade”. I like to say, “when life throws a curveball, hit it out of the park”. Whelp, I’m that woman hitting home runs. Since I was young I always wanted to help people, I just never knew in what capacity. I learned growing up life is unfair and it takes hard work, dedication, and a Yes, I can attitude to really become successful. Becoming successful has been a journey, a journey of sleepless nights and early mornings. An understanding that you have to sacrifice things, lose things, and do different things to just make it. It’s the whatever it takes attitude even when you fail or fall. My success has been drawn from this attitude, it’s what I call the  “YES I CAN!!!”

Many ask what it’s like to be successful. I can’t honestly say I’m there yet. I believe this is just one bullet point to my life and there is so much more to obtain. However, if I were to describe the process I have endured to get to where I am now, I would say the wildest roller coaster with many twists, turns, loops, all in which I have been relentless in….resulting in SUCCESS. It’s the pain of the process that creates a successful individual.

Along the way, I have learned this, not everyone can go with you to where you are going, what is meant for you is just that, “for you”. Sometimes we try to take people on the journey with us and they are not meant to be part of the ultimate success, but only a lesson within the journey. We must stay laser focused on the possible so God can do the impossible.

If I could make an imprint on the world right now, I would want the world to not just know but understand WE, I mean specifically women, are the most powerful creatures on this earth. We can endure, just like I did, survive, just like I did, and thrive, just like I am doing. All we need to do is change our mindset and believe we are worthy and able to do anything, just speak up and TESTIFY!!!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting, since I live in South Jersey, we would spend a week at the Jersey Shore, more specifically, Cape May. We would spend the day at the beach soaking up the sun, then head back to the Airbnb, take a nice stroll downtown at the shops, and entertain ourselves with great conversation. We could check out the Harriet Tubman Museum, as it’s important to know our history and enjoy the sunset on the beach.

Website: www.testifyboutique.com

Instagram: @tasteful_art_experience & @testify_2020

Facebook: Stephanie iglesias

Image Credits
Photos by: Sarah Merlino Photography