Meet Chelsi Lester: Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsi Lester and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsi, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Being truly authentic is a key value of mine. Part of being authentic is also being patient with myself – acknowledging the reality of my process, accepting where I am, and making strides to fully develop into who I am ultimately purposed to become in life. Though I enjoy being inspired by many people around me – younger and older – I aim to remain authentic in who Chelsi is. I have lived and learned what it’s like trying to embody the popular habits of other people, neglecting the person who God created me to be; needless to say, it didn’t propel me further into my purpose. Bringing authenticity into my career is what I know will truly set me apart – not only materialistically, but being true from within my heart.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wow… There is a ton that I can say, in response to these questions. To [re]introduce myself, I am Chelsi Lester, founder and owner of Souly His, and I am also the aspiring founder of a unique, developing, and international liturgical dance company. Souly His, LLC is a new, Christian-based apparel & more line that launched September 2020. Through sweatshirts, mugs, blankets, hats, and more, the mission of this line is to evoke feelings of reassurance and mindfulness in others, and myself, that, despite all of the unfortunate circumstances that occur within our lives, God sees, knows, loves, and cares about us. Further, it is a reminder that our souls are His, and we are His children first – solely. The idea of establishing my own clothing line was conceived in my driveway, in July 2019. At the time, I was so excited about doing it – until school was back in session; the momentum, that I once had, grew to become significantly weak, but I knew that I was going to “get around to it.” Months later, in March 2020, was the start of the global pandemic…

In a paused world, where even the political leaders were unsure of how to sanely navigate under such different circumstances, I had enough time to reflect and spend some time evaluating the lesson in “the pause.” In April 2020, I was spiritually and loudly reminded of the instilled vision to present Souly His to the world – which was so appropriate for the time. In a post on my Instagram, I posted a picture of myself, wearing one of the sample Souly His shirts that I had ordered. Included in the caption was: “Souly His… coming soon.” The tricky word in this caption is “soon.” While the adrenaline was rushing to launch this line because, at that point, “the people were waiting,” the qualities of being a new entrepreneur were not yet developed. In the developing stages, I applied self-imposed pressure to meet social media’s invisible deadline, instead of taking gentle strides to gear up for stepping into an entirely new zone – a business owner. I did mention that I am still a college student, right?

Pressing forward to late August 2020/early September 2020, the birth of this idea was swiftly approaching. The eagerness to officially launch Souly His was through the roof, needless to say. Undoubtedly, anxiety was present, but the anticipation of excellence outweighed the hold that it had on me. A few minutes before the 12:00am launch, two of my closest friends gave me a call, and we prayed, sang, and everything – it was a whole moment. By this time, I had my website, manufacturers, business license, separate bank account, etc.; Souly His was ready to take off! Within twenty-four hours of the launch, we reached over $1,000 in sales! My gratitude was truly unexplainable.

As time progressed, I began to feel the adrenaline wear off, and it was time for me to re-evaluate the structure of my business – from a serious, business woman’s perspective. My first two “light bulb moments/decisions” were to make Souly His a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and to purchase a P.O. Box for incoming business orders. Being newly acquainted with people who decided to support me – those whom I know and don’t know – my eyes were opened to things that I could not have foreseen without their involvement. There were a few areas in the business where I could see the need for improvement. Now, in all areas and stages of life, there will be some room to improve the current stage, a time to grow into the next stage, and situations that call for an entire new seed to be planted. In my case, in January 2021 (four months after the launch), I felt the nudge – the same spiritual feeling that I felt in April 2020 – to take Souly His offline to do some refinements of the current stage. While it is not quite ideal to completely pause a business when things don’t seem perfect or put together, I had to remind myself that the same God who gave me the idea, is the same God who will use me to execute its full potential – in His time.

Having been told a couple of testimonies, I am aware that Souly His is still touching and impacting lives, even though the tangible website is offline – that is what’s most important to me. As an entrepreneur, especially in this stage, I am learning how to apply the personal value of authenticity into my work as a businesswoman; remaining true to the overall mission, and pouring into this business from a genuine heart, is my responsibility. Every single day, I am understanding the richness of God’s timing and how it is an extreme component to the execution of ideas inspired by Him. With the sure hope to re-open Souly His soon, the world can be sure that I am gracefully being molded, trained and fine-tuned into the person who is capable of carrying out the complex vision for this company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of Atlanta’s most toured venues and areas include Atlantic Station, the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Civil Rights Museum, and the home of Martin Luther King, Jr. – those are just some staple areas that I would definitely recommend to any newcomers to Georgia. There are a number of fun, interactive museums that have been established since grade school, when I was taking school field trips to those museums every school year; we never completed the day without going to The Varsity for lunch… what a time. As far as food is concerned, I would definitely take my best friend to the Atlanta Breakfast Club or Thumbs Up Diner (for breakfast), Rosie’s Café (for a brunch kind of vibe), The Garden Room (for dinner), and Café Intermezzo (for a delicious dessert). I currently reside on the outskirts of the heart of Atlanta, so, honestly, I would totally be up for exploring more of the city of Atlanta with my best friend, as we check out the some of the newest hot spots in the area! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people in my life – past and current – that are worth being publicly recognized because of their special impact on who I am today. On to name a few, I must, first, shout out my church family at Antioch Baptist Church North, in Atlanta, Georgia. Since I was a baby, the prayers that they have prayed, the bountiful loads of love that they show towards me, and their consistent presence in my life are so appreciated and will forever be cherished. I am also grateful for my grade school teachers – all of them. In short, I was blessed with teachers and advisors who saw beyond the surface of me being a fourth grade student, for example. Without their push and personal accountability, navigating this current life, as a college student, would surely be even more of a challenge. Another notable person in my life is my *insert multiple roles*, CiCi Kelley. Since the age of thirteen, CiCi has fervently maintained the roles of being my dance teacher, mentor, big sister (when appropriate), and most recently, in the last three years, my college professor. The appreciation that I have for CiCi and her selfless offering of knowledge goes beyond what words can ever describe. Moving on, I must shout out this small group of people: my friends – my real, true, God-sent friends – many of whom I consider family. As the sociable person that I am, I do enjoy meeting new people; however, I refrain from titling everyone as a friend. This group of people have exceeded the expectations of what I once considered a friend. For their willingness to fully take on the responsibilities of being true friends, I am forever grateful. Last, but certainly not least, to my Lester/Rawls/Womack family: Thank you. Thank you for your prayers, your presence, your discipline, your encouragement, your teachings, your wisdom, your love, your opportunities to learn, your contributions, and so much more. You, undoubtedly, have had the greatest significance in my life thus far, and without neglect, I will remember all that I have been specially taught by you.

To be supported by such a village of people is something that I do not take lightly. Clearly from experience, I wholeheartedly believe that we are not intended, or expected, to go through this life alone; with patience, discernment, and trust, the right people will enter our lives and, though some relationships are seasonal, there is always something more to offer to/learn from someone else.

Website: www.imsoulyhis.com

Instagram: @souly.his / @chelsilester

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chelsi-lester-5aa5061aa