We had the good fortune of connecting with Kenisha Morgan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kenisha, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite affirmation is “Jesus loves me.” I say this every morning. It reminds me that despite all the mistakes that I have made in my life, the disappointments, the judgement, the unfairness, the guilt, the lack of confidence, the hurt, and the pain, Jesus will love me as I am. If I don’t have anything else, I have Jesus love.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The idea to start my own business was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most, the pandemic hit me hard. I was without work for a long period of time. I didn’t qualify for unemployment and I had to figure it out. During this time, I started to find ways to make money. I thought to myself, “what else can I do?”
Prior to the pandemic, I was learning how to code. Initially, I learned the markup and styling languages i.e. HTML and CSS respectively, but I realized that I needed to learn a programming language. I chose JavaScript and I got really good at it. Eventually, I got a contract job with a company that gave me additional training in ServiceNow. ServiceNow is a company that develops a cloud computing platform to help companies manage digital workflows for enterprise operations. Currently, I am a freelance ServiceNow developer. I build applications for companies on the ServiceNow platform.
Now, my story doesn’t end there. The pandemic taught me that it is so important to have multiple streams of income. I founded a travel-size natural hand lotion company too. It came from my experience with products. I have sensitive skin, most products break me out. I wanted to provide more options to people with skin like me. We deserve to use products without breaking us out. The company is called Aonani Hand Lotions. We believe that hand lotions shouldn’t have a laundry list of ingredients, hand lotions should only have the essentials in the bottles. Aonani Hand Lotions prides itself by only having the bare essentials in a hand lotion. We have 3 hand lotions: Bare Essential Moisturizer, Jasmine Bare Bones Moisturizer , and Aonani Shea Hand Cream. They sell for under $8 each.
I would have never thought I would at this moment in my life. If you would have asked me a year or so ago,”where will you be in 2021?” I would have said I would be in Los Angeles pursuing acting. I’m an actress, but when productions stopped and when auditions stopped coming in due to the pandemic, I had to do something else. The pandemic taught me that it is okay to not just focus on acting. It’s okay to be a multifaceted actor. It is all a part of the journey and it gives a person more depth as an actor. So, I am an actress, a ServiceNow developer, and a business owner. It is okay to be that too.
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?
I love Ponce City Market and the Beltline. I would take my best friends to the Beltline, walk the Beltline, and grabbed a bite to eat at The Roof at Ponce City Market. It will be an evening of playing games, drinking, and eating the best food on the rooftop.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, my brothers, my closest friends, and of course GOD!
Instagram: @kenishalmorgan
Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/atlanta-ga/aonani-hand-lotions
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenisha-morgan-696b0056/
Image Credits
Dajour Ashwood Chris Fain