Meet Latifah Donald | Kingdom worker

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

Hi Latifah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was simply obeying God. I’ve been doing hair for about 15 years and makeup for about 10 years. I’ve always had a passion for making others feel good about themselves, and I knew that doing my hair and makeup always made me feel good about myself, so I wanted to extend that same Peace and Love to others. I put a name with my talents in 2018 and finally made what I had been doing for so long a business. Around the time I did this, I had just moved back from Illinois, the company that I had been with for 2 and a half years had acquired another company, and downsizing was getting ready to occur. Everyone’s position was at stake, so I went home and prayed about it and I felt that God had given me the “Ok” to move back home. Before getting this job I was unemployed for about six months, I had moved to Illinois for Grad school, but I had no family or friends that lived there. I thank God for providing and keeping me through that season, nonetheless, I had finally felt like things were going well living in a state all on my own, but God came to disrupt my comfortable. I gave that backstory to say, you could only imagine how I felt once I moved back to Michigan and realized that my plans of finding a new job, buying my first home, and falling in love living happily ever after, didn’t align itself with Gods plan for my life; at least not at that time. Instead, God had begun my wilderness/pruning season, I was living with a friend staying in his spare room, I had put all of my things in storage. God took me through a healing process and while taking me through that process, he gave me a vision. During this timespan, I wrote the play that I had been promising God I would write for years, and I birthed Serenity L. Styles. I was unemployed for about a year and three months and I lived with my friend for about two years. The job that I was blessed with ironically was going through the same thing as the other job I was at in Illinois, but this time I was very uncomfortable and I felt as though I was in the Lion’s Den while working there. I was applying to other jobs, but nothing was working. Believe it or not, I was instructed by God to “Be Still”.

Finally, in April of 2021, my manager scheduled a meeting and told me that my position was being eliminated and my last day would be at the end of May. Because I had been getting quiet with the Lord daily, I was already made aware of these plans through the Holy Spirit before they occurred, and I thank God for his saving grace. God instructed me not to apply for any other jobs and to tend to what was started in 2018. It is now July of 2021 and I relaunched Serenity L. Styles, but this time God gave me a plan that eyes haven’t seen nor have ears ever heard of.  I’m just waiting patiently for the Lord to take off the veil.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I honestly believe what sets me apart from others, is submitting myself to God’s purest intentions to PURPOSELY set me apart from others. What I mean by that is, my creativity is a blessing, and I invite God into every stream of talent that he has blessed me with. I choose not to run with the herd, therefore the way I choose to present my art to the world may not be accepted by everyone. God has blessed me with many talents, and because I choose to use every one of my gifts to glorify his name, most often others consider this in this day and age “Doing too much”. I do both Hair and Makeup, I have a podcast, I LOVE interior design/decorating, and my heart’s desire/passion is Film. I love storytelling through film and writing, both help me to express my truest self and allows me to put a character behind my story. Sad to say, but people in your life and society will accept and relate to a character, but reject the very person that the character was derived from, which is you.

I’m not where I want to be professionally and creatively just yet. I’m just allowing God to order my steps (Psalm 37:23), he told me not to apply to any jobs once my position was eliminated in May of 2021, therefore I am being obedient, constantly watching to see, working towards my dreams every day, and most importantly staying in prayer and listening. Following God’s purpose for one’s life is not for the faint at heart, so no, it will never be easy and if it were easy I would question it. I understand that to truly profit and sustain my businesses I must go through the testings and trials. I count the hardships all joy because the trials and tribulations are an indicator that God is in whatever I am doing and I know that through it all he is only strengthening my endurance to make me perfect and complete needing nothing (James 1:2-8). The lessons that I have learned throughout my journey are the quicker you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life, the quicker you can get through the process and make it to the promise.

I believe that God has given me a vision for my businesses that eyes haven’t seen, nor ears have heard of (1 Corinthians 2:9). I’m not sure how the Lord will get me to what he has promised me, but I know that it is just my job to have faith and trust him, because as we all know it is impossible to please God without Faith, so I trust that He is, and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). God said that it is Bigger than me, therefore this promise coming to fruition can only be done in His strength.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a pretty simple person, so what I consider to be fun most people don’t. However, I would go to the movies, go to a nice restaurant that has fries or Al gratin potatoes as a side, go to a cabin and go horseback riding, and then go sit by some water to have a good conversation and eat frozen yogurt.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to first and foremost shout out Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, without Him I am nothing. I would like to give a shout to my Mom, Dad, Stepmom, and Stepdad for everything they have ever done for me. I would also like to thank all of my friends that have assisted in any type of way throughout my life journey, thank you for allowing God to use you as a vessel. Not that everything has always been perfect in any of my relationships, however, God perfects the things that concern us (Genesis 50:20). I thank the Lord for everything I’ve been through, the good and the bad; it has made me who I am today.

Website: https://square.site/book/Q2A9PZ31NJWK4/serenity-styles

Instagram: serenitystyles_ theweighinhw

Facebook: SerenityStyles, Heavyweight: The Weigh In- Podcast

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCXhp0xoNxVpyNA5DewRVDpg