Overcoming Stuttering + How to Walk Confidently into Your Purpose | with Gynella Ngounou

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About this Episode:

Have you ever felt different? I think we all can answer “yes” to that question at some point in our lives. 

Regardless of your background, no two people are created the same which means each and every one of us have unique qualities and better yet…a unique purpose!

For today’s episode, we have Gynella Ngounou—award-winning fashion entrepreneur and Founder/CEO of Students Expressing Life through Fashion (SELF) back on the show for part 2 of her interview series! In part 1, Gynella talks about how to break the odds with entrepreneurship, how to find a mentor, and shares tips for winning business grants. 

If you listen to Gynella’s bio, she mentions in the first sentence how she stutters. She has also branded herself as The Stuttering Sewist.

With this week being National Stuttering Awareness Week, we couldn’t think of a better time for you to hear Gynella’s story of breaking the odds with stuttering, and her tips for how to walk confidently into your purpose—regardless if you stutter or not.

*If you haven’t listened to part 1, we encourage you to tune-in to that episode as well. If you have listened to part 1, we do a brief recap at the beginning of this episode, so you can fast-forward to 10:50 to hear new content from Gynella’s interview.

Press play to listen!

Meet Today’s Guest: Gynella Ngounou

Gynella Ngounou is an award-winning fashion entrepreneur, who stutters. She developed a passion for fashion and design at a young age, and was admitted to study at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). However, due to financial constraints, she withdrew and became a self-taught designer struggling to find resources to fulfill her designer needs. 

In 2018, she launched Students Expressing Life through Fashion (better known as SELF) to equip at-risk fashion designers and hobbyists with affordable, quality fashion education and sustainable careers. The company would go on to partner with Dillard’s, Quaint Revolt Media, and New York Fashion Week independent designers. Today, Students Expressing Life through Fashion is an award-winning Academy providing certificate programs, direct mentorship, industry placements, and business services in a resourceful sewing and tech incubator. With SELF looking to graduate its first class next Fall, Gynella is also excited to launch her eco-luxe women’s wear fashion label called NGOUNOU.

In this episode we cover:

• Fashion design
• Entrepreneurship
• Self love + overcoming stuttering
• How to walk confidently into your purpose

…and more!

Quote of the Day

“Own it before it owns you…There were times where I would allow it [stuttering] to deter from my actual purpose. With me actually choosing to own it and choosing to…walk with it, it has really allowed me to enter into a new target audience and it has brought us more visibility. There is good in what you may feel is a weakness of you. There’s good in it. Just knowing that and just trying to find what the actual good is in your stuttering, it can actually help you to move within your purpose. Now it was tough though, it’s tough. But just knowing that not only does God have you, but other people are rooting for you—that’s what can keep you going.”