Up from the Ashes: The Phoenix Rises Higher

Ever since I saw the statue in the middle of Mitchell Street in downtown Atlanta, I've known about the story of Phoenix "rising up from the ashes."

The story is that only one Phoenix lives every 500 years. At the end of their reign, they self-incinerate and then disintegrate into a pile of ashes on a pyre. A new one arises, but only one can live at a time, so there are never two of the same during any 500-year period.

The Phoenix (along with entrepreneur Madame CJ Walker, the first black female millionaire in America) makes me think often of Sistah Nadine Thompson, owner and founder of Soul Purpose, the Lifestyle Company . Her story was once an "ashes-to-phoenix" story if ever there was one.

She may never talk about it again, but she served as a heartwarming inspiration after her old company "Warm Spirit," came to an abrupt close, ending a longtime friendship and sending her straight to a moment of spiritual purgatory, wondering if she would be able to recover.

But recover she did, and pretty quickly at that.

Not many African American entrepreneurs head up network marketing companies and succeed; so after Nadine's devastating blow, some believed she might not recover. But Nadine, ever the go-getter and forger of futures instead of pasts, took what she had and re-invented herself and formed her new company. She promised never to be taken advantage of again.

What is most delicious is all of the flavors of Soul Purpose and all of its soulful and spiritual products. Her moment of redemption breathes life into the fact that she refused to allow the treachery of a former friend stop her from getting on, and get on with it she did.

Soul Purpose launched in December 2007 with only a hand full of new products and 3,000 tried-and-true faithfuls who stuck by a sistah when things looked pretty bleak and spirits were not so warm.

The product lines have grown astronomically and now include exotic sub-Saharan and Asian spa items with luscious dessert and tropical fruit names. The product lines are developed to help sistahs go on a "Journey of the Senses" around the world without paying buku-bucks and to help them learn how to live the life of a business builder.

Her latest collections include hand care products, shea butter balms, body custards and lotions, mousse, body scrubs, candles, and solid perfume essences including Japanese Peony, Portofino Blue, Brazilian Jackfruit, Ahai Water Lily, Tuscany Blood Orange, Malaysian Mango Nectar, Normandy CrÆ'''¨me, Hawaiian Tuberose, Australian Sandalwood, Lavender Mint, and Cote d'Ivore Amber, just to name a few of hundreds.

Whenever and wherever you're ready to get your entrepreneurial spirit on, the doors are open to share the wealth and prosperity with yourself and other women of color like you through Soul Purpose's partnership program.

Soul Purpose : The Lifestyle Company. Visit the site at http://www.soulpurpose.com/.