Happy International Women’s Day! Today, I want to praise all of the incredible women around the world who are unwaveringly resilient and determined, no matter what is thrown their way. There’s still so much more to be done and more challenges that we as women face, but by continuing to stand out and push the boundaries, together, we can create a world where every woman is not afraid to fulfill their potential and speak their mind. The women who inspire me the most are the ones who overcame some of the most challenging obstacles in their lives. They are disciplined thought leaders who have a vision.

My life has taken me on an incredible journey so far. One of the things I’m most proud of is that, despite the pain I’ve experienced, whether emotional or physical, I’ve always pushed through. I believe that I’m here to shatter every glass ceiling that is firmly in place. I want to inspire you to do the same. That’s why I will never stop talking about things that are important to me and the world. Stepping out of your comfort zone and facing your truth is one of the most influential and empowering things you could ever do.

My Mom and Aunt Rose

Many strong women have inspired me to live my life the way I do. The most important and strongest of them all is my mom, Marcella and Aunt Rose. I’m so grateful for all they gave me and sacrificed for me. When I was a child and living in New Jersey, both my mom and my aunt took me to New York nearly every weekend to expose me to art, music, culture, and fashion (I wasn’t born into money and privilege). They truly made me believe that I could be someone special and made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted in life. No goal was too big. I took fashion design classes every Saturday morning at FIT when I was just 12 years old. I visited the original Barney's on Seventh Avenue and was obsessed with the makeup and perfume section, particularly blue loose powder eye shadow from Makeup Forever.

With Agent, my mom has been a big inspiration for me and many of the products I’ve developed. She was the one who formulated holi (mane) and developed the idea for holi (bright). She has the most stunning skin and she’s so much of the reason why I became fascinated with effective actives that deliver ageless skin.

Madonna

Madonna has been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember. She taught me that no dream I have is too big. I remember feeling this way since the age of 3. She has played a bigger part in my life than most people realize because she never gives up. I once read a quote from her that said you can have anything you want if you're willing to die for it and it stuck with me for life. Her tenacity, drive and relentless work ethic professionally and athletically is rare in this world.

I will never forget in February 2006, walking into Tompkins Square Park during a blizzard in NYC while I was designing shoes and hearing the song Jump by Madonna. I knew then if I didn't move to LA that year, I never would. Hours later, someone called and invited me to Coachella to see Madonna. Three months later I moved to LA. That was the beginning of the rest of my life. 

My Dear Friend Talia Eisenberg

I met Talia in the Hamptons in 2011 and we instantly became soul sisters. She was holding what is known as an E-cig, telling me they were about to widely hit the US market. Talia told me how she got sober from opiates by taking a psychedelic plant medicine called Ibogaine. She said it had a huge success rate to overcome addiction and that someday she was going to open Ibogaine centers all around the world. Talia manifested her dream and opened her first gorgeous clinic in Cancun called Beond. While substance abuse is usually the focus of patients who opt for ibogaine treatment, some arrive to work on anxiety, love addiction, PTSD and grief. If you or a loved one are suffering from substance abuse, I highly recommend heading over to her site to learn what she's doing. 

I've watched Talia manifest everything she said she would create the last 13 years. She was the person who introduced me to ayahuasca, and if it weren't for her I'm not sure that I'd have Agent today. Just a couple of weeks after my first ceremony I began cooking deodorant out of thin air. Talia guided me and helped me set my goals and intentions for each ceremony over the course of two and a half years. She has been a profound influence in my life. Talia is literally healing and changing the world.

Oprah

In my times of darkness and struggle, I thought about people who accomplished immeasurable success who had it much worse than me. Oprah was always the one who came to mind. "At nine and 10 and 11 and 12 years old, I was raped by my 19-year-old cousin. I didn`t know what rape was. I certainly wasn`t aware of the word. I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from, I didn't even know what was happening to me." Oprah has said. She instilled in me that it didn't matter where I came from or who I was. That if I had determination and focus I could accomplish my goals. She overcame so many personal obstacles and hardships and managed to become one of the most successful and influential women in history. I particularly love these quote by her:

• “You are responsible for your life."
• “The reason I've been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.”
• “When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.”
• “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
• "Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe."
• "Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself."

Breaking Down Barriers

I’m truly inspired by women who don’t give a f**k, who think outside the box, who don’t do what they are told because they fear being disliked, who are thought leaders and critical thinkers, and who break down barriers to create a better future. To those women throughout history, I’m grateful for you. 

Always have the courage to be true to yourself, even if it means standing alone. Don’t let the fear of rejection or criticism hold you back from pursuing your dreams or making your voice heard. If I’d listened to everyone who told me that I couldn’t do it, Agent Nateur wouldn’t have launched. Even when I launched my deodorant, I was judged for not staying within the body category because I launched holi (oil), our luxurious face oil. It took constant education as to why someone should give the deodorant maker a try with their face. And even still, with all this “success,” I continue to have to break down barriers every single day.

I encourage you to be like all the women who’ve come before us, who have taken risks, and are willing to fail in order to achieve success. Never be afraid to speak up.

So, on this International Women’s Day, I want to express how grateful I am to all the women who continue to support me and Agent Nateur. You’re the reason why I do what I do. I hope this inspires you to keep going, even when people judge you, shame you, or do not support you. 

Love Jena x