Goddessté
Northwest's Client Success Stories
“We can’t think of anyone who does customer service better than Northwest Registered Agent. We fell in love the first day we called and a real, live human being answered the phone”
Which Northwest Service Did You Use?
We used Northwest Registered Agent to form our Alabama LLC and serve as our registered agent.
The Business and the Mission:
Goddessté is a women’s movement that centers around women helping one another on the journey to self-love, self-acceptance, and self-empowerment. The idea is that each woman has, within her, this amazing strength and ability to persevere through anything she may encounter, and that it is that strength, the goddess within, that carries us through life’s greatest challenges. The owners have both walked through an immeasurable amount of darkness in their relatively short lives, e.g., depression/anxiety; rape/sexual assault; domestic abuse of all forms; crippling grief due to dealing with insane amounts of death/overdose/suicide; addiction/alcoholism, etc., and, now they want to use that pain and that darkness from their pasts to create light for others who may be battling similar things in their present. Women often don’t talk about these things, as our society unfortunately programs us to feel shame over having experienced them, and that shame too often leads to silence. The owners believe that trying to carry that pain alone, in silence, is dangerous, and that we are stronger together. There is immense power that can be found when women come together over a shared struggle, as opposed to the increasingly common act of tearing one another down over our differences. They have been through all of the aforementioned things and made it out on the other side – so, the hope is that they can extend a helping hand to women who are dealing with these things and help them along so that they too can find their way out. Through blogs and an eventual podcast, the owners of Goddessté want to share their stories and struggles in a transparent, vulnerable way.
The business will also be celebrating women for a number of different things through social media presence. The reason behind doing this goes back, again, to the desire to build a positive, inspiring community that focuses on celebrating one another instead of constantly competing with one another. The women celebrated will all come from nominations from the community and, in this way, they will be actively participating in uplifting one another. Goddessté will also be selling graphic tees (that are SO cute and soft and trendy) that will carry the message of hope, love, solidarity, and empowerment. The main message is that we were never meant to walk this life alone, and that, together, there is nothing we cannot conquer. The definition of the word “goddessté” is: “The goddess in me bows to the goddess in you.” It’s a word that we created as a play on the word “namaste.” Simply put, they want to help women dig deep and connect with their innermost strength, their goddesses within, and to celebrate one another along the way. The business is small now but the community is growing fast and gaining a lot of attention!
Owners: Katie Hopson & Jessica Plaxco
The women behind the business:
We are just two best friends who have lived pretty CRAZY lives – we’ve both been through almost all of the BIG things in life that carry the power to just swallow you whole, the things that can permanently dim your light within. We kept looking out into the world and seeing all the women who were struggling, stuck, afraid, and confused about where to turn or what to do next. We also saw women tearing one another down, pitting themselves against each other, in every way imaginable, as opposed to linking arms and trudging through this life together. So, we decided to do something about it! We are sick and tired of being divided by our differences, especially since we know the power that can be found in our coming together, in sharing in our pain AND our joy. We must share in the dark AND the light (because there’s no limited supply of happiness – there’s enough to go around). When we can celebrate the good with one another, when we can take down our guards long enough to allow ourselves to feel genuinely glad over our sisters’ victories rather being envious or threatened, then something beautiful happens: that joy becomes contagious, and it grows and spreads at alarming rates. When we share in one another’s happiness, there’s suddenly more happiness to go around. And, as for the pain, when we come together over shared pain and darkness, somehow the dark gives way to the most incandescent, blinding of lights. Somehow we’re not so alone anymore and the burden isn’t so heavy anymore…and THAT is the sweet spot.
What is your Biggest Challenge about starting and owning a business?
Katie:
The toughest part for me has been figuring out all the technical stuff. The creative side comes more naturally to us, but there are a LOT of technical things that go into creating, founding, and building your own business. It can feel very overwhelming at times, especially if you’ve never done anything like that before, but it’s certainly doable. It’s all worth it in order to have a solid, strong foundation.
Jessica:
This biggest challenge has been figuring out HOW to start a business. I’ve never done anything like this, so the technicalities have been a struggle. Realizing all of the little things that MUST be done to be legitimate has been mind-blowing.
What is the Biggest Reward?
Katie:
Thus far, it’s been the reaction & knowing that we are doing important work that WILL genuinely help women, in a meaningful way, to feel LESS alone and MORE empowered. Carrying our message, and getting to do so with my very best friend, just feels so good. It’s what has kept us going and moving through all the countless obstacles we’ve encountered along the way.
Jessica:
The biggest reward, hands down, has been the support we’ve received from women we know, and women we’ve never even met. It’s such a beautiful thing to see women come together and start a movement of empowerment.
What is Something You have Learned About Owning your Own Business?
Katie:
We have a responsibility to bring our authentic selves to the proverbial table. That, and that it’s hard – it’s really hard. It’s just a very trying process, but to quote Marie Forleo, “Everything is figure-outable.”
Jessica:
I’ve learned that owning a business isn’t just about hard work – it’s about putting your heart and soul into it. If you don’t love it, you won’t make it.
What is one tip for Others starting a business?
Katie:
Find something that feeds your soul, something that you believe in and love with all that you have – otherwise, you’ll never do it. But, if it feeds your soul, there’s a lot of purpose to be found in that. Also, don’t get stuck in the idea phase – just start. One way or another, jump in and take action. Lastly, trust yourself and remain true to yourself and your values!!
Jessica:
Start a business with your best friend! It rules! Also, get yourself a registered agent & an accountant!! You’re going to miss some important steps if you have zero professional help.
Why did you Choose Northwest Registered Agent?
The entire experience was so great from the very beginning! The customer service is unmatched! The price is unbeatable! Just the whole package. We can’t think of anyone who does customer service better than Northwest Registered Agent. We fell in love the first day we called and a real, live human being answered the phone, and it was the number that was actually posted on the website! There wasn’t even an automated system for filtering calls into different departments! WHAAAT?!?! Finding NWRA has been, by far, one of our biggest blessings throughout this entire process!Plus, after reading their mission statement, we knew we were a match made in heaven!