Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena Hixson.
Hi Lorena, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Lo and I currently live in South Austin where I am pursuing my passion of owning a business. I am the founder of Passion & Growth, a self-care and personal growth subscription box for women. Growing up I struggled with self-acceptance and always feeling like I had to please everyone. No was not a word I used often. I was in my late twenties when I really started to invest in myself. I knew I needed a change in order to break free from my self-limiting beliefs. The journey was bumpy and lonely and that is why I started my monthly subscription box, Passion & Growth. Our mission is to build a supportive community of women who fully accept, embrace and love themselves so they can create an authentic and unapologetic life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I was a baby I had a life-threatening tumor on my face. The tumor grew rapidly and aggressively when I just a few weeks old. At the time there weren’t a lot of treatment options available. By the time my parents found a surgeon who knew how to treat me I had a tumor that covered most of the right side of my face. This resulted in numerous plastic and reconstructive surgeries until I was 21 years old. As you can imagine I was left with scars on my face. Due to the trauma I faced, I developed self-limiting beliefs about myself. I told myself I wasn’t pretty, I’m fat, no one will want to be with me, I am not worthy. I felt like my scar defined me and I was always self-conscious that people only saw my scar and not who I truly was. I was so consumed with other people’s opinions of me that I never nurtured my relationship with myself. I never stopped to ask myself, “Do you like you?” I spent every moment wishing I could change the way I looked instead of appreciating the life I had. I was literally wasting precious moments worried about trivial things instead of living my life. Who cares if I have a scar and who cares what size jeans I wear. Those things do not define who I am. I look at myself in a completely different light now. I see someone who has been faced with adversity and has come out the other side. I am amazed by everything I have put this body through. This body has survived over 20 surgeries. This body put one foot in front of the other when my dad passed away. This body gave me strength when I got divorced. This body has walked hundreds of miles in the ER helping save other people’s lives. This body has held me up when I was drowning in my own negative thoughts. So yea, this body might not be perfect by societies standards but this body is perfect to me. I had to learn to love myself as I was, imperfections and all. My body is a gift and I only wish I had realized it sooner.
We’ve been impressed with Passion & Growth, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Passion & Growth is a monthly subscription box. Every month we curate a box around a theme and each box has a personal development book plus 4-5 self-care items. We pick products that inspire, motivate and encourage self-acceptance. We only source products from women-owned brands, both small + large. However, we don’t just focus on the product. We also have an amazing online community that offers accountability, events, and coaching. We want to empower women all over the world to become the best version of themselves.
Pricing:
- $33.95 a month for a 12 month subscription
- $35.95 a month for a 6 month subscription
- $39.95 a month for a month to month subscription
Contact Info:
- Email: lorena@passionandgrowth.com
- Website: www.passionandgrowth.com
- Instagram: @passionandgrowth
- Facebook: @passionandgrowth
Image Credits
Anna Laura Sommer Becca Bond Nick Austin
