Breaking the Silence

By Heather Furness, CEO & Co-Founder

I grew up in a deeply religious household where the path to happiness was laid out before I could even question it. I was taught that the highest calling for a woman was to be a stay-at-home mom, raising children, supporting a husband in his career and following my then religion. So, I followed the script and did just that. I got married, had three beautiful children, gave everything I had to my home, family and faith. 

But after my last baby, something inside me broke. I slipped into what I now know was severe postpartum depression. I didn't feel joy. I didn't feel sadness. I didn't feel anything. I walked around numb, disconnected and in a blank state. I remember staring at myself in the mirror wondering "who are you"? I wasn't living-I was existing. 

In 2016 my world shifted again- only this time it shattered. What had been a strained relationship spiraled into a full-blown emotional and sometimes physical abuse relationship. Gaslighting became the norm. I was made to feel like I was crazy, ungrateful, manipulative, guilty, etc. Slowly, I began to believe it. I thought I was the problem. I believed I was the worst person to walk the earth. 

After I couldn't handle life, and attempted to take it, I randomly found a coach who specialized in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). I hired him out of desperation, little did I know it was going to be one of the most important decisions of my life. Through our work, I began to slowly reprogram my mind. I started seeing the truth behind the lies I had been told about myself. For the first time, I began to understand that I wasn't broken- I had just been made to believe I was. 

With time, courage began to build inside my heart and soul. I left my relationship. I left the Church I was raised in. I left the version of me that had been built on silence, shame, and submission. I began to heal- not just mentally, but spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I found practices that grounded me like breath work, cold plunges, meditation. I started to reconnect with God on my terms, not through fear, but through love and peace. 

Starting over as a single mom was terrifying. I had given up a career to be a stay at home mom for years and was now back to square one with 3 kids to now create a safe life for. But something inside me had changed. I wasn't willing to settle for survival and less than I knew I deserved. I was determined to build something massive, something global, something with meaning! 

While running a Lash Company, I crossed paths with a woman who would soon become my business partner. Together we dreamed bigger. We left our venture and co-founded Bellamarque, a professional lash, brow and cosmetic company designed to empower women through beauty, business, and belief in themselves. 

Truthfully? Starting a company was harder than leaving my marriage. There were lawsuits. Doors slammed shut. Investors came and went. Lost thousands of dollars hiring the wrong companies. We've been rejected, underestimated and stretched beyond our limits more times than I can count. But each obstacle strengthened us. I look back now at the abuse, heartbreak and the depression and say with full confidence- it built me. It got me ready for the mission I was always meant to fulfill. 

Today Bellamarque is thriving. But more than business success, what fuels me is our company mission. Our mission is simple: to help women create massive financial success so they can live in freedom and peace. Whether that's through becoming a licensed lash and brow artist, or stepping into entrepreneurship, we want to show women that they are powerful beyond measure and can create the life they want. 

I would say to any woman reading this, if you feel stuck, broken, or unsure how to get out or what path to take, please hear me when I say, you are not alone. You are not crazy. You are not too late. And you are not too far gone. 

If I can rebuild from scratch at the age of 40, so can you! Healing is messy, growth is brutal, but living in authenticity, freedom and peace, well that is worth everything. Go reclaim your voice and rewrite your story, life is worth living. 

Connect With Heather

www.bellamarquecosmetics.com 

Instagram: heatherfurness_ 

YouTube: @itsbeautybinge