Jameka Smoot Haynes’ MVL
Photo: MVL
Jameka Smoot Haynes – pictured at her favorite meeting spot, Defined Coffee.
I met up with Jameka Smoot Haynes on a busy Saturday at Defined Coffee. When she walked in, faces around the place lit up. People love her. A few stopped by our table to say hello. Was I interviewing a rock star? Jameka definitely has that something, which seems to be a special blend of courage, curiosity, boldness and joy.
Jameka, it seems like everyone knows you. How do you describe yourself?: “I’m a servant leader with a heart for philanthropy and community engagement. I’m a champion for representation, inclusion, and equity while being a bridge builder. I’m also a luxury retail executive, fundraising director, and a consultant. But wife and mom are my most rewarding roles.”
Okay, let me ask you a way easier question! What’s your favorite coffee drink?: “Salted Caramel Chai!”
(Author’s note: the complexity of this drink didn’t escape me. It’s salty, sweet and spicy, all in one cup!)
Where are you from?: “I grew up in Concord. My husband is a Mooresville native. After college, I came to work at Belk, and that’s where I met him. But I had experiences working in Mooresville that made me swear I would never come back. And this is how I know God has a sense of humor, because my husband told me he’d found the perfect piece of land to build our home on…in Mooresville.”
What’s your MVL?: “For me, the basis of everything is my faith. That’s who I am. I’ve learned that because of my faith, and my beliefs, it helps me to be a more loving person. It helps me to be a more accepting person. It helps me to be able to see the best version of somebody, and want them to be their best… And it’s fulfilling your purpose. Everybody has gifts and talents. It’s being able to utilize them to the best of your ability to impact other lives. Because I feel like everybody was placed here for a reason. Everybody has something to offer, something to give that’s going to help change and impact somebody else’s life. I love to see that.”
Where does your positive energy come from?: “I love people and I’m inquisitive. So I’ve always had a mindset of curiosity, wondering why they do what they do. I just want everybody to be able to live their best life. Nothing should stop them. Nothing should be a hindrance to somebody being able to be their true self.”
“Like that guy…(she points to an adventurously-dressed man headed out the door) there’s something behind that! He’s got a story that goes with that outfit and his personality.”
Okay, so where does your drive to get involved come from?: “My mom laughs, and says ‘Jameka, by age four you were telling me what you were going to wear, and what you were going to do.’ She says I had this boss attitude, just super sassy. She tried to taper it a little bit, but she knew it was going to evolve into something so much greater. So I guess I’ve just always had that drive…I have to be me. ‘Me’ is a little sassy. ‘Me’ is definitely going to challenge some people. Especially those who I feel have the power to change things. I’m gonna challenge them first.
“If I see a situation I don’t like, and I know a lot of other people don’t like it either, I ask around and see who is doing something about it. And if nobody’s doing anything about it, I'm going to figure out a way to do something. And if somebody is doing something about it, and they have a plan, and they’re working, then I'm like, ‘how can I join you?” What can I offer? How can we bring our experiences and our talents and our gifts together to make it more powerful?”
What’s your idea of Community?: “Community is being able to have different people come together and share their life experiences, and being open to that…to learning and growing. It’s heart. It’s empathy. No matter what your background is, no matter what your experiences are, it’s being able to see people as human beings…and not seeing them as a judgment, or your politics, or your beliefs. I’ve learned so much about people simply by asking them questions like, ‘Why did you do that? How did you do that? Where did that come from?”
What keeps you motivated to do everything you do?: “I would say, it’s purpose. It’s knowing that I have people who depend on me. I have to show up. Even on those days where I'm like, ‘I’m staying in bed all day and I’m not doing this’, I still have to kick myself in the behind and get up and go… And that’s why I'm really loud sometimes, because I know what it feels like for your voice to be shut down, and your voice not to be heard. So If I have the ability to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves, then I’m gonna do that. I don’t need anything out of it. I just need them to be safe..them to feel okay..them to feel they’ve been seen.”
