Nov 6, 20208 min read

From Pain To Purpose.

Esther Jacob, author, publisher: Authentic Worth

Author: Esther Jacob

1. Can I start by asking you to tell our readers about yourself?

My name is Esther Jacob and I am the Founder of Authentic Worth; a book publishing company bringing worth back into authors through storytelling and book writing. I am also an Influential Speaker, Course and Video Content Creator and Multi-Published Author. I have been offered numerous opportunities in sharing my story in several organisations, events and online seminars, what inspired me to become a writer and how I use my story to support others. This has opened various doors of being interviewed about the vision of Authentic Worth with several TV programmes, podcasts and radio stations including BEN TV, UCB Radio, Premier Gospel Radio, and Barclays Head Office in Canary Wharf. I’ve also had several book signings at WHSmith stores within South East London on my four books, and I am very passionate about giving authors a voice to share their story on how they’ve overcome different situations, and use it to inspire their community in the form of a book. My hobbies include public speaking, travelling, writing, singing and recording videos.

2. As the Founder and CEO of Authentic Worth, could you tell us about your company and what you offer to writers?

Authentic Worth is a book publishing platform that supports aspiring authors in writing their first book, providing monthly workshops on several book writing steps, to building self-confidence and personal development, and how to turn an idea into a business. Authentic Worth was founded in October 2018 and started with my first two books called It’s Time to Heal and Completion. As the Founder and author of four books, I use my skills and expertise to support and coach aspiring authors who want to write their first book. Authentic Worth also provides several writing services to aid aspiring authors in writing their book. These include our online book course(s), our bespoke publishing packages, 1-2-1 consultations, accountability memberships and mentoring. Authentic Worth has helped several authors in publishing their first books and has enabled them to showcase their work at our seminars and workshops. More information can be found on the website: www.authenticworth.com.

3. You have already written four books; It's Time to Heal, Completion, From Glory to Glory, and The Power of a Forward-Thinking Mindset. Would you mind briefly telling us what the inspiration behind It’s Time to Heal was?

The inspiration behind It’s Time to Heal was through my passion for journaling in 2014. Balancing my passion for writing and finding a full-time job after graduation was quite difficult. I used each day to write down how my day went, what I liked about it, what I didn’t like about it, etc. Unknowingly, as I became more consistent in journaling, I decided to create an online blog for women called: The Women’s Worth Conference Group which is found on the Authentic Worth website. Through the delayed period of trying to secure a job, I decided to use my spare time to continue blog writing. Due to the length of my blog posts, I decided to write my first book. It’s Time to Heal is for young women who struggle to find out why life doesn’t always work in their favour and how to help them heal from past hurts that have caused several blockages towards their future. It’s Time to Heal has helped me share my vulnerabilities of feeling insecure and how I overcame low self-esteem through writing, and being able to encourage and remind women that healing is a process that takes time, and eventually will get to a stage of self-discovery and freedom.

4. I can see that you wrote a book about your late sister called From Glory to Glory in May 2019. There are no words for defining the feeling of loss that comes from losing someone you love. For anyone who is currently struggling with grief themselves at this moment, what would you want to say to them?

For anyone struggling with grief, there are simply no words to describe what to say at such a sensitive time. It feels unreal, but it is reality. Remember, you have every right to cry, however, the most important but hardest truth is acceptance. In order to move on gracefully, you have to accept that your loved one is gone, and through the departure, you will endeavour to be strong for those around you, using it to push you further into what you have been called to do. Grief does not go away easily, no matter how many years a loved one has gone. However, I strongly do believe that our loved ones would not want us grieving over them bitterly, for we must be aware that it is appointed for each one of us to die once; the uncertain truth is no one knows when their time is up. Therefore, we have to live each day with deliberate purpose and good intentions, so when we are gone from the earth, our legacy will still live on. I wrote a book about my late sister called From Glory to Glory due to her name, and to allow her legacy to continue, but more importantly, to offer comfort, support and strength to those currently facing grief. The book is on the Authentic Worth website and can be found find on the following link, both in paperback and audio versions: https://www.authenticworth.com/product/the-power-of-a-forward-thinking-mindset

5. In a lot of your YouTube videos and writing, you talk about confidence and how it means different things to people. You seem to be a pretty confident, charismatic person - what has your journey to confidence been like, and what does it mean to you?

Yes, I believe building and having confidence is very important in a world where at times, social media can make you feel out of place if you don’t know who you are, or you are trying to imitate someone else. In particular, the aim of my YouTube videos is to challenge the mind of listeners to tune into their own thoughts and ask what kind of mindset they attract. It is very important to understand that being confident takes time, and some are still on the journey. My own journey in being confident has taken huge investments in my relationship with God, self-care, focus and undivided attention. There are still times in my life where I get a few triggers here and there, but through changing my mindset through my fourth book written called The Power of a Forward-Thinking Mindset and the passing away of my late sister, my confidence has shifted drastically. Confidence teaches you not to settle and decide to go ahead with the journey called life, because every day will bring about trouble of its own. This is emphasised in Matthew 6:34, which I call perseverance and is an attribute to building confidence.

6. One of the things you said about confidence that resonates with me was "patience builds confidence". Would you mind elaborating on this?

In order to increase confidence, you have to increase your patience. Patience is not always easy; this, I know very well! However, building confidence is a lifetime skill, and each day you live is an opportunity to know more about yourself. You have to give yourself the patience to learn from rejection and your triumphs which will eventually build confidence. When you are on the journey to building self-confidence, you must take into account that it won’t take a day, neither will it take a week or a few months. It will take your whole life, and this is why it is important to apply patience to it. The beauty of confidence is in how patient you are to get to a place where situations that used to trouble your mind slowly fades away, which can take a lifetime. So, in a nutshell, be kind to yourself and don’t rush the process. There are many lessons to learn whilst being patient and building confidence. Be patient and allow your confidence to gradually blossom in its own way.

7.You clearly have a very strong foundation in Christianity. Is that something that was instilled in you from a young age?

Yes, I was brought up in a Christian household since I was young and have been going to church every Sunday. Although, as I am growing older, I do believe that going to church contributes partly of being a Christian. I believe Christianity is about ones’ lifestyle, the impact you make in the lives of others, and more importantly, being able to spread the Gospel in a way that attracts people to Jesus.

8. Do you mind sharing how you believe your faith has shaped you into the woman you are today?

My faith has truly shaped me into the woman I am today because of the relationship I have with God. I gave my life to Christ when I was 18, but felt more closer to God at the end of my university studies in 2013. My faith has stood with me in the good and bad seasons, and I believe it is what has kept me at this stage. Consistency is very important, and as mentioned in the previous question, going to church every Sunday has fully developed and shaped me into being intentional about my life’s purpose, and helps me to see myself in the way God does. In my third year of university, I joined Salem church which ignited and pushed my faith further and helped me gain clarity, giving me peace of mind in being able to love who I am.

9. In one of your YouTube videos, you talk about fear and how we ultimately need to rise above them. What do you feel has been your biggest fear? Do you feel you have successfully overcome them, or is it still a work in progress?

My biggest fear at the time was having many spots on my face which had a tremendous impact on my beauty and self-esteem. I can confidently say that I have overcome it! This took quite some time but was worth it. I shared my skincare routine/regime on my YouTube channel of the current products I used to get my skin clear. It is important to rise above all fears, no matter what fear it is. In particular, as women, we know how it is to not feel confident from a beauty and physical perspective, so it is crucial to mentally and emotionally take care of your mindset by feeding it with positive thoughts and words. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks as it states in Luke 6:45. I had to speak positive words over my skin and eventually started to see change.

10. I love that you also talk about the importance of vulnerability and transparency in our lives. What does vulnerability mean to you?

I see vulnerability and transparency as strengths, not weaknesses. At times, it can be viewed that being open or real about how you feel is a sign of feebleness, or one can’t do anything by themselves. This is not true. When you have been through so much, one of the best ways of letting yourself free is through sharing your hard moments with someone you trust. This will take some time because you don’t want to be pouring out to people that aren’t being transparent with you. However, it is very important to understand that when opening up, it eventually sets you free and helps with embracing vulnerability, rather than hiding it. It is a powerful attribute to the human mind when one is real and honest about what they go through, regardless of what other people think.

11. If you could recommend one book that had a profound impact on your life, what would it be?

Journeys of Hope written by Christians Against Poverty also known as CAP. The book is about 12 different people who were struggling to pay off their debts and found life extremely difficult. They weren’t Christians at first and through the charity group (CAP), the 12 individuals gave their life to Christ. The charity helped these individuals by selflessly visiting and supported them to pay off each debt. It made me appreciate what I have and allowed me to look at life from a bigger perspective.

Connect with Esther and Authentic Worth on the following social platforms:

Esther’s personal social platforms:

Instagram: esthernjacob - https://www.instagram.com/esthernjacob/

LinkedIn: Esther Jacob - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/esthernjacob

Twitter: esthernjacob - https://twitter.com/esthernjacob

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estherjcb

YouTube: Esther N J - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR2pfz8tEbjHSAmfMmga-SA

Website: https://www.authenticworth.com

General enquiries: estherjcb@gmail.com

Authentic Worth’s social platforms:

Instagram: authenticworth - https://www.instagram.com/authenticworth/

Twitter: authenticworth - https://twitter.com/authenticworth