👋 Hi there! I'm Venessa, a passionate advocate for 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀, specializing in custom promotional apparel and products designed to ignite your brand's visibility and engagement.

My professional journey has been an incredible blend of experiences—from working in 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 for the USAF to leading 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 in the education sector. 

With over a decade of expertise in 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, I've developed a keen eye for what makes brands resonate and thrive.

Leaving the corporate world to embrace mompreneurship, I now channel my knowledge and creativity into empowering other businesses. 

We craft custom-designed apparel, embroidery, brand design, and promotional products to ensure Houston's SMBs and startups leave a memorable mark in today's dynamic market.

Our unwavering commitment to excellence and meticulous attention to detail guarantee that every client receives top-notch products and exceptional service. 

Grounded in family values, I deeply understand the importance of balance, commitment, and community. 

My volunteer work with the MS Society, Ronald McDonald House, and local schools has enriched my perspective, emphasizing the power of organization, perseverance, and dedication. 

These experiences infuse every project with a personal touch and a professional edge.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂

I thrive on partnering with 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗠𝗕𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀—whether you're in 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵, 𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 

Our mission is to elevate your brand through premium promotional apparel and products. We recognize the unique challenges and opportunities within these industries and are dedicated to crafting solutions that amplify your brand's strength and professionalism. 

From outfitting your team with custom-branded workwear to creating standout promotional items for your special events, we're here to make your brand unforgettable.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂

My transition from corporate marketing to mompreneurship is fueled by a desire to blend professional expertise with heartfelt passion. 

Our team is dedicated to ensuring your business shines with high-quality, custom solutions tailored to your specific needs. 

Your success is our mission, and we're committed to exceeding your expectations with every project.

📩 Reach out to me today to explore how we can enhance your brand.

Venessa Homewood

One of my favorite holiday traditions? Grocery shopping for Thanksgiving with my mom and sister. 

It might sound simple, but it’s become such a special part of our year. We turn a routine trip into a little fun, catching up on life, reminiscing about past holidays, and joking around in the aisles. 

There’s something about those moments together that really grounds me, a reminder of what the season is all about. 

This year, H-E-B sold these adorable Santa hats, and suddenly, the grocery store felt more festive than ever. 

What’s interesting is how H-E-B used branding here, without even putting a logo on the hat. The hat itself captures the spirit of H-E-B and Christmas all in one. Anyone who buys the hat, takes a photo in their store, and posts it on social media is promoting the H-E-B brand naturally, without even realizing it. 

When we saw them on the shelf, we put our hats on right away and couldn’t stop smiling and giggling. It was like a little reminder that the holidays are about joy, connection, and having fun with the people we love. We also got a lot of smiles and compliments from other shoppers who asked where they could find the cute hats! 🤠

So, whether it’s shopping with family, decorating your home, or just taking a moment to breathe and enjoy the season, I hope everyone finds time to cherish those small, meaningful moments. 

What are your favorite traditions that make this time of year special? 

And hey, maybe a simple Santa hat will be part of your tradition too, spreading cheer and maybe a little brand magic along the way. Want to put your brand on a festive hat? DM me to find out how!

Empowering Houston SMBs and Startups with Custom Promotional Products that Drive Engagement & Growth | Former Marketing Communications Director Turned Mompreneur | Dedicated to Community Impact |

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Keeper Security, Inc.

Trusted by IT leaders, built for security-first organizations 🔏

Keeper Security, where we help businesses protect their passwords, credentials, and sensitive data with zero-trust, zero-knowledge security. 

I manage a portfolio of mid-market accounts — driving renewals, uncovering growth opportunities, and ensuring customers get lasting value from the Keeper platform.

Account Manager

Lumopath

- Sourced $387,040 Qualified Pipeline (to-date)
- $48,000 Closed Won Revenue 
- Responsible for the entire outbound motion

The Lumopath AI Agent analyzes activity across all your tools to automatically give you an understanding of your Cost to Serve (CTS) across customers, segments, and teams - revolutionizing how you tackle staffing, pricing, and account prioritization.

Drata

- Sourced over $1,000,000 in qualified pipeline
- Led all SDRs in forecasted deal size with an ACV of $48k (Q2)
- Played a key role in evaluating and implementing parallel dialers such as Nooks, Orum, and PhoneBurner to enhance our sales processes.
- Created a blueprint for breaking into tech and leveraging your network

SDR, Enterprise Market

Instil

- 100% Quota Attainment - Q1 & Q2 2023
- Lead the sales team in meetings booked and completed - Q1 & Q2 2023
- Most meetings booked in company history, 68 in 7 months. 
- Sourced over $350,000 in revenue
- Assisted in rewriting the company Sales Playbook

Sales Development Representative

OUTFRONT Media

Works directly with clients to learn their goals and establish how the company can meet them. Their duties include regularly meeting quotas, goals and other forms of client expectations, helping clients understand the limits of their budget or resources and consistently meeting project deadlines laid out by the client.

Account Executive

Toyota North America

Product Specialist

Mattress Firm

Store Manager

Welcome, take a look around, be kind, and trust yourself.

Things I live By 👇🏾

- "Seek To Understand, Not To Respond" 
- "Awareness Is Key"
- "Vulnerability Builds Trust" 

When I’m not working, you can find me:

Working out, or going for a walk 🏋🏾‍♀️
Spending time with my son - Boy's Dad 👦🏽
Finding new recipes to try out (if you've got good ones please send them my way) 🥙
Thrifting and finding vintage clothing 👕

I’m an open book 📖 so shoot me a message anytime.

Jamal Hamilton

Think you're having a bad week.

We sent my son to school everyday this week with a different jacket....none of them have made it back home 😑 

Happy Friday, lol

AM @ Keeper | Nostalgia Is My Love Language 💙 | 🏗 Architecting Better Minds, One Day at a Time

My son taught me I've been parenting my trauma, not my child.

Yesterday, he didn't make breakfast.
"Why not?" I asked.
"The pan is dirty and I don't know how to clean the dish."

My first reaction was disbelief.
What do you mean you don't know?
At his age, I was already doing this.
It's common sense.

Then he said something that stopped me cold:
"Well, no one ever showed me how."

That hit different.

Because I grew up figuring things out on my own.
Nobody taught me how to clean dishes.
Or cook meals.
Or navigate life.

I just...had to.

So when I see myself in my son, I parent that version of me.
The one who had to be independent.
The one who learned by surviving.
The one who didn't get to just be a kid.

But here's what I'm realizing:

My son isn't me.
His childhood isn't mine.
His "common sense" doesn't have to come from necessity.

He gets something I didn't:

A parent who shows him how.
A safe space to not know things.
Permission to be taught instead of left to figure it out.

What felt like a simple moment about dirty dishes became a mirror.
Showing me I wasn't seeing my son.
I was seeing my younger self, and trying to prepare him for a childhood he's not living.

He doesn't need to be as independent as I was.
He needs to be as supported as I wasn't.

That's not weakness.
That's healing fam.

One generation at a time 💙

To all the parents breaking cycles:
Your kids' "easy" childhood isn't spoiling them.
It's exactly what breaking generational patterns looks like.

P.S. I'll dive into this more in this week's edition of Architect Your Mind - https://lnkd.in/grNS-Z5e

#HappySunday

Even Stillness Is Progress.

Lately, I’ve been in a funk.
Not the kind that comes from burnout but the kind that comes from doing too much for too long.

New job.
Wedding planning.
Parenting. 
A mental health program.

The holidays creeping in (which, if I’m honest, I’ve never really looked forward to) and when life gets this full, my creativity is the first thing to go.

I usually stop writing, stop creating.
Stop doing the things that usually bring me back to myself.
It’s not laziness or anything, it’s fatigue.

And when I’m in this place, I have to remind myself:

"Even stillness is progress."

Not every season is about growth.
Some are about grounding.
Some are about sitting with what is until you have the strength to build again.

So if you’re in that same space right now, this is your reminder:

You don’t have to rush your way back to balance.
You just have to rest your way there 💙

P.S. Go find some joy today - Happy Sunday!

I haven’t been posting on here as much.
Barely engaging.
Just…quiet.

And honestly I didn't think anyone would notice.

That no one cared. 
That my consistency only mattered when I was “on.”
Then one of my connections reached out after reading my latest newsletter:

“Hey Jamal, I noticed you haven’t been posting as much. KEEP WRITING MAN.
We’ve learned so much from Architect Your Mind and we’re all looking forward to what’s coming!”

They had no idea how much I needed those words.
Because sometimes you don’t realize how empty your tank is until someone hands you a little encouragement.

Here’s what I've realized:

You never know who’s reading your work.
You never know who you’ve impacted.
You never know who’s waiting for your next post, your next breath of honesty, your next reminder that being human is enough.

And you never know who notices when you go quiet.

If you’re a creator, a writer, or someone trying to show up in spite of life just know someone out there is rooting for you.

Checking for you.
Quietly appreciating you.
Even when you don’t realize it 💙

I've been on both sides of the mental health conversation. 
Here's what nobody admits.

When you're struggling, everyone says "reach out for help."
When you reach out, most people don't know what to do with you.

I've been the one drowning.
I've been the one watching someone drown.
Neither side is easy.

The person struggling feels guilty for being a burden.
The person helping feels guilty they can't fix it.

Recovery isn't this clean, linear journey people make it out to be.

Some days you're good.
Some days you're back where you started.
Some days you're somewhere in between.

But the hardest part...
You lose people along the way.

Not because they don't care.
But because watching someone fight invisible battles is exhausting when you don't understand the war.

I lost friends when I needed them most.
I also became the friend who couldn't show up when others needed me.

Both hurt differently.

What actually helped wasn't the advice or the motivational quotes.
It was the people who just... stayed.

Who didn't try to fix me.
Who didn't need me to be okay.
Who just sat with me in the mess.

Recovery taught me that healing happens in the quiet moments.
In the "I'm checking in" texts.
In the showing up without an agenda.

Mental health isn't about having all the answers or asking the "perfect" question. It's about being okay with not knowing what to say or what questions to even ask.

If someone in your life is struggling, you don't need the perfect words.
You just need to be there.

Consistently, even when it's uncomfortable.

And if you're the one struggling?
Your healing isn't anyone else's timeline.

Take the time you need 💙 

#MentalHealthMatters

Your next move matters more than your last mistake - Shane Parrish

7 things that actually matter when you're in a funk 
(from someone currently in one)

1. Movement doesn't have to mean progress
Sometimes walking in circles counts. Sometimes just getting out of bed counts. Movement is movement, even when it feels like you're going nowhere.

2. Your phone is probably making it worse
I know. You know. We all know. But when you're already low, the endless scroll hits different. It's not inspiration. Its comparison dressed up as connection.

3. The basics become non-negotiable
Water. Sleep. A shower. One real meal.
When everything feels heavy, these aren't small wins. They're survival.

4. Your creativity isn't gone, it's resting
The words are still there, just buried under fatigue. They'll come back when they're ready. They always do.

5. People won't understand your pace
They'll ask why you're quiet. Why you're not yourself. Why you're not "over it" yet. You don't owe anyone your healing timeline.

6. Guilt is part of it
Guilty for not being productive. For needing rest. For not bouncing back faster. The guilt is lying to you, rest isn't weakness.

7. This isn't your first funk, and it won't be your last
You've been here before. Different circumstances, same feeling. And somehow, you made it through every single time.

I'm writing this from the middle of mine.
Not from the other side with some profound lesson.
Not with answers or any "framework."

Just one person in a funk telling another person in a funk: You don't have to rush your way out.

Sometimes sitting still is the bravest thing you can do.

You got this 💙

"I can't wait for the holidays to come"

Everyone says it like it's good news.

For me, it lands like a weight on my chest.
Because while everyone else is counting down, I'm grieving what used to be.

The magic I remember from childhood.
The traditions that felt like they would last forever.
The people who made it all mean something.

They're gone.
And they're not coming back.

I keep trying to force gratitude.
Like if I just list enough blessings, I'll stop feeling this ache.
Like if I just try harder, I can manufacture the joy everyone else seems to have.

But gratitude can't resurrect what's dead.
It can't rebuild what time has taken.
It can't make me unfeel this loss.

And maybe that's okay.

Maybe it's okay to admit that sometimes gratitude isn't enough.
That some griefs are too heavy for positive thinking.
That some seasons just hurt, and that's allowed.

The traditions I'm mourning weren't just activities.
They were the people who made them matter.
The house that held them.
The version of me who believed they'd last forever.

This year, I'm not forcing it.
Not pretending the new traditions fill the old spaces.
Not apologizing for grieving while others celebrate.

Truthfully, healing isn't about being grateful for the loss.
It's about being honest about what it cost you.

If the holidays are hard for you too, you're not broken.
You're not ungrateful.
You're just human, missing what mattered.

And that's enough 💙

Daily Reminder.
Weekly Reminder.
Monthly Reminder.
Yearly Reminder.

Just remember 💙

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Venessa Homewood

Jamal Hamilton

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The Battle

Venessa Homewood

Jamal Hamilton

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Likes

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