We had the good fortune of connecting with Ernestine Hopkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ernestine, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for my business while teaching middle school 7 years ago. While teaching, I met many students with similar backgrounds that left them hopeless. These backgrounds included parents in prison or on drugs, low-income households, little to no food at home, no coats to wear in the winter, coupled with low self-esteem and thoughts of suicide. I asked myself on a daily basis, “What can I do to help these students see past their situations? How can I help them believe in the light of hope?” I decided that I would write books and later movie scripts where they could see themselves in the characters and walk away encouraged to fight for a brighter future. I titled my first book, “Saving Myself From Me.” I also decided to facilitate yearly conferences with hands-on workshops that included activities that would breathe life into their situations.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I published, “Saving Myself From Me” in 2014. This book is a short fiction novel about a teen girl who is a loner at school who yearns to belong and struggles with low self-esteem. What her family doesn’t know is that behind her smiles, she is keeping painful secrets. The more she tries to cope with her secrets alone, the worse her situation becomes. She is faced with the tough decision of whether or not to continue to push forward or give up on life altogether. It is my hope that my readers see themselves in her and are inspired by her journey of overcoming. I have had the awesome opportunity to read my book to over 300 students. Upon completion, the thing I heard most is how great of a movie my book would be. After their many urgings, I decided to make this a goal. I would definitely have to say that working towards accomplishing this goal has been my biggest challenge as it is unchartered territory for me. A lesson I’ve learned throughout this process has been the importance of setting goals, networking, and never giving up. I want the world to know that Ernestine Hopkins stands for spreading the message of hope and will not stop until every goal I set is accomplished so that I can impact as many lives as possible.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am originally from Fort Worth, TX, but I currently reside in San Antonio, TX. If my best friend was visiting the area, I would take her to eat at El Sabrosito, one of the best mexican food restaurants in town. I would also take her to see the beautiful murals at the San Antonio Street Art Initiative, Sea World, and the River Walk.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shout out to my pastors, Apostle Kevin and Pastor Lisa Duhart. I chose them because of their continued efforts to help the members of their church (All Nations Worship Assembly – San Antonio) succeed. It was Apostle Kevin’s sermon series titled, “I Am Influence” that helped me realize who I was, and my purpose to have a positive impact on others.

Website: ernestinehopkins.wixsite.com/hope
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ernestinehopkins
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestine-hopkins-b141b6b0/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ernestinhopkins
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ernestinehopkins
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Ze-vi0i6baYRN4WR9Vd9Q
Other: www.amazon.com/Saving-Myself-Me-Ernestine-Hopkins/dp/1500935352 https://girlswhoconquer.wixsite.com/empower

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