There’s something fascinating about butterflies. Watching them transform from cutesy little caterpillars to beautiful winged creatures is wildly captivating. Plus—let’s be real—we like to imagine ourselves undergoing similar transformations. Speaking as a formerly scrawny, awkward-speech-impediment riddled kid, I can certainly attest.
Transformations are at the heart of Telisha's Ng's online universe. The mind behind Goddess Intellect—a blog anchored with the intriguing tagline: "The Journey from Girl to Goddess"—Ng is vocal about her own shift from me-centric living (girl) to giving back to the world (goddess). She launched Intellect in 2009 to chronicle her own path to Goddess-hood.
The multi-tasking Ng—she's a writer, designer and entrepreneur—recently shared her thoughts on maintaining a thriving blog, writing a book, running events and designing body positive lingerie.
What does “The Journey from Girl to Goddess” mean to you?
I think that the whole “goddess” part is my transition from thinking that everything is about me to changing the focus and serving others. I give of myself, whether it’s through relationship lessons or sharing and helping people cope. We often think about ourselves —we don’t think about how we can make things better for others. But when we help others, we’re helping ourselves.
What challenges have you faced in your own journey?
Oh there are so many parts to it! A quick snapshot: I was raised in foster care, returned to live with my mom, then kind of got lost after college. I was trying to find my way. I worked in the corporate world. I had unhealthy relationships. I did not value myself. While I was working in a cubicle, unhappy with life, a friend sent me a blog. I read and commented on it every day. I knew that I loved writing. Then I got into the fashion industry and discovered other blogs. My comments on the blogs became a blog itself. Then, I got on Wordpress. My readers gravitated towards the love and relationship part, so I did more of that.
You say that you were once a “religious male basher,” but those days are long gone. What made you change your mind? How can you help other women (heterosexual or homosexual) feel the same way?
I had to come to terms with why I was angry. I did not have a strong male father figure, in fact, he wasn’t a part of our lives at all. So, I had to take responsibility. The way I took responsibility was by forgiving him. I learned about his life and accepted who he was. That helped relieve a lot of anger. We’re not close today, but I’m no longer angry. I respect and accept him as the person he is.
I also allowed things to shift in my relationships with men. It stems back to daddy issues. I didn’t think I deserved a healthy relationship. I do have a supportive loving partner right now, he’s helped, but he’s not the sole cause of my change. The change mostly occurred before I met him.
Simplest advice for women: look at when your anger began. Each woman has a different story as to why they hate men. There can be a lot to work through. I encourage women to speak out and get support.
Your blog covers a wide array of topics. What do you hope readers take away from your site?
I hope my fans feel good about themselves upon leaving the site. They need to know they’re not alone. We had a plus size woman write about dating, we have male voices, we have parents, too. I want variety in the mix.
What is the simplest love advice that you can give? How about life?
There’s one thing I always stick by: whether you’re single or in a relationship, work on improving and pursuing your passions. We glow when we’re doing something we’re passionate about. When you're single you may think you're not good enough. And when you're in a relationship you may get in a date night routine and give up yoga and rock climbing. We can forget about ourselves.
You have a degree in fashion. How does Goddess Intellect incorporate your experience in that world?
I’m working on a small lingerie line—it’s in a partnership with another designer. It took me some time. I rejected my fashion side for awhile. I felt the industry was self centered. This year, I realized that it’s not all bad—I’ve learned skills and should use them. The premise behind my lingerie line is “be sexy for yourself.” You don’t see that much anywhere else.
What are your ultimate goals for Goddess Intellect? Yourself?
I want to continue blogging. It’s like journaling for me. And I want to continue with more coaching and workshops. I’m working on another book as well. The working title is Bras, Bellinis and Boyfriends: The 8-Step Guide to Creating a Mini Empire. I’m interested in so many different things, it’s crazy! I have entrepreneur ADD—I think you can be true to yourself in many ways and pieces.
