Recognizing the Woman Behind the Work by Alana Matthews

Founder and CEO of Bold & Becoming and Boss Babes, Alana Matthews is an entrepreneur, commercial real estate professional, and J.D. candidate dedicated to empowering women through leadership, professional development, and wealth-building education. With a career spanning real estate, compliance, and legal services, she is committed to creating opportunities that inspire women to lead boldly, build generational wealth, and create lasting impact in their communities 

That is what Raining Pearls represented to me: a reminder that recognition is not vanity. Sometimes, it is affirmation. It is someone looking at you and saying, “We see the work. We see the woman. We see what it took.” And as I continue becoming, I hope every woman reading this remembers the same thing: Your story is not separate from your purpose. Your process is preparing you for it. And you deserve to recognize yourself along the way.

Recognizing the Woman Behind the Work: What Every Woman Can Learn From a Pearl At 23 years old, I am learning that purpose is not just about what you build, it is also about who you become in the process. 

Being recognized as an honoree at Regina Stevenson’s Raining Pearls Awards Night allowed me to reflect on that truth. The evening was not simply about celebrating 25 Black women entrepreneurs. It was about recognizing the woman behind the work. 

Regina reminded us that a pearl begins with an irritant, a wound that the oyster cannot remove. Instead, layer by layer, it transforms what caused pain into something valuable. That lesson stayed with me because entrepreneurship can feel the same way. Your process is part of your purpose. 

Through Bold & Becoming, I have dedicated myself to building community, empowering young women, and creating spaces where people can grow into who they are becoming. But while pouring into others, I have also had to learn how to pour back into myself. At 23, building a vision while simultaneously figuring out your own life requires resilience. There are days when you are encouraging everyone else while needing encouragement yourself. Days when you are building something from the ground up while questioning whether you are building it the right way. 

The lesson? Don’t despise the process simply because it is uncomfortable. The experiences that stretch you may also be developing the very qualities your purpose requires. 

Don’t only celebrate the outcome; celebrate the woman. The woman you are, and the one you’re becoming.

 

One of the most powerful parts of Pearls of Purpose was Regina’s reminder that people often see the finished pearl but never see what it took to form it. 

We do this to ourselves, too. 

We look at someone else’s success and compare it to our behind-the-scenes. We celebrate the business, the title, the award, the platform, but forget the woman who had to become strong enough to carry it. 

So ask yourself: Who am I becoming while I build what I prayed for? 

Give, but don’t disappear in your giving. 

Community is at the heart of what I do with Bold & Becoming, and Pearls of Purpose reinforced why that work matters. We need women who are willing to pour into others. But selflessness should never require self-abandonment. You can be the village and still need a village. You can celebrate others and allow yourself to be celebrated. You can build community while building yourself.

Learn more about Alana Matthews at:

● Instagram handle: CEOALANAIMAN 

● TikTok handle: CEOALANAIMAN