Daughter of Christ, Business Owner & Grower - Jaxie Odell

As a freshmen going into college, I was not in a position that I was comfortable or confident with. Personally, I was struggling with being away from my family, my boyfriend, husband now, was on his very first deployment and I genuinely did not feel like college was where I needed to be. There was a required class that was meant for freshmen as a way to teach the things they needed to know about campus, classes and being organized that led me to meeting one of my favorite professors and my favorite TA, teacher's assistant, Jaxie! The way Jaxie spoke kindly and encouraging to myself and fellow classmates really stood out to me and helped me to cultivate my character throughout my first year at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi and life in general. Her spunk, creativity and willingness to grow is unlike any other person I have met and I am excited to introduce her radiant soul with everyone.

Daughter of Christ

Jaxie's faith in Christ is something that contributes greatly to her overall presence and her major life decisions. Before her baptism, Jaxie felt like she was "constantly running from everything" and even described herself as living in slavery before it. Her current move to Michigan makes it evident that she is no longer afraid to take major leaps, as long as Jesus is in her heart. Being a Texas girl moving to Michigan, there are so many opportunities for her to become who she truly wants to be, but the struggles she will face are great as well. When faced with these challenges, Jaxie simply reminds herself that "He is the reason I am" and to continue to grow through his love and presence. Throughout her time in college she experienced many emotions, including joy, heartbreak and unity, but she specifically recalls experiencing a true dependence on Jesus. The moments of weakness and strength Jaxie went through when receiving her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology, as well as, her internship with the National Spill Control School and H-E-B’s Environmental Affairs Team, are all examples of the light and strength Jesus has placed in her soul. Faith is such an important part of her life that not only does her personality and spirit reflect her religious upbringing, but Christianity has also come about within her art and business.

Growing In Love Co.

Not only is "growing in love" Jaxie's life motto, but it is also her hand-lettering company. This motto means that "you are choosing to continue to grow while giving yourself grace in the process" and Jaxie feels that this is important to her for many reasons, but one being that sometimes we choose to be too hard on ourselves with our goals and we lose sight of "growing in love". Art has always been something that she was drawn to, but post baptism she discovered that her journals had always been really artsy and that hand-lettering was something she should pursue. After many nights of prayer, Jaxie encountered the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 16:14 "let everything you do be done in love" leading her to the name and overall presence of her company - Growing In Love Co. She was fearful at the start of her business and even still in current moments about how people will react to the plans for her business and even how she will continue to navigate it. However, Jaxie's work posted on her social media has shown that any fear she has is not called for. From home decor to journals to wedding signs, Jaxie shows her passion for art and for Christ with a desire to grow a business that she hopes to expand even further. In the future, Jaxie hopes to open her own shop where she "can inspire and supply other artists" to "pursue their gifts by allowing a space for freedom." To some Jaxie's art may seem like just letters on materials, but the work she does is truly an incredible discipline that she excels at greatly.

Grower

Growth for anyone can be a time of great anxiety and fear, but hearing the way Jaxie has been able to not only navigate through those feelings, but also grow is truly moving. Something she mentioned frequently within her answers was that we all expect to be at a certain point in our life when we hit a certain age, but in reality that's not always going to be where we are. She urges others to "Jump now. Go now. Do what you want now." As she approaches 25, there are parts of her life that she expected to have filled in and know what was coming next, but that's simply not the case and that's okay. If you wait until the "perfect age" to travel the world or start the business you have always wanted to, you'll stumble upon more excuses and resistance once you get there. Jaxie gave the powerful statement "Jump while you can still afford to drown" and I truly can not wait to enact this very statement in my own life.

There are many ways that many different kinds of people can draw inspiration from Jaxie. Her vibrant, generous soul is one that people of all walks of life should strive to have. I have taken the conversations we have had through academia talks, lunch dates, and messages and applied her spirit of growth through the never-ending failures in life to every situation I can, big or small. The work she does to grow her business and her relationship with Christ is an incredible testimony of the hardworking, authentic and loving soul that Jaxie has. Jaxie has shown me that being a role model is more than just sharing the accomplishments, but it is sharing the entire process of "growing in love."