Success by Choice…not by Chance

I remember the first time Sparkstar Mona Bittle walked into my store.

I was the manager at a men's clothing store and Mona was well, TALL.  That was my very first impression of her was, "WOW this girl  has some long legs."  (I am 5'2 and she is like 5'10).

She got the job! LOL, no, not because of her legs.  It was her undeniable winning attitude. Like a frog in a pond she committed to the leap. In interview, when I asked what her strengths were, she replied, "I may not know everything but I am pay attention and learn. I know that I can do it and I want to be the best at anything that I do."

I believed her! 

I believed her so much, and her work ethic was so strong, many years later I learned that she was into makeup and hair, so I hired her to be my assistant on the Miley Cyrus tour. 

Season ONE Soundtrack

Even though it was exciting for both of us, GOD saw fit for her to do something else and took her in another direction.  Mona has since worked on film sets, became a beauty school instructor, moved to NYC and most recently has done make up for one of my favorite TV shows, EMPIRE.  She better werk!

Sparkstar Mona Bittle is the "NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP WINNING" master and I am so honored to feature her as today's Super Sparkstar! 

From her heart to yours… 

What have you done that you’re most proud of to have achieved?

I am alive… that is the biggest achievement of all.  What most people don’t know about me is that when I was born, I was pronounced to be clinically dead.   I was brought back to life but the doctors had little hope that I would actually make it. 32 years later, I am still here so when people doubt my abilities, they don’t even realize that I have already won. 

When you think of your home, what immediately comes to mind?

Sadness.  I come from a broken home and a very distant family.  My mom was a single parent and struggled to raise three kids alone.   My father wasn’t around and it hurt. I often envied my friends whose fathers were around.  But at the same time, I wonder if it is a blessing in disguise.  What if not having a father present is the reason I’m as strong as I am today?  Would I be the same woman had he have been there?  I guess I’ll never know.

What is your greatest strength?

Success can many things to different people but I believe that my greatest strength is my hunger for success.   I don’t allow fears to control my life or get in between me and success.  Most people are not so good at that.  My motto is "Success over fear, EVERYDAY!"

What bad habits do you want to break?

The Gift of Imperfections

That’s a tough one being that I have a lot of bad habits… LOL but honestly speaking, self doubt and feeling as I am not good enough.  I question my own abilities to get the job done.  I also tend to worry a lot.  Having faith is vital but that doesn’t always come easy for me.

When did you last push the boundaries of your comfort zone?

That is something I do on a daily basis.  Every day I wake up,  I say to myself   “Hmmm, what barrier shall I break today?  What obstacle will I cross and what theory will I prove to be wrong?”  

Life is all about challenges and my key to success is being able to step out of my comfort zone.  I’m never satisfied so when I feel like I’ve reached the peak of whatever I’m up to, I’m already mentally on to the next challenge. I consistently find ways to be even greater than the I was day before.

How do you spend the majority of your free time?

In my world, there’s no such thing as “free time". Every minute of the day is valuable to building my legacy. However, if and when I do find “down time", I spend it on researching ways to perfect my craft. The majority of successful people get to where they are by choice…not by chance.

A Natural State of Mind

If you lost everything tomorrow, whose arms would you run into to make everything ok?

Without hesitation…my mom.  She has been my rock, my foundation, my biggest fan, my everything. 

Everything that I know and everything that I am today is because of her.  She has shown me what overcoming odds and adversity is all about.  She hustled multiple jobs and at times, sacrificed her health to make sure we didn’t go without.  She taught me the true meaning of survival, hustle, and the importance of never giving up. I owe her my success.  I know that I can always count on her to have my back.

I am a sparkstar because: I am courageous and I shine even when things seem dark. 

Mona Bittle is a Celebrity Makeup Artist from New Haven, Connecticut.  You can find her on IG @Parischick01

"Love what you do and good karma will find YOU!" ~ Sparkstar Mona Bittle

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