Table of Contents for this page:

Extended Bio

Career Highlights

Deeper Exploration of my projects

Career Goals

Career Highlights:

Starting Isha Gaines Photography & Graphics (@IshaGainesPhoto)

2008 Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc

2012 - HoneyBeNatural Magazines

2015 - HUMAN.COLLECTION, my apparel & accessories line.

2015 Black Women in Publication Awards

Dallas Weekly's 20 Millennials to watch in 2016

2017 - Rolling Out’s Magazine Top 25 women of Dallas

Opening an event space/wellness store HoneyBeNatural.HoneyBeWell

Launching The Affirmation Summit 2018

2018 - The Affirmation Summit featured in Forbes Online

2018 - Nominated for The 2018 Cosign Awards

2018 - Images published on Forbes.com through CreateHerStock

2019 - Nominated for The Local Love Awards (best in Dallas) Entrepreneur of the Year

2019 - Nominated for The InspireUFest Digital Influencer of the year

Photography: Featured in Ebony Magazine, People Magazine, Essence Magazine, Good Company Magazine, Belong Magazine, Elle Magazine

Conducting media for Essence Festival 2014 to 2019

2020 - Launched Aloe.Curves March 2020

2021 -Graduate Duvalls School of Cosmetology | Esthetician | Sept. 2021

2021 - Launch Aloe Curves Skin Holistic Spa (December 2021)

2022 - Launched the HoneyBeNatural.HoneyBeWell Apothecary (March 2022)

2022 - Graduate Lamar University Masters of Education | Counseling & Development | Marriage Family & Couples Counseling (May 2022)

2022 - Adjunct Professor for Southern New Hampshire University

2023 - Certificate of Aromatherapy from the American College of Healthcare Sciences

2023 - Adult Scholarship Recipient at the American College of Healthcare Sciences

2023 - Licensed LPC-A in the State of Texas

2023 - Micro-credential in Blood Functional Analysis from the American College of Healthcare Sciences

2024 - Featured on NBC-5 Morning Today Show: November 11th

I'sha Gaines and I'm from Dallas, Texas.  I am an Innovative mental health advocate with an extensive education background and unique entrepreneurial drive! By nature, I have a relentless drive to win that some may classify as a “super-power” and I strive to exhibit excellence in all that I do.

After a 12-year teaching career, I decided to switch my career to become a therapist & holistic esthetician after being inspired by my own healing work. My unique career experience has afforded me the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life. I’d like to believe I am a well-rounded, relatable and resourceful self starter. I am a forward thinker who prides myself on using herbalism, aromatherapy and holistic modalities to help heal your mind, body and skin. My counseling specialties are CBT & Behavior Change. I also love working with women and kids! 

My journey to self love has birthed many businesses and essentially has helped me blossom in a way that inspires, encourages and motivates others. I do not shy away from promoting wellness & mental health through social media and love educating through classes and speaking engagements.

• Holistic Therapist-Associate (LPC-A) in Texas - CBT, Kids and Women (M.Ed Counseling and Development - Lamar University)

• Holistic Esthetician (Duvalls School of Cosmetology)

• Herbalist and Aromatherapy Specialties (American College of Healthcare Sciences)

• Functional Blood Analysis Micro-Credential (American College of Healthcare Sciences)

• Integrative and Functional Medicine Practitioner — Student of Doctor of Functional Medicine Post Doctorate program at Kingdom College of Natural Health in Guam, USA. Anticipated Graduation 2025

EXTENDED BIO

HoneyBeNatural Career:

I dreamed about HoneyBeNatural Magazine in 2011. A year before inception, in a dream I saw myself walking around the metroplex and asking women for their contact information to put in "Green-sheet type publication listing small businesses." I told a friend about it who was having a natural hair event and she invited me to share my dream with the women at her expo in 2012. The response was unbelievable! It was at this event the women decided, FOR ME, that HoneyBeNatural should be more than a simple listing. These women felt like it should be published in a major way, so with a little hope and HoneyBeNatural blog and website I published that next week. HoneyBeNatural, the print & digital magazine, launched within 6 months that following January.

Tackling graphic design and photography for the magazine lead me here to www.ishagaines.com. I cut my magazine expenses in half by teaching myself how to do graphic design & how to take professional photos. 

For the first 5yrs, HoneyBeNatural celebrated the natural hair, fashion and lifestyle of fabulous ladies, gents and kids with a network that spanned over 75K. Talk about influence! HoneyBe has built a professional relationship with many organizations like UT-Arlington, Society of Professional Journalist and international hair brands like Creme of Nature, Kinky Curly Yaki, Mielle Organics, Uncle Funky's Daughter, The New Orleans Natural Hair Expo and many others!

HoneyBeNatural started transitioning to a wellness platform in 2018 and intends to create content to help women improve their quality of life. We are now a full blown wellness platform empowering women from all walks of life. Our Apothecary (relaunched in 2022) HoneyBeNatural.HoneyBeWell carries my Aloe.Curves feminine and skincare line as well as other wellness products!

Teaching Career:

After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, I had a growing desire to write, to spew knowledge into others that they may find somehow beneficial to their own way of life. Plagued for two years by not being able to find a journalism job in the metroplex even after being a reporter and editor at my college newspaper,The Shorthorn, interning at The Arlington Star-Telegram and Fort Worth Weekly, I became an elementary school teacher. I thought my journalism career was over! But then I had the bright idea to create my own job! 

During my first year of teaching, I was able to begin the first newspaper for A.W. Brown Fellowship Leadership Academy in 2010! The Golden Eagle Newspaper is collection of writings and artwork from the students at AWB-FLA. It was distributed to over 2,000 students and staff members, 4 times a year.

Starting the newspaper, fueled my passion for writing and managing creative teams. Joining the yearbook design team and becoming a campus photographer set me up good! The passion was lit and now I had the software I needed to move forward. 

After 5 years of serving at AWB, I was hired by Duncanville High School in 2015 as the Commercial Photography Teacher and then back to elementary in 2022. I completed a Masters Degree in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University. As a photography teacher, I taught my students how to start and successfully run a photography business and/or make money off of their photos. My students are recognized state-wide for their photography, they go on to major in photography, start businesses and grow their skills.

I am now an adjunct professor teaching graphic design and photography for Southern New Hampshire University.