Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrell Givens.
Hi Terrell, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Prince George’s County, MD. I graduated from Martin Luther King Middle School in Beltsville, MD, and Parkdale High School in Riverdale, MD. I attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical (A&T) State University in Greensboro, NC, and graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, followed by an MBA from the University of Phoenix. I have served in the United States Army since 2004 and currently serve at Fort Meade, MD.
Since my youth, I have been a fitness enthusiast active in basketball, football, running track, cross country, and riding my bike in my neighborhood. My passion continued to be nurtured as I started JROTC in high school and continued in ROTC in college at North Carolina A&T State University. As I started my professional Army career in December 2004, my love for running and functional fitness flourished.
Eventually, I earned my Personal Training certificate from the Athletics and Fitness Association of America in 2010. In 2013, I founded my company, Soza Wellness, where we provided personal training and group fitness services. I noticed that some women would wear makeup at the gym, and I decided to pivot my business towards creating lip products that could be worn by women in the gym, to the board room, taking care of their family, or out for a night on the town. I officially launched Gym Ready Lips in November 2018.
Gym Ready Lips is beauty for the active woman. The lips represent beauty, and the barbell represents strength. Our lipstick and lip glosses are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and long-lasting. We pride ourselves in empowering women through beauty, wellness, and mindfulness.
Gym Ready Lips is a beauty for the busy, everyday woman – the modern Wonder Woman – from the board room to the gym, to managing the lives of her loved ones. The lips represent the beauty of a woman, and the barbell represents woman empowerment.
Although I grasped the overall appreciation that women had for cosmetics, it hit home after an interaction I had while doing a pop-up booth at Anytime Fitness in Jessup, Maryland. I approached a lady about why she wears makeup at the gym. She said, “When I put my lipstick on, it makes me feel beautiful and confident.” That made me more confident that Gym Ready Lips was meeting a demand for the active woman.
There is a gap in the cosmetics industry in catering to female athletes and fitness enthusiasts. I believe Gym Ready Lips can bridge the gap between wellness and beauty.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. I have struggled with managing my personal life, business goals, professional career, and military career. Managing marketing, funding, and operational management have been problematic.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Lieutenant Colonel Terrell Givens graduated from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and was commissioned in the United States Army in December 2004.
Terrell is a resourceful management expert with over 20 years of administrative, logistics, project management, contracting, knowledge management, audio/visual, IT management, and investigative experience. As a creative problem solver, Lieutenant Colonel Givens can resolve conflict, develop programs, and exceed goals. He has a solid background in developing, establishing, and implementing plans, policies, and procedures and has been recognized for exceptional team leadership, interpersonal skills, and written communication abilities.
Terrell has served in numerous positions of leadership, including Information Operations planner, Project Manager, Battalion Executive and Operations Officer, Chief Military Police Observer Controller/Trainer, Internal Review Auditor, Logistics Officer, Contracting Officer, Information Operations Officer, and Fire Support Officer.
Terrell launched Gym Ready Lips in November 2018.
Gym Ready Lips is beauty for the active woman. The lips represent beauty, and the barbell represents strength. The lipsticks and glosses are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and long-lasting.
Lieutenant Colonel Givens currently resides with his wife in Beltsville, Maryland.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The culture in the Washington D.C. area is amazing.
The thing that I least like about the Washington D.C. area is the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gymreadylips.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gymreadylips/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gymreadylips
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gymlips
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRrdVP1lXIB6Lm_lA_oLTIA
