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From Educator to Global Motivator- Dr Alicia Wright Williams
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Join us for an enlightening conversation with the remarkable Dr. Alicia Wright Williams, an acclaimed educator turned motivational speaker and entrepreneur, as she unravels her unique journey to receiving an honorary PhD in Philosophy and Humanitarianism. Dr. Williams candidly shares the awe and disbelief she felt upon receiving such a prestigious recognition from Leaders Esteem Christian Bible University. With a focus on how honorary degrees celebrate impactful work, she highlights her global mission to educate and inspire beyond the traditional classroom. Despite facing skepticism and age-related biases in academia, Dr. Williams reveals how her innovative spirit and unwavering purpose helped her navigate challenges, offering invaluable insights for anyone striving to make a difference.
Step into a world where greatness isn't just admired but actively pursued, as Dr. Williams discusses the responsibility of using one's platform for positive change. This episode is a call to action, urging listeners to embody the essence of doing rather than merely talking. Dr. Williams stresses the importance of quiet confidence, advocating for achievements to be shared when the time is right—and not because of external pressures. Through her personal journey and experiences, she offers inspiration to overcome naysayers and maintain faith in one's path, ensuring that resilience and impact remain at the forefront of our endeavors.
- “That’s it for today’s brew of inspiration on Koffee Chitchat. Take what filled your cup today and pour it into someone else’s life.”
Honorary Doctorate Recognition and Impact
Speaker 1Hey, y'all, hey. Welcome back to another exciting episode of Coffee Chit Chat. We have one of our resident experts, as we like to call her, in the building and before we get started, before I introduce us, let's shout out the coffee of the week, a caramel macchiato, and of course that's one of my favorite drinks, so make sure y'all get one. We have the beautiful and awesome guest, miss Alicia Williams, or should I say Dr Alicia Williams in the building. She's an educator turned successful entrepreneur, published author, motivational speaker and style influencer. So you guys, she's not a stranger to Coffee Chit Chat. Let's welcome back Dr Williams. Welcome back.
Speaker 2Thank you. It is awesome to be back on Coffee Chit Chat Always a pleasure. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1Okay, so the last time I introduced you I did not say Dr Williams, let's chat a little bit about your honorary degree. What field is your?
Speaker 2honorary doctorate in. It's a PhD in philosophy and humanitarianism okay, was that?
Speaker 1was that your major in college? Just kind of like fit in that school?
Speaker 2no, no, no, not at all oh wow. My major in undergrad and post-secondary was education, but we know the rim of education is to simply impact and to give back.
Speaker 1So that is just awesome. What institution awarded you this?
Speaker 2degree Leaders Esteemed Christian Bible University.
Speaker 1Okay, I love that Anything to do with the Bible, because we need it in these times right.
Speaker 2Listen God first in all, that we do. I always say that I cannot do what I do without him, Amen.
Speaker 1Amen, I love it. I love it. So what accomplishments or contributions led you to receiving this honor? Because I know people often ask how do you receive an honor degree?
Speaker 2So let me just give you a little backhand story on actually my 45th birthday, which was back in April. I received an email saying you will be receiving this esteem award and I was like what, wait a minute?
Speaker 2You know you get so many scams and your email, but I also received a call shortly thereafter, that same day, to say that we want to honor you for your works. Let me just tell you so, when I talk about many people don't understand. It's completely different from you doing research or doing many hours of study. But what people don't understand when it what an honorary degree is? You're being honored for the work that you have done in a respective arena or field, what your passion is, what you do for a living, and what I have done for many years now, which is simply impact lives in the realm of education and even outside of education, because I often tell people all the time, although I'm no longer in the classroom, I still have an opportunity to teach and impact lives globally now I love that and that's excellent.
Speaker 1You know you may not be in that traditional classroom, but outside of that you still have the opportunity to teach others, so that's excellent.
Speaker 2I love it Most definitely because with this, you know, I don't take it lightly, because I was honored by God. That's the difference. And what a lot of people don't understand is that from over 10 years ago, I was working on my doctorate degree at a university. At this time I was a college admin and so, of course, I had the opportunity, was presented an opportunity, to go a step further, as far as being an associate dean or dean, opportunities that would come towards me and I said OK, you know, with me being one of the younger at the time admins, I mean, I came in, you know, pretty much rocking the boat, shaking and moving very early on. So when you are, if you know anything about post-secondary education, most times they retire, they're older, they're seasoned.
Speaker 1I don't want to say old, let me say seasoned. Wait, don't say old because I was an adjunct professor at Western, but I was retired.
Speaker 2So you find a lot of individuals who are seasoned and who, pretty much, when they're there, they're there, they're not going anywhere, they're full time. But when you have somebody who's younger come on board and they're like whoa, wait a minute, who is she? What is she doing? And listen, she's not about to take my spot. When you do what you're doing, you do it well. Um, can't nobody stop what god has for you? That's it.
Speaker 1That is so true. I talked to a little young actor here a couple of weeks ago and that's what he was saying. He said I don't worry if it's uh, if I can't get it or they deny me, I just keep going, because what god has for me is for me so most definitely, most definitely, and we all could just learn that, stop the hate, you just kind of keep living your life.
Speaker 2Whatever is for you, it's gonna be for you it's gonna be for you and no matter how many you've heard me say often, you know you're gonna have the dream busters, you're gonna have the naysayers. You're gonna have people who question why you? Why you? Let me say they're gonna ask why you? Because what you? Let me say that again. They're going to ask why you? Because what you don't understand is what God has chosen for me is for me and not for you. And if you would stay focused on what he has for you and walk in your purpose, I can almost assure you your blessings and the favor will show upon your life.
Speaker 1Love it, Love it Now. How does it feel to be recognized this way by academic community?
Speaker 2It's an indescribable feeling is because it's not for the recognition is for the, the feeling of making a difference. So I want to continue to use my platform as I have for many years now at least 12 plus years because I haven't on Facebook probably only about 12 or 13 years and, truthfully and honestly, I was forced to kind of put myself out there because I was just not a social media person. But, my God, what he has done for me over the years is because I chose to expand to other platforms. So it's an amazing feeling to know that it just doesn't stop with now being Dr Alicia A Williams. What now is? Here's where the real work comes in.
Speaker 2It's to continue to create a legacy, to continue to make an impact. So, attaching the title, I always say titles mean nothing to me. At the end of the day, what's most important is your character. If you strip me of every title, every accolade that I receive, does my character speak for itself? That's what people need to most understand. Is that? Does your character speak for itself If you strip me of the titles and every achievement, I could lay not saying that I don't love, I don't appreciate it? I think before, but sometimes we as individuals get so caught up in the title and forget about the work that God has truly called us to do.
Speaker 1I mean, I totally agree with that, because sometimes you look at people and you're like, oh my gosh, they're this and they're that. But then when you get to know that person you know maybe from conversations or just from other people talking you're like, oh OK, because their character is not, you know, really esteeming what the title is saying about them. So I love that, you know, you can.
Speaker 2That reminds me of a message I posted yesterday is don't get so caught up in the titles of people you know be the woman. Are you still that amazing woman in person as you are on paper? That's a whole nother message that I can preach about on a whole nother day. Are you still the amazing woman in person as you are on paper? Because, honey, we can look good on paper. Question is when someone actually encounters you or encounters your spirit, is that? Is that a representation of what you display or show on paper?
Speaker 1oh, I love that said laugh of the people in the back, honey.
Speaker 2I don't think they heard us in the back. I don't think they heard us in the back.
Speaker 1I love that. So what was the ceremony like when you received the degree?
Find Your Tribe and Take Action
Speaker 2Oh, wow. Like I say, it'll be a month, in just a couple days, that I received this honorary doctorate degree and presidential lifetime award. So I received two things, which is, you know, I'm still taking a back, still in awe of what God is doing, is doing and what he will continue to do in my life. So, to be amongst so many amazing people, always one of my good friends, who I've known since undergrad she has always made this statement as a part of her brand I am not great by mistake. So to be in the room amongst greatness, but also so that there's greatness in me too, because if you don't speak highly of yourself, you can't expect for others to speak highly of you as well. So not only was I in the room with greatness such as so many celebrities, I've never been in a room filled with so many celebrities and I was like, wow, god, when you say he will, he will bless you and he will put you in rooms and tables that you, that you couldn't even see.
Speaker 2I didn't see this coming in no shape, form or fashion. Like I say, my 45th birthday. I received an email so to and it was early that morning, um, so to receive that email, um, to just start off chapter 45, I say my God, you know, I don't know what you're doing, but I'm here for it, I'm here for it I'm here to walk in my purpose and do all that you have called me to be.
Speaker 2So just to be surrounded by so much greatness of entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers. So many people are just impacting the community. Let's strip away of who they are. What's most important is what are they actually doing? Because some, some of us, are gifted with platforms and the question is are you using your platform the right way?
Speaker 1well, the better, because I see a lot of people that are not we.
Speaker 2We see it every day. Is it for personal gain or is it to make, truly make an impact and change someone's life? Because that's that's my goal. Every day that I pop on, I pop on with deer sis to empower. Sometimes I'm gonna, I'm gonna step on some toes, because that's what a sister does, another sister. You need somebody to give it to you straight. You should do. There's too many fake. There's too many fake, fake people that are not giving it to you straight because, at the end of the day, they don't truly care about you. It's about what makes them look good and when it's convenient for them.
Speaker 1Like our ever first lady said, do something. So when you have a platform, do something. And I see you doing something every day. I don't catch it all the time, but when I I'm like, okay, I needed that today, you know. So I was like another nugget plant, another nugget plant.
Speaker 2So I love that exactly, and that resonated with me when she spoke about that. Uh, that's it. It's two simple words do something, and if you're not doing anything, hush up. And hush up and step back and let's let's really focus on those that are truly trying to make an impact in this world, because we have a lot of talkers, and even in business, and even when I'm talking to uh mentees, one of the first things I say is don't be a talker in this season. Be a a doer. Get the one who moves in action, because we can talk about it all day long. As a matter of fact, it's Talk About it Tuesday.
Speaker 1We talking about it. We talking about it.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, we talking about it, but in actuality, if you truly want to be a change agent or be a woman or a man of change, you've got to first get up and do something.
Speaker 1So that's excellent. That's a great message for anybody. Y'all hear that chit-chatters out there. Be a change agent and do something. And do something. Look, just do something. And sometimes silence is golden as well. You don't have to be a person that has to comment on every post you see on Facebook.
Speaker 2You know, step back and just observe sometimes and stop being the individual who feels like I need to. If you know me, I don't announce everything that I do, because everything is not for everybody to know and it's okay to move in silence. It's not that I'm being secretive, it's just not your business. And when God reveals to me it's time for me to share, then I'm going to open up and share with you. When he tells me this is when I want you to share with the world, no personal offense to anyone, but a lot of times people get in their feelings and understand why didn't you tell?
Speaker 1It wasn't for me to tell you I love that Cause that's exactly what happened when we started this podcast. And now this is season 10 and I just thank God for it. But a lot of people were like you didn't tell me, I didn't know you were going to start a podcast, and how did you do that? I was like, well, I told you guys, a surprise was coming in and voila, here it is. And now it's the time to tell you, because sometimes when you tell people ahead of time, sometimes they can try to talk you out of what.
Speaker 2God has for you. Yeah, they can't, but that goes back to how. How confident are you within yourself, how strong are you within your faith? What does your relationship look like with God? Is because, like I said early, you have so many, you're gonna have so many naysayers, so many doubters, so many, um, what I call them, the bitter, the bitter Betty, the envious Eve. You're gonna have all these people that are going to come from different directions. Is because, in all actuality, they don't want to see you do what you do because, at the end of the day, they're afraid of what you're going to do. Don't miss that. I like that. They're afraid of what you can do because they, they know what your, your potential is and what you're capable of. I love it I love it.
Speaker 1Well, action checkers they love your advice because your um episode always get amazing downloads. What thank you? Oh always. What one piece of advice, uh, you can share with my listeners um, with, with all that, god, this is we're.
Speaker 2We're about to enter, uh, q4, which is quarter four of 2024. Get up, in the words of our current vp um, do something, stop making excuses, stop wishing forward and work forward. Oh, wow, let me say that again Get up and do something, stop wishing for it because we wish for. There's nothing wrong with dreaming it's okay to dream but at the end of the day, in order for you to achieve those dreams, you've got to do something every single day. There's no, michael. This is 12 plus years and actually more. But when I talk about 12 plus years, I'm talking about 12 plus years of being an entrepreneur. I'm not education. That goes back many, many years now. However, I'm talking about 12 plus years of being my own boss and making decisions for myself, understanding that if I want to continue to have this financial and time freedom, if I want to continue to impact the world, I've got to get up and I've got to do something. So my message in quarter four is don't allow another year to go by and you don't do anything.
Speaker 1Oh wow, that's good. Y'all see, that's a great takeaway. Don't let another year go back without you doing something.
Speaker 2Get up and do something. There's a song I can hear in my head but I can't get it out to tell you what it is. But simply just get up and do something. But don't allow anyone or anything to block or stop what God has for you, no matter what they say, because they're going to come. From every angle, and I always say, every new level comes a new devil, and that, just as God continues to bless you and show favor on whatever it is he has for you, you've got to be okay with taking this journey by yourself, because you don't know why he's removing people, you don't know why people are distant from you. You've got to be okay with riding the elevator alone, because everybody can't take that next stop with you or go on that next stop with you. Oh, wow.
Speaker 1That was deep. Every level comes a new level.
Speaker 2Because at every level comes a new devil, because one of the things I often share is he didn't say that the weapon wasn't going to form. He said they shall not prosper. Okay, that point, that point, and that's what people need to understand. There's a lot going on in the world. There's a lot of unhappy people, a lot of miserable people and a lot of negativity, but, on the flip side, what I encourage every listener to do is find your tribe. Find your tribe that truly and genuinely supports you in your goals. And it's okay if it's just one person, but find someone that you can trust, who truly wants to see you win, and, if you don't have someone, pray about it and ask God to align you. And one of the words that I'm very big on in this season is alignment, alignment, and this next quarter is going to be key to what your 2025 is going to look like. Yes, yes, yes, alignment.
Speaker 1This is a good one. So she talked about alignment. Dear sis, when you change, change don't announce it, just bloom, oh I just look at that, listen.
Speaker 2I literally just posted, posted about um. This is the season where you should bloom and be okay with blooming unapologetically. You know people be like unfortunately, here she go again. Here she go again. That's that spirit of jealousy, that's that spirit of envy, that's that spirit of many of them who are really just unhappy with themselves, and so they find reasons to throw darts and daggers at people before they turn their nose up when they see God's blessing you. What you have to understand. There's a season for everybody, but you're going to miss your blessing because you're too busy, focused on what somebody else, what God is doing in somebody else's life. This is for women and men. Congratulate others in their winning season. Amen. Let me say that again. Be that female, be that male to congratulate others in their winning season, because yours is common. So don't miss out on what God has for you or don't block your blessings envying or being jealous of what God has for somebody else.
Speaker 1I love that it was another direct selling company and there was a national sales rep who used to always say don't hate, congratulate.
Speaker 2So I love that Don't hate, don't congratulate. We don't compete. We complete each other.
Speaker 1That's it. That's it and that's yeah. I have looked at life like that all the time. That's it and that's yeah. I have looked at life like that all the time, you know, even serving in the military and making it to lieutenant colonel and then seeing people go above that colonel and general officer, all of us just kind of like just we love that we would just get together and just mentor each other.
Speaker 1You know even people who were actually higher than us. They said well, we can learn from you guys as well were actually, uh, higher than us.
Speaker 2They said we can learn from you guys as well. So I love it. And listen, I tell people all the time, even though I came in my industry and was the first african-american elite leader in this industry, this company, you know, I, I here's the thing I'm confident in who I, who I am, I know what I've done. But, at the end of day, if you're the only one who's going to the top, there's a problem. There's a problem. So my goal behind that was to let every other woman specifically my brown girls too as well that if I can do it, you can do it too, and I'm okay with you passing me, because it's not about that, it's about bringing others along, and so that's my mantra, and I, oh and well, you've heard my mantra and I stayed, and I'll stay at it for the listeners as well. No one else is you, and that is your superpower, who you are and whose you are. My god, god is going to open doors that you, you wouldn't even imagine.
Speaker 1So, uh, thank you thank you, thank you, thank you so much. Look y'all, we're going to probably have her every season until coffee chit chat is gone. But because I just love it, I love all the nuggets that she poured into us, into you guys as our listeners, and thank y'all well, wait a minute. How can they follow you I?
Speaker 2was just about to say please follow me. I've done a couple name changes but at the end of the day, I'm still Alicia A Williams, but you'll see doctor in front of that as well. So two ways that you can follow me, of course, on Facebook at Dr Alicia A Williams. Also, you can follow me on Instagram at I am underscore Alicia A Williams. Now here's. Here's what I'm going to test you guys to do is to learn how you can book me, how I can be your next speaker, how I could do any workshop for anything that you may have.
Speaker 2Coming up in quarter four, my calendar is open. So I love speaking to women and love empowering young girls, women just in general, and the man too. Listen, they can learn something from me too. My platform is open to help empower and just help others see the greatness within themselves. Go get your copy of Dear Sis. You can get a copy on my website, aliciaempowershercom. Let me say that again. Check out my website, where you can purchase any of my books, um, from alicia a, I'm sorry. Alicia empowers hercom that's awesome.
Speaker 1We're putting in our facebook uh chat check group as well. Okay, I forget. So, guys, thank y'all for tuning in to another episode of coffee chit chat and we'll uh see you guys next week with another exciting episode thanks y'all.
