Making Your Own Way

Today on Notable Leaders Radio, I sit down with Damaris Melo-Gyasi, architect, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author of Making My Way: A Story of Grit and Grace. Her story isn't simply about building a successful business. It's about learning to create a life that reflected who she truly was, rather than the limitations others expected her to accept.

Growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, in a working-class Pentecostal family, Damaris was surrounded by love, discipline, and faith—but also by unspoken expectations about what was possible. At just seven years old, seeing a female architect for the first time expanded her understanding of what her future could hold. That single moment of possibility became the beginning of a journey that would take her across countries, cultures, and careers.

Through scholarship opportunities, entrepreneurship, and countless moments of uncertainty, Damaris learned that making your own way isn't about having all the answers. It's about having the courage to keep moving forward, trusting your values, embracing your strengths, and creating opportunities not only for yourself, but for others.

Together, we explore how leadership is less about achieving perfection and more about becoming the person capable of creating meaningful influence and lasting impact.

Together, We Explore

The Power of Seeing New Possibilities

Sometimes transformation begins with a single moment that changes what we believe is possible.

For Damaris, seeing a woman working as an architect at seven years old quietly challenged every expectation she had inherited about her future. That experience reminds us that expanding our vision often begins long before we possess the confidence to pursue it.

When Excellence Replaces Perfection

Perfection promises safety but often keeps us from fully stepping into our potential.

Damaris shares how releasing the need to have every answer allowed her to lead with greater confidence, authenticity, and resilience. Excellence isn't about flawless performance; it's about consistently bringing your best while continuing to learn and grow.

You Don't Have to Be Everything

Many leaders believe success means mastering every skill themselves.

Damaris discovered that sustainable leadership comes from recognizing where others are stronger, trusting their expertise, and building teams whose collective strengths far exceed any one individual's abilities.

Leadership grows when we stop proving ourselves and begin empowering others.

Redefining Success Through Influence

Titles, promotions, and financial success can open doors—but they don't always create meaningful impact.

Building her own architecture firm allowed Damaris to redefine success, shifting her focus from external achievement to creating spaces, opportunities, and communities that improve people's lives.

Influence became more meaningful than recognition.

Leading with Courage and Conviction

Our values matter most when they're tested.

Whether advocating for her employees or navigating difficult conversations with clients, Damaris demonstrates that leadership requires the courage to protect people, uphold boundaries, and remain aligned with what matters most, even when those conversations feel uncomfortable.

Respect is often earned through conviction delivered with grace.

A Moment That Changed Everything

Sometimes the moments that shape our future seem almost insignificant at the time.

For Damaris, it wasn't receiving a degree, launching a business, or publishing a book.

It was seeing someone who reflected a future she had never imagined for herself.

One small moment expanded her vision of what was possible.

Years later, she would become that example for countless others.

Leadership often begins when someone helps us believe that our future can be larger than our circumstances

A Final Reflection

Every leader has a story they didn't choose.

Our upbringing, our circumstances, and the expectations placed upon us all leave their mark.

But those experiences do not have to become the boundaries of our future.

Damaris reminds us that making your own way isn't about rejecting where you came from. It's about honoring what shaped you while choosing, with courage and intention, the path you're meant to create.

The most influential leaders aren't those who follow someone else's blueprint.

They're the ones willing to write their own.

Carry This Forward

Notice

Where in your life or leadership are you still waiting for permission that no one else can give you?

Reflect

What story about yourself has quietly outlived its usefulness?

Act

Choose one courageous conversation or meaningful action you've been postponing. Take the first step this week, trusting that clarity often comes through movement, not certainty.

Resources

Guest Links

Website: https://www.damarismelo.com/

Book: Making My Way: A Story of Grit and Grace

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damarismelogyasi/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damaris.hollingsworth

 

Guest Bio

Damaris Melo-Gyasi is an architect, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, storyteller, and author of Making My Way. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she immigrated to the United States and built a career by challenging expectations, embracing possibility, and leading with purpose.

Today, she is the founder of a mission-driven architecture and design firm in the Midwest, where she works at the intersection of community development, equity, and the built environment. Through her writing, speaking, and leadership, Damaris inspires others to move beyond perceived limitations, embrace their unique journey, and create meaningful impact through lives and careers built with intention.