Fearless and loving path of a peaceful warrior with Dr. Avis Jones-Deweever

Fearless and loving path of a peaceful warrior with Dr. Avis Jones-Deweever

 

Glorious alignment with once vision and mission. Stunning approach to race and justice and, race and gender issues. In the service of healing and restoring unity.

 

In this episode, we have a remarkable guest, whose mission I admire and love. Dr. Avis Jones-Deweever is a career reinvention strategist, diversity and inclusion solutionist, and race and gender empowerment expert. She is the author of the award winning book “How Exceptional Black Women Lead” as well as the founder and CEO of Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women. A global personal and professional development firm that helps established and aspiring entrepreneurs and executives experience accelerating success while building a holistic life they love.

In this interview, we cover her personal journey. From open-minded and curious little girl that provoked change in her church.  Through years of watching and learning about racism as a person with a dark skin tone. Going through divorce and finding herself whiten unfriendly working environment, which on the end pushed her into her entrepreneurial path.

On my question about her own healing path, she answers that it is an evolutionary thing for her. She also emphasizes the importance of healing on the national level and points out that the United States never undergo through any kind of reconciliation process.

“We do not really teach a full and round, and brought the reality of our history in school systems and all of that creates sort of toxic environment where people fail to acknowledge realities that other people face who are not like them. That creates a very difficult barrier for people to push tough. Until that cultural predisposition is ended I do not understand how we will ever reach a place of healing in this nation, not only personally but nationally.”

           She also questions America’s grand idea of individualism. Aldo, it brings a sense of personal power and responsibility, on the other hand with so many individually focused people we have lost a feeling of brother compassion for people that experience world differently than us.

“Honestly, it is a big cultural revolution that we have to undergo as a nation in order to think beyond individual and to make it a little bit more communal, and think a little bit more sort of sympathetically and empathetically, and include all of us. Focusing on commonalities as a human race without erasing the fact that we have different experiences and different histories, those need to be acknowledged and accepted as well.”

           We also talked about the pressure that black women face while climbing corporate ladder. Intense fear of failing as it potentially can shut down opportunity window for next colored woman due to common generalization. This is the topic which Shonda Rhimes covers in her book “Year of Yes”. Faced with this obstacle black women fortunately nowadays embrace the entrepreneurial journey. Dr. Davis mission is to convince them to trust that they have within them all that they need to even excel where they are today and to bring confidence in their lives. As one of the women from her book stated:

 

Confidence is not knowing that you have all the answers, it is not believing that you know everything. Confidence is trusting that you have the ability to figure it out!

Dr. Avis’s superpower is Inspiration.

” I was inspirational. It is just wonderful to be able to live a life where you know that you are living on your purpose on this Earth and you are able to create the life and lifestyle that you deserve and want for your family and for your legacy. I just think it is a beautiful experience and it starts with trusting in you.”

The Your Truth Selfie quiz indicated that perhaps she was undervaluing some of the things that she did by which Avid was amazed as she recently recognized success blocks in this area of her life. Reclamation of the value of our work is so tied into our reclamation of self-worth. And refusing it to be dictated by the outside opinions or forces of any kind and undoing that internalized conditioning.

Lastly, we had an amazing discussion about realistic thinking. Recognizing it as a huge success block. Her take on this topic blows me away!

“The word realistic gives you an excuse to operate under your capabilities. It just gives you an easy out. You are the architect of your boundaries, and if you want to set it small by convincing yourself that something is not realistic, than you just created an invisible barrier that was not there until you put it there. ”

 

I just love all pearls of wisdom that she sprinkled all over this interview. Thank you Dr. Avid!

 

Dr. Jones-Deweever has a giveaway for you too!  She has created Carrier Vision and Action Guide that you can download. It is a tool to help you to really write out what their career goals are and plot a path to help them get there. For more information about Avid and her work you can visit her site ExceptionalLeadershipInstitute.com

If you enjoyed this interview please give us a five-star rating and a review, and tell your friends about us! Check out bonus materials on hersuccessradio.com Find out what amazing guest will be appearing on the show soon and post your questions for them in a comment section. Make sure to subscribe on iTunes so you do not miss their answers on new episodes.

 

Lessons to learn from this episode:

•         Be your through self    (3:55)
•         Appreciate your gifts   (26:30)
•         No plan B. Put you first  (28:30)
•         Do not be afraid to invest in yourself   (41:18)

 

I look forward to connecting with you soon!

Until then,

Stay in your heart.

xx

Valerie