Dr. Regina Vincent Williams

Tomorrow is not promised - Knowing my purpose in life has led me to the success I have enjoyed so far. If I can help somebody (as the song goes), then my living will not be in vain.

Simply go for it! As Covey says begin with the end in mind but you need have a plan because if you don't have a plan... someone has a plan for you!!! Add to that: If you fail to plan you plan to fail!

I would say don't be afraid. I use a quotation from Toastmasters that obstacles are put in your way to see if you wanted something or just thought that you did. So I would advise anyone going out to have faith in yourself, believe in yourself, but you also have to have readiness. Definitely don't let obstacles get in your way. There's usually some way to get around something to follow your dream. It's not about the fame or the money you would get - you're doing it for yourself, because other people may not know what your goal is. Whatever it is that you want to do, you have to go in and exhaust all those steps to do what you wanted to do. Nothing beats a failure except a try. And I want to encourage everyone to know that you have a voice. You can speak up when there's injustice being done. You can speak up when you have an idea. You don't have to be in the shadows. While you don't have to have college degrees to do what you want, it really doesn't hurt - it opens up some other doors for you and gives you an opportunity to get to know people better.

There is a lot of competition for motivational speakers. To be successful one must still be polished, confident, and ready. Influential Women - this program - can help in clearing some of those crowded paths.

The most important values to me are self-love and self-care. I've learned over time that you really have to love yourself. You can go through relationships and have expectations of how things are going to turn out, but the truth of the matter is, you really must learn to love yourself. That's the biggest lesson for me, and now I prioritize self-care and being more open-minded about life in general, without expectations. I also value having a voice and speaking up when there's injustice being done. I believe in stepping up where I know there's a skill set I can bring to the table, and making myself available to mentor others. I value having open conversations about difficult topics like race, and putting myself in places where I can give input and meet people. Faith is also central to my life - having the confidence to step out on faith in what I believe God has called me to do.