A thoughtful exploration of how true success comes from alignment with purpose rather than external accomplishments. Discover why competence isn't the same as calling and how honest reflection can redirect your life's trajectory.
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Influential Woman · Business Consulting | Strategic Development | International Business Development
Felicia Cooper
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Wisteria Wisdom, Inc.
Mesquite, TX 75150
1Article published
2Awards received
Her Story
About Felicia
Felicia Cooper is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wisteria Wisdom Incorporated, a strategic consulting and professional services firm committed to helping organizations, entrepreneurs, and leaders move from vision to execution through thoughtful planning, research, and strategic development.
Recognized as Ms. Corporate America – Dallas, Texas, Felicia brings nearly three decades of experience across entrepreneurship, risk management, insurance, legal support services, executive operations, and organizational strategy. Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation for solving complex problems, developing practical solutions, and helping others identify opportunities for growth.
Today, her work has expanded beyond traditional business consulting through the launch of Akwaaba Blue Limited, an international initiative focused on strengthening agricultural infrastructure, fostering strategic partnerships, and supporting sustainable development throughout Ghana. Rather than simply developing projects, Felicia is committed to building trusted relationships that create long-term value for the communities they serve.
A lifelong learner and strategic thinker, Felicia's leadership philosophy is rooted in purposeful service, continuous growth, and responsible stewardship. She believes meaningful leadership begins with alignment—ensuring that our gifts, experiences, and values move in the same direction—and that lasting success is measured not only by personal achievement but by the opportunities we create for others.
Her vision is to build organizations that outlive her, develop leaders who multiply impact, and create partnerships that improve lives across generations.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Felicia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to remaining teachable, leading with integrity, and continually seeking alignment between my purpose and my work. Throughout my career, I have learned that success is not measured solely by personal achievement but by the opportunities we create for others. Every season of my life—from entrepreneurship and corporate leadership to international development—has reinforced my belief that our greatest legacy is found in faithfully stewarding our gifts in service to something greater than ourselves.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my father when I was in junior high school. He always told me, "It's okay to work for someone, but strive to have something of your own." He spent 33 years with Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical), and while I often joked that staying at one job for 33 days was an accomplishment for me, his advice shaped the way I approached my career. It taught me that entrepreneurship isn't just about owning a business—it's about creating opportunities, building something that reflects your values, and leaving a legacy that serves others.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Take a chance on yourself. We spend so much of our lives taking chances on jobs, relationships, and opportunities, yet we're often afraid to bet on ourselves. Don't wait until you have everything figured out—growth happens through action.
And one more thing: stop trying to think outside the box. The box is an illusion. Don't allow other people to define the limits of what's possible for your life. Expand your territory, remain teachable, and give yourself permission to pursue paths that may not look traditional. Some of the greatest opportunities exist in places very few people are willing to explore.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest opportunities today is helping organizations think beyond traditional solutions by building strategic partnerships that create long-term community impact. Whether through international development, sustainable infrastructure, or executive strategy, I believe the future belongs to leaders who are willing to collaborate across industries and cultures. At the same time, one of our biggest challenges is helping people move beyond transactional thinking and toward building solutions that are sustainable, scalable, and genuinely improve lives.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, stewardship, continuous learning, and service are the values that guide every decision I make. I believe our greatest responsibility is to faithfully use the gifts we've been given in service to others. Success is important, but significance comes from creating opportunities that continue making a difference long after we're gone.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Felicia
You Can Be Successful and Still Be in the Wrong Lane
Discovering that true success comes from living in alignment with your purpose, not just achieving external accomplishments.
Success Isn't Always Alignment
For much of my career, I believed success meant becoming better at what I was already doing. I didn't realize that success and alignment are not always the same thing.
Like many professionals, I worked hard, earned credentials, built businesses, developed expertise, and pursued opportunities that looked successful from the outside. I was dependable, resourceful, and known as someone who could solve problems. By every measurable standard, I was succeeding.
Yet, despite those accomplishments, I eventually found myself asking a question that changed the direction of my life:
"Am I successful, or am I simply succeeding in the wrong lane?"
That question wasn't born out of failure. It came from success.
For years, I measured my value by what I could accomplish and by how many people I could help. Throughout my career, people would often reconnect with me to share how a conversation, a piece of advice, or information I had given them helped them start a business, pursue a new career, or reach a milestone they never thought possible.
Those conversations became some of my greatest rewards.
Ironically, while I was helping others move closer to their purpose, I hadn't stopped long enough to ask whether I was fully living my own.
Real Growth Often Begins With Honest Reflection
For me, that reflection required examining not only my career but also my priorities, my leadership, and, ultimately, my purpose. I realized that being exceptionally good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's where you're meant to spend the rest of your life.
There is a profound difference between competence and calling.
Sometimes we become so proficient in a role that we mistake proficiency for purpose. We stay because we're respected. We stay because we're comfortable. We stay because it's familiar.
But eventually, if we're willing to listen, our spirit begins calling us toward something greater.
The Imperative of Alignment
One of the mentors who profoundly influenced my journey is Dr. Thando Sibanda, author of The Imperative of Alignment. Through his work, I learned that alignment isn't simply something we teach—it's something we must continually pursue in our own lives.
His wisdom challenged me to stop asking, "What's my next opportunity?" and instead ask, "Is this aligned with who I was created to be?"
That single question transformed the way I make decisions. It also transformed the way I define success.
A Commitment to Building
Eventually, that journey of alignment led to the founding of Akwaaba Blue Limited and my commitment to building strategic partnerships that support sustainable development initiatives in Ghana.
Interestingly, Ghana wasn't simply a place I chose. It became a place that challenged me to think differently about leadership.
Before considering what I could build, I first asked myself a different question:
"How can I contribute to the people, the communities, and the country that would welcome me?"
I never wanted to arrive believing I had all the answers. I wanted to:
- Learn.
- Listen.
- Understand.
- Build relationships before building projects.
That single decision changed the direction of my work and, ultimately, my life.
I Define Success by Alignment
Today, I no longer define success solely by accomplishments, titles, or recognition. I define success by alignment.
- Am I using my gifts in service to something greater than myself?
- Am I creating opportunities that will continue serving others long after I'm gone?
- Am I faithfully stewarding the gifts I've been entrusted with?
Those questions now guide every major decision I make.
If there's one lesson I hope others take away from my journey, it's this:
You can be successful and still be in the wrong lane.
Success without alignment often leads to exhaustion. Success with alignment creates purpose.
When your gifts, your values, your experiences, and your work begin moving in the same direction, something remarkable happens. The work doesn't necessarily become easier, but it becomes deeply meaningful.
And meaningful work has a way of energizing us in ways that achievement alone never could.
Every Season Prepared Me
Looking back, I no longer see disconnected chapters in my life. I see preparation.
- Every challenge strengthened me.
- Every setback taught me resilience.
- Every success taught me responsibility.
- Every mentor offered wisdom.
- Every season—even the painful ones—prepared me for the next assignment.
Today, I continue embracing that journey with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong growth. I don't pretend to have all the answers, and I certainly haven't arrived. But I have learned that the most important leadership journey any of us will ever take isn't the one that earns us recognition.
It's the one that brings us into alignment with who we were created to be.
Because when that happens, success is no longer defined by what we accomplish. It's defined by who we become through the journey and how faithfully we use our gifts to serve others.
Perhaps the most important question any of us can ask isn't, "Am I successful?"
Perhaps the better question is:
"Am I living in alignment with who I was created to be?"
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