Influencers Stepping Out in Boldness: Women Empowering Other Women

By Valarie Williams Harris

Influencers Stepping Out in Boldness is an anthology filled with insight and guidance from innovative women in leadership who want to cultivate their spiritual, personal, professional, financial, career, and business lifestyle by being a model example to others. 

Eight emerging leaders share stepping-out g

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stepping Out with Purpose, LLC
• Release date: Aug 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987719022

Book preview

Influencers Stepping Out in Boldness

Influencers Stepping Out in Boldness: Women Empowering Other Women

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Valarie Williams Harris

All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT): Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published by:

Stepping Out with Purpose, LLC

[e-mail]

Anthology Editor

Chandra Sparks Splond, M.S.E.

www.chandrasparkssplond.com

Book Layout and Design

DHBonner Virtual Solutions, LLC

www.dhbonner.net

ISBN for Paperback: 979-8-9877190-0-8

ISBN for Hardback: 979-8-9877190-1-5

ISBN for eBook: 979-8-9877190-2-2

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to every individual, author, educator, leader, creator, trainer, speaker, and entrepreneur who reads this book. Don’t allow the noise or distractions to stop you from being the influencer willing to step out boldly for such a time as this. People are waiting on you.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Influencer’s Pathway

Dr. Valarie W. Harris

I Have Plans for You

Dr. Maxine Collins

From the Classroom to Beyond

Renita M. Courtney

Wisdom and Light

Tara D. Henry

Black Women Control the Narrative by Writing the Real Black Story

Dr. Yvonne Smith-Jones

Overcoming Toxic Work Environments

Dr. Myria D. Thompson

Know Your Value and Squash Your Fear

Kristina P. Truell

Intimate Advocacy

Dana D. Wilson

Half Title Page

Introduction

Have you ever wondered about the impact you have had on the lives of others? In this journey called life, you have and will encounter many people—those who will influence you, some known and unknown—who you will influence.

A young woman lost her parents at an early age and would have never thought in a million years that she would be instrumental in saving many lives. The young woman was such an influencer that she was chosen out of many other beautiful girls to marry a king. Then a time came when the young woman needed to make a request before the king that would be on behalf of her people. The king loved her so much that he was willing to give her half of his kingdom.

In the process of speaking before the king, she influenced her people to fast, and without any hesitation, they all agreed. As an influencer, she stepped out boldly to save her people regardless of the circumstances she might have faced in the process. Who am I talking about? I am so glad you asked. I am talking about the Bible character Queen Esther. There have been women for centuries who were influencers who stepped out boldly to serve and help others. What we do as women can’t be solely about ourselves. Esther impacted those who met her during various encounters, preparation, and circumstances in the book of Esther.

As you read the chapters introduced in this anthology, know that your destiny includes your intended influence on those you have met and will meet throughout your lifetime. God created you to be an influencer. Say out loud right now: I am an influencer! He created you to make a difference and to impact the lives of those you meet daily, so don’t be afraid to let your light so shine before men. What you have inside of you has aided you in being the person others look to for advice, empathy, compassion, and love because of how they have seen you show care toward others.

As the visionary author of Influencers Stepping Out in Boldness, I pray that you will make a conscious effort to willingly listen, encourage, inspire, and empower others by letting them know they matter. You can influence others by giving them hope that they can make it through obstacles and the challenging times we live in today. Be that motivator people need to help them step out boldly to believe in themselves, allowing God to do the rest.

—Dr. Valarie W. Harris, Visionary Author

The Influencer’s Pathway

DR. VALARIE W. HARRIS

In this fast-paced society, longevity in education is in question. According to recent studies, on average about fifty percent of teachers say they would quit teaching now. Many fear the unknown and the lack of support, and most question whether it is worth being a teacher.

My career as a teacher started when I was twenty-three years old. The uncertainties that crossed my mind caused me to wonder whether I was in the right profession because, after all, I started off as a business major and changed my course of study to become a teacher. As the years kept passing by, I realized that teaching, training, equipping, and creating was my niche. The excitement of teaching grew stronger and stronger because I learned how to adapt my teaching skills so that my students could learn.

Everyone has a different learning style, and some people learn at a faster pace than others. Once I grasped that concept, creative ideas flooded my mind on how I would help my students be successful. The delight of exposing them to many things became enjoyable.

Fortunately, I was blessed to work and collaborate with a group of women and men who felt the same way I did about the students we worked with. We did many things together for the benefit of our students—picnics, pool parties, and trips to various states. We exposed our students to many places and activities they had never experienced before. They learned the importance of working on a job. A lot of times, we had to encourage each other to keep our sanity. We fought many battles together, mended many fences, and overcame many obstacles that came against us. Even through some of the setbacks, we made it through because of the grace of God.

Stepping out in boldness takes time. It does not happen overnight. It is a process in which you will need to take small steps in the various fields you might find yourself in that prepare you for the different stages of your life. Looking back, I remember a time when computers or technology were of no interest to me. However, one of my co-teachers had come into teaching from the industry side of the spectrum and was computer and technologically savvy. Believe it or not, I had a computer in my classroom that I had not planned to use. She said to me, Val, are you going to use that computer?

I remember telling her no. Then I proceed to tell her she could have it to use in her classroom. Nonetheless, she did not stop persisting in influencing me and helped me realize I needed to learn how to use that computer. After all, I was a business major first and could type fast on a regular old typewriter. Why did I need to know how to use a computer?

Guess what? Today, I can do all kinds of things with the use of a computer. Why am I saying all of this to you? Sometimes we are our worse enemy because we limit ourselves and miss out on things that will benefit us in the future. She was such an influencer in my life that we went back to school and obtained our master’s degrees from Virginia Tech University.

Our connections to people are an important aspect of our lives that can change the trajectory of our mindset. Try not to be close-minded to things you are not familiar with. Yes, life as a teacher has its ups and downs, but overall, if it is your passion to serve and equip