We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Going into business for myself has shown me that you don’t have to spend your ONE life doing something you don’t like doing. We can all tap into our God-given gifts to do work that matters and that not only make us come alive, but also make an IMPACT. I would always hear people talking about their “purpose” and being passionate about their job/career and honestly, I had never felt like that towards any post college job I had. I dreaded when my alarm went off each morning to go to work and the only thing that motivated me was a paycheck every two week. I always wondered would I ever experience the feeling of being passionate about the work I was doing and know without a doubt I was walking in my purpose. It wasn’t until I created a lifestyle brand centered about transparency and sharing with/helping other women around the world navigate motherhood, marriage, blended family life, their faith and so much more. I never in a millions years thought simply doing something I love could turn into a lucrative business for me and my family but it has. I’m a living testimony that if you’re doing what you love, everything else will come!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve built a lifestyle brand centered around helping women navigate things such as motherhood, marriage, blended families, their faith, fashion, and so much more. I’ve done this through my lifestyle blog, www.courtneynwilliams.com, and social media platforms. I’ve grown and audience of almost 100,000 followers and average over 1 million page views a week. Nationwide brands and companies have noticed my work and the trusted audience I’ve built so they reach out to partner with me to bring brand awareness to either their brand, services, or products they offer. I’ve now had the opportunity to partner with brands and retailers me and my family have used for years. But more importantly, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my testimony and journey of going from a single mom to now being in a blended family with women all over the world. It’s my greatest joy to encourage others in a transparent way and letting them know even if their journey didn’t go exactly how they planned it, they can still have everything in life they’ve always dreamed of. One of the hardest challenges with building my business was this process being completely trial and error for me. I didn’t have any mentors or anyone else in the influencer industry that I could go to for advice or that could help me out. I had no clue what I was doing when it came to figuring out rates for my work, negotiating rates with large businesses, reviewing contracts, and so much more. I’m grateful now after a few years of being in this industry I now have trusted friends where we all help each other out but I didn’t have that when I first started off. There was definitely a big learning curve in the beginning and I cringe thinking back to how so many brands got over on me when I first started off. I want people to know it’s never to late to discover something you’re passionate about and go after it. No matter your age, education level, if you already have a bunch of kids like I do lol, it’s never too late!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Right now it’s crawfish season in the South and I LOVE crawfish. If they were open to that I would take them to Hanks seafood which is a laid back spot for great crawfish and good drinks. I’m somewhat of a homebody so I don’t go out much without my family but I would take them to a nice dinner as well to City Centre, which a shopping center with entertainment and restuarants for the entire family. It’s such a nice vibe and atmosphere in the evening time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shout out to my grandmother who is one of the hardest working women I know. At 71, she is still working as a registered nurse and she just has a grind like no other. She has the “you have to do what you have to do” mentality that has played a big part in my hustle. Trying to build a lifestyle brand while working a corporate job, raising four kids, and being a wife is no easy feat but I always think about my grandmother who worked so hard and sacrificed so much for her family and it gives me the push I need to keep going. Thank you Meme. You hard work wasn’t in vain!

Website: www.courtneynwilliams.com
Instagram: @courtnwilliams
Twitter: @courtnwilliams
Facebook: facebook.com/courtnwilliams

Image Credits
Creative Sparks Images

Nominate someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.