Meet Latoria Williams | Learning & Development Strategist | Certified Career Coach

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

Hi Latoria, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It was a natural thought process when starting The Career DevelopMENTOR. I have always been someone who loved to educate individuals on different things. I worked as a therapist at a substance and mental health rehabilitation hospital, educating patients on methods to reduce relapse by enhancing their coping skills. I have been working as a Corporate Trainer for many years educating employees on skills such as time management, goal setting, leadership and more to hep them thrive in their careers. With me working in Corporate America I was able to identify that most young professionals did amazing work; however, always required a little more cultivating pertaining to professionalism and etc. That’s how my business started. I wanted to have a business that poured back into our young professionals who need a boost to help them lead successful careers, that they actually enjoy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career started out at the age of 18 working at a bank. Back then, I had no clue that this would be the field I would be in for many years. I graduated and went to work as a therapist; however, realized if I wanted growth for my career in LA, I would need to go back to the financial industry. I went back into the banking arena after college, doing the work I had in college, with no degree. At the time, it felt like a defeat. I had graduated from college and went to work in my field. I wasn’t enjoying it 100% and was heading back to perform a job I had with no formal education. But, I saw an opportunity for a Talent Development position at the bank six months later. I researched exactly what the job was and identified how my skills would align, applied, interviewed and got the job! Talent Development is simply a set of integrated organizational HR processes designed to attract, develop, motivate, and retain productive, engaged employees. Simply put, my job in Talent Development is to provide professional opportunities for employees at the bank to grow their skills. Working in Talent Development is a one of the most rewarding things I have done in my professional career. It is a career that I have been able to navigate and grow with. I got to this place in my career by not settling and remaining complacent. I am always looking for an opportunity to develop my skills. I network with people who work in my field. I attend a lot of webinars to learn more. It was not easy to get to this place; however, it was not difficult either. I know that God has placed me exactly where I need to be in my career and he will keep elevating me to the best places.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love my BR City! We have so many hidden gems here for me to take a friend.

Let’s say it is a Friday night, I would definitely start out by getting a whiskey smash with muddled fruit from Olive & Twist on Perkins. We would then head over to J.Alexander’s for a quick steak dinner. And, end that evening listening to a live band somewhere in BR. Saturday morning we would head to the farmer’s market downtown to shop for local goods. Take a bike ride downtown and end up eating lunch at this Jamaican spot, Royal Jamaican. We would rest up and more than likely hit another city, New Orleans! There, we would wander down the French Quarter and listen to more live music. End up at a Jamaican club and dance until like 3AM. As you can see, live music, great food and drinks are all I need!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout would be for my mom. She is the person who has always given me the encouragement and motivation to continue to strive for excellence. She is one of the most tenacious individuals I have ever met. She is brave, strong yet gentle, loving, inspiring, motivating, smart, sweet, kind, and so much more.

Website: https://www.thecareerdevelopmentor.com/

Instagram: thecareerdevelopmentor & lalalalatorious

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoria-williams-mcct-cude-8305242a/

Facebook: The Career Developmentor & Tori Williams

Image Credits
@clintblane