Q and A with Demetria from Mississippi, USA
“Celebrate all the small wins because they make up your big win!”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am really passionate about helping others. I have worked in many service-based industries, and one thing I’ve learned is that it’s really important to help someone out, no matter how small the task may be. Now that I work as a coach, I celebrate my clients’ successes with them, and it really feels like I’m making a transformation with them. This is a really good feeling. Outside of my work as a coach, I’m also really passionate about fashion, cooking, and photography. I find joy in creative things, and I’m able to incorporate a lot of my passions into my coaching practice because the majority of my clients are women. These women are working hard to build their careers and not lose out on time with their families or lose themselves in their careers. I have a workwear brand called Deme Latrece that I’ve incorporated into the Corporate Cheat Code program, where I offer affordable, high-quality work clothes so that women can bring their best selves to work every day.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in a large family that was very close-knit. This encouraged me to create my own large family with my husband. Growing up, I always wanted to be a fashion designer. However, when I went to college, I majored in broadcast journalism because I loved asking questions and getting to the bottom of things. I didn’t have much faith in my fashion design dreams because it wasn’t something that others in my city were doing at the time. I felt like I needed to be from a big city like New York or Los Angeles to be successful in fashion. I got pregnant with my son during the summer of my freshman year and moved back home. Over the years, I tried to go back to school several times, but I kept changing my major because I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. I got married and had three more kids. I then pursued a career in human resources. I climbed the ladder very fast and was able to get my associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s degree, and HR certifications. I am now working on my Ph.D. in I/O psychology.
After I finish my degree, I plan to do business coaching. I would like to go into organizations and partner with either HR depts of stressed CEOs and help them to solve their people issues using an evidence-based approach. HR people are much more transactional (we are trained to solve problems, but not to really diagnose the root cause), but as an I/O Psychologist, I would like to get to the root of why people are behaving how they are in the workplace as well as diagnose any issues within the leadership teams. I want them to be able to find meaningful ways to motivate their employees that are sustainable. I want more organizations to understand that people are what keep the engine going and if we can keep our people happy and truly understand them, our businesses can be much more successful. That will also increase the organizational commitment and employee satisfaction level! I don’t want to partner with huge Fortune 500/100 companies because my intent isn’t to just make a lot of money; I want to share value and help the organizations that could benefit most and that are more often overlooked. I will continue to incorporate my love of fashion into my entrepreneurial journey with Deme Latrece and my expertise in all things career through my coaching service with The Corporate Cheatcode. I am extremely proud of how far I have come in my career and education.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I would like other women to know that it is never too late to be what you were always meant to be. Your journey may be harder than others, but you shouldn’t look at what others are doing because your journey is just that: YOURS! And you WILL do all the amazing things you were meant to do. Whenever you are trying to change anything in your life, make sure that you put a strategy in place first and break your goals down into easily digestible pieces so it is more realistic for you to achieve. Celebrate all the small wins because they make up your big win!
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: All genders should be afforded equal rights and opportunities. Women have the knowledge, experience, and skills to contribute to the workplace and the world in general. There is nothing we can’t do. I have made it my mission to especially help women who may feel that they no longer have a voice or that their voice can’t be heard as loudly because they have had to take breaks from work or perhaps don’t have the confidence to convey all they can contribute.
Thank you for reading!
@DemeLatrece
@Thecorporatecheatcode
The Woman Wednesday Blog 