Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Demark Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Demark, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
our mission is to empower individuals to overcome the pain of grief and anger by providing the tools and guidance needed to build resilience, heal emotionally, and transform adversity into purpose. Through personal growth, faith, and practical strategies, we help individuals embrace their journey and create lasting results for change, while recognizing that pain is temporary, and PURPOSE is forever.
The mission of Pain is Temporary came from my own journey to heal from my own trials and errors of life. It wasn’t until I was around 35 years old that I realized that many of the choices I made and hardships I experienced were a biproduct of the pain and grief I faced without knowing that I never grieved many of the losses I encountered in my life. My first time dealing with grief was at 15 when I lost my little brother. He just slipped out of my hands, one minute he was standing right next to me and the next minute he was not there, he walked off from me and little did I know he would never return, and I would be the last one to see him alive and then have to be the one to break the news to my mom. At 15 I didn’t know about grief and how it affects people, all I knew was after that 1st loss, I just started to see loss after loss. Not dealing with the emotions and pain associated with grief, I found myself running the streets, making bad choices, and living in a world I just knew I would die in. After having my daughter, I started to examine my life and craving more, not for me but for her, but I was so tied up in the streets that I didn’t know how to get out, I was married to the money. It wasn’t until I got to a point in my life where God had to humble me, and I had no other choice to sit and reflect on my life. I broke my kneecap and had to have 3 surgeries on my left knee and then 1 surgery on my right knee. During that down time, I realized I had run the streets so long and made good money, but I had nothing to show for it. Fast as you make the money, the faster it goes. Now, that I am down and I have nothing but time to sit, reflect, and have my daughter watching me all day, I realized that I had nothing, nothing for my daughter to fall back on; and if I had not made through those surgeries, there was no legacy left for my family, what impact would I have made on this world? And that was a question I couldn’t answer. At that point I had to search my soul, and I had come to the conclusion that I had so much hurt, and pain bottled up inside that I never dealt with it, and now is the time to face it head on. I started listening to motivational speeches, attending conferences with my wife, even while on crutches and a cast, journaling, and just doing things that was opposite of what I had always done, and next thing I knew that journaling turn into my 1st book Pain Is Temporary and that’s when I new it was my purpose to help pull others out of the same place I was once stuck in and into their purpose.
Demark, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Dr. Demark Williams, a best-selling author, entrepreneur, speaker, and coach. Growing up on Atlanta’s Westside, I faced serious challenges, including the loss of my brother at age 15 and life without a father. Through faith and the steadfast support of my high school sweetheart, Stacy, I was able to turn my life around. Together, we’ve built a family and found success in business. I’m now the proud owner of several businesses and the author of Pain Is Temporary: A Grief and Anger Survivors Guide and Born to WIN: 21 Days To Breaking Unhealthy Habits To Create Generational Wealth. My work focuses on helping people break negative cycles, develop self-worth, and achieve financial independence.
My journey began during a heartfelt conversation with Stacy, where I shared that I felt a deeper purpose in life. As we talked about our past, she asked me what I’d learned from my struggles. I told her, “Pain is temporary,” and that it could either fuel me forward or stop me in my tracks. That conversation inspired her to encourage me to write a book—a suggestion that seemed far-fetched at first until she pointed out that “Pain Is Temporary” was the perfect title.
I’m passionate about sharing my story of transformation, from enduring loss and navigating street life to becoming a devoted husband, father, and entrepreneur. My book Born to WIN is a 21-day personal growth guide, providing practical tools, affirmations, and exercises to help readers overcome obstacles and achieve lasting success.
What sets me apart from others is I am not afraid to lose because I understand with every lose come great victory, and my focus on building up self-daily. My message emphasizes that “pain is temporary,” and with resilience and determination, people can build lives rooted in faith, family, and success. My mission is to inspire others to pursue generational wealth, creating a legacy of faith and success for future generations.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Grief can be a silent force, shaping our lives without us even realizing it. Often, we start grieving as children due to early traumas, yet we’re too young to understand or process it, especially if we lack a strong support system. This leaves us vulnerable, and we sometimes turn to whatever provides comfort, even if it’s temporary or destructive. I found myself drawn to the street life at a young age. Growing up in a tough neighborhood, with a single mother raising nine children and working multiple jobs to make ends meet, I was the oldest boy and witnessed more than my younger siblings. Fast money became my escape, a way to cope with losing my brother and watching my mom struggle.
One day, after I got release from jail Stacy confronted me with a life-changing choice: family or the streets. She gave me until our daughter’s second birthday to decide, or she’d make the decision for me. I had six months to reflect on her question and I realized that I’d been stuck in the same cycle, surrounded by the same people, for the last 15 years, and had nothing to show for it. I lost a close cousin—someone I saw as a brother—to the same streets we’d run together. His death pushed me deeper into that life, even though I couldn’t see it at the time. Choosing my family was the obvious choice, but Stacy’s tough love forced me to confront the pain I’d buried, including the recent loss of our baby just three months earlier.
I came to understand that “we are the company we keep.” The neighborhood I was in is filled with people who have never faced their pain and instead bury it under temporary pleasures. For me, that was fast money. Now, my focus is on building success and creating a legacy for my daughter—a legacy rooted in resilience, growth, and purpose.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The story of meeting my business partner is actually a love story because my business partner is also my wife, Stacy. We met at 16, introduced through family, and quickly became high school sweethearts. Stacy was a cute, short, talented, and business-minded girl, while I was a tall, laid-back high school basketball player completely focused on the game. We dated until her sophomore year in college, then parted ways. I like to say we had to separate to grow. Although we stayed good friends, I went on to live my life and grow as a man, while she went on to live hers—eventually getting married. At the time, I thought I had lost the best thing that had ever happened to me.
When I found out she was divorced, I knew it was my chance to pursue what was meant for me. I hesitated initially, as I realized the life I’d been living wasn’t suitable for someone as special as Stacy. But I also knew she was too important to lose again, so I stepped out on faith—and the rest is history. Together, we share our first child, our “miracle baby” Mireya. They both pushed me to be better, and Stacy believed in me so much that she helped me realize I could channel the same mindset and work ethic from the street hustle into business with purpose.
Now, with her brains and my hustle, our journey has become a family affair—a true “Williams Family Affair.” Both my wife and daughter are successful authors. Stacy encourages others to overcome the impossible through her book, Infertile Woman: Overcoming the Impossible, while my daughter Mireya inspires people to believe in themselves through her book, Mireya’s Magical Shoelaces. I’m incredibly proud of my family, and together, we’re changing lives—one business and one book at a time!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewilliamsfamilyaffair.com
- Instagram: painistemporary2024
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mr..pain.is.tempo
https://linktr.ee/realtalkmotivation
Image Credits
Gracefirstvideo By: DeSitaa Lipscomb
Enhancedbyteisha
Global International Alliance
Stacy Williams Enterprise LLC