We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Alicia A. Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Alicia A. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

When I think about the woman I am today, a wife, mother, leader, and purpose-driven entrepreneur, I can trace so much of it back to what my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Rickey Wright Sr., did absolutely right.

They gave me faith as a foundation, not just in words, but in the way they lived. Watching my mother cover our home in prayer and my father work with integrity shaped my resilience, my confidence, and my commitment to walking in God’s purpose.

They modeled love, partnership, and stability, teaching me what real commitment looks like. That example is why Bryan and I have built a 20-year love story grounded in grace, growth, and God.

They encouraged us to dream bigger, think boldly, and show up with excellence, a mindset that fuels everything I do as an author, empowerment coach, entrepreneur, and servant leader.

But most of all, they created a home filled with identity, pride, and legacy. Because of them, I lead with purpose, I serve with passion, and I walk confidently in the assignment God placed on my life.

I am their legacy, multiplied.

Dr. Alicia A. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For those meeting me for the first time, I’m Dr. Alicia A. Williams — bestselling author, empowerment coach, motivational speaker, and founder of platforms designed to help women rise into their identity, purpose, and power.

I entered this work because empowering women isn’t just something I do, it’s who I am. From building a successful jewelry brand and leading hundreds of thousands of hungry, ambitious entrepreneurs , to writing transformational books like Dear Sis and multiple published works designed to uplift women in their identity, purpose, and personal power, my journey has always been rooted in faith, creativity, and service.

Today, I coach women through seasons of transition, purpose-searching, and reinvention helping them rebuild confidence, rediscover identity, and reclaim the parts of themselves they lost along the way. Through my books, AliciaEmpowersHER coaching, speaking, and the EmpowHer Moments Morning Show, I create spaces where women feel seen, supported, and strengthened.

What sets me apart is my blend of faith, straight-talk truth, and authentic transparency. I speak to the woman behind the smile, the one carrying weight, navigating change, or searching for direction and help her rise higher.

I’m most proud of the community I’ve built, the women I’ve empowered, and the legacy I’m leaving for my husband Bryan and our three children: Katelyn, Bryan Jr., and Jordan.

At the heart of my brand is a simple mission:
To empower women to walk confidently in their God-given superpower …unapologetically, unshaken, and unstoppable.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I didn’t build my audience by trying to “go viral.” I built it by being authentic, consistent, and called.

From the early days of sharing jewelry on Facebook to launching Dear Sis, empowering women through coaching calls, and co-hosting the EmpowHer Moments Morning Show, I showed up with one mission: to pour into women with faith, purpose, and real talk. People connected with my transparency, my heart, and the fact that I wasn’t performing, I was serving.

I talked about real life. Real struggles. Real victories. I celebrated my family, my faith, my ASU roots, and my journey as a wife, mother, author, coach, and entrepreneur. I remained consistent even when algorithms changed, even when life shifted, and even when I felt unseen. That consistency created trust.
And trust built community.

My advice for anyone starting out:
• Show up as YOURSELF. Don’t copy a trend, be the trend.
• Be consistent, not perfect. Your audience connects to your presence, not your polish.
• Lead with value. Inspire, teach, uplift, or entertain, give them something to come back for.
• Share your story unapologetically. Your authenticity is your advantage.
• Don’t chase numbers, cultivate impact. If you serve the people you have, more will come.

My platform grew because I stayed true to my assignment.
And when you walk in purpose online, the people meant for you will always find you.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that I had to be everything for everyone to be worthy, loved, or respected. For years, I carried the weight of showing up perfectly as a wife, mother, leader, entrepreneur, author, mentor, and friend. I poured and poured until I was running on fumes, convincing myself that slowing down or saying “no” meant I was dropping the ball.

The turning point came during a season when I was juggling multiple businesses, writing projects, my women’s empowerment ministry, and family life. I was succeeding publicly, but internally, I was exhausted. God had to remind me: “Daughter, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Rest is not rebellion, it’s stewardship.”

That moment shifted everything.

I learned that boundaries are holy. Rest is necessary. And prioritizing myself doesn’t diminish my strength, it protects it.

Unlearning that mindset set me free.
And now I teach other women what I had to learn the hard way:
You don’t have to break yourself to bless others. You can choose you and still walk powerfully in purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aliciaempowersHER.com
• Instagram: @iam_aliciaawilliams
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draliciawrightwilliams
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@empowhermomentsmorningshow

Image Credits

Antoinne Duane Jones