We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr, Lavinia B. Masters a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr, Lavinia B. , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the business idea of More Than an Act; Lavinia Speaks from the processes of being requested to come and share my story of overcoming sexual violence which led to HB 8: The Lavinia Masters Act of 2019. The backstory of having a law named after me was that at the age of 13 years old, I was violently sexually assaulted by a stranger that broke into our home, I had no idea who this person was but after we notified the police and completed the rape-kit exam at the hospital we were under the impression that the justice system was doing their due diligence to find the assailant. The twist of my story was that as I grew older and became married I started my healing processes after sexual trauma and even though I had no answers about my cold case I had begun to speak and share my story as a way to empower others to speak out. Finally, in 2006, my husband had taken out a personal loan to finance my first self-published book entitled, Breathe Again, which offered other survivors the written words of my journey of healing. This book was solely created to get my voice out globally to empower all survivors but my only personal desire was to close the book out with me finding out who my assailant was.
It was then that I went to the Dallas Police Department and their cold case program only to discover that my evidence had been sitting on a shelf untouched for over 20 years. I knew then that there was more work to do as I initiated a national crusade to end the rape-kit backlog. This crusade has not only led to me learning the identity of my perpetrator but to wanting to eradicate the rape-kit backlog. It was later that the state of Texas recognized me for my work and efforts of fighting so diligently that my namesake, HB 8: The Lavinia Masters Act was enacted in 2019.
This level of notoriety led to more engagements and now personal requests for consulting, coaching, and mentoring.
Now I found myself consulting actors, film directors, and producers while sharing my voice on films and documentaries, and presenting at conferences, colleges, high schools, and various organizations that needed motivation, education, and or awareness. I knew then that my testimony was more than a story and my work was more than an act. I had evolved into what I had always dreamed of and that was an advocate and voice for the disenfranchised, the powerless, and the ones that needed reviving! I was convinced that I was the perfect example of what turning pain into purpose meant.
Then in April 2022, More Than an Act: Lavinia Speaks, was born and my mission had evolved into so much more than just sharing my story. It is about taking my experience of brokenness and helping others not only how to be resilient in their struggles but to always show up in their true authentic self. I feel that my genuine and authentic delivery coupled with my compelling and sometimes comedic messaging has created a diverse and engaged audience of individuals aspiring to not only live their best lives but encourages them to embrace the power of their voice to make improvements within our justice system.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am not only a world-renowned inspirational speaker, consultant, and coach but the first surviving African-American woman to have a law her namesake. This is very exciting to me because the work that I do is not only a personal historical accomplishment but Black History, Texas History, and US History because when The Lavinia Masters Act was born it was signed on June 4, 2019, a day after another law in Tennessee that was named after JaJuan Latham, a black teen that was murdered in a drive-by shooting. This is one of the critical keys that sets me apart in my industry as I also offer hope of breaking down barriers in our failed systems as well as offering hope and unity to our BIPOC communities and cultures.
I am proud to offer my potential clients and or followers my black culture from a female perspective as I also encourage them to embrace theirs. My voice is vital in so many settings as we cross those barriers to gain a better understanding of who we are so that we heal properly and gain a better understanding of how we all process our traumas and struggles the same but may view them differently. My brand is about bringing compassionate balance to all I encounter.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a time when owned a private childcare and the more I became involved in my work as a speaker, coach, and consultant the harder it became to stay on top of my business. The liability of caring for children is already high but when I began to be away from my business more than a week at a time speaking etc, it set my anxiety at levels I did not know I could reach. Yes, I always employed those that I knew had good backgrounds on paper but if I was not in the vicinity I am guilty of second-guessing everyone’s credibility around other people’s children. I would literally be getting ready to speak and get emergency phone calls from employees or there would be an unexplained incident that would make my clients antsy so I had to make the conscious decision to shut down my family-owned business after 22 years.
It was a very difficult decision to make as I have a genuine love for children plus it was a guaranteed income stream however in this instance of More Than an Act: Lavinia Speaks, I had to follow my compassionate purpose. I struggled with that decision for over a year and even though I still do not have a guaranteed stream of income, I am glad that I was able to make that pivotal move in my career.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

It is a must that I keep in touch with my clients as I need them to understand that the work or services that I provided to them was more personal than a business transaction. I want them to understand that I also see them and that they matter as an organization, group, or individual that employed my services. I like to get more than just feedback and referrals but to possibly meet up to “lunch and learn” on a personal level and possibly find out how I can assist them in other areas that they need further assistance whether it is my services or a personal referral.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laviniamasters.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterslavinia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaviniaMastersSpeaks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamasters/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/laviniamasters
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaviniaMastersSpeaks/featured
• Other: https://linktr.ee/laviniamasters