We were lucky to catch up with Marquissa R. Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marquissa R., appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Elevate Leadership Enterprises stands out in the industry due to its unique approach and broad audience reach. Unlike the standard industry model, we extend our services beyond corporations to encompass church and faith-based communities. What sets us apart is our ability to bridge the gap between the business and ministry sectors, recognizing the need for leadership development and strategic guidance in both realms.

Our focus extends beyond organizations themselves; we provide coaching and consulting services to individuals leading these organizations. Embracing the mantra ‘healthy leaders, healthy people, healthy world,’ we take a holistic approach. By developing and equipping leaders, we aim to create a positive ripple effect, influencing teams and ultimately making a meaningful impact on the world.

What makes us effective in both arenas is Marquissa’s experience, passion, and proven success in both the corporate and faith-based sectors. In a landscape where few organizations address both worlds, especially faith-based communities, we believe our dual focus allows us to make a distinctive and positive difference in the world and beyond.

Marquissa R., 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?

In my 25-year tenure within the corporate sector, I currently serve as a Sr. Business Manager, having held diverse leadership roles from the frontline to director level. Concurrently, I am the Founder and CEO of Elevate Leadership Enterprises (ELE), a consulting firm established six years ago. This venture emerged unexpectedly as a fusion of my counseling background and corporate experience, sparked by the recommendation of a mentoring program. ELE specializes in leadership development, organizational consulting, and strategic planning.

Our mission is to partner with organizational leaders, offering vision execution and leadership training through workshops, speaking engagements, and tailored consulting services. Our focus extends beyond the corporate realm to inspire and equip leaders in both faith-based communities and the marketplace, identifying and addressing specific needs hindering their optimal performance. Our motto is “We create the blueprint to leadership success,” acknowledging the unique needs of each organization and approaching them with intentional solutions. The overarching vision is to serve as a conduit, empowering every organization and leader encountered to make a positive impact in their respective areas of service.

In addition to my corporate and consulting roles, I am proud to be an Amazon bestselling author of two publications, “The Leadership Journal” and “D.N.A in the Church Community.” Both works delve into the realms of leadership, discipleship, nurturing, and accountability. Currently I am in doctoral program pursuing a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology, I am also an Executive Pastor at a local church in Philadelphia, PA.
Lastly, I am married for 30 years to my wonderful husband Steve, I am a mother of three adult children and a Bibi (grandmother) to four grandchildren.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In my excitement of starting a business, and finally finding my niche and purpose there were many obstacles that occurred on my journey that could have hindered the journey to success. I had encountered many life-threatening health challenges; the first was spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and then was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. In addition, my husband had health challenges as well. Despite these challenges, I recognized that I still needed to pursue my purpose. During these times of illness, I utilized every opportunity to study, plan and journaled as I recuperated.

Additionally, I have been through times of seasonal droughts in the business, where there were periods when there were no clients or business opportunities. In those times I continued to network, attended workshops to learn of new approaches to enhance knowledge and business acumen. Neither experience was easy and there were often times when I questioned if I should continue with the business or not because it was just too difficult to deal. Despite feeling embarrassed and questioning whether to continue, I remembered why I started the business and sought inspiration from others who faced similar challenges. Through it all I believe that amid these experiences, it allowed time to reflect and become stronger for the journey.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe that consistency with knowledge sharing was critical with establishing my reputation. For over a year, I taught lessons on various leadership topics, once a week, same day, and time. I did the teachings through social media and on various platforms which helped to expand exposure to the audience. Additionally, I created small groups for those who were interested in leadership development as well as conducting free webinars, and trainings. I believe repetition, consistency and taking advantage of ways to let others aware of my experience was key

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marquissawilliams.com
• Instagram: elevate_leadership_ent
• Facebook: elevate leadership enterprises – https://www.facebook.com/IamMarquissa
• Linkedin: Marquissa Williams