Meet Cameron M. Williams

We recently connected with Cameron M. Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Cameron M., we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is a term that I haven’t always been too fond of, but I have come to love it so much during my years as a college student! There are so many things in life that can feel ‘overwhelming” or “unbearable”. No matter who you are or what you do, practicing and being consistent with self-care can lead to several benefits that compound in the short and long run. Some of the things I partake in self-care wise include golfing, hiking, philanthropy paintball, and art viewing.

Self-care has had a direct effect on my effectiveness in my professional and personal life. One of my habits is starting a project and allowing myself to get so immersed in it that I lose sight of other things happening in my day-to-day life. caring for myself has allowed me to mitigate my losing out of all of the other treats life has to offer while maintaining productivity.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m Cameron M. Williams, a person with a great heart who loves to see others with great hearts do well. I grew up in a small North Carolina community named Grifton where there were limited opportunities to thrive and expand. My family NEVER allowed me to think I was less because of my upbringing and assured me that I could be anything I could put my mind to as long as I was willing to do what it took.

I wear different hats as a young professional, but they all involve bringing people together for a purpose. I’m a published author, speaker, facilitator, HBCU student advocate, and the list goes on. My most powerful and meaningful project to date has been publishing my first book ’20 Lessons in 20 Years: A Young Person’s Guide to Building Positive Momentum in Life.” To date, I’ve sold over 1,000 copies of my book which has affected lives all across the country.
My brand revolves around helping others build the confidence they need to make themselves more competitive in their endeavors and in everyday life. I speak about various topics including HBCU empowerment, personal development, men’s health, and morale building. I speak at various schools and stages to help others see the true potential within themselves.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that were essential in my journey were grit, self-awareness, and my ability to hold meaningful conversations. I haven’t had the worst life imaginable, but I’ve been through my fair share of challenges and setbacks. My level of grit started with my mother, who gave birth to me right in the middle of her journey as an undergraduate student at NC State. Seeing her have me and then go on to complete not only her undergrad and master’s and now chasing her Ph.D. is nothing short of inspiring. Being self-aware in life is a superpower that has helped me continue to grow and learn as I age and take on new projects. Confidence can sometimes lean over into arrogance, and keeping myself self-aware helps me avoid making mistakes that don’t have to be made. My advice to anyone looking to serve others is to learn how to hold conversations and network with people from all over. Being a genuine person who cares about others will take you far, no matter what discipline or industry you commit to.

My outlook on improving these qualities is to simply do the work. If you are shy, assert yourself and talk to random people in the grocery store, or elevator, or even go out and volunteer. If you believe you are making the same mistake over and over, take a step back and analyze your decision-making skills. You go far in life when you do the work and travel the distance, but you miss what you need when you cut corners.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The book that I hold in the highest regard (besides my own 🙂 is “Made from Scratch” by Mignon François. I first encountered Mignon when she visited NC A&T for an event in which she was the keynote speaker. She handed me a copy of her book, but I had no idea how influential her written words would be in my life. The two major lessons that I learned from her book are that you can be successful even if you don’t have the resources you need and take leaps of faith even when it’s hard.

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