Meet Lawanda Horton

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lawanda Horton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lawanda , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

There is an unspoken nightmare many women of color experience in the workplace. The environment can be fraught with quiet hostility and micro aggressions. Being successful in a room where no one looks like you is about knowing yourself. If you’re relationship with yourself is solid and you are continuously looking to improve your knowledge and skill set- you have done the best you could possibly do. Being there and staying there is much bigger than you-the future is watching. Walk in there like you were sent there on a mission and don’t walk out until that mission is complete.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a Nonprofit Fundraising Consultant that specializes in building grassroots nonprofit organizations with an emphasis on organizations run by people of color.
A large portion of my work is in the form of large scale community giveback projects designed to address our society’s most pressing issues. To date we have raised and maintained over 26 million dollars to support nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.

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?

I think that self knowledge is the most important quality a person needs to have to achieve anything in life. Knowing your strengths, your weaknesses allows you to find what you can win at, and to identify who or what you need to minimize your challenges. I also think that planning, time management, and creativity are key. Lastly, flexibility. One of my highschool teachers used to say, “Flexibility implies intelligence.” We must be willing to reconsider our views when new information is presented. no one is done learning. Flexibility and the willingness to change course quickly is the key to longevity in an ever changing professional and social climate.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Frank Bettger’s book “How I raised myself from failure to success in selling” is an amazing book that helps business leaders understand the importance of relationship building. A scarcity mindset forces some to use people up, to view them as purely transactions. Our focus on creating customer profiles, real relationships and a very personal customer experience has made our clients our best advertisement. The best way to sell your business is to have other people selling your business for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.missionincdevelopment.com
• Instagram: @realmissioninc
• Facebook: Mission Business Development Inc
• Linkedin: https://LinkedIn.com/missionincorporated