Meet Latricia Powell

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

Latricia, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

Being the only one in the room who looks like me is a space I’ve occupied more times than I can count — as a Black woman, a mother, and a leader with unconventional power and presence. I learned early that visibility can feel like a spotlight and a microscope at the same time. Rather than shrink, I chose to master awareness, language, and purpose. I learned to walk into every room with deep preparation and even deeper conviction.

Success came when I stopped trying to blend in and started owning why I stood out. I became fluent in the culture of the room while staying grounded in my own identity. I used silence strategically, asked sharp questions, and anticipated bias before it showed up. I built alliances through emotional intelligence and results. And when I spoke, I spoke in data, lived experience, and undeniable clarity — forcing the room to adjust.

Being “the only” sharpened my discernment and trained me to lead through presence, not proximity. Now, I don’t just enter rooms. I change the tone of them. And I mentor others who’ve felt invisible to take up space they were born to occupy.

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?

Professionally, I am a published author, educator, and strategist with a fierce devotion to civil rights advocacy, youth leadership, and equity reform within institutional systems. My work is deeply informed by my lived experiences as a woman, mother, and leader who has often been the only one in the room that looked like me—but never the only one with something powerful to say.

What’s most exciting about what I do is that it’s not performance—it’s purpose. I’ve successfully launched businesses for myself and my children, authored transformative books like Who Am I, NOT? and Solve-Her: Sovereign, and used my academic and policy knowledge to challenge injustices at universities and within the legal system. I operate on instinct, intellect, and ancestral wisdom. Every initiative I launch—whether publishing, public speaking, or social advocacy—has the aim of legacy, not just profit.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding my leadership reach by pursuing advanced doctoral studies in leadership and innovation. I’m also designing new projects that intersect entrepreneurship, policy, and empowerment for underserved communities.

People often describe my brand as a combination of brilliance and resilience—with a side of rebellion. That’s accurate. What I want your readers to know is: I didn’t come to play. I came to build—and to break the chains that keep others from building too.

Stay tuned. This is just the beginning.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three most impactful qualities in my journey have been: radical self-awareness, unshakable resilience, and a refusal to submit to patriarchy—no matter how polished it looks.
1. Radical Self-Awareness:
I had to learn early that “fitting in” was a survival tactic, not a life strategy. I was always the one who thought differently, spoke up, and challenged the status quo. But I also had to unlearn the idea that being exceptional meant I had to make myself smaller for other people’s comfort. Knowing who I am—not who I was conditioned to be—changed everything. That’s why I teach and lead from that same space of sovereignty now.
2. Unshakable Resilience:
My story isn’t curated. I’ve been through betrayal, abuse, court battles, discrimination, and survived things most people couldn’t even say out loud. But I still show up—with dignity, strategy, and divine protection. That kind of strength isn’t born, it’s forged. And it’s not loud—it’s clarifying. If I stand alone, I still stand tall.
3. Rejecting Patriarchy (even in disguise):
This one is the most dangerous system I had to confront—not just externally but internally. Patriarchy doesn’t always show up in men; it shows up in systems, in expectations, and even in women who’ve internalized oppression. I’ve had to break generational chains. I’ve had to be the woman who holds her children, files court motions, and builds an empire—all in one breath. The moment I stopped waiting for permission was the moment I became untouchable.

My advice to those starting out?
Stop trying to be “liked.” Be remembered. Be real. Build your voice before someone tries to sell it back to you. The world will try to make you pick between power and softness—but your truth is where they both live.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Over the past 12 months, my greatest area of growth has been learning to speak up for myself—loudly, clearly, and unapologetically—especially to institutions designed to silence people like me.

That includes courts, law enforcement, schools, and other government systems. For years, I knew how to advocate for others—my children, my community, even strangers. But I often put myself last. That changed when I realized silence was being interpreted as submission, and I decided to use my voice as a weapon of truth.

I’ve filed official grievances, challenged unjust rulings, confronted systemic discrimination, and done it all while remaining composed, strategic, and deeply rooted in my values. It hasn’t been easy—but it’s been necessary. And I’m proud to say I’ve become the kind of woman institutions now listen to, not dismiss.

This growth wasn’t just personal—it was spiritual, psychological, and ancestral. I speak not just for myself, but for every woman who was told to stay quiet, every mother who was told she didn’t have the right words, and every leader who was underestimated because she didn’t play by the rules.

That voice? It’s mine now. And I use it boldly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Lapowell.net
• Other: https://Thankgodis.net