Meet Lauren Williams

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

Lauren, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I think my resilience was born the moment fear and courage first met

I was seven years old, standing on a small stage for my first oratorical competition during Black History Month. My family had me practicing every day—poem, gestures, timing—but when the moment came, I froze. My teacher, Ms. Shaw, had that sharp, no-nonsense kind of faith that makes you rise whether you’re ready or not.

“You’ve done so good. I know you can do it,” she told me. “And if you mess up, they don’t know what’s on the paper—just say it like you mean it.”

So I did.

Everyone clapped. Everyone. And the buzz from that success felt better than the fear that came before it. That’s when I learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the decision to move through it anyway.

Years later, that same fire would be tested again. My first business wasn’t glamorous. I worked in junk removal—dirty, heavy work in a crowded industry—but we built a strong reputation, a loyal client base, and five-star reviews. We were finally turning a profit when life turned upside down.

One night, I was in the back seat of a friend’s car when we were hit. The wreck wasn’t our fault, but it injured both me and my business partner badly enough that we couldn’t work for a year. The company had to close. It broke me for a while. But even then, I knew it wasn’t failure—it was redirection. I told myself, ‘You built something great once; now build something that lights your soul on fire.’ That’s how Incloodie was born.

My resilience also comes from where I come from. I grew up in West Dallas, what many would have called “the hood.” For years, our community was surrounded by industry, by smokestacks and rail yards, and by pollution that quietly marked the soil and air. It’s something you don’t always see until you learn the history—how poor and overlooked neighborhoods are often the first to bear the weight of environmental injustice.

That reality shaped me. It taught me that progress isn’t always kind, and that people like us have to fight twice as hard to be seen as worthy of clean air, opportunity, and respect. Yet even with all that, there was pride, love, and an unbreakable sense of belonging. Generations ago, one side of my family came from Mexico chasing a better life during Dallas’s first boom; the other side carries Native American and African American roots—people who endured, rebuilt, and kept creating through every shift of history. I carry all three: the dreamers, the builders, and the survivors. My ancestors worked to exist; I get to work to solidify.

Resilience, to me, is iron meeting fire, the process that forges you into what you’re meant to be. I’ve learned that every closed door isn’t rejection; it’s redirection. When someone shows you how hard it is to work with them, they’re showing you the future—and I refuse to build something beautiful on top of friction.

So my resilience comes from understanding what the situation is, creating a network of amazing people, maintaining a good support system, and believing that in a sea of “no’s,” there are so many incredible “yes’s”, and those matter twenty times more.

That same resilience is what built Incloodie. It’s what allows me to create experiences that honor history, celebrate culture, and uplift the local community—proof that when you lead with heart and keep showing up, the legacy you build doesn’t just change your life, it changes the landscape around you.

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?

At Incloodie Food Tour, we take guests beyond the plate to explore the heart of Dallas through its culture, history, and hidden stories. Every tour is crafted to celebrate the people and places that make our city one-of-a-kind, from family-run kitchens and local landmarks to the neighborhoods that often get overlooked in traditional tourism.

We currently offer both public tours, where travelers and locals can experience Dallas together in a fun, community-style setting, and private tours designed for teams, celebrations, and groups who want something more personalized. Each experience is guided with storytelling, local insight, and a deep respect for authenticity because we believe food is one of the most honest ways to connect with a place and its people.

What’s most exciting right now is how much we’re growing. This holiday season, we’re launching festive tour experiences that highlight the city’s unique flavors and traditions, and next year, we’ll be expanding into new neighborhoods with brand-new routes that uncover even more of Dallas’s rich history.

Beyond our tours, we’re also growing Incloodie Media: a storytelling platform where locals can thrive and travelers can trust. Through blogs, interviews, and features, we’re creating a space that highlights the real Dallas: diverse, flavorful, and full of heart.

At its core, Incloodie is about connection: helping people not just see the city, but feel it, and leave every tour with a deeper appreciation for where culture, history, and taste meet.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been resilience, curiosity, and communication.

Resilience taught me how to keep showing up, even when circumstances changed or plans fell apart. Every business owner faces moments where things don’t go as expected. The key is to take the lesson, not the loss. My advice to anyone early in their journey is to build that muscle early: treat every challenge as a form of training for what’s ahead.

Curiosity has always been my secret weapon. I’ve learned that growth happens when you stay open; open to feedback, to learning new tools, and to perspectives outside your own field. Whether it’s marketing, history, or hospitality, the best innovators are the best listeners. Never stop asking why and how.

And finally, communication, not just with others, but with yourself. Being able to share your vision clearly, ask for help, and speak confidently about what you believe in changes everything. For me, that came from years of storytelling, public speaking, and learning how to connect people through shared experiences.

For anyone just starting out: don’t rush the process of becoming. Keep learning, stay curious, speak up, and remember the goal isn’t to have it all figured out, it’s to keep moving forward with heart and intention.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Collaboration is a cornerstone of how Incloodie grows and thrives. We love partnering with hotels, concierges, travel agents, and event planners who want to offer guests something authentic and unforgettable while visiting Dallas. We also welcome local creators, historians, and restaurant owners who share our mission of celebrating culture and community through food and storytelling.

Every partnership helps us expand what visitors can experience while uplifting the small businesses and hidden gems that make our neighborhoods special. We’re especially excited about collaborations that tie into our upcoming holiday tours and our expansion into new Dallas neighborhoods next year, as well as features through Incloodie Media, our platform where locals can thrive and travelers can trust.

To connect with us, visit incloodiefoodtour.com or reach out directly via our social channels. We’re always open to meaningful partnerships that honor Dallas’s history, flavor, and diversity, because the best stories are the ones we tell together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.incloodiefoodtour.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incloodiefoodtour
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/incloodiefoodtour
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-williams-incloodie-food-tour

Image Credits

Christensen Creative Co.