The journey from overlooked to overbooked isn’t always linear. For many Black women CEOs, creatives, and coaches, building empires required more than strategy—it demanded belief. The kind that’s whispered in moments of solitude, recited through tears, and held tightly when doors closed. These women have transformed affirmations into fuel, using words as their north star to navigate the murky waters of entrepreneurship and leadership. Here’s what they told themselves when the world said “no.”
“I am not here to compete in systems that weren’t built for me. I am here to redefine them. My presence is power. My pivot is proof.”
—Patrice Williams-Lindo, CEO & Founder, Career Nomad™ | Visibility Strategist | Workforce Futurist
As a visibility expert guiding professionals to reclaim their worth after layoffs and toxic work cultures, Patrice Williams-Lindo leaned on this mantra when the very doors she helped open abruptly shut. “It reminds me that rejection is redirection, and reinvention is my birthright,” she shares.
Lindo built Career Nomad™ to empower others to remember that their power doesn’t lie in conformity—it thrives in disruption. When the spaces we navigate weren’t designed with us in mind, it’s our duty to redefine them. “I am living proof that pivots are powerful, and presence is undeniable,” she says.
“Mautra, dream big dreams. Whatever you want in this life you can have—and do not forget to honor God. You give Him the glory in all that you pursue.”
—Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, President, Oklahoma City Community College
In moments of uncertainty, when opportunities felt distant or doors quietly closed, Dr. Mautra Staley Jones found solace in the wisdom passed down from her grandmother. “Her faith and fire shaped my foundation,” Jones reflects. “It was her reminder that everything I desired was already within my grasp—I just had to honor the journey.”
For Jones, navigating the educational landscape as a Black woman leader required unyielding belief. Her grandmother’s words became a lighthouse, illuminating her path even when it seemed the world wasn’t ready for her vision.
“What’s meant for me will be for me.”
—Pilaar Terry, Managing Partner and COO at POV Agency
After seven years of running her own PR & marketing agency, Pilaar Terry knows firsthand that the road to success is not always smooth. She’s experienced disappointments and roadblocks, but she’s never wavered in her belief that divine timing is real.
“Anything that God has destined for my path will come my way. And, if something doesn’t work out for me, it wasn’t mine to begin with!” she says. This unshakable faith keeps her grounded when campaigns don’t hit or partnerships fall through.
Another affirmation she carries close: “It’s not happening TO me, it’s happening FOR me.” Terry shares, “This encourages me to seek the lesson in the chaos and understand how everything works together within the universe’s divine plan.” Her perspective has allowed her to pivot gracefully and find purpose even in the midst of uncertainty.
The Science Behind the Mantras
These affirmations aren’t just personal mantras, they’re backed by science. Research indicates that self-affirmation can significantly impact career trajectories. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a brief values-based self-affirmation intervention improved job search success among the unemployed, increasing the likelihood of reemployment and reducing the time to secure a new position. Positive affirmations have been shown to activate the brain’s reward centers, leading to increased feelings of self-worth and motivation. In educational settings, self-affirmation exercises have been effective in reducing the performance gap caused by stereotype threat, particularly among women in STEM fields.
Power Is In The Tongue
The success stories of Williams-Lindo, Jones, and Terry are proof that empires are often built in whispers before they become loud enough for the world to hear. In spaces that weren’t built for them, these women carved out their own. They used affirmations as bricks, laying one on top of the other until their vision stood tall.
For every Black woman dreaming of something more—these mantras are a reminder that the power lies not just in what you do, but in what you believe.