Alicia Renee’ has faced her fair share of obstacles, but perseveres in the face of adversity and empowers other women to do the same. She has successfully balanced life as a single mom, working in Corporate America, obtaining an MBA, and serving her community through church work and as a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. Her commitment to helping others achieve their goals inspired her to become a best-selling author, blogger, speaker, and certified confidence and empowerment coach. In 2020, she founded The Confident Lily, a personal development company that equips women all over the world to find their personal power.

1.) Tell us a little about yourself. 

My name is Alicia Renee’ and I am an author, blogger, speaker, and certified life coach specializing in confidence and empowerment for women. I am the founder of The Confident Lily, a personal development company that equips women all over the world to find their personal power. The mission of The Confident Lily is to encourage and inspire women to boldly pursue a life of prosperity and become the best versions of themselves that they can be

2.) Tell us what your book, She Exudes: A Confidence Awakening Devotional & Journal, is all about.

The She Exudes: A Confidence Awakening Devotional & Journal is designed to awaken and stir up the inner self-confidence that may be suppressed or lying dormant. Using scriptures from the Bible, affirmations, and relatable content, the devotional encourages women to be confident in who they are and the promises that God has given them, to believe and have faith to change their circumstances, to push forward to become the best versions of themselves possible, and to lead a prosperous life. Each devotion in the book covers a different topic or experience that today’s women may encounter.

3.) What was the inspiration for this book?

Personal experience was the inspiration for the book. I have faced my fair share of obstacles that have tested my faith and rocked my confidence and self-esteem. In early 2020, I experienced a divorce from a toxic relationship and decided to pursue a dream of relocating ten hours away from my hometown as a single mother with no family or friends around. COVID surfaced immediately after my divorce was final and I was even more confused about my decisions and the direction that God was leading me in. In addition to going through the normal grieving process of the divorce, I was suffering from loneliness, fear, and the uncertainty that the COVID pandemic created.

I began to spend a great deal of time in personal reflection and asking God to show me my purpose. I began journaling and meditation for healing and perspective. As I researched scriptures in The Bible to help restore my confidence and identity, I realized that I had written a book! I quickly realized that other women could benefit from my writing and turned the book into a devotional.

4.) Why do you feel it is important for women to find their power?

Owning your personal power is critical especially for women because it allows them to become unstoppable. Oftentimes, women can feel like they are limited in the things that they can do, or that they have to make a choice between following their dreams and aspirations and having a family. Some women may also fall into the belief that men are more superior than women and that they should not be as vocal or driven as men. I want to change that narrative because as we all know, women have the ability to be powerful leaders and change agents in their communities.

5.) What was one of the most difficult challenges you encountered while writing this book?

One of the most difficult challenges that I experienced while writing this book was dealing with Imposter’s Syndrome. Self-doubt and fear are real and must be denounced on sight! I was going through a very vulnerable time in my life when I wrote the book and felt conflicted and fearful about how much of my personal life I should share. I wondered who I would actually be able to help with sharing my story. I also had thoughts that I wasn’t qualified enough or talented enough to be the person that I wanted to become. I knew that those negative thoughts were probably not true but did have to actively work to refute the negativity and keep pushing.

6.) What was one thing you learned about yourself while writing this book?

One thing that I learned while writing the book was that I have a variety of experiences that someone could learn from. I didn’t understand why I was going through some of these experiences at the time but as I wrote the book I realized that I had to go through those tests and trials to have a testimony to share with others. While writing I learned just how resilient I was and want to share that strength with others.

7.) What do you think is the key to creating a healthy balance between work life, personal life, and community service?

The key to creating a healthy balance between work life, personal life, and community service is sorting out your schedule by priority and understanding that you cannot do everything at once. There may be times when you need to dedicate more time to your family or when you need to complete a special project at work. In those examples, you may not be able to spend as much time doing community service or being social with friends. Allow time for those things in your schedule at some point but give yourself grace when you can’t do everything.

8.) What was the defining moment that made you decide to start your confidence and empowering coaching business?

Once I officially launched my business and published my devotional it became apparent to me that I wanted to help women find their confidence and push through adversity in a greater capacity. I was already acting as a mentor and confidant but felt the need to obtain a life coaching certificate to gain the expertise needed to really make a difference.

9.) Describe your book in one line.

A confidence awakening devotional and journal that equips women with the tools and promises that God has given them to overcome and live life abundantly.

10.) Why did you choose to self-publish your book?

I self-published my book because I knew that I wanted to get my message out to the masses as soon as possible. I believed that the book was just a piece of my business but that it would be a significant component of it. I didn’t want to delay the start of my business and ministry by going through traditional publishing.

11.) Where can readers buy your book?

Readers can purchase the book on my website at: https://www.confidentlily.com/product-page/journal 
They can also find it on Amazon.

12.) Where can our readers find you on social media?

Readers can find me on Instagram and Facebook under the profile name of TheConfidentLily.

13.) Please share your website with our readers.

My website is: www.confidentlily.com