Meet: Pastor Linda Joseph!

What inspired you to become a CEO?
I'm passionate about helping individuals, and have made it my life's mission to motivate and encourage others to think bigger.  I'm of Haitian descent and my people have migrated around the world, and many have died in pursuit of something better. I'm just fulfilling a vision that we don't have to settle, we don't have to give on wanting more in life.  In so doing my mission to mentor and uplift others have taken a life of its own. I just woke up one day and realized that if I want change, I have to be the change, I have to break from this mold of culture. So I raised up and took charge, everything just became what it is today.  

My organization is called WIWA Women Inspiring Women Association we are here to motivate and empower women to reach their full potential and fullness in life and profession. We encourage mentoring, training and other opportunities for women to share strengths and weaknesses, talents and experiences with each other.  We believe if you can dream it, you can achieve it and have a group of women backing you up.
Trust me I never dreamt of be a Founder of anything, not even CEO of my own life. Today I'm a wife, mother, teacher, mentor, life coach, motivational speaker and co-pastor along side my husband.

I was of my innocence and life brutality battered me, that I shouldn't even be standing, because you see I came from nothing, raised by a single mom, I know poverty, I know hunger, homelessness and every kind of abuse.  Rejection was my last name. My life span was short, I'd be lucky to live past 16, 18 was just a dream. I was told I'll never be anything, own anything, not even something as simple as a bicycle. Today I'm dreaming big, and the future is rather brilliant to help others.

My blessings are not material, it's real, it's reaching one person and making a difference, it's being there for someone in need.  Its rewarding to be able to lend someone a hand or feed the hungry. I'm a 5th generation of battered women, my lineage mentally trapped and set to fail and die young, but with God. I stand today and generational curse have been broken, I see a bright future for my children. There's hope for the hopeless like myself.

If you could share business advice with yourself 10 years ago, what would you say?
10 years ago I was stuck, I  was numb, I was blinded by my surroundings and trapped in a abyss of verbal abuse.  I was a shadow of myself, a little girl trapped in a grown woman body afraid of rejection and acceptance.  But I woke up and realized that I have a voice, I have emotions and I can do all things through christ that strengthens me.  So today I'd say to the old me years ago "snap out of it girlfriend" and said "stop listening to those lies" I would have been further along in life if I didn't let them go.  So fast forward to today. I'm alive, in my sound mind and full of hope and expectation.

What are you looking forward to most in 2020?
I just wrote a memoir of my childhood titled Shemergence I Am She.
This year I'm looking forward to traveling to a new city each month empowering women and families, by holding workshops, seminars and speaking to larger audiences.  Enlarging my territory stepping on different platforms sharing my testimony and helping abused women of all race and culture turn their tragedy into triumphant, we all may have similar stories, but it's uniquely our own.  Time to break cycles and grow beautifully.

How can readers support your efforts and connect with you online
You can support our efforts and connect with us via our website: https://mywiwa.org/ or via Instagram @ WIWA.INSPIRATION, Facebook WIWA.INSPIRATION, email at mywiwa@gmail.com office 954:947-6704