Daily Inspiration: Meet Lynn Wesley Coleman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynn Wesley Coleman.

Hi Lynn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins in New Orleans. I am a native New Orleanian with two sisters. I have a twin sister (Rhonda) and an older sister (Nikki). Yes, I have a twin sister. I have one living parent, my father (Gerald Wesley), and my biological mother passed away at a very young age. I was raised by my father’s sister, my aunt. She took great care of us and exposed us to so much New Orleans culture. I grew up in two very different areas in New Orleans. I lived in the Mid City area with mom and with dad the New Orleans East. I loved the exposure because that taught me how to think differently. I use that to my advantage today. I am married to Reggie Coleman, and I have two daughters, Wesley and Madelyn.

I am currently writing a book about building a brand. I have been writing about food since 2010. I always loved eating at restaurants growing up. My dad took us to so many beautiful restaurants in New Orleans. I also really love travel and hotels. I believe that you get out of life exactly what you want. Your mindset is a powerful tool. I want to encourage other women who have similar interests to pursue their dreams.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not one bit. I didn’t really find a focus until after 40 years old. By the time I was 40, I had my two kids. They were small at the time, and my husband. I started doing things that I truly enjoyed instead of just checking boxes for other people. I feel empowered to do what I enjoy doing 24/7. My husband and I chuckle all of the time when we see my name on something interesting and empowering. We always say if they only realized how we started and how many tears and sleepless nights it took to get here. I lost many friends in the process of discovering myself. Like Michelle Obama says, ‘You can’t take everyone with you’. If people don’t support or are projecting jealousy/fear, they can miss me. I feel sorry for them for them.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Human Resources Manager at Omni Hotels. It’s such a myth, but I love working with people. I can do so many things and be successful at it just with this one trait. I am also a Lifestyle Influencer in New Orleans. I have been reviewing food/restaurants since 2010.

I graduated from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in Business. I learned so much at Xavier that I did not start applying until later in life. I always wanted to go to an HBCU. The obvious choice was Xavier because my mom lived so close to the school. I was a wallflower in school, but I pushed myself outside of the shell in my 20s. By my early 30s, I was working, and I helped a start-up called Joyhound build the website with events/happenings/new restaurant openings in the city. In my 30s, I also started a Single Urban Professionals Group. It didn’t last long because I got married. I also used my 30s to write reviews for local restaurants and businesses. Now looking back, that was over 12 years ago. Fast forward to now, I am in my 40s, a Lifestyle influencer, and still working in the HR field. I have been working in HR since 2000.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The shift within the next 5-10 years will be on authenticity. It does not matter if you are an HR professional or some sort of influencer; People want to connect with authentic and transparent people. The lives will cross into something called work/life harmony. Everything will start coming together for real people as AI thinks they have us figured out. I had to laugh at that last statement.

Contact Info:

• Website: lynnwesley-coleman.com
• Instagram: lynnwesleycoleman
• Facebook: lynnwesleycoleman
• Linkedin: Lynn Wesley Coleman
• Yelp: Lynn W

Image Credits
Image Credit: Jaron Randall, Humbleness Beginnings