Story & Lesson Highlights with Dr. Dequies Lanier of Buckhead

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Dequies Lanier. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Dequies, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is most important to me. I believe that you may have intellect, you may have the energy or drive to do the things you intend–but if you lack integrity, it doesn’t matter what you know or if you have energy to deliver. It matters how you value others and yourself. People don’t care what you know or the energy you have if your intentions are misaligned.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ll start with my professional background and then share a bit of my story. I am Dr. Dequies, originally from Birmingham, AL, and I reside in Atlanta, GA. I am passionate about advancing women and girls, empowering them to lead a purposeful and impactful life. I have dedicated my career and personal journey to this effort. I have over 13 years of industry experience in higher education, and I’ve served in various roles from entry-level to administrator. I am an avid strategist. I love thinking about the future and what could be, and building something amazing! I am highly skilled in training and development, operational strategy, and team management. In early years, I was always fond of the arts, design, and education; my various experiences continue to inspire how I creatively navigate my different interests today. One thing remained near to my heart. My lifelong purpose to enrich the lives of women and to help others. I am an author, faculty member, researcher, mentor, and community advocate. I serve my community in different roles on boards, committees, and within nonprofit organizations. My research interests include women’s leadership, organizational behavior, human development, and sociological wellness. I am the CEO and Founder of the Women’s Empowerment Suite, WE Suite LLC. WE Suite is a consulting and coaching agency supporting women leaders and women on their healing journey. My consulting work supports women leaders in their businesses and leadership strategy, while my coaching agency is much more intimate, supporting women on their healing journey one-on-one. I consider myself a leader with heart, strategy, and empathy–and I built a brand that is truly unique to my path and my values.

My Story:
“I didn’t have a linear path, and many of us don’t. I initially went into the world of design. I consider myself a creative, and I knew that at a young age. My family would probably describe me as a little determined as a child. I knew what I wanted to do, and so I did it or so I thought at the time. I graduated from college, and suddenly I realized I had gifts I didn’t even realize before. I did not know how to apply them because I simply didn’t know what was available to me. I had a wealth of experiences that continued to enlighten me, and I truly believe that was God’s will. Sometimes ‘time’ teaches you things that you would not have appreciated otherwise. Early on in my career, I was met with several mentors who really pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me far beyond what I thought myself capable of doing. I started my career in higher education after working with my very first client in graphic design. I found university life to be much more fulfilling, of course! I love pouring into others. Through that journey, I embraced the calling that I believe is my purpose. WE Suite LLC was created out of my story, like many entrepreneurs, and that story lives on today in many of you. It’s the story that illuminates your calling. I was challenged to do the unthinkable, to move beyond my fear, and now I ask women to join me to do the same. Those who desire to create impact are all doing purpose work, but purpose is different for all of us. For me, I vow to support and enrich the lives of women who do not have a linear path and to launch them forward through an EMPOWERED H.I.G.H.”

My personal interests include spending time with my family, serving God’s people, traveling, and various creative forms of design. I enjoy hosting a party or two and planning intimate events. My goal is simple: to love others boldly and fiercely, to provide support, and to help women achieve their version of true happiness through purposeful, spirit-aligned living.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I love this question! This question reflects the important shift that I made to step out of my comfort zone and believe in my strengths. Who I was before the world told me who I had to be in my early life was a creative, inspired, adventurous, and emotional being. I enjoyed drawing, painting, designing things, teaching others, and supporting those who were hurting. I was always determined, then and now–if I wanted to do something, I put my full HEART into it, and I didn’t stop even if it became hard. I motivated my peers, and I pushed them based on what I saw in them intuitively. I really believed the world was my oyster and I could make it all happen with faith in God. I still believe the latter.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
As a coach who focuses on the healing journey, this is one of the most deeply personal questions I would have been afraid to answer in the past. Today, I am elated to share my heart to support other women in that space, waiting for hope to fill their hearts again, knowing that healing is possible.

My coaching agency focuses on heart wounds, relationships, and childhood wounds. Many believe this topic is too personal and has no place in the world of business or leadership. I also have a consulting agency that focuses on women’s leadership. Both of these are aligned more than the world would like to believe. Your struggles in life, your hurts in life, and your experiences shape you as an individual. Eventually, you may bring your hurts into your work environment, even if you tried to avoid doing so. Your hurts show up in partnership, your parenting, friendships, etc. If you don’t address the heart wounds you hold, you will take those unaddressed pains and lead from a space that is wounded. Your reactions and responses to situations reveal where heart wounds exist.

It is only fitting that I share. My heart wound was feeling emotionally unsupported/abandoned in youthful romantic relationships. Yes, I know–many women have that same wound. It’s not about having an experience unheard of; it’s about healing. I learned early that helping others was how I love best. I found myself partnering with individuals who were emotionally unavailable, struggling through their own various life things. This led to self-abandonment, emotional suppression for the sake of helping another. I did not speak my needs clearly, and I did not work through my emotions well. I focused on helping or supporting others so much that I neglected what was best for me in the long run. This learned behavior translated into how I defined my role in my career as well. Supporting others even if it meant risking what was best for me, my needs, and my desires. This is blame, it’s important I note that, this is transparency. This is deeply personal and deeply honest because women need to feel free to share their truth to walk through the healing journey. To identify what is limiting their full potential and where God is calling them home to themselves. I would have NEVER shared this in my past, but I now understand holding back causes more limiting beliefs; it doesn’t protect, it holds you in bondage. This level of honesty requires a lot of strength and willingness to walk the path destined for you, instead of one that requires you to remain silent and shrink, showing up with only pieces of yourself. Things like fear, shame, and guilt can hold people back from fruitful relationships in their families, with their children, with their spouse, and in their careers. But if you give those self-conscious emotions the eviction they deserve–healing awaits, a better, more fulfilled life, and PEACE awaits. My love offering to women is to open your heart to what hurts and trust the process of healing. WE Suite LLC is a community I created for women who desire to live a life they love, feeling supported and emotionally free! My desire to help others was not wrong; I just lacked the boundaries and discernment I needed to channel that gift into God’s will for my life. Today, I am at peace knowing I’ve implemented what I once didn’t know how to do.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I wanted to give a really accurate, objective answer, so I asked them! My closest friends shared that they believe what really matters to me is my faith, my family, aesthetics (haha), being driven towards my goals, living with intention, legacy, and being supportive and encouraging.

I would agree with their feedback. I have to admit–I love anything creative, nicely designed, and an excuse to decorate, so the aesthetic comment is quite true! I think if I were to add anything at all, I’d add that I value integrity, honesty, and authenticity. No one is perfect, but I appreciate it when we as people can be real, even if that means not agreeing with mainstream, being okay with that, and standing strong in our values and faith. But I guess that’s living with intention…

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, what would remain is my faith. I hope to leave this world with my belief in Christ, my ability to walk through every season trusting the Lord, even when it was painful to live through those seasons. I hope to leave a legacy to my family to serve God’s people in all that you do, to build and continue to bear fruit that inspires others toward healing. I hope, what would remain would be the warmth people felt and the love of God. It is not who I am but who HE is that empowers me daily, and I’d want that to be the ultimate gift people receive from all that I do. That others know genuine care and love!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wesuiteco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.dequies/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dequies-lanier-0b389b75/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/WE-Suite-Community/61551782349215/
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-suite-podcast-womens-empowerment/id1663692513

Image Credits
Tracey J White Photography