Latanza Warren is a woman on a mission to build, inspire, and encourage other women, so that they can say “BIE” to the things or thoughts that were holding them back and launch into their greatness. As the founder of God’s Masterpiece, the life coach and author is passionate about transforming women mentally, financially, and spiritually. Through her coaching, she helps others to renew their minds, to see past what is seen and to walk in their purpose.
Latanza’s trials and triumphs are a great part of what launched her into her own purpose. When asked to describe her swagher Latanza states, “being an overcomer. I tell people that I wouldn’t be who I was if it wasn’t for what I’ve been through. She continued, “Sometimes we take what we’ve been through in pain, and we look at it as a negative, but it turned into a positive for me. So that’s what made me who I am, and I’m grateful for it actually.â€
Before she was molded into the woman she is today, Latanza survived a marriage where she endured infidelity and financial and emotional abuse and almost lost her life before discovering what her now ex husband’s scheme. “I found out that he was lacing my Nyquil with other things, and it almost killed me,†says Latanza. “I had to get back up again with my life, and he closed my bank accounts. He just went- he sent the police over there (to her home). I went through hell after that, but God…â€
After that the When God Gives You Beauty For Ashes and A Journey To Wholeness Poems That Heal The Soul author began to minister to other women with hopes of them avoiding the pain she’s overcome in life. So that was it. That what I went through that got me to the ministry; that got me to the books that I wrote. That’s where I am today,†the now remarried wife, mom of two daughters, and “Momma T†of five grandchildren declares.
Fancy: Would you say that writing was a part of your healing process?
Latanza: Writing was everything. I have journal after journal after journal, because it was part of my healing process to actually write! It helped to get it all out, to help empty the hurt. That’s what it did for me. It emptied the hurt and starts filling it up with better things, with the healing part. In each book that I’ve written, I include my story. The last book that I wrote was, From Pain to Purpose, and I put some in there, but in that one, I share what my story has done for me
I tell my testimony in there because I want people to know and I want them to not just know the pain part, but I want them to know that I went through this, but it didn’t get me. That you can go through something, and it’s not going to get you because there is strength in you that you didn’t even know you had. I didn’t know. I didn’t know- you know how sometimes people talk about the adrenaline rush and how some people pick up a car? The person may be tiny, but that adrenaline rush boosted them to pick it up. They didn’t even know they had that strength! That’s how I feel.
Fancy: So you started out as a financial coach and then became a life coach. Can you explain more about that?
Latanza: When I first started, I wanted to help people in all aspects of life. I really didn’t know how to do that, because I wanted to help them financially, but I also wanted to help their mindsets because those are things that are on my heart to do with God’s Masterpiece. I didn’t know how to incorporate it all, so I got coaching and my coach helped me to better develop my brand.
At first, I was saying I was a financial coach, but then I realized the mindset is something that you have to change first. Before you can even begin to change your financial problems, you must change your mindset or you’ll be back in the same place you were.
I tell people that I help them with their mindset, but I help them in four areas: financially, spiritually, physically, and mentally. With that, and I mentioned BIE, and that’s how I incorporate God’s Masterpiece. I want people to know that with the right mindset, they can say “BIE†to their past and embrace their future, and BIE is incorporated from God’s masterpiece to Build, Inspire, and Encourage. And so that’s how I was able to tie it all in.
I have a conference in October to celebrate, to encourage build and inspire, and I’ll have speakers come in. I had one last year in October with my coach from the UK. She flew over here to do that, and I have financial workshops, so that’s how I incorporate it. At the financial workshops, I don’t just call them financial workshops, but an embodiment of the mental and the financial and how to incorporate so that you can get the results that you need to have. That’s how I’ve been able to incorporate it all.
Fancy: How would you describe your ideal clients?
Latanza: My ideal client as for the mindset aspect of things would be a person that is really hurting and cannot figure out which way to go. She’s bruised from a relationship or hardship or something. I jump at those people because I know where they’ve been, and I help them to get everything right. Because most of the time when a person comes to me like that, they’re hurting and many of them may not be financially literate. Women ask me, ‘How did you make it without his (her ex-husband) money?’ ‘How did you start doing that?’ One guy and his girlfriend actually stopped at my house one evening. They knew what kind of car I drive, so they saw my house and asked ‘How do you make it? How do you do it?’ And I just started laughing and began to let them in on some things.
So I’m able to help them with that too. God has taught me a lot and so I’m able to help other people. I don’t look at people as handicapped or judge them when they come to me bruised. I see it as an opportunity to help them to know which way to go because I want to show people not only the financial aspect but the mindset aspect, to help them to embrace where their purpose is. Those are the kinds of people I look for or the kind of people I want to attract are people. Those that are ready to leap into their purpose but really don’t know how to get there or those people that have been wounded and think that they’re not worth anything. I want to let them know they are worth so much more than they could ever know, so those are the people that I want to attract.
Fancy: Yes, many people stay in unhappy or unhealthy relationships and marriages due to money. I learned a little about that firsthand myself. Can you share two to three financial tips for women?
Latanza: Right a lot of people stay because of money. One thing that I do want to share with you is when my ex-husband left, he took the majority of my savings, and in a letter, he wrote to me saying that he took it for drugs. I had to rebuild after he left. And how I tell people is this, that first of all, take it one step at a time. If you look at the whole picture, you get overwhelmed. I started a budget. That’s the first thing I tell people. Make sure you budget. Try doing so with one income and see how you do with that first.
I had debt, and I had a loan, a car note, and a house note. So I was asking myself, ‘how am I going to do?’ Residual income was my answer. I had my daycare, and I picked up two other things that brought an income that I could do at home. I started building that way. I didn’t eat out. I cooked at home. Sometimes you just have to cut back for a little while, just a little while, until you get to where you need to be. I never missed a car note. I never missed anything. As a matter of fact, I will share this with you, I tell people to ‘first look at your income, look at where you are. Sometimes you might have to downgrade.’ Don’t be ashamed if you have to downgrade, maybe going from one kind of car to another kind of car, and I also tell people to look into refinancing. Some people are afraid of losing something, but I’m not.
Every $10 bill I would get, I would put it back, and I started doing things, I started planning things. That’s another thing we need to do. If you start in January for Christmas, you’ll already have what you need when you get there instead of scrambling and panicking. Ten dollars a week, that adds up for Christmas. I had a Christmas fund for my grandbabies and a vacation fund. I had two savings accounts, a checking account, and an emergency fund. I saved until I got $1,000 in there and I said, “Okay, I start building from here.†In a building, you must have a solid foundation so that you can continue to build up.
Also, I know everybody doesn’t believe in God, but I do, and I know that he’s the one that brought me out and he’s the one that brought me through. For me, tithing was the thing for me. I never miss a tithe and God always provides
Fancy: So do you have any projects or other upcoming events that you care to share?
Latanza: Right now, I am working on other things for God’s Masterpiece, because I want to actually take it out of Louisiana. I’m looking at different avenues for that. I’d like to do more speaking engagements for women. I also started working with kidpreneurs, showing kids that even where they are now, they can have a business. I work to change their mindset about money now, while they’re as young as five years old. These kids were so excited when we had the big kidpreneurs’ event here a couple of months ago. They had their businesses going and they made some money, and they were super excited. It warmed my heart just to see that.
Connect with Latanza below.
Instagram: @millionaire_minds_
Facebook: Facebook.com/LatanzaDWarren
Photos by Kio Stewart of Kio’s Photography
