Tywauna Wilson is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and an award-winning leadership maven helping movers and shakers shift to the next level. She is the Owner/Chief Leadership Coach of Trendy Elite Coaching and Consulting Services which she founded in 2017. Trendy Elite focuses on transformational change by equipping leaders with the tools and expertise needed to be successful influencers who inspire personal growth and leadership in the workplace and in their local communities. Trendy Elite offers a variety of training programs, personality assessments, and coaching programs. In addition to the leadership training programs with Trendy Elite, Tywauna hosts a weekly international radio program called Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson on Direct Impact Broadcasting radio station in which she co-owns with her husband.
Tywauna started her leadership journey in the clinical laboratory as a medical laboratory scientist providing complex testing to aid clinicians in accurate diagnosis and patient care. Over the past 15 years, she served in a variety of progressive leadership roles, with her most recent being the System Technical Director of Chemistry for one of the top regional labs in the Dayton, Ohio community. In this role, she provides clinical expertise, strategy, and collaboration to seven hospital locations and a core reference laboratory.
In 2018, the leadership coach co-authored her first best-selling publication, “Dear Fear, Volume 2: 18 Powerful Lessons on Living Your Best Life On The Other Side Of Fear“. This book challenges readers to push through fear and begin living the life they deserve. It gives them the strategies and tools they need to answer their questions of self-doubt and create a plan of action to move beyond their fear and into their greatness.
Step into the lab of this scientist, coach, and this week’s Wonder Woman, Tywauna Wilson.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Tywauna, Tywauna?
Tywauna: I would describe my swagher as determined, hard-working, collaborative, down to earth, and walking fearlessly into my destiny. I love to learn new things and add new skills to my skills box. I am not afraid to strive for impossible heights. I love God, my family, friends, and creating new memories, each day. I am very active in the community and believe in lifting as I climb.
Fancy: What inspired your transformational coaching business Trendy Elite?
Tywauna: I have been blessed over the years to be able to participate in training programs and coaching that everyone is not able to participate in due to time, money, or other commitments. I also realized that so many people didn’t have the key foundational skills to excel in leadership roles once they were in them. Others missed opportunities all together because they were not prepared. I wanted to help people be their best, think another way, and be confident and prepared to achieve their leadership and personal growth goals. Trendy Elite, has a fresh relevant outlook on coaching and training, giving leaders practical tidbits they can use in their personal and professional lives.
Fancy: Did you always see yourself as a leader?
Tywauna: I did. My parents helped with that belief as well. I always knew growing up that I would change the world. I wasn’t sure how I would do that, but I planned to leave a lasting footprint on as many lives as I could. The important part about being a leader is that you reach back and bring others to the circle with you. If I can leave this life having done that, I will be pleased.
Fancy: Can you share 2-3 tips for those who may be stepping into leadership roles but are not quite prepared for it?
Tywauna:
Having a heart to serve (Servant Leadership)– It is important to lift as you climb and inspire to achieve more than they ever thought was possible. When you look at life from this angle the tough decisions become easier.
Effective Communication-One of the biggest challenges today is communication mismatches. ‘I thought you meant this’, ‘in your text I read this’, ‘on social media I saw this’, ‘the email you sent seemed like you were saying this’……. There is no substitute for verbal communication.
Listening Skills– Listen more, talk less. If you listen, people will tell you everything you need to know.
Determination– If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying. Keep pushing. Leadership can be very difficult and cause emotional fatigue, so you will need the grit to endure while establishing yourself as an influential leader.
Fancy: How would you describe your ideal client for Trendy Elite?
Tywauna: My ideal client would be someone who has the desire and willingness to grow and will be accountable for their goals. If they have that kind of attitude, my company can help them achieve the results they want. My company focuses on strengthening the next generation of leaders. Within most organizations, your real influencers are middle management and your front-line team. I specialize in short and long-term leadership training programs onsite and virtual, accountability partnerships, one on one coaching, and workshops in the areas of personal growth, leadership, and communication for individuals, teams, schools/youth groups, and companies.
Fancy: Can you share 2-3 tips for those stepping into leadership but they are not quite ready for it?
Tywauna: I highly recommend doing a deep dive inventory of yourself. If you are unclear on your purpose, don’t know your ‘why’, can’t articulate five things you do well, a self-discovery is in order. I would recommend a DISC assessment if you haven’t already had one. It is one of the easier assessments to help you figure out how to utilize your strengths to work with others and become a better leader while communicating and connecting in a way everyone wins.
-Get a mentor and coach: Mentors share their wisdom and experiences with us so that we learn through successful and unsuccessful models; they help accelerate our learning curves because essentially we learn faster from people we respect and trust. Great mentors will use their influence to provide access, opportunity, and become champions for us. They help us get in rooms that we may not be able to get in otherwise. Understand that mentorship can be paid or unpaid, so don’t always think this will be a no-cost relationship. Coaches help guide you to reach an agreed-upon goal typically over a specified period. This is more like a partnership — Coaches help us to change our behavior without injecting their own personal experience. They help us to find the solutions within ourselves.
–Become a lifelong learner: Remember leaders are readers! Not just of books, but of people and situations. Practical books I would recommend right now, both by John Maxwell is the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. Both are also on audio. These will focus on leadership and personal growth. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, is a great one on mindset. I would also recommend listening to podcasts to gain insight from other leaders. I have a leadership radio show that airs every Wednesday night from 8-9 PM EST. you will find the link on my website for Direct Impact Broadcasting at www.coachteewilson.com
Fancy: Where are your Dear Fear books found?
Tywauna: They can be purchased on my website at www.coachteewilson.com/shop/
Fancy: Do you also still work within a lab?
Tywauna: Yes, I do. I love being a medical detective who helps save lives!! I started my leadership journey in the clinical laboratory as a medical laboratory scientist providing complex testing to aid clinicians in accurate diagnosis and patient care. Over the past 15 years, I have served in a variety of progressive leadership roles, with the most recent being the System Technical Director of Chemistry for one of the top regional labs in the Dayton, Ohio community. In this role, I provide clinical expertise, strategy, and collaboration to seven hospital locations and a core reference laboratory. So I strive to lead inside and outside of the laboratory.
Fancy: Can you describe a situation in your life that challenged you to grow and how did you do so?
Tywauna: Wow, that’s a good question. I would say don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. I can remember working in the lab, and there was a leadership training program that I wanted to participate in. I knew I needed to be in the program and that it would help me be a better leader to my team, but my employer would not pay for it. The program cost was about $2,500. Of course, I was upset and thought to myself ‘how dare they not pay for this program. It will benefit the company.’ After they told me no, they told me they would support my time off to participate in it, but I would have to pay for the program tuition. I thought, ‘they must be crazy! You want me to pay?’ So think about my mindset in this case. How could I be mad at my organization for not paying if I was unwilling to pay to invest in myself? Now that sounded even crazier. So long story short, I paid for the program, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
As leaders, we can’t be afraid to pay for knowledge whether that is in the form of a coach, mentorship, masterclass etc. Those who are at the table, are investing in themselves which is why they remain at the table.
Fancy: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you care to share?
-The Trendy Elite Empowerment Tribe. It is an 8-session program consisting of a weekly power hour session that has a short training followed by Q&A in the areas of leadership, personal growth, and communication. It’s a power-packed program that will jumpstart the leadership lid of anyone looking to move to the next level. More information can be found on www.trendyelitellc.com
– Book Release of The Gyrlfriend Collective: Sorority Edition launching June 2019. The powerful collaboration emphasizes the importance of sisterly relationships and the benefits of being in a sorority.
-Looking for sponsors and co-authors for the HBCU Experience: Kentucky State University Edition. This project has a goal to donate $10,000 by the end of the year to HBCUs. The books will release fall 2019, just in time for homecoming season!!
Connect with Tywauna below.
@CoachTeeWilson (FB, Instagram, Twitter)
Tywauna Wilson on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/tywauna-wilson-55574630 )
E-Mail: info@trendyelitellc.com
