Formidable Woman Magazine’s “POWER 20” Online Magazine spotlights 20 accomplished women making extraordinary strides in their industries. These women inspire the next woman to be bold, to be unapologetic, to be great!
FWM: Who is Lucie and what is your superpower?
Interesting question! My short answer is I’m a wife to Dr. Roland Matsouaka and a mother to two amazing kid authors, Greg-Daniel and Elikya Rachel. Long answer, I am an encourager and a teacher.
I understand the connection between who you believe you are and how you present yourself to others…
I think I am my best self when I find the right words to uplift someone. That alone makes me happy. It drives me crazy to see someone with great potential doubting themselves or using negative language to diminish themselves. I know what’s like to believe that your existence is not worthy, or that you have nothing valuable to bring to this world. It’s one of the most painful places to be mentally and emotionally.
I still remember buying into that type of nonsense just because I heard people say crazy things about me. Isn’t that something? Ridiculous! I understand the connection between who you believe you are and how you present yourself to others; I always find myself uplifting others the minute I sense that they’re about to destroy their own life by their own words or own negative beliefs.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping entrepreneurs and professionals see themselves as how God sees them, so they can find the drive to fulfill their purpose. So, whether I’m teaching a small group of people, or speaking at a large gathering, writing, coaching a client one-on-one, etc.… somehow, I always find myself uplifting my audience. I can’t help it.
My superpower is empathy. I’m sometimes amazed at how easy it is for me to pick up on others’ feelings and emotions. That allows me to teach my mentees how to be in touch with their emotions.
I’m also able to relate to people from different backgrounds and cultures. I used to think that the fact that I’ve traveled to and lived in 3 different continents over the course of my life wasn’t a positive thing for my career, because I was having a hard time identifying with just one group of people. Now, wherever I go in the world, somehow, I can relate to something. I think God created me with a little bit of everything, so that I could work well with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
FWM: What has been the greatest challenge in your industry and how have you overcome it?
The global pandemic hit right when I was planning a few conferences around the country. For a moment, I froze. Many people lost their jobs and were home wondering where they should go from here. Having different skills always comes in handy. Before becoming a Career Coach, I was a Personal Development Coach for entrepreneurs.
So, I continued to work, and during this past summer, I got invited to serve on a few platforms, including the educational branch of the United Nations (UN). I believe we should not only develop one skill. God created us with multiple skills that we can put to work. We just have to take time to find what they are and develop them so they can be ready in case of emergency.
FWM: You’re a serious BOSS! Tell us, what are you working on and what’s next for you?
You see? Career Coaching is often about helping people find the career of their dreams. However, I’m a unique type of career coach. I believe in helping people look good on paper before a job interview, but I also believe in supporting the emerging entrepreneur while they go through the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, especially at the beginning (some people want to be the employer, not the employee). Entrepreneurship comes with a lot of challenges, and those who are not mentally and emotionally equipped cannot survive in business. I want to help the emerging entrepreneur shorten their learning curve.
Before becoming a Certified Senior Professional Career Coach, I worked in different fields (Customer service, Healthcare, International Trade…). I also had a chance to work in sales here in the US and lead an organization with 18,000+ people. This allowed me to understand the need for entrepreneurs’ personal development.
Over the past 3 years, I was mostly focusing on mentoring emerging French-speaking entrepreneurs at the international level. Now, the foundation is done and I’ve seen great results. I’m expanding here at home in the US. Many people have lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus global pandemic. Instead of going back to the marketplace as employees, they’re choosing to share their God-given gifts and talents with the world instead. That’s excellent! Nevertheless, while many are business-savvy, becoming the type of person that goes through hardship without letting challenges get under your skin will send their business through the roof.
Website:
www.LucieMatsouaka.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLucieMatsouaka
https://www.facebook.com/lucie.matsouaka
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luciematsouaka
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/luciesmat
About Lucie
Lucie S. Matsouaka is an Author, International Speaker, Certified Professional Career Coach, and a bilingual personal development coach for emerging entrepreneurs (French and English). She is the Founder of L’Emergence De L’Entrepreneur, a consulting company.
She also empowers, guides and teaches young entrepreneurs how to navigate the storms of entrepreneurship, in order to stand out and be successful. She supports them on their journey by giving them the tools necessary to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, better their enterprises, and gain a sustainable competitive advantage.
Rooted deeply in her personal experience and voyages, her trainings are tailored to the social, economical and cultural environments of her mentees. This offers a unique perspective to the solutions she provides to help them reach their goals.
Lucie has been recognized for her work across the globe. In 2019, she was invited to Brussels (Belgium) to speak at the Golden Artistic Awards festival, attended by Belgium government officials, and received the “Prix d’honneur” for her work with entrepreneurs. Additionally, she was featured in the Belgium Magazine Brukmer in March 2018, as well as several reputable US Magazines (Black Reins, Rolling Out, Sheen Magazine, MizCEO) to mention a few. In July 2020, she received an Official Citation from the Maryland General Assembly in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the promotion of peace and human rights.
Lucie is a diversity and inclusivity advocate who was recognized as an Amazon Best-seller based on her work as a collaborating author with several black female authors. Her best-selling book Black Girls Hear, takes you through the authors’ detailed and riveting experiences and how those experiences have transformed their lives.
As an international speaker and author, she has published two books (English and French) titled “Not Everyone Wins” and “Ne Gagne Pas Qui Veut”. These books have transformed the lives of many across the globe.
Lucie lives in North Carolina, USA with her husband and two children.
