Last Friday marked the closing retreat of my 9-month Leadership Austin journey, and what an incredible, soul-stretching experience it has been. Sometimes, it truly just takes one bold step.

I almost didn’t apply for the program. I had known about Leadership Austin since 2018 but always felt like I didn’t have the time. Then in June 2024, I saw that applications were open and something in me said, APPLY. That one decision opened the door to people I didn’t know I needed, growth I didn’t expect, and reflections that changed how I see myself.

From day one, I was challenged. Jill Goodman asked, “Are you showing up the way you think you’re showing up?”

That question stayed with me, in every session, every conversation, every moment at work, and even at home with my husband and children. I realized leadership isn’t something you just do, it’s who you are, everywhere you are. Not just in the workplace, but in every space you occupy.

Some key insights that stayed with me through this journey:

1. Authenticity requires vulnerability.
2. Leadership is not about position, it’s about presence.
3. Feedback is a gift, even when it stings.
4. You grow most when you’re uncomfortable.
5. You don’t have to be loud to be heard.

This journey didn’t just help me become a better leader; it helped me become a better version of myself. While the classroom gave me tools, so much of the transformation happened outside of it, through reflection, quiet moments, hard conversations, and unexpected breakthroughs. Here are a few revelations:

1. Acceptance is freedom. Not just the accomplishments and accolades, but also the messy, uncomfortable failures, challenges, and growing parts. Wholeness requires honesty. Embrace the full truth of who you are.
2. Great success is built on great failures. Fail. Then fail again. Do it until failure no longer scares you. Some of my greatest successes are built on the back of lessons learned through failure. Fail with grace. Fail and rise again.
3.  I’m a little of this and a lot of that, and that’s more than enough.  I no longer try to fit in. I embrace that I was designed to stand out. PERIOD
4. Purpose is persistent. Every step of my journey had a purpose through all the seasons: becoming a mom and wife at 19, experiencing divorce after 21 years of marriage, being blessed to remarry, and pivoting careers. Every chapter prepared me to help others find clarity, courage, and purpose. **DM me if that sounds like you.**
5.  Let Them! Let them judge you. Let them misunderstand you. Let them go if they want to leave. Everyone’s not meant for your full journey. If you don’t have the book by Mel Robbins, get it.

My courageous leadership journey continues with me showing up exactly as I am and as I’ve always wanted to, authentic, bold, and surrounded by both new and long-term friends.

Was it the program, or was it me showing up for the work? It was both. The program worked because I worked the program.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth it to invest in yourself, take the step. You might just meet a version of yourself you didn’t know you needed.

I am everything my bright, hopeful 7-year-old self dreamed I’d become, and More!

I am LaTronda Latrice!