Latoyah Saunders is on a mission. As the newly appointed Assistant Director of Career Management at Georgetown University’s Graduate Career Center, she brings a wealth of experience, a passion for service, and an unwavering commitment to helping individuals navigate their professional journeys. But her impact extends far beyond her role at Georgetown University. With over 20 years of expertise in Human Resources from the U.S. Army and a highly decorated decade in the Federal Government, Latoyah has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between job seekers and meaningful opportunities.

A Certified Federal Career Coach, Certified Job Search Trainer, and HR Certified (SHRM-CP), Latoyah has spent years sitting on hiring panels, leading job search webinars, and shaping leadership and career development programs. Her expertise in simplifying the federal hiring process has made her an invaluable resource for veterans, transitioning service members, federal employees, and graduate students who are often overwhelmed by the complexities of job searching.

A Personal and Purposeful Mission

Latoyah’s work isn’t just about helping people land jobs—it’s about empowerment. The inspiration behind her consulting firm, Confident Career Cultivation, is deeply personal. As a veteran, she understands firsthand the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life. The uncertainty, the struggle to translate military experience into civilian job qualifications, and the need for guidance in an unfamiliar career landscape are all challenges she once faced herself.

Driven by a deep respect for those who serve, she created a firm dedicated to supporting veterans, military spouses, and service members in finding meaningful career paths beyond the uniform. But her work doesn’t stop there. Latoyah is equally passionate about guiding undergraduate and graduate students, equipping them with the tools, confidence, and clarity needed to navigate the early stages of their careers. Whether it’s resume writing, job search techniques, or career planning, she’s committed to helping individuals articulate their value in a competitive job market.

Taking the Leap: From Federal Employee to Full-Time Consultant

Starting Confident Career Cultivation while maintaining a full-time federal government job wasn’t easy. The balancing act between her government responsibilities and her passion for career consulting often left her feeling conflicted. In June 2024, she made the pivotal decision to step away from federal employment and fully dedicate herself to career consulting. This bold move led her to her current role at Georgetown University, where she continues to expand her reach and impact.

The transition wasn’t without its challenges. As a disabled veteran entrepreneur, she had to navigate the world of business ownership, understand available opportunities, and learn how to prioritize both her role at Georgetown University and her vision for her firm. But for Latoyah, every obstacle was just another opportunity to grow, learn, and refine her mission.

A Ripple Effect of Impact

The impact Latoyah hopes to make is multifaceted. She wants veterans and service members to recognize the breadth of opportunities available to them and feel confident in their ability to transition successfully. For military spouses, she aims to create career pathways that offer stability and growth despite the frequent relocations and uncertainties that come with military life. And for students, her goal is to instill a foundation of career confidence that will serve them well beyond graduation.

Ultimately, Latoyah sees her work as a catalyst for a ripple effect—one that empowers individuals to transform their own lives and, in turn, contribute meaningfully to the communities and organizations they serve.

Looking Ahead: Expanding the Mission

Latoyah’s vision for the future is ambitious. She plans to partner with military transition programs to teach career development strategies, conduct more webinars for veterans, military spouses, and students, and collaborate with HR recruiters and government hiring managers to streamline the federal hiring process for those unfamiliar with it. Additionally, she aims to increase her presence as a speaker, sharing her expertise as a career strategist with a broader audience.

Her advice for those looking to enter the career consulting field? Be authentic. “We all have our expertise,” she says. “How you stand out is by being confident in the services you have to offer.”

Latoyah Saunders: More Than a Career Strategist

Beyond her work, Latoyah is a dedicated mother of two boys, a wife of 15 years, and a proud New Yorker with a love for travel. Her most recent adventures took her to Thailand and Taiwan, where she immersed herself in new cultures and experiences. When she’s not coaching job seekers or researching career trends, she enjoys cooking, working out, and continuously expanding her knowledge.

For those seeking career guidance, Latoyah offers a free 30-minute consultation through Confident Career Cultivation, giving job seekers a chance to gain clarity, strategy, and direction in their career pursuits.

Her journey—from veteran to federal career expert to full-time entrepreneur and career strategist—is a testament to resilience, passion, and the power of service. And for every individual she helps, the ripple effect of her work continues to grow, creating a lasting impact on countless careers and lives.

For more information on how Latoyah can support your career journey, visit Confident Career Cultivation.

In a world where challenges can often overshadow purpose, Tysheema Wilkins stands as a beacon of faith, resilience, and empowerment. Her journey is not just a story of personal triumph but a testament to the power of transformation and the unwavering belief that obstacles can become stepping stones toward a greater calling.

Tysheema is more than an author, Business Success coach, and advocate—she is a visionary dedicated to helping others walk boldly in their purpose. Through her work, she has touched lives across the globe, from the readers of her blog Protected & Paid to the individuals she mentors and coaches through Empowered Path Coaching. But her journey to becoming an influential leader wasn’t without trials.

Turning Pain into Purpose with Tysheema Wilkins

Like many who find themselves on a path of self-discovery, Tysheema’s journey has been shaped by moments of uncertainty, rejection, and self-doubt. At times, she questioned her worth and struggled to see the bigger picture of her life’s experiences. Yet, through faith, she found clarity and strength.

Instead of allowing hardships to define her, Tysheema chose to redefine them. She leaned on prayer, meditation, and scripture to navigate the storms and emerged with a clear vision: her pain was not meant to break her—it was meant to guide others toward healing. This realization became the foundation of her work, inspiring her to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and equipped to overcome their own challenges.

From this foundation, Protected & Paid was born. What started as a personal blog quickly grew into an international platform, reaching readers in 13 countries and 22 states. Through her writing, Tysheema shares insights on faith, resilience, and empowerment, proving that no matter the struggle, one’s purpose remains intact.

Building a Legacy of Empowerment

Tysheema’s impact extends beyond her blog. As a certified Life Coach and founder of Empowered Path Coaching, she works closely with individuals who feel lost, disconnected, or uncertain about their next steps. Her mission is to help people align with their calling, cultivate their strengths, and build meaningful, purpose-driven lives.

Her passion for empowerment also comes alive in her work as a speaker. Whether addressing intimate groups or large audiences, she shares her message of faith and transformation with authenticity. She reminds people that their struggles do not define them—their ability to rise above those struggles does.

In addition to coaching and speaking, Tysheema is a mental health advocate. As a Senior Case Manager at an Office of Mental Health facility, she works tirelessly to break the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly in underserved communities. She understands that true empowerment includes emotional well-being, and she is committed to fostering safe spaces where people can heal and thrive.

Her service extends beyond U.S. borders. As a Youth Mentor in South Africa, she empowers young people to embrace their potential and dream beyond their circumstances. Her global outreach is a testament to her belief that empowerment has no boundaries—it is a calling that transcends geography.

Looking Ahead: Expanding the Vision

Tysheema’s journey is far from over. Her vision for the future is one of expansion, impact, and innovation. She envisions Empowered Path Coaching growing into a global platform, providing faith-based resources, online courses, workbooks, and coaching programs that cater to a broader audience, including single mothers and youth.

Her love for writing continues to drive her forward, with upcoming projects such as Too Many Secrets and Conversations with God in the works. She also plans to develop a youth-focused journal and reflective card decks designed to encourage deeper introspection and growth.

In addition to publishing and coaching, Tysheema is determined to strengthen her speaking career, gracing larger stages and sharing her message of faith and empowerment with the world. Her mental health advocacy will expand through strategic collaborations with organizations dedicated to healing and emotional well-being in marginalized communities.

On the business front, she is working toward securing LLC status, launching a personal website with an e-commerce platform, and establishing a recognizable brand. Financially, she aims to generate multiple streams of income through digital products, affiliate marketing, and coaching services, with a long-term goal of creating a stable monthly revenue of $20,000.

Beyond business, her heart remains set on mentorship. She plans to continue working with youth internationally, developing scholarship opportunities for underprivileged students, and ensuring that her literary works reach even more lives. Every endeavor she pursues is guided by her commitment to walking in alignment with God’s purpose and helping others do the same.

A Legacy of Faith and Impact

For Tysheema, success isn’t measured by accolades or financial milestones—it is measured by the lives she impacts. Her work bridges the gap between faith, mental health, and personal empowerment, providing individuals with the tools they need to heal, grow, and thrive.

Through her books, coaching programs, speaking engagements, and advocacy efforts, she is building a legacy of resilience, purpose, and transformation. Her goal is to ensure that long after she is gone, her work continues to inspire individuals to step boldly into their God-given purpose.

To those who are searching for direction, Tysheema’s message is clear: you are not defined by your struggles—you are defined by your ability to rise above them. Through faith, resilience, and intentional action, you have the power to create a life of meaning and impact.

As she continues to walk in her calling, Tysheema Wilkins remains a guiding light for those who need hope, reminding us all that we are protected, paid, and empowered by faith.

For more information about Tysheema’s work, visit www.sheemaw.net.

Transformation is a word often used but rarely understood in its depth and potential. Laurie McGinley is here to redefine what transformation means—not just for individuals, but for humanity. With 35 years of experience and an unshakable belief in the power of change, Laurie has become a trusted guide for world changers seeking to move past their barriers and step into their dreams.

Laurie’s journey is as multifaceted as her work. She’s a registered architect, a woodturner, a meditator, and a polymath who has managed $100 million in construction projects and worked in industries as varied as manufacturing and web design. But her most profound work lies in her ability to guide high-impact individuals—executives, politicians, founders, and inventors—through transformative journeys that not only elevate them but ripple out to benefit society at large.

“I’m super f’n magic,” Laurie says unapologetically. And it’s true. Her work is nothing short of alchemy: transforming fear into freedom, obstacles into opportunities, and good intentions into lasting impact.

The Birth of Via Lucent: A Labor of Love and Growth

Laurie’s passion for helping others change the world led her to create Via Lucent, a coaching and transformation platform that focuses on overcoming self-imposed barriers. But this wasn’t an easy path. Laurie openly shares that she had to take her own medicine, hiring a coach to help her overcome old habits and fears as she transitioned from working for others to running her own business.

“When I quit my last job, I had to become everything a business needs to thrive,” Laurie recalls. “I had to notice how my fear was tethering my success and work hard to release it.”

Through this process, Laurie not only built Via Lucent but also transformed herself into a living embodiment of her work. Her own life became a laboratory for testing the strategies she now teaches her clients. And as she broke through her barriers, she began to scale Via Lucent, bringing in talented collaborators to help expand its reach.

Transformation That Goes Beyond Coaching

Laurie doesn’t call herself a coach. She’s a transformation guide, and she’s not afraid to push her clients to confront the fears and patterns holding them back. Her approach is direct, humorous, and deeply effective.

“I’m not nice and polite and professional about elevating your experience,” she says. “I’m a world-class little sister bruise-pusher. I’ll find the places you hold yourself back and push until you see them too.”

This tough-love approach is balanced with humor, metaphor, and unwavering support, creating a space where even the heaviest work feels manageable. Laurie’s clients often find themselves transforming faster and with less fear than they ever thought possible.

The Bigger Picture: Elevating Humanity

Laurie’s work isn’t just about individual growth—it’s about collective evolution. She focuses on the decision-makers who hold the power to create systemic change. By helping these individuals operate at their highest capacity, Laurie believes she can create a ripple effect that elevates humanity as a whole.

“When those humans are elevated to their highest and best capacity, all of us win,” she explains. “If you want to change the world, start with yourself. The moment you change yourself, your whole world changes.”

For Laurie, this mission is deeply personal. She has faced burnout, fear, and self-doubt, just like the clients she serves. But she has also trained herself to turn difficult times into opportunities, a skill she now teaches others.

Lessons Learned and Wisdom Shared

Laurie’s journey has taught her many valuable lessons, which she openly shares with her clients and community. Chief among them is the importance of asking for help.

“It is dumbassery to do this alone,” she says bluntly. “Ask for help, outsource the things that drain you, and focus on what brings you joy.”

She also emphasizes the power of intentionality. By starting each day with the goal of noticing and shifting autopilot behaviors, Laurie has cultivated a practice of self-awareness that drives her personal and professional growth.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact in 2025

2025 promises to be a monumental year for Laurie and Via Lucent. From a book launch to online courses, a new membership group, and expanded public speaking engagements, Laurie is scaling her impact in ways that will touch even more lives.

“This year is all about opportunities and possibilities,” she says. “I’m excited to see what’s coming and to keep elevating humanity one person at a time.”

The Legacy of Laurie McGinley

Laurie McGinley is more than a transformation guide; she’s a force of nature, a beacon for world changers, and an unwavering advocate for humanity’s potential. Through her work at Via Lucent, she’s helping peak performers break free from autopilot, unlock smarter instincts, and achieve better results—all while proving that transformation is not only possible but also profoundly rewarding.

As Laurie often says, “We can’t change others, but the moment we change ourselves, our whole world changes.” And through her magic, she’s helping others create worlds they once only dreamed of.

Connect with Laurie

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriemcginley/
• https://vialucent.thinkific.com/
• https://lauriemcginley.substack.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/vialucent/
• https://vialucent.com/
• https://www.swellcast.com/lauriemcginley
• https://www.tiktok.com/@belowlab