Meet Davia Lassiter | Writer. Leader. Scholar.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Davia Lassiter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Davia, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
For those who know me well … and for those getting to know me now … I love Beyoncé. I mention her in my PhD classes and papers as well as in my classroom where I teach leadership and business for WomenLead at Georgia State University. I was a keynote speaker at Total Abundance Summit in 2021 and my topic was all about Black women, corporate spaces, and “being Beyonce” — you can see it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTK6IG02SiI).

I can spend an incredible amount of time sharing how her song titles and lyrics inspire me. This year, however, my word is POWER. Therefore, her song “Power” from her album “The Lion King: The Gift” speaks to me in extraordinary ways.

The lyrics from the song definitely serve as an affirmation for me: “They’ll never take my power.”

Once you claim your power, it’s yours forever. Remembering this will empower you through difficult situations and help you pour into others by encouraging them to claim their power, too.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
People can find my work history on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davia-lassiter/) but I want to focus on the challenges. After graduating from UGA with a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication in 2006, I took an unpaid internship at a magazine for three months. I also began working at Lenox Mall selling fur coats and accessories in Macy’s. It wasn’t until one year after I graduated that I began working in my field.

I was happy about the internship — I got to interview Mo’Nique about her newly released cookbook and she also talked about a movie in which she was playing an abusive mother. Turns out that role was for “Precious” and she won an Oscar for her performance. I also got to see the inner workings of magazine production and secured a few bylines.

Working at Macy’s, however, was less than satisfactory. I felt like a failure because I was not working in journalism. Nevertheless, I made it work. To this day, I am proud of the fact that I became a good saleswoman. Anybody who can sell fur coats in the summertime deserves high praise. It was seven months of my life in my early 20s: Bring home only about $1,000 each month, sitting in traffic, working in a toxic environment, etc. In that time, though, I also became really good at something that put food on the table and gas in my vehicle.

Between the Macy’s job, freelancing post-internship, and even selling Cutco knives, I made it work. I remember using this 8.5×11 planner where I would keep track of my work hours, interviews, and Cutco appointments. I flipped to May 2007 and wrote “last month working here” at the top of the page.

I was manifesting before I even know what it meant! But I was determined to leave that job. And God said … “I got you.”

I started my job at a Cobb County newspaper on May 22, 2007. Five years and two promotions later, I transitioned to public relations at a university. Six years later, I moved on to state government as a communications director. Less than three years later, I took a major break and began teaching and working for myself. Now, I am working full time for a program I love, teaching amazing students at Georgia State University and University of West Georgia, helping people with professional branding through The Lassiter Firm, and creating content for my brand, iamdrlassiter.com.

I don’t know where I would have landed if I didn’t manifest leaving Macy’s. I still know an incredible amount about furs, such as chinchilla is a bad investment because of the shedding, but I’m so glad that I spoke my future into existence. It was not the job of my dreams, but we all have to start somewhere. As I tell my students, your first job won’t be your “forever” job. Take what you can from it, learn as much as you can, and utilize it to propel you to the next level.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My friend Alex introduced me to the BeltLine; specifically in the North Highlands area. I love Bartaco — get the pork belly tacos and street corn and thank me later. I also love Jeni’s Ice Cream which I get at Krog Street Market. My mom and aunt came into town and I took them to The Nook for brunch. They liked it so much that they returned! The Piedmont Park farmer’s markets are always nice. Just find the bread table — you’ll know it when you see it. I like history, so the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a great stop. From Dr. King and Coretta Scott King to John Lewis to Andrew Young, Atlanta is home to American history. The King Center is an amazing place to visit and revisit, and across the street is Ebenezer Baptist Church where you might be able to catch Rev. Raphael Warnock preach. My family and I had the pleasure of not only hearing him preach and listen to the amazing EBC choir but also meeting him during “Friends and Family Day”. We got a picture, too! Springtime in the city is great for festivals — you can find one nearly every weekend. Food, art, music and more — Atlanta will have it. If you’re like me and love to save a buck, Regal Movies has $6 Tuesdays for members (and you can join for free). Last, The Battery has everything: baseball, food, games, movies, shopping, candy, yoga … and parking is free for the first few hours!

Yeah … I love Atlanta.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The WomenLead course at Georgia State University is one of the greatest gifts in my life and career. I was hired by Nancy Mansfield, the founding director and law professor.

While heading into my third year of my PhD program at GSU, I resigned from my full-time position working for state government and manifested three goals: Securing an assistantship, getting hired as an adjunct professor, and securing contracts under my LLC, The Lassiter Firm (thelassiterfirm.com).

I saw an opening for an assistantship for WomenLead, a program dedicated to advancing women’s leadership in the world by empowering students to aspire to and achieve leadership roles. I applied, was interviewed, and secured the position, which meant I had funding for school. Professor Mansfield also invited me to teach in the program, which I have been doing since Spring of 2022. This January, I began working for the program on a full-time basis.

Professor Mansfield changed my life. I absolutely love WomenLead because of the opportunities it provides the students. From networking to mentoring to coaching and more, it is a one-of-a-kind experience. I will be a part of this program as long as I can. I believe it its power and know that it has changed the lives of our students for the better.

PS: I also secured (and continue to secure) contracts with The Lassiter Firm. All three of my goals were met within six weeks of manifesting them!

I will forever be grateful to Professor Mansfield for her belief in me. WomenLead is an incredible course and I encourage readers to visit us online at robinson.gsu.edu/womenlead to volunteer their time and talent to further support GSU students.

Website: iamdrlassiter.com / thelassiterfirm.com

Instagram: iamdrlassiter / thelassiterfirmllc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davia-lassiter/ / linkedin.com/company/thelassiterfirmllc

Twitter: iamdrlassiter

Facebook: iamdrlassiter

Other: TikTok: iamdrlassiter/thelassiterfirmllc

Image Credits
Fulloflava Photography