We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana N. Patterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana N., how do you think about risk?
My thought process regarding risk taking is simply this, in life there are no risks, only opportunities. I firmly believe that every one of our aspirations are birthed from the space within us that ignites our passions. We cause a disservice to our assignment on this planet when we are not willing to take a leap of faith and realize our dreams.

I have two of my own quotes that are relevant to this question. One states, “My secret to success is simple, instead of leaning into the multiple reasons why I may not succeed, I lean into the one reason that says I will” and the other is, “Never give up on your dream, obstacles are just God’s way of saying I gifted something within you that will birth greatness out of you”. Both quotes epitomize my values and work ethic. The only failure in life is allowing fear to deter you from bringing your dreams to fruition.

Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I am the CEO of DNP Productions, LLC, (“Performance with a Purpose”). My production company was launched in 2019 and provides entertainment through stage and film. DNP Productions was birthed from my disdain with the lack of positive Black role models, particularly Black male role models in the media and entertainment. My desire is to write and produce entertainment that dispels the myths evolved around the negative stigmas in the Black community and to provide entertainment that is positive, empowering, and inspiring. My goal is to cultivate a new lens/perspective of how society views Black men and the Black community.

I am also the CEO of DNP Consulting and Life Management. (“Unleashing Your Power to Help You Reach Your Maximum Potential”). I launched my company in 2010 after receiving my certification as a Life Coach and Personal Development Consultant. During our lives each of us has or will face experiences that make us question our self-worth and our capacity to achieve greatness. In those dark moments we allow our experiences to become our self-perception. Rather than seeing those experiences as something that is happening to us, we interpret those experiences as who we are, and as a result they become our self-identity. I have been where many of my clients are, which gives me a deeper level of empathy towards their experiences. My coaching style is holistic and integrative. I specialize in helping my clients get out of their own way so they can utilize their internal gifts, do the work, and invest in their journey to discovering their highest self so they can reclaim their preordained, divine identity.

What I am most proud of is my personal journey and my capacity to overcome every obstacle I have encountered throughout my life. I never allowed my experiences to define me, in fact, the obstacles that I have faced fueled my capacity to embrace adversity. My experiences ignited my passion to help others see life as a journey towards self-discovery. I am passionate about assisting my clients in understanding that our adversities are not happening to us, but for us.

Was it easy, absolutely not! In fact, I consistently faced obstacle after obstacle, so much so that at times I believed there were universal forces that were determined to impede my ability to succeed at anything. I sacrificed hundreds of thousands of dollars of my own personal finances to carry my business through recessions, government cuts, my divorce, bankruptcy, and a host of challenges to stay afloat. What I can tell you is that it was all worth it. Would I change anything, not at all. I truly believe that every experience was intricately designed to create the woman and businesswoman that I am today, and I am so proud of this Queen!

How did I overcome the challenges? I overcame the challenges by staying focused, holding on to my faith in God, the support of my family and circle who believed in my vision, and remaining focused on my “why”. I have always believed that earth is not my home, it is my assignment. My gift is servant leadership, and I am extremely passionate about having a positive impact in some way on every beautiful soul that I encounter. I followed my passion and trusted that the universe would allow success to follow. I affirmed my identity by consistently living by my quote “I know who I am, because I know whose I am”.

What I have learned is as follows:

In life you will meet three kinds of people, moment, season, and lifetime. Pray for discernment of who to let in, when to let them in, and when to let go. They each have a divine and unique purpose in your life.

You are your greatest resource.

We get one shot at this life, no do overs. have fun, be kind, and serve humanity.

We can’t live perfect lives, but we serve a perfect God.

Happiness is a choice.

Humility is a prerequisite to connection.

Time is one of life’s most precious commodities. Be careful how you spend it and who you spend it with.

Embrace your uniqueness, it’s the most beautiful thing about you.

You can’t move forward and backwards at the same time. If you don’t believe me, try it.

Angels are not some biblical myth, they are real.

Be present.

Forgiveness is freedom (this includes self-forgiveness)

Don’t have regrets, they are just lessons.

We are not products of our environment; we are products of our choices.

Love is not complicated, we are.

Above all else love yourself; it is the greatest gift we can give our loved ones.

God uses the universe to whisper to us, it’s up to us to listen.

What I want the world to know about my brand and my story is that I lead with love, and I am divinely assigned to make a difference in this world. I take pride in my high work ethic and my capacity to cultivate change. I am not here to compete, I am here to support, and lastly, I have an innate capacity to understand that I do not have to dim my own light to help someone else’s shine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Unfortunately, I am fairly new to Atlanta and with my busy schedule I have not had much of an opportunity to explore the city, however, I have been to and highly recommend Houston’s, LowCountry Steak, and Frida’s Bar and Grill Mexican Restaurant.

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?
First and foremost, I want to give honor to God for blessing me with the gifts, vision, and motivation necessary to complete my assignment in this earthly realm and for his continuous divine protection over me and my family. I extend the highest expression of gratitude to God for blessing me with the gift of life and a heart for humanity to show up in this world as a humble servant leader.

I want to extend a heartfelt expression of love and gratitude for my wonderful and loving parents who are both deceased, Karrolyn Nita Edwards and Joseph Horne Jr. for the values they instilled in me, the sacrifices they made to ensure my brother and I had the best education, and for their unwavering love and support. I would also like to thank my aunts Ada Wright and Trudy Wesley, and my Uncle Cary Edwards for always being there and keeping their promise to my mother to always be there for my brother and I after my mother passed away at age 37. I would be remiss not to give honor to my ancestral bloodline whose shoulders I stand on for the gifts that have been extended to me through my lineage.

I want to thank my deceased ex-husband Myron Wade Patterson for seeing the Queen in me and consistently inspiring me to achieve my aspirations. His capacity to see me beyond my flaws birthed my journey to discovering my queendom.

I want to send a very deep expression of love and gratitude to my four beautiful and loving daughters, LaToya Goudy (Early Childhood Educator & owner of Ahavah Kids, LLC), LaTina (Royal Tee) Patterson, (Owner and CEO of I Am Fly, LLC & Certified Life Coach) and Daughtager (daughter who’s my manager), Dr. LaNisha Patterson, Ph.D. (Medical Researcher & Co-Owner of Throw’d Off Entertainment, LLC), and LaShawna Patterson (Houston Realtor & CEO of LP Empire Group) who’s love consistently reminds me of my why. Their love and support have been the wind beneath my wings and each of them in their own unique way have sustained me through some of the darkest times in my life. They are all my accountability partners, and each play a role in the success of my companies.

I would also like to thank my brother Pastor Joseph Horne-Edwards, my godmother Melva Bishop, and my childhood mentor Edward Holmes for their consistent love and support. Each of them have poured into me in ways that are indescribable.

I want to give a very special acknowledgement to Cam Hill, host of The Cam Hill Show, who blessed me with the opportunity to serve as the Executive Producer of his Houston based, award winning talk show, “The Cam Hill Show”. We were blessed and honored to receive a Telly Award in 2021. We also received the River Award for Houston’s Talk Show of the Year in 2022. Our team successfully produced over 200 inspirational television interviews with over 200 celebrities and business owners. I am truly honored for such an incredible opportunity. His support and belief in me cultivated connections that launched my career in entertainment and television to new heights.

I would also like to extend a special thanks my sister circle and prayer warriors, Corrine McDowell, Andrea Gentry, Valencia Franks, Bonita Billings, Dr. Conte Turrell, Sonja Lowe, Yolanda Ballard, Sonyia Baring Graham, and Gwen Warner for your consistent love and support, and my dear friends International Jazz Recording Artist Yancyy, and celebrity photographer Ferrell E. Phelps for consistently affirming my queendom. All of you pour into me in ways that words cannot express, and I am so grateful to each of you.

Throughout my personal and entrepreneurial journey there have been countless books that had a huge impact on my success. Below are just a few:

Pedagogy of Freedom, by Paulo Freire

Daring Greatly, by Dr. Brene Brown

Dare to Lead, by Dr. Brene Brown

Purpose Driven Life, by Pastor Rick Warren

Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson

The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz

Jesus, CEO, by Laurie Beth Jones

Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman

Website: www.DNPLife.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dnplife?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== https://instagram.com/dnp.productions?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-n-patterson-m-ed-58203532/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dnpconsultingandlifemanagement?mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.facebook.com/DNPLifeConsulting?mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.facebook.com/dnpproductionstageandfilm?mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.facebook.com/DNPLife?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dnplife5848

Image Credits
Ferrell Phelps Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.