Today we’d like to introduce you to Juanita Chandler-Williams.
Hi Juanita , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey has been one of transformation, resilience, and learning how to embrace new beginnings.
I began my journey as a plus-size model with Diva Day International with CEO MsNickee Mack, and it was an incredible experience. Modeling allowed me to express myself creatively, connect with amazing people, and embrace the beauty and confidence that come with knowing who you are. Unfortunately, my time in that industry took an unexpected turn when my health began to decline, eventually leading to disability.
One of the most challenging aspects of living with invisible disabilities, particularly heart conditions and neurological issues, is that people cannot always see what you’re battling. When you step away from the work you once loved, people may not understand why. They see your absence, but they don’t see the appointments, treatments, limitations, or the physical and emotional effort it takes just to get through the day. Learning to navigate that reality was difficult, especially when I still had so much I wanted to accomplish.
Even then, I wasn’t ready to stop creating or serving others. I started a styling business Styled by Jx2 with my daughter Jo Chandler-Marshall. We were able to style and provide make-up artistry services for clients. We even created a photoshoot embracing all shades of Women of color during the civil unrest during 2020. I also continued working with Diva Day International, visiting local businesses and helping provide beauty products from major brands, including ORS and Mielle, to homeless shelters, women in need, and local beauty supply businesses. Giving back to my community was important to me, and I wanted to use the relationships and opportunities I had built to make a difference. Eventually, however, my health required me to step back again and give my body the time and attention it needed.
During that period, I made a decision that would open an entirely new chapter of my life: I returned to school. Today, I am just two terms away from completing my bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in healthcare. Returning to school as an adult reminded me that it is never too late to pursue something new, challenge yourself, or redefine what success looks like.
While pursuing my degree, I also began working on my books, including Queens of Tampa: The Women We Became and the stories connected to that series. What many people don’t know is that I began developing the premises and characters approximately two years ago. I quietly worked on multiple books at the same time while balancing motherhood, marriage, becoming a grandmother, my education, and the demands of managing my health while seeing six doctors.
Writing became another way for me to create the kind of world I wanted to see. With Queens of Tampa, I wanted to tell stories about beautiful, successful women of color who could experience genuine friendship, sisterhood, love, and happiness without constantly being defined by conflict, betrayal, or competition. I wanted to explore what it looks like when women support one another, celebrate each other’s success, and realize that there is room for everyone to win.
In many ways, my writing reflects my belief that women can have different journeys and still find fulfillment at the same time. We can support one another without diminishing ourselves, and we can create beautiful lives without needing someone else to lose.
Looking back, I realize that although my health changed the direction of my life, it never took away my desire to create, learn, contribute, or dream. I had to learn to work differently, respect my limitations, and allow myself to evolve.
Today, I am proud to be a student, an entrepreneur, and a published author. My journey has taught me that sometimes we have to release the version of ourselves we thought we would always be to discover the possibilities of who we can become.
I may have had to step away from certain opportunities, but I never stopped believing that there was more for me to do. And in many ways, I feel as though I am only getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, my journey has certainly not been a smooth road. It has been filled with unexpected challenges, tremendous personal and financial sacrifices, difficult transitions, and moments when I had to completely reevaluate the direction of my life. However, I have learned that sometimes the most difficult roads lead us to discover strengths and opportunities we never knew existed.
One of my greatest struggles has been navigating life with invisible disabilities, including heart conditions and neurological challenges. There is something particularly difficult about living with health conditions that others cannot always see or understand. People often see your smile, your accomplishments, or your determination, but they don’t see the countless medical appointments, treatments, physical limitations, or the emotional strength it takes just to get through the day.
Having to step away from my modeling career with Diva Day International was especially difficult because it was something I genuinely loved. Modeling allowed me to express myself creatively, build confidence, and connect with incredible women. Later, I faced another difficult transition when my health required me to step back from my styling business and community outreach efforts.
One of the most devastating aspects of those transitions was the tremendous loss of income. When your health changes your ability to work, it doesn’t change the fact that you still have financial responsibilities, a household to maintain, and a family depending on you. The bills don’t stop coming simply because your circumstances have changed.
Going from being financially productive and independent to having to reconsider how I earned a living was an incredibly humbling experience. It wasn’t just about losing income; it was about losing a sense of financial security, professional identity, and the freedom to pursue opportunities the way I once had.
I had to learn how to pivot, and that was not something that happened overnight.
I had to redefine what productivity looked like, rethink my financial priorities, and recognize that I could no longer measure my success by how much I could physically accomplish in a day. I had to find ways to use my knowledge, creativity, experience, and determination without compromising my health.
Learning to pivot meant understanding that although I could no longer do everything the way I once did, I still had valuable skills, talents, and something meaningful to contribute.
Another struggle has been balancing my personal aspirations with my responsibilities as a wife, mother, grandmother, student, and entrepreneur, all while managing my health and receiving care from seven different doctors. There have been days when I have felt physically exhausted but mentally determined to accomplish so much more. Learning to give myself grace, recognize my limitations, and understand that rest does not equal failure has been one of my greatest personal lessons.
Returning to college as an adult became one of the most important decisions in my journey of reinvention. I realized that if my circumstances had changed, I needed to be willing to change my approach to building my future. Pursuing my bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in healthcare has given me an opportunity to expand my knowledge, strengthen my professional foundation, and prepare for new possibilities. Today, being just two terms away from graduation represents so much more than earning a degree. It represents my refusal to allow circumstances beyond my control to determine the rest of my story.
Becoming a published author was another part of that transformation. I spent approximately two years quietly developing characters, storylines, and multiple manuscripts before bringing The Queens of Tampa: The Women We Became to life. Writing gave me an opportunity to channel my creativity into something meaningful while working within the realities of my health. It also allowed me to create stories celebrating successful women of color, sisterhood, relationships, and the belief that women can support one another without competition.
Perhaps one of my greatest lessons has been accepting that the life I originally envisioned for myself would look different from the life I am living today. Losing a significant portion of my income, stepping away from careers I loved, and adjusting to life with invisible disabilities forced me to confront some difficult realities. But those experiences also taught me the importance of adaptability, financial awareness, perseverance, and having the courage to begin again.
I want to be clear that pivoting does not mean everything suddenly becomes easy. There are still challenges, uncertainties, and adjustments. But I have learned that you can experience tremendous loss without losing your purpose, and you can rebuild your life without having all the answers at the beginning.
My journey has not been about having a perfect life or overcoming every obstacle. It has been about learning how to move forward, even when moving forward looks different than it once did.
I want other women, especially those living with invisible disabilities, experiencing financial setbacks, or facing unexpected life changes, to understand that their dreams are still valid. Their purpose still matters. Sometimes success isn’t about returning to who you used to be. Sometimes it’s about embracing who you are becoming.
If there is one thing my journey has taught me, it is that life can change your circumstances, your finances, and even your career, but it does not have to take away your ambition, your creativity, or your purpose. Sometimes the greatest comeback begins with having the courage to pivot.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My professional journey has been one of creativity, reinvention, resilience, and a passion for empowering others. I am a published fiction author, entrepreneur, mentor at Strayer University, and lifelong creative who believes that storytelling, education, and mentorship have the power to inspire, connect, and transform lives.
Although health challenges eventually required me to step away from those professional pursuits, my passion for creating never disappeared. Instead, I learned to channel that creativity into a lifelong dream: becoming a published fiction author.
Today, I am best known for creating The Queens of Tampa: The Women We Became, a contemporary fiction series centered on successful, ambitious women of color navigating friendship, marriage, motherhood, careers, personal growth, and the complexities of everyday life.
The series began with The Queens of Tampa: The Women We Became and expanded into individual stories, including Savannah: Golden and Gabrielle: At Last, Maya, The Life She Painted and Isabella: Unbreakable. Each novel allows readers to explore the lives of these women more deeply, highlighting their individual experiences while maintaining the sisterhood that connects them.
And the journey is far from over. I currently have two additional novels planned to complete The Queens of Tampa series. These final installments will continue exploring the lives of the women readers have come to know, bringing new challenges, personal transformations, and meaningful conclusions to their individual stories. My goal is to give each character the opportunity to evolve while remaining connected to the sisterhood that serves as the foundation of the entire series.
What began as a single novel has grown into a larger literary vision, and I am incredibly proud of the world I have created. I want readers to feel as though they are growing alongside these women, experiencing the different seasons of their lives and recognizing pieces of themselves in their journeys.
What sets my writing apart is my commitment to telling stories about women of color that celebrate their accomplishments, relationships, emotional depth, and humanity without making trauma, betrayal, or competition the foundation of their identities.
I wanted to create a fictional world where beautiful, intelligent, successful women could genuinely support one another. Women who could have thriving careers, loving relationships, strong families, financial independence, and meaningful friendships while still experiencing realistic challenges and personal growth.
I believe there is room for every woman to succeed, and that another woman’s accomplishments should never diminish our own. That philosophy is woven throughout my books.
My characters are not perfect, nor are their lives free from difficulties. They experience marital challenges, professional setbacks, family responsibilities, moments of uncertainty, and the emotional complexities that come with evolving as individuals. However, their stories emphasize communication, perseverance, accountability, sisterhood, and the importance of protecting the lives and relationships they have worked hard to build.
Another aspect of my creative process that makes my work personal is the time I invest in character development. I spent approximately two years creating the foundation for The Queens of Tampa, developing multiple storylines and interconnected characters before publishing my first novel. I wanted readers to feel as though they knew these women personally, to celebrate their victories, understand their struggles, and become invested in their journeys.
Beyond my work as an author, I am especially proud of my role as a mentor at Strayer University. Mentorship allows me to share my experiences, encourage others, and support individuals as they navigate their educational journeys and personal goals. As someone who returned to college as an adult while managing significant health challenges and family responsibilities, I understand how important encouragement, guidance, and having someone believe in your potential can be.
Being a mentor is particularly meaningful because I recognize that many students are balancing careers, families, financial responsibilities, and personal challenges while pursuing their education. I want to be a source of encouragement and remind others that their circumstances do not have to determine their possibilities. Sometimes having someone who understands your journey and encourages you to keep going can make a tremendous difference.
What I am most proud of is that I turned a lifelong dream into something tangible during one of the most challenging periods of my life.
Today, I am just two terms away from completing my bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in healthcare. My education, mentorship experience, and entrepreneurial background have also influenced how I approach my writing career. I don’t view authorship solely as a creative outlet; I see it as an opportunity to build a literary brand, connect with readers, create meaningful stories, and establish a legacy.
I believe what truly sets me apart is the combination of my lived experiences, creative vision, determination, and the intentional message behind my work. Whether I am writing about powerful women, mentoring students at Strayer University, or sharing my personal journey, my goal remains the same: to encourage others to recognize their potential and understand that it is never too late to pursue a new beginning.
Ultimately, I want my work to be known for portraying women of color not only as strong and resilient, but also as deserving of happiness, love, luxury, peace, and fulfillment.
My greatest accomplishment is not simply becoming a published author or returning to college. It is recognizing that even when life required me to close certain chapters, I still had the power to write new ones—and through my books, my education, and my mentorship, I hope to inspire others to do the same.
I am not just building a career. I am building a legacy rooted in creativity, education, empowerment, and the belief that our greatest chapters can still be ahead of us.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My greatest advice to anyone just starting out is this: It’s okay to reinvent yourself as many times as you deem necessary. There is no rule that says you have to figure everything out on your first attempt. In fact, I would love to meet the person who got everything right the first time, because I certainly haven’t!
I believe we all experience imposter syndrome at some point in our lives. That little voice that asks, “Am I qualified enough? Am I talented enough? Who am I to think I can accomplish this?” can be incredibly convincing. But I’ve learned that you don’t have to have all the answers or feel completely confident before taking the first step. Sometimes confidence comes from simply having the courage to begin.
One thing I wish I had understood earlier is that changing direction doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Every experience, whether successful or challenging, teaches you something valuable. My own journey has taken me from modeling to entrepreneurship, community outreach, higher education, mentorship, and becoming a published author. None of those experiences were wasted. Each one contributed to the woman I am today.
I would also encourage people to stop comparing their timelines to someone else’s. We often celebrate other people’s accomplishments without knowing the sacrifices, setbacks, or years of preparation behind their success. Someone else’s achievements do not diminish your potential, and their journey should never become the standard by which you measure your own.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Ask questions, make mistakes, seek mentorship, and surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed. Most importantly, understand that growth often requires stepping outside your comfort zone.
Having experienced significant health challenges, financial setbacks, and unexpected career changes, I’ve learned that life doesn’t always unfold according to our plans. Sometimes we have to adjust our expectations, recognize new opportunities, and trust that our experiences have prepared us for something different.
If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be to stop waiting for the perfect moment and stop questioning whether I deserve a seat at the table. You don’t have to know everything to get started, and you don’t have to be perfect to be successful.
Ultimately, success isn’t about getting everything right the first time. It’s about being willing to learn, remaining open to opportunities, and having the determination to keep moving forward.
My philosophy is simple: Don’t be afraid to begin, don’t be ashamed to start over, and never let imposter syndrome convince you that you don’t belong in the very spaces you’ve worked so hard to enter.
And remember, sometimes the most beautiful chapter of your life is the one you never planned to write.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/author/jdcwilliams
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juanita_the_brand?srtk=Mzd4bHBqeXNxbzlj&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juanita.d.chandler/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanita-williams-16a66b311/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@juanita_the_brand?_r=1&_t=ZT-9AsdZQbONLB
