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

Hi Florenza, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I believe the most important factor behind success is faith: faith in God, self, purpose, and gift. When we believe in something, I mean sincerely believe in it, it sets our entire being into motion. Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We speak the words that our hearts believe. My success has been in my ability to guard what comes into my heart so that my words have power to produce abundance.

When I first began writing, my husband asked me, “Why you?” For a nanosecond, I mean an extremely brief moment, his words found space in my heart. Then as if being overtaken by a giant container of RoundUp, my spirit rose and asked him, “Why NOT me?”

There will always be people, to include us, who speak words of doubt, fear, confusion, and chaos. As long as we take from them what we need to grow (remember, poop was once food) and dispose of the rest, our words will produce good fruit. The most important factor behind my success is my belief that I AM successful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I create interactive and engaging Children’s books that focus on social emotional learning, standards of learning, and feature diverse characters and family units. What I am most proud of is that in the process of building my business, I learned the power of patience. So often, indie authors are more focused on seeing their names on the cover of books than the quality contained within them. My illustrators, editors, designers, and beta readers are creating future classics.

The biggest lesson I have learned is that there is a process in place but that in that process, there is room for my voice. It is my responsibility to ensure I learn what should be done then look for creative and interesting ways to share my unique talent.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am just relocating “back home” to Ohio after spending nearly forty years away. I have not yet learned all the unique interesting places to go. The Greater Cleveland Area is quite large, and Chagrin Falls, our little neck in the words is chock full of interesting places to eat and visit.

I would most likely take them to the falls and walk around, do lots of window shopping, visit the vintage and antique shops, sample lots of goodies from the specialty shops and dine in one of several restaurants that sit on the falls.

I would then take my friend to downtown Cleveland and visit the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Metro Zoo, botanical gardens, and the West Side Market. If my friend was a movie buff, we must visit A Christmas Story House.

Cleveland is also home to the most amazing restaurants, night life, and bar and grills. My friend and I would begin at one end of town and make our way to the other. We’d also hit up as many food trucks as we could find. I love non-chain (mom & pops) eateries and we’d hunt every single one down.

Cleveland, Ohio is home to some of the most beautiful cemeteries, parks, and walking tours. We’d have a blast.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly, I want to give a shout out to my family, Trefus, Jessica, and Missy. They are my loudest cheerleaders. To NK Tribe Called Success under the leadership of Nelieghna Kai, for taking me under her wings and for teaching me to soar, creatively. To Audrey Prosper for her example of leadership, faith, and perseverance, and to KayLa Allen for recommending me for this wonderful opportunity to share my story.

Website: https://www.florenza.org

Instagram: @florenza_denise_lee

Linkedin: @Florenza_Lee

Twitter: @Florenza_Lee

Facebook: @Florenza_denise_lee

Youtube: @words_to_ponder

Other: Sociatap: https://sociatap.com/Florenza/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Florenza-Denise-Lee/e/B07RBF8G95 Publishing Company Website: https://www.wordstoponderpublishing.com

Image Credits
Cover design for Purpose: JL Woodson Cover design for Adventure Olivia Series, Amiri’s Birthday Wish, Manny & Tutu, This Time Next Year, Mind Your Manners, Mia: Fx and Color Studio Cover design for When Life Gives Us Wind: LaTay Harris Cover design for Brooklyn Beaver: Eduardo Paj

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA 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.