FROM THE SPEAKERS BUREAU

Certain stereotypical notions are associated with a teenage mother on welfare or an abused and battered wife. The mind conjures certain images for a neglected, overweight, sexually-abused child shuttled from one family member to another, one home to another. Lawyer, best-selling author, Life Coach and nationally recognized speaker are probably not among the thoughts that spring to mind . . . but lyanla Vanzant has always defied the expectations.

Iyanla (pronounced Ee-Yan-La) Vanzant, hailed as among the "most dynamic African-American speakers in the United States" by Emerge magazine, is a nationally recognized inspirational speaker devoted to showing others the way to transform their lives. A bestselling author, her books include Tapping the Power Within, Acts of Faith (the 1994 BlackBoard Book of the Year), The Value in the Valley (the 1995 BlackBoard Book of the Year), Faith in the Valley (the 1996 BlackBoard Book of the Year), and two new guides to self-awareness and spiritual fulfillment: In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want (Simon & Schuster Hardcover) and One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: 40 Days and 40 Nights Toward Spiritual Strength (Fireside Books/A Simon & Schuster Trade Paperback Original). Iyanla has authored five New York Times Best Sellers. Her first spoken word record, In The Meantime: The Music That Tells The Story, debuted on the Billboard Charts in the number two position, where it remained for seven weeks.

Iyanla’s personal experiences have given her profound insight into life which she utilizes in her approach to coaching others through life’s challenges and difficulties. After she left her abusive first husband, she enrolled in and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and Education at Medgar Evers College. She then entered the City University of New York Law School at Queens College where she earned a Doctorate of Juris Prudence. With a solid education under her belt, Iyanla moved to Philadelphia with her children where she practiced as a Public Defender for three years. She later became an ordained minister, committed to a message based on the principles of divine power and self-determination. With her daughter Gemmia, Iyanla founded the Inner Visions Spiritual Life Maintenance Center in 1988.

Appearing as a Spiritual Life Coach on the NBC daytime reality show, Starting Over, she offered a fresh insight and approach to the field of coaching and personal development. Iyanla has received numerous awards and accolades for her work. In 1992, Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley named October 21st "Tapping the Power Within Day" in honor of Iyanla and a workshop she presented in the city for African-American women. In 1994, she was named "Alumni of the Year" by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Education, an organization comprised of the presidents and administrators of the 117 predominantly Black colleges in the United States. She was also awarded an "Oni" by the International Congress of Women as one of the nation's unsung heroes. She has also served as a National Spokesperson for adult literacy representing the Literacy Volunteers of America.