Meet Lavinia B. Masters | Advocate/Life Coach/Professional Speaker/Mentor/Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lavinia B. Masters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lavinia B., can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I began Hope S.A.V.E.S. I was thinking of being able to bring healing, encouragement, resources, and empowerment to victims of sexual violence.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a victim advocate, life coach, mentor, professional speaker, and author. My work is complex yet simple because it is not only a calling upon my life but an assignment that I have accepted and walk through it with compassion, I started out as a victim of sexual assault and identified as a victim in every aspect of the word. I struggled for many years with just existing with no true hope or promise of a future of survival. The thought of me ever living a whole life after childhood sexual trauma and a heinous rape at the age of 13 was incomprehensible. However, I finally came to that crossroads in my life and it presented itself as a challenge of choosing between life and death. I chose to survive and to survive I had to fight and to fight I had to make up my mind that I had to face the enemy in order to defeat it. This was the greatest of my struggles as the enemy that I had to face were me and the many demons that sexual trauma leave you possessed with, Now that I knew that my life was worth fighting for I understood why I had to overcome. I had to overcome because I had a purpose and my purpose included fighting for the lives of others that were forgotten or possessed by the demons of sexual trauma. Although overcoming came with its challenges it was not as simplified as me being led to devise and carry out a plan to find a way to reach and rescue other victims of sexual assault with the intent to empower them enough to use and elevate their own voices as it a key to unlocking their healing.

I had to shed many tears in my process of healing, growing, and evolving but it was necessary as it prepared and strengthened me for the many obstacles that you face as one that decides to dedicate their lives to saving others. This is where my prayer life was deepened and my faith walk got longer. If it had not been for my faith and my belief that God has a purpose and a plan for all that happens in your life then I know that I would not be the person that am today and am even more confident that I would not be able to work in the capacity that I do as an advocate, life coach, and speaker!

There are many lessons that I have learned from the lived experience as a victim of sexual assault but I also see that the greatest teachings come as an advocate that has not only endured that trauma but can also execute and see the learning in growing, evolving and being released from that trauma. Hope S..A.V.E.S. and Lavinia Speaks: More Than An Act are not just the works that I do but they are my gifts as I give the world pieces of me and the life that I live to the fullest.
Hope S.A.V.E.S. is a ministry and my nonprofit that was created to empower survivors of sexual trauma to discover their voices of hope through resources and services that are trauma-informed and survivor-centered that focus on victims from an organization level while Lavinia Speaks: More Than An Act is my LLC that does the same thing but more of a one on one and personal services level. You see, I was once that victim that sat alone in silence, cried alone in agony, and stood alone in defeat as a victim and the memories of that pain are what drives me to stay not only on the pathway of evolving in my healing space but the courage to go back into the darkness to rescue others as I lead them to the marvelous light of release!

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.
If you were to come to the DFW area and hang out with me then we would have to check out some great places to eat and the top of my list would be Pappadeaux! I am a seafood fanatic and can eat their gumbo with andouille sausage and shrimp at any hour. We would then find ourselves at the Riverwalk of Flower Mound where we will not only catch the shade with a cool breeze but the mist of the refreshing water on our faces as we walk and talk with a beautiful view of our city and nature, The smallest things bring me the greatest joy so catching the Amtrac to Downtown Ft Worth and riding going over to the Ft Worth Zoo and Botanical Gardens would be the highlight of our adventures. I love exploring beautiful places and parks where I could catch colorful and rare birds and aquatic life so not only will we visit many parks but explore the Dallas World Aquarium. Finally, we will end our adventures at the Noble Planetarium where we can learn about the mysterious beauty of our universe.

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?
I want to first give all praises to God for without my faith I would not be able to even begin to elevate my voice to help others. Then my late mother and grandmother taught me about faith and that fear has no place with a person who trusts in God. I would be remiss if I were not able to honor my husband of 32 years, this September that was not only my partner through my pain but my counselor and therapist as I went from being a young victim of ministry to a thriving woman of ministry, He was the one that would get up in the middle of the night and ride me all over Dallas for the first 5 years of our marriage in an effort to calm me from my reoccurring nightmares and terror after my rape. It was through him that I began to understand real love as he would listen to my pain and assure me that everything would be okay if I trust God and the powers that God has given me. I am also grateful for the people and organizations that have surrounded and supported me during this journey such as Denton County Friends of the Family, RAINN, The Department of Justice, The Joyful Heart Foundation, Senator Wendy Davis, TAASA, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Ted Poe and so many that I if I tried to name I would miss. However, my greatest shout out goes to Rep. Victoria Neave who I view as more than the person that made HB 8: The Lavinia Masters Act a reality for so many victims of the rape kit backlog in Texas but as my friend and sister!

Website: www.hopesavesministry.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterslavinia/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamasters/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laviniamasters

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaviniaMastersSpeaks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LaviniaMasters

Other: www.laviniamasters.com