Dr. Coylette James on Walking Through Loss, Embracing God’s Faithfulness, and Living Your Brilliance
It’s noon in South Carolina when I dial into the conference line for our interview. In Las Vegas, it’s still mid-morning. A soft pause lingers on the line, then I hear her voice. “This is Coylette James,” she announces, her tone warm yet weighty, carrying the calm strength of a woman stepping into a new season ordained by God Himself.
This is not the first time I’ve had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Coylette over the phone. Our last conversation was just last spring when she was part of my book project, Forces for Change. Since then, much has changed. Her husband transitioned two months ago, ushering her into a season marked by loss, healing, and a profound recalibration of life and purpose.
There’s a quiet stillness in moments of profound change, the kind that presses quietly on the heart, reshaping the contours of daily life. For Dr. Coylette James, this season has arrived with the tender gravity of both loss and new beginnings. As she steps into a reality forever marked by this transition, her voice carries the honest weight of a woman walking through uncharted territory.
“I’m navigating a brand new normal right now,” she shares with a steady calm that belies the storms beneath. “With the transitioning of my husband almost two months ago, it’s been a challenging season. But in the midst of that challenge, the greatness of God has been undeniable. He has shown up in many ways to strengthen me, to help me not lose focus on what He’s called me to, and to help me shift into this new dynamic of life. It’s challenging on one side, but very gratifying on the other because I’m walking out God saying He was looking for those to whom He could show Himself mighty, and He stopped by my house showing Himself mighty in my life. I’m in a state of gratitude for the love my husband showered me with for over three decades, and also for the incredible patience and strength God has been providing.”
As for what her God-given rhythm looks like now, Dr. Coylette’s answer is raw and real. “It is moment by moment,” she says. “People tell me to take it day by day, but no, baby, it’s moment by moment. Every moment holds the potential to trigger something. It’ll either trigger the goodness of God or trigger a memory and tears. But together, it’s almost like God is crowning me with a new anointing. I’m learning Him in new and exciting ways with every moment. No matter the situation, God is there. That knowledge is what keeps me anchored.”
The song that has become her anchor is “You’ve Been So Faithful,” by Ted and Sheri. “That song has been a lifeline for me, reminding me of God’s unwavering faithfulness through every valley.”
When you enter her space, you feel the power of God’s presence, a divine weight preparing her for the mission ahead. There is an undeniable calling on her life, to a global platform that demands she step into her fullest brilliance despite the pain that tugs at her heart. “If I shrink back, I shortchange the power God is working in me,” she says with conviction.
“Even amid my husband’s transition, part of healing is remembering I still have the call on my life and his legacy to steward. If I allow this season to cause me to fade into obscurity, I shortchange the power God works within me.”
Yet there is a part of Dr. Coylette that few get to see, something tender beneath her resilient exterior. “Probably the tenderness of my heart,” she confesses. “People see me as strong, resilient, a go-getter. But beneath it all, I have a very tender heart, one I don’t often allow people to see.”
To be truly seen, supported, and spiritually aligned in this season means something sacred to her: “It means I’m aligned with God’s call on my life. If I’m going to be seen, I want God to be seen through me. If I’m going to be aligned, I have to be aligned with what God is dictating in my life. Just like your platform, Today’s Purpose Woman, says, purpose today and every day, if I’m not aligned to my purpose, I’m off-kilter. God created me specifically for this purpose. I am not a mistake. When people see me, they see God.”
The message she carries for those under her ministry is a call to greatness: “Discover your greatness. Discover the unique capabilities God placed within you, that’s your superpower. You weren’t made to fit in or be part of the in-crowd. I started a little movement called Unhip, but Anointed, but Unstoppable. I don’t fit in with everybody else, and that’s my superpower. That’s each of our superpowers. We were uniquely crafted for what God called us to do. Embrace your uniqueness. Let that be your superpower, not trying to be anybody but who He says you are.”
Her ministry, Kingdom Influencer Life, is both mission and vision intertwined: “The mission is to help others unveil the brilliance of who they are, who they were uniquely created to be. The vision is to see people walk in their God-given ability to shine His light. Isaiah 61 says your light has come, it’s the light of God within you. Many dim their light because of life’s hurts and disappointments, but God does not take a light and put it under a bushel. My role is helping people remove that bushel so their brilliance can shine bright and be seen from afar.”
Her call became clear around 2005, after years in ministry. “I’ve been in ministry since 1992. It took time to recognize the impact God intended for me. God started having me teach about kingdom entrepreneurship, the difference between kingdom-minded business and the marketplace. Your power is not just for the four walls of the church. Your power is for the world you walk into every day. Just because you’re not behind a pulpit doesn’t mean you don’t have a ministry. You can be an influencer in someone’s life wherever God has placed you.”
The journey hasn’t been without tests of faith. “I told the Lord, I never wanted my ministry to sustain me financially because I’d seen too much abuse in churches. I wanted God to do it. When He gave me a directive and I had zero in my bank account, I’d say, okay, Lord, we can do this, but You have to do it. And He did. Money would come, doors would open. I’ve done seminars where only one person showed up, and I taught the whole three hours because that one person needed what God had placed in me. That stretched my faith.”
Staying spiritually anchored meant immersing herself in the Word: “The Word renews our mind. God knew me before He formed me in my mother’s womb. He chose me before I had sense to choose Him. That truth rewashes your emotions, thoughts, and heart. He said He would never leave nor forsake me.”
A testimony that lingers in her heart is from a retreat she hosted last year. “A young woman, very insecure and shy, had been silenced by life’s pain. By the end of four days, we called her Miss Freedom. She preached to us, transformed from timid to lioness roaring. That’s the power of God’s work through obedience.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Coylette is preparing for a speaking engagement in Spain and plans to host a royal ball event later this summer, a new chapter in her ministry’s story.
She invites those wanting to dive deeper to explore her online course, the Brilliance Accelerator, an eight-week journey to uncover the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and activate the brilliance God placed within. “When you tap into Him, you become unstoppable, invincible. This brilliance is not self-esteem but God-esteem.”
Legacy weighs heavily on her heart: “I want a generational legacy. We’re still fighting battles telling women to sit in corners, just have babies. I want young lionesses to know their worth isn’t as eye candy or a toy. Your value is far greater than rubies. If you value yourself, you carry and wear your crown differently.”
Dr. Coylette James is a dynamic leader, spiritual mentor, and visionary entrepreneur with a mission to empower individuals to embrace their God-ordained purpose and lead with faith, integrity, and power. With over 28 years of experience, including working alongside leaders like Don King, she blends spiritual wisdom with strategic insight, inspiring global audiences to rise and shine their God-given light.
To step deeper into Dr. Coylette’s ministry and join a sisterhood of women rising boldly in faith and purpose, visit coylettejames.org and lionesswarriorkingdom.com.
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