Become Famous in Your Industry: Lillie Mae’s Blueprint for Black Women Ready to Own Their Expertise

Helping Black women transform expertise into recognition, credibility, and lasting impact.

Success is rarely just about talent. More often, it’s about visibility. Countless Black women entrepreneurs are building remarkable businesses, creating innovative solutions, and transforming lives, yet many remain overlooked simply because the right people don’t know who they are. In her upcoming book, Become Famous in Your Industry, Lillie Mae is on a mission to change that narrative. Through actionable branding strategies, visibility techniques, and inspiring stories from accomplished Black women across multiple industries, she equips readers with the tools to confidently step into the spotlight and establish themselves as recognized experts. In this exclusive Connected Woman Magazine interview, Lillie Mae shares the inspiration behind the book, why visibility is an essential business strategy—not an act of self-promotion—and how Black women can build brands that create lasting influence, opportunity, and legacy.

The title, Become Famous in Your Industry, immediately challenges readers to think bigger about their visibility. What inspired you to write this book, and why do you believe so many talented Black women entrepreneurs remain the “best-kept secret” despite their expertise?

As a PR and Brand Strategist for over 13 years, I’ve worked with countless women whose expertise, talent, and impact deserve far more recognition than they receive. Time and time again, I’ve watched exceptional entrepreneurs remain overlooked while opportunities, media features, speaking engagements, and high-value partnerships go to people who simply made themselves more visible.

Brilliance alone doesn’t create influence. Visibility does. That’s why I’m passionate about helping women stop being their industry’s best-kept secret and start becoming the trusted expert, sought-after leader, and first name people think of when opportunities arise.

You emphasize that visibility is about impact rather than vanity. How do you help readers overcome the fear of being seen?

I remind them that being visible is about purpose, impact, and creating opportunities to serve others. When people don’t know you exist, they miss the opportunity to benefit from your gifts, your wisdom, and the solutions you were created to provide.

Your visibility isn’t just about growing a business. It’s about making sure the people who need your expertise, encouragement, and leadership can find you and experience the impact you’re meant to make.

The book features accomplished Black women experts from a variety of industries. What qualities were you looking for, and what do their journeys reveal?

The experts spotlighted in this book have all built thriving businesses and remained committed to excellence. Each woman featured is intentional about sharing their expertise, serving others with integrity, and positioning themselves as a trusted leader.  It is my hope that readers will be inspired by the experts and see what is possible for their own journey.

What mindset shifts do entrepreneurs need to become recognized authorities?

They have to begin thinking like industry leaders, not just business owners. Industry leaders understand that success isn’t measured only by the quality of their work, but also by the influence they build, the conversations they shape, and the trust they establish within their field. That means treating visibility as a core business strategy rather than an occasional marketing task or an afterthought. Every interview, speaking engagement, media feature, collaboration, and piece of content is an opportunity to strengthen credibility, expand influence, and position themselves as the trusted expert people naturally think of when opportunities arise.

How does Become Famous in Your Industry make media and branding opportunities more accessible?

I break down the exact strategies anyone can use to get featured, land interviews, secure speaking opportunities, and build credibility. You don’t need millions of followers. You need a clear message, a strong brand, and a willingness to invest into your marketing and branding.

What mistakes do you see Black women entrepreneurs making when building visibility?

A few mistakes I’ve seen include:

• Being inconsistent with showing up on social media, podcasts, speaking engagements, and networking events.
• Trying to reach everyone instead of becoming known for a specific area of expertise.
• Failing to build strategic relationships with other entrepreneurs, organizations, and industry leaders.
• Not investing in professional branding such as quality photos, a polished website, and strong brand messaging.

What transformation do you hope readers experience after applying the book’s lessons?

I want every reader to leave this book with greater confidence, a stronger sense of purpose, and a commitment to becoming more intentional about the visibility they deserve. My hope is that they actively pursue opportunities to speak, be featured, build meaningful relationships, and position themselves as leaders in their industries. Above all, I hope every woman who reads this book embraces the truth that she was never meant to play small. She was created to lead, to be seen, and to leave a legacy.

To order a book please visit: https://theglamceo.com/products/book and I invite your readers to stay connected on social media as well! Instagram.com/iamLillieMae