Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffery Lorenzo Williams.
Hi Jeffery Lorenzo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Jeffery Lorenzo Williams is a highly accomplished keynote speaker, author, real estate broker, and entrepreneur based in New York. He is the creative force behind the shoe and fashion brand JLORENZO, and also serves as a Legal Finance Administrator at Colgate-Palmolive the company that gave him a brighter smile and brighter future.
His life is a powerful testament to resilience and determination. At just 13 years old, Jeff was accidentally shot and paralyzed, an experience that completely changed his life and ignited his passion for gun violence awareness. Refusing to let his disability define him, he lives a full and active life, embodying his motto: “If you tell him he can’t, he will show you he can!” He is an avid pilot (flying glider planes), drives, and has enjoyed activities like jet skiing, water skiing, adaptive Hockey, and rock climbing.
Driven by his own powerful experiences, attending events such as the Red Show Movement, where I received my Wings of Courage to set the example for others. Jeff has become a passionate advocate for accessibility, and inclusion, working tirelessly to inspire and empower people globally. His memoir, My Feet Are Off The Ground: A Journey From Tragedy To Triumph, chronicles his remarkable journey, with some of proceeds funding his Helene Flud College of Nursing scholarship.
Through his children’s books, Lil Jeff’s Tragedy & Come Straight Home, Williams shares a message of hope, forgiveness, redemption, and overcoming adversity with a younger audiences at Storyland: The Bronx Book Haven, encouraging them to turn tragedy into triumph. He continues to give back through initiatives like a prison outreach program at Rikers Island Correctional Facility and motivational talks at high schools and universities across the country. It has been said that his Feet Are Off The Ground, but he never misses a step.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was born and raised by my mother and father in a little town in Ahoskie, North Carolina. We moved to the big city for a better opportunity for life. Growing up in Harlem, New York on 149th Street in the 1980’s during the crack cocaine era. My family later moved to the High Bridge Section of the Bronx and I attended Sacred Heart Middle School. I later went on to graduate from Cardinal Hayes High School, which lead me to Joh Jay College. I received my Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. I developed a sense of self-reliance and the ability to navigate high-pressure situations from a young age. My determination was profoundly tested in the Bronx on Nelson Ave after I was accidental shot by my friend playing with gun at 13 years old, which left me paralyzed from the waist down. This led to a grueling and challenging rehabilitation at New York University Hospital, where I had to overcome immense physical setbacks for nine months, including being told I might never walk again.
This experience wasn’t a roadblock; it was a masterclass in goal-setting, dedication, and fighting for a positive outcome. It taught me the absolute necessity of persistence. I had to learn to operate in a world that was not built for me, especially before the widespread implementation of accessibility standards enacted by the ADA in 1990. This meant constantly identifying systemic barriers, finding innovative solutions, and advocating for my own needs—skills that translate directly into problem-solving and driving change in a professional setting.
Furthermore, facing professional setbacks due to circumstances outside of my control only solidified my commitment to merit and performance. It instilled in me a deep understanding that results speak louder than assumptions.
Today, that entire journey is the foundation of my professional approach. I come to every project with the mindset that no challenge is insurmountable. My resilience, my capacity for hard work, and my proven ability to navigate and overcome complex, multi-layered obstacles are the core strengths I bring to my life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Author, Motivational Speaker, Real Estate Broker, Advocate For Gun Violence and Mentor.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Mentors can come in your life at various ages. I found my mentors when I was shot at 13, there was a 7-year-old girl named Melissa in the hospital, also in a wheelchair and battling cancer. She would roll into my room each morning, telling me to stop crying and reminding me that when you have it bad, someone else has it worst. She became my mentor, instilling in me the motivation and courage to be strong and move forward.
My mother also served as a mentor, encouraging me to embrace my wheelchair, act as though it were a Rolls Royce, and be proud of it.
The valuable lesson I learned form both of my mentors was to change my mindset form I can’t to how Can I.
Pricing:
- Books $19.99
- Sneakers $180.00
- Hoodies $60.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jefferylorenzowilliams.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwilliams_author/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Jeffery%20Williams
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-lorenzo-williams-0a77a541/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6-HYPsibUc
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV0YriDs7no
