Exploring Life & Business with Latoya De’Shaun of Patent Leather Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latoya De’Shaun.

Hi Latoya, 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?
I’ve known since I was 20 that my purpose was to help people, God made it clear healing and liberation were my calling. By 2017, I was working in LA doing makeup for high-profile clients, but deep down, I was performing and abandoning myself. In 2018, I passed out, was diagnosed with endometriosis, and later took a trip to Kenya that showed me how much I’d been centering others and waiting to be chosen. That’s when I told myself, “You’ve been serving everyone yet being served the least. Not anymore. I’m choosing me.” After a season of deep isolation, I launched The Patent Leather Project in 2019 to help high-achieving Black women break free from self-abandonment and performative living. Since then, I’ve lived between Ghana, Botswana, and LA, coaching, hosting workshops, and co-founding a nonprofit. This work is personal for me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Since launching in 2019, I’ve navigated COVID-19, the George Floyd unrest, a tense political climate, an economic crisis, and major personal challenges: four surgeries in five years, a squatter in my apartment, and the shutdown of LA’s entertainment industry. On top of that, I’ve had to figure out my business from the ground up, who I truly serve, how to reach her, and how to keep showing up while dealing with health issues that left me on bed rest for two years. It’s been a journey of stripping away external validation, refining my character, and choosing God’s path no matter how hard it gets.

We’ve been impressed with Patent Leather Project, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Patent Leather Project is a liberation and life transformation coaching company dedicated to helping high-achieving Black women break free from self-abandonment, burnout, and overgiving so they can live unapologetically in their God-given purpose. I support women who’ve often been “the strong one” for everyone else in learning to prioritize themselves, without guilt, apology, or performance.

What distinguishes my work is what I call the sacred interruption: a combination of spiritual insight, accountability, and action-oriented coaching that goes beyond surface-level solutions to foster lasting transformation. I emphasize clarity and long-term vision so women can reclaim their power, rediscover their worth, and create lives that genuinely reflect who they are.

This work is deeply rooted in integrity and lived experience. Having journeyed from self-abandonment to self-possession myself, I understand what it takes to rebuild from the inside out. Whether through coaching, workshops, or speaking engagements, I meet women where they are, challenge them with love, and provide the tools they need to build a life they actually want.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I want to be generous here because the last few years in LA have been tough. The city has been through a lot. What I love most about LA is the bakeries and Mexican food. Truly unbeatable.

What I like least is how many people aren’t living authentically. Despite the flexibility and freedom the city offers, a lot of that feels surface-level. The high cost of living and the overall quality of life have pushed LA into survival mode, and honestly, I don’t like seeing that. It’s not the vibrant, thriving city it once was, and that’s hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.patentleatherproject.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104104538/admin/page-posts/published/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LatoyaDeShaun

Image Credits
MadWorksPhoto – Maya Ayanna Darasaw
KANAKO Botswana