Background information:

Where are you from? 

I’m originally from New Jersey but reside in the ATL.

What do you do? How did this “role” come about? How are you best known by others?

I am a speaker, author, and philanthropist. I never really wanted to be a “speaker” coming from a childhood where I was very private and didn’t like sharing things. I went through a depression period and soon after that, I wrote my first book, Her 20 SomeTHINGS. Becoming a speaker came with a territory of being an author and vocally sharing my story.  I’m known as the Voice of the Millennials and helping young women transition from pain to purpose.

Did you attend college and/or have formal training in your respective field or industry? If so, please elaborate on the year you graduated and from what institution.

I attended college and received my B.A in Journalism at Georgia State University and my M.A in Public Relations. Although I am not fulltime in that field I was able to apply a lot of the skills and strategies that I learned for my personal and family brand.

What factors of your upbringing influenced your career goals? 

I really began to realize that my gift was impacting and inspiring. I knew that there were other young women who had gone through what I went through and I began to learn that when you don’t obey and walk in your calling you’re are prolonging the calling or healing of someone else.

How long have you been in this career? What did you do previously?

I began my non-profit, H.E.R. Foundation Inc. in 2015, released Her 20 SomeTHINGS in 2016 and started speaking shortly after that.

What long-term goals do you have? What steps are you currently taking in this direction?

Eventually would like to open a girls group home in Malawi, Africa, which is one of the most impoverished places in the world. Another goal of mine is to continue publishing books and become a well-known inspirational speaker. Currently, I am setting smaller goals daily that will eventually lead to accomplishing the big goals. Creating consistent habits that will allow me to build the momentum and character I need to succeed.

Tell us about your social media presence. Do you use it in your line of work? Why or why not, is it important in your day-to-day responsibilities, platform or career?

Yes, I am a big social media person. I love interacting with different people online. A lot of my networking relationships, friendships, and speaking engagements come from social media. I utilize my platform to put out content that will add value to other people and then share any exciting things I have coming up.

Which public figures, role models and or historical figure shaped your goals as a child and in adulthood? Any that embodies your personal values?

When I was a child while everyone was watching cartoons, I would turn the channel and want to watch Judge Hatchett. She’s always been someone I admired. Oprah is a pure inspiration to me, and I study her journey often. My mom, she’s the definition of unconditional love. I’ve had to learn that, and it is for sure one of my personal core values. Kendall Ficklin (my daddy) seeing where he came from to watching him walk in his calling is amazing. He exemplifies the idea of living in private how you live in public and that’s one thing that I strive to do. Another is Eric Thomas. He’s been a tremendous influence on my journey.   

What does it mean to you to be a millennial? How do you share that with others in your life, those you meet and with your peers?