1. Adventures of Angela Harris
Founder, ALHsuccesslines LLC
My name is Angela Harris and I am a Spiritual Counselor, author and owner of ALHsuccesslines LLC. The mission for my
company is to edify and empower, instill confidence and uplift, enhance life skills and advance females toward achieving
purposeful living. I divide my time with my counseling practice, managing a membership program called ALHsuccesslines
Success Membership Program for Girls, writing feature stories as a women’s interest contributor for examiner.com,
motivational speaking and overall, aspiring to make a positive difference in the lives of females. I am also the author of a fun
yet motivational children’s book titled, Mommy What is a CEO? which introduces girls ages 5 and up to the exciting world of
entrepreneurship.
As we all know, each and every one of us has a story—a story that is filled with varied experiences both good and perhaps
some things we probably would have done differently. However my philosophy is, everything happens for a reason with the
intent to bring us to who we are and where we are today…appreciating the good experiences and learning valuable lessons
from our mistakes. My adventures as a working woman have been filled with inspiration, reflection, sacrifice, flexibility and
most important commitment to achieving my goals.
My Inspiration
Some of my most pleasant memories are those which revolve around my grandmother. My grandma was a level-headed,
enriching and spiritual woman who set an example in the way that she lived her life. I can clearly recall the year 1997 as I
watched my grandmother in her hospital room. She was literally on her death bed, having battled breast cancer for 2 years. As I
walked slowly in her hospital room, she glanced up at me with the same pleasant smile she always had and the first words that
parted her parched lips were, “Hi Angie…I like your coat.” There she was, dying from cancer yet she found the strength to
compliment me on my coat. My grandmother died the next morning. As I think back, I remember one of her favorite songs
called, “If I can Help Somebody” by Mahalia Jackson. The lyrics to the song embrace the following words.
If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song,
If I can show somebody, how they're travelling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.
This song is now one of my favorite songs and my grandmother’s legacy serves to inspire and motivate me to do all that I do
on behalf of women and girls.
Reflection
When I think back on my life experiences, I realize much of what I have done both personally and professionally has prepared
me for who I am today. After attaining my Bachelor of Science degree in Behavior and Social Science, I settled into a career
in healthcare, attaining a great deal of knowledge as it relates to the clinical side of patient illnesses and treatment. After
working for many years, I became increasingly aware of the reality that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and to truly
take heed to my internal nudges to move toward my passion and utilize my spiritual gifts. As a working mother, I enrolled in
graduate school and achieved a MA degree in Women’s Studies focusing on Counseling. I am still amazed that I achieved high
honors in grad school, achieving straight A’s—in spite of my other responsibilities!
I established a successful consulting practice and although I was contracted by many major companies, I particularly enjoyed
working on behalf of nonprofit organizations, devising and implementing fundraising efforts while promoting and raising
consciousness as it relates to disadvantaged community concerns. I also had the opportunity to travel extensively—including
internationally, working on behalf of health and educational missions to edify youths.
It wasn’t until I was contracted by the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital to devise and implement a mentoring
program for underprivileged girls ages 7 to 16 that I embraced my true calling. I must say working with those girls proved to
be a truly rewarding and uplifting experience and sparked the passion for my life’s work—to make a difference in the lives of
females especially girls.
Family Life and My Work
I am the mother of two amazing daughters, Chanel, who is 19 and Faith, age 12. I am proud to say, I take the role of
motherhood very serious, instilling sound values, nurturing and cultivating my daughters—all with the desire to mold them
2. into productive citizens who will make a positive difference in the world in which we live. My girls are growing up to be
outstanding and respectful individuals. Because of my older daughter’s astuteness and steady academic achievements, she went
to college at the age of 16 (two years early). She is a flourishing junior at American University and is majoring in psychology.
My younger daughter is a serious and talented student of ballet. She too is academically blessed.
Sacrifice and Flexibility
As a parent, there were many times throughout my journey where I had to modify my plans and utilize a great deal of
flexibility as it relates to balancing my life. I must admit, it was not and still is not easy. In one of my recent articles for the
examiner, I wrote about women as “superwomen.” Although this article was meant to motivate and inspire other women, it
was derived from my own struggles to implement balance in my life. In the article I wrote, many women are over-extended,
over-booked, over-worked and overwhelmed. Woman continue to manage a lot, some of which includes balancing
motherhood, taking care of hubby, single life and dating, being a career woman, dealing with divorce, caring for aging parents
and the list of responsibilities goes on and on. The reality is, sometimes I cannot explain how I accomplish all that I do. I do
believe it is a power greater than me that continues to propel me in the right direction. Although I routinely incorporate
working out at the gym, living a healthy lifestyle and watching entertaining television dramas as my guilty pleasures, I still
struggle with balance especially as it relates to taking more time out for me.
My Advice to Young People
In my role as a counselor and founder of ALHsuccesslines Success Membership Program for Girls, I offer life skills for
success to inspire, motivate and ignite females toward purposeful living. The common theme that I try to instill in young
people is the actuality that every person can be successful if you recognize your individual strengths that are instinctive only to
you. Once these strengths are recognized, those talents must be cultivated. My belief is, instead of being a jack of all trades and
a master of none, find your gift and develop it. There are a multitude of rewarding professions that a young person can pursue
if given the opportunity to expand upon individual strengths.
My Advice to Young Working Women
1. Devise a vision for your life by creating vision boards.
2. Set goals, plan out how you will achieve such goals and set deadlines. It has been said, by making a list of 10 goals
for yourself, you will have moved into the top 3% of successful people in society.
3. Don’t be afraid to dream big dreams!
4. Not everyone will be your biggest fan in fact some will purposely set out to deflate your dreams. Learn to forgive
those who may not have your best interest at heart and keep striving toward your goals.
5. Remember successful people are those who work in a field where their natural strengths and abilities are utilized. Do
what you love!
6. Inevitably, there will be setbacks along your journey but be willing to learn from your mistakes and keep it moving.
7. Please, don’t be a know-it-all! Seek advice from older and wiser women.
Call to Women
The call for women is to stop living in fear. The call for women is to take the necessary time to reflect on what will truly make
you happy. Women must also understand the actuality that each and every one was blessed with a unique gift—a gift that
shouldn’t exist hidden only in our thoughts. No matter what age you are, no matter what your gifts are whether it be gardening,
writing poetry, going back to school, starting a business, baking cookies for the neighbors—you must take the time to think of
yourself and to move forward toward making your dreams a reality. By doing so, not only will you begin to live life with
purpose but you will satisfy your heart’s desires.
Living My Dreams…My Legacy
As a businesswoman, I stepped out of my comfort zone and acknowledged my internal nudges to start my company,
ALHsuccesslines LLC, success inspired programs where the rose encourages Joy, Peace and Womanly Distinction. In my
counseling practice, my goal is to help girls' and women live focused lives by introducing them to new outlooks that will
ultimately unleash unrealized potential. I offer guidance and techniques that treat the mind, body and soul while practicing my
spiritual gifts of love, compassion and encouragement.
In my work with girls, my goal is to continue to inspire one girl at a time—and lead her toward a road to achievement in life.
As a mother who relishes being a parent, I often thought of the many young girls in the world, some who do not have positive
role models in their lives. I thought of the many young girls who yearned for someone to care, someone to ignite their inner
ambitions, someone to offer words of encouragement, I decided that someone would be me.
Now this is where my grandmother’s legacy comes to mind. As mentioned, she was an honorable woman, a person whose goal
in life was to help others. I knew in my heart that too would be my goal. Although my grandmother is no longer on this earth,
she left me with a bequest that I graciously intend to uphold. The legacy is to be like her—to live my life in pursuit of my
passions. Just as my grandmother’s favorite song affirms, “If I can help somebody along the way then my living shall not be in
vain.”
