Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Mills.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hmmmm, I suppose my story starts all the way back to elementary school. Back then, my one and only dream was to be an actress. From middle to early high school, I just knew that I was going to be on somebody’s stage or in a film playing different characters and performing in front of lots of people. The highlight of my acting career was playing Dorothy in a small kid production of the Wiz. I felt so at home on that stage. I just knew that was where I was meant to be. My interest eventually shifted to journalism in high school when I realized that I wanted to do more than just perform. I realized that journalism would allow me to combine my passion for reading, writing, and public speaking to really make an impact.
I studied journalism formally as a broadcast journalism major at Howard University. I learned writing, reporting, public relations, film, and digital content creation through my coursework and several internships at different news organizations including ABC, NBC, and PBS. By my junior year, I wasn’t sure if the traditional reporting career that I’d been preparing for was the path for me. I searched and plotted out ways for me to delay entering the workforce. I loved school, so I ultimately decided to keep the party going and apply to graduate school.
I knew that I could use my Gates Millenium Scholarship (a full ride scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to pay for my graduate school tuition if I studied education. I looked for a program that combined education and communications studies and found the Intercultural Communication program in Educational Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. I submitted just one graduate school application to that program. I put all of my eggs in that basket and thankfully I was accepted.
For two years, I studied communications and linguistic theory and principles. For my graduate thesis, I examined the communications practices at a nonprofit media organization in downtown Philadelphia called PhillyCAM. I also took a year-long film class where I helped create a short documentary-style film chronicling the experiences of five high students at a nearby public high school. At Penn, I was able to further explore my interest in storytelling and content creation. I graduated from Penn in 2016 and was again searching for adventure.
My wanderlust was super strong at this time and a few months after graduating I moved to São Paulo, Brazil to spend a year studying Portuguese on a government-funded fellowship. While in Brazil, I traveled around the country, ate great food, met new and exciting people, fell in love, and basically had the time of my life. Living away in São Paulo provided me with ample time to reflect upon my journey. I discovered that I was passionate about empowering others to use intercultural communication as well as marketing and branding to connect their work with like-minded audiences. When my program was over in early summer 2017, I was finally ready to apply all that I’d learned and experienced.
When I returned to the U.S., I wanted to get a fresh start and try a new city and region. I knew that Atlanta was a vibrant city and I had a great time when I’d visited in the past. I secured a communications and marketing role at a local nonprofit and moved to the city with two suitcases and a brand spankin new driver’s license I’d only gotten just two weeks prior to arriving.
Fast forward to nearly two years later and I am still working at that non-profit while also running my marketing agency, Angel Mills Brand Strategy, which I started last fall. I truly enjoy the vibrant and creative energy here and I can finally say I’m settling in. I’ve also become a fairly decent driver.
Great, 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?
Though I have not officially been in business long, I can tell you, that it isn’t easy. Running a business and working a full-time, 9-5 job has been super hard. During the week, I’m often working 13-15 hour days. I go to my job during the work day and work on my business in the evenings. No matter how hard I work, it’s hard to shake the feeling that I am just not doing enough. It’s really hard for me to find a healthy balance between work, rest, social life, and family especially in today’s #grind culture, which I am often guilty of encouraging on social media. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a work and recovery practice that enables me to go hard and rest for periods so that I can keep myself going in a way that is healthy for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I also see a therapist, which I definitely encourage new business owners and pretty much anyone to do if they can.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Angel Mills Brand Strategy – what should we know?
Angel Mills Brand Strategy is a specialized marketing agency that focuses on brand development, content creation, and promotional strategy. I am the Lead Strategist and a team of one right now. AMBS strives to empower cause-driven brands to find and grow their unique voice while organically connecting with new and like-minded audiences. I am especially passionate about working with cause driven brands that are seeking to sell products/services to make a difference in the world. Cause-oriented brands are especially important today because consumers are beginning to care more about where their products come from and the political and social dispositions of the companies they support. Today, you see large brand name companies adopting a more cause-driven approach to their marketing and many marketing agencies are needing to adapt to this shift. I am proud that AMBS is entering the landscape at this time and is offering service to small businesses, startups, and nonprofits dedicated to social innovation.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Honestly, the most important quality I’ve found to be important for success thus far is consistency. I believe that success is a habit and in order to be successful, you have to keep at it. You have to keep being consistent even when things get difficult and even after a victory.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angelmillsbrandstrategy.com/
- Email: angel@angelmillsbrandstrategy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheisangelmills/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheisangelmills
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheisangelmills
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