Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Akilyah Carpenter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Akilyah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My mother, Angel L. Larrue, was a graceful but passionate woman. She taught me the importance of understanding who I am and who I want to be in life, how to navigate my emotions, and how to move on from anything that no longer serves me. My mother taught me how to use my voice in rooms where my voice would be minimized. She taught me how to find myself at tables that seemed out of reach. Growing up, she always emphasized the importance of being an “academic weapon”. She understood that my options in life would be limited if I didn’t thrive in school, make a good circle of friends, and fail to integrate into society with a full understanding of the consequences of my actions, whether the actions be good or bad. My mother made me participate in programs to improve myself every school year, which included the speech/debate team, theater, joining political teams such as the Indiana Model United Nations, and she even had me participate in the Circle City Classic Coronation in Indianapolis, in which I won “Miss Congeniality” during my senior year in high school in 2014. She involved me in etiquette and financial literacy classes so I could not only know how to socialize according to my settings, but also how to manage my finances in ways she was never taught. My mom has introduced me to business owners, such as the owner of the black-owned Williams and Bluitt funeral home in Indianapolis, IN, and allowed me to do volunteer work for him so I could understand the importance of discipline and work. She introduced me to Congressman Andre Carson when she knew I had an interest in politics, just to show me that people who look like me and were raised where I was raised could be a power figure in the community. She taught me how to move with love. She taught me to be charitable to others because everyone has a struggle and a story to tell. She showed me how to incentivize my intentions and empathy. And most importantly, she taught me how to stand up for myself, with or without her by my side. I lost my mother in November 2022, and as much as I miss her, I truly felt prepared to not only survive this new reality without a mom, my best friend, but also how to pour the love she gave me into others, which started the true development of my journey and has kept me focused while navigating.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Akilyah A. Carpenter. I currently live in Indianapolis, IN, and I’m the proud owner of Asha’s Ascending Acts of Service LLC.

I currently offer administrative support to those in my community and nationwide, assisting with obtaining, documenting, and managing aspects of their lives that seem confusing or chaotic. I currently offer job search assisting services such as professional resume writing, job interview preparation sessions, and 1-on-1 job search assistance to change career fields or jump-start new career opportunities. I offer tax filing services as a licensed tax filer, and I currently work for Mad Money Tax Services. I file yearly tax returns, amend tax returns from the prior year, and assist with gathering documents that have been requested by the IRS to reduce the risk of audits and penalties. And lastly, I assist with locating and providing lists of resources to those in the community who are looking to join education programs to obtain credentials for careers in CDL driving, HVAC, healthcare, and more.

I’m currently a college student who is working on my associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, and I’m also currently in Phlebotomy school with the hopes of expanding my career options. I also have relevant licenses and certifications that are directly related to my services, as listed:

– Professional Resume Writing Certification
– Human Resource Management Diploma
– Tax Preparation Certification and PTIN license
– Medical Records Management Certification
– Revenue Cycle Management in Healthcare Certification

I utilize and expand my education to resolve administrative stressors. I’ve used my skills to assist over 560 individuals in obtaining new careers, opening businesses, be able to upgrade homes, moving out of the country, and more. I’ve been able to provide resources that help the community heal itself in ways we believed were unattainable. I’ve been able to help those who lost hope build a new life. My goal is to see everyone win, even if it’s at different paces. And your history doesn’t determine your worth nor limit your goals when you decide to work with me. The job doesn’t end until you’re 100% satisfied.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Honestly, I built my audience on social by being myself. I’ve always been transparent about my rise and shortcomings in life. I’ve never been too shy to admit when I need help or was in the wrong. I love to talk to my followers on social media, and I’m not too prideful to learn from them either. I learned that my humor and resilience are what make me easy to like and trust on social media. The people who follow me on social media are on this wild ride we call life with me. They’ve seen me hurt over mistakes. They gave me love and advice when my mother passed away. They’ve seen me career hop as I tried to figure out my place in the professional world. And they instantly supported any business venture I’ve introduced to them, from paying for services, sharing posts advertising my services, and leaving positive reviews on multiple social media platforms to express their gratitude for our time spent working together. My audience has loved me on days I couldn’t find the time or strength to love myself. And during this time, I’ve been able to expand my reach on social media from 4k-10k viewers to a range of 67k-1 million viewers in a short span of time. My audience is the reason I’ve experienced going viral multiple times, and I have chances like this to do magazine interviews. I love everyone who loves me!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My mother and stepfather both passed away on November 19, 2022, which was the day my entire world ended as I knew it. Granted, I didn’t have an easy life, but it was my life, and I loved it because I had my parents to love me through the good and bad parts of it all. When I lost them, I felt like I had completely lost who I was. But I was responsible for planning my mom’s funeral while being supportive of my step-dad’s family planning his, both funerals being 1 week apart, and right before Christmas. During this time, I was forced to grieve alone. I didn’t have a house full of family or friends to guide me through grieving, nor did I expect it because I lost my mother; they didn’t lose theirs. I remember spending every night crying in the shower for hours, listening to Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, and Jhene Aiko, praying HARD, telling God that “I didn’t want to die, I just didn’t want to hurt so badly”, scared that I was losing the war on grief. But during the day, I would work my 13-hour shift job with a smile, I’d get booked for services and complete them on time with great quality, cook, clean, and more. I even did multiple resumes the morning I found out my parents died because I didn’t want grief to dictate the type of service provider I would be to my clients. This illustrates my resilience because I truly lost it all but never lost sight of my professional and academic goals. I got into therapy, enrolled in college, and have been learning how to be kind to myself with the same level of passion that I’m kind to others, despite experiencing immense losses. I refuse to let grief be the ringleader of my life.

Contact Info:

• Other: Email: [email protected]
  Number: 347-939-1536