We caught up with the brilliant and insightful A J Donaldson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

A J , appreciate you joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

In a world ruled by ego-driven leaders, stagnant communities, and disconnected families, I have pledged two promises to myself and those I connect with, “Be Open to Change & “Do No Harm” above all else. I have seen firsthand how people are silenced by the noise of the world. I’ve seen people lose their voices because of discrimination and lack of support. I’ve seen families torn apart by systemic barriers.
I believe everyone deserves to create their own story. We should let no one tell us who we are or what we can be, do, or have. We should never let the noise of the world silence our voices.
I have also seen how the power of words and actions can shape people’s lives. I believe it is our responsibility to use our words and actions to do no harm, and to empower others to create their own stories.

When we spend our lives being told what, when where, and how we lose our voice, our story becomes obsolete. – like the time a supervisor informed me “My aspirations were too High.” & Although I successfully passed both the police exam and physical assessment, my family ultimately convinced me to not pursue a career as an officer.There will never be a time when I will forget the feelings of facing a world that didn’t care about how my story ended, because they were too busy making it their own & for many more reasons like this is why I believe most people disagree with the concepts of Being open to Change & Doing No Harm!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is AJ I am a self-labeled “Empowerment Architect” I am deeply committed to closing the gap between social services and personal advancement within marginalized communities. My passion stems from a genuine desire to empower individuals and make a positive impact on their lives. I take a holistic and person-centered approach. My mission: To revolutionize the way people think about personal development and empower them to create their own stories.

I am driven by the opportunity to guide and support others on their journey toward personal growth and fulfillment, especially when they feel they are in it alone.

My dedication to serving and empowering others has built a foundation with an unyielding capacity of compassion regarding preservation, support, and guidance. Working in Social Services allowed me to see first-hand the ways the system strategically taught us to neglect the big picture.

That is why I founded Ascension Alliance, I am committed to helping people overcome challenges and achieve their goals. We believe everyone deserves to have a voice, and that everyone deserves to create their own story. We are here to help you break through the noise and find your voice. We are here to help you create your own story. We offer a wide range of services, including personal development, professional support, and mitigation services for criminal defense lawyers. We do this by providing personalized guidance and support. We work with you to identify your goals, develop a plan to achieve those goals and overcome any challenges that may come your way. We are here to help you find your voice and to help you create your own story.

Here are some of the specific services that we offer:
• Personal development services: We offer a variety of personal development services, including coaching, counseling, and therapy. These services can help you to overcome challenges, achieve your goals, and live a more fulfilling life.
• Professional support services: We offer a variety of professional support services facilitating collaborations and connecting individuals and organizations to foster growth, innovation, and success toward strengthening communities through education and collaboration. These services can help you create connections and build a resource bank for your personal and professional needs.
• Mitigation services for criminal defense lawyers: We offer mitigation services for criminal defense lawyers. These services can help you to reduce your sentence or avoid jail time.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I grew up in a family that did not focus on relationships of depth and type. We never spoke about the future, finances, love, relationships, history. We just did, and that was enough if you followed the rules and didn’t ruffle feathers. Much like society turning a blind eye to the obvious barriers to growth and advancement, outside of my Granny, my family shredded any idea that did not support their narrative. What I wanted to do in life made me Captain “Save A H$%” to some, the Wandering Child, or a Selfish Know It All to others, no titles of which led those to believe I was good enough to support and show up for when I needed it, while I had no place to stay while building a business, and while grieving the loss of several family members including my mother.

Over the last 5 years, I have been heartbroken and, at times, struggled to hold on. I grieve the loss of an uncle, aunt, my Granny, and granddaddy (who were married and passed almost six months apart) and most recently, in December 2022, my mother. No one talks about how difficult it is to heal while still living everyday life.

When you have just one person on your side, it makes a world of difference in what you can accomplish. This is because it changes your outlook on life and your capabilities. I didn’t have many people like that, but I have learned that I was blessed by those who stood in for others absent.

Society does a great job of creating barriers. However, for me, it did a better job of creating an environment where I effectively had to navigate a world that was never for me. It taught me to dissociate to protect myself. It gave my family no foundation to build loving relationships that supported each other. It paved the way for me to break the cycle. Growing up, I constantly saw examples of how society’s standards and expectations were not in alignment with my own values. I experienced a lack of connection and acceptance, and I felt a deep sense of disconnection from the world around me. This led me to find creative ways to cope and eventually, to learn how to build a life and relationships that were in alignment with my own values.

Building from scratch means something different to me. I had to pull myself out of the self-limiting mindset and be OK with walking away from everything that no longer supported or loved me. I had to rely on being more open about my vulnerability to increase my understanding of how to utilize my resilience toward changing the narrative of my story. As a result of my resilience, I believe I have become stronger and more compassionate. As the famous American Jesuit priest and activist Gregory Boyle once wrote: “Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I created my agency to service the 45 failing schools in our county. I wanted to offer support and services as a one-stop shop. I wanted to ease the frustration of being in a program-rich community that is solutions-poor for its Black and Brown population. As my story unfolded, I realized I was approaching the wrong people with the answers. With about 80-90% of Black and Brown families relying on a school system that fails them. We live in a society that does not value minorities’ voices or their history.
Instead of trying to change the system, I focused on helping individuals develop their resilience and their voices. I believe that by helping people cultivate a growth mindset, they can develop the confidence and skills to create their opportunities. I want to instill in them the importance of believing in themselves and working hard to pursue their goals, no matter what the odds. I understand we must look beyond the current systems and look into how we can create a society that provides resources, education, and access to those in our community who have been historically disadvantaged and disenfranchised.
My efforts focused on increasing resources and cultivating resilience.
Knowing the need for services and resources, I faced plenty of “not right now” and “we have the resources available.” So I shifted perspective and began tailoring services to support others in developing goals to maximize their potential and connecting with others in synergy with changing the narrative within our communities. I am here to help people break through the noise and find their voice. I am here to help people create their own stories despite history.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ascensionalliancellc.com – Currently being Updated
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AscensionAllianceLLC21
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascensionalliance-llc-fl