We were lucky to catch up with Adam Harris recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adam, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I was 11 years old, I lost my dad. He suffered an aneurysm and stroke. I was only in the sixth grade when he made his transition, and I had so much to learn about life. His passing caused me a lot of grief and pain, and for years I didn’t even know I was suffering from depression until I learned in my adult years the signs of depression. Losing my father was not only tough because he was my dad, but he was truly a man of faith and a strong foundation for my family.

As I got older, I always thought in the back of my mind, “if I could only be half the man that my dad was, I would one day be great.” To this day, I still miss his teachings, our early morning prayers and bible study as a family, and his guidance and direction. He was a wise man, and I remember crying at my middle school graduation because it was my first moment of reality that my Dad would not be physically present for many of my monumental moments in life.

So today, my goal in life is to be the person I needed when I lost my dad at the age of 11 years old. I serve to be a shoulder for children to cry on. I serve to be a bridge to help high school students get the resources they need for college. I serve to uplift and empower the minds and spirits of youth and families. I serve to be a voice to the voiceless, a friend to the friendless and a advocate for those who may not know how to advocate for themselves. My calling and purpose in life is to be a bridge over troubled waters. To be someone’s grace in the midst of pain and discomfort. This is my mission and the story behind my why.

Adam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Born and raised in metro Detroit, I have been inspired to better my community and the environment around me. I attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn for my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and I received a minor in African and African American Studies. I continued my journey in higher education and went on to complete my master’s degree from University of Detroit Mercy in Counseling.

For more than a decade, I have been on a continuous mission to encourage and inspire, with a focus on empowering and mentoring young people. I have served in several roles from coach, mentor, and educator, to conflict-resolution specialist, workshop facilitator, and counseling advisor. I consider myself a social innovator and servant leader.

I am humbled to have been highlighted for my work not only in Southeastern Michigan, but across the nation. I have served in Canada, El Salvador and Brazil in capacities from being a speaker, assisting in building a nurses’ clinic and conducting independent research. I have provided workshops and seminars for high schools, colleges and regional and national conferences. My journey of service has featured me on NBC’s WDIV Channel 4, Comcast Newsmakers, MTV as well as a host of other national and local media outlets.

Lastly, I am a self-published author of three books. My latest book, One Michigan Moment in Time, brings insight into my undergraduate journey as someone who “wasn’t supposed to make it.” The book was officially released in May of 2022. I serve frequently as a motivational speaker to groups of all ages throughout metropolitan Detroit and beyond.

I attribute all my success to my faith in God.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

When I was in college, I had a mentor who introduced me to the principles and teachings of John Wooden, UCLA Men’s Basketball coach. I remember learning about the Pyramid of Success and how each principle was important to the growth and development of everyday leaders. As I studied Mr. Wooden’s philosophy on leadership, it opened my eyes to a new way of thinking and it allowed me to see a new perspective on life. From his philosophy I began to recognize that I can truly manifest my own destiny, and inherit in life my goals and dreams that I hoped for. It was the information I needed to begin my new journey and it became a paraigm shift for my conscious thinking. I am now an avid reader of books, and I take the time to be intentional with my thoughts, my time, how I treat others, and how I interact with the world around me.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson that I needed to relearn and reconfigure in my mind is that things don’t happen to you, instead things in life happen for you. In our society we oftentimes operate off a Win or Lose mentality. And with this distorted outlook on life we believe that when we experience good times (Win), it’s a sign that we are doing the right thing. However, if we experience bad times (Lose) or not so good experiences, we are not doing the right thing. If we internalize the moments we go through that are not so favorable, we begin to make the conclusion that the bad times mean we are not doing the right thing. In conclusion we believe that we are bad luck, something is wrong with us, and we are the problem. This is not the case, and it took me until my young adult years to figure out that life happens for all of us (good and bad). However, it’s not about what happens in life, it’s about what you do about it. So in a since we should have a WIN or Learn mentality; not win or lose mentality.

I shared earlier that when I was young I lost my dad at the age of 11. For years I carried a significant amount of blame on my shoulders because I was not with him during the moment he fell outside of our store front church in Detroit. And even though his his death came at an unforeseen moment and there was nothing I probably could’ve done, for years I believed if I could’ve been with him during that moment in time, the outcome could have been different.

All I am trying to say is that things happen. Misfortune happens. Bad times come to us all, and life has a way of testing our character and our faith. Some experiences will shake us to the core and have us questioning our belief system. I realized that life will provide good times and bad times, and there is no need to worry about tomorrow because all it does is rob you of today’s blessings. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift.” So my takeaway is to live life forward and be a gift to others. Keep living. Keep winning. Keep learning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamadamharris.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-harris-6b7623207
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rKVmaIYPjX2ResV11C4dA