We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ariel Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ariel, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?
A hero defined in my eyes is someone who faces adversity, and they have the confidence to know they can make it. My papa the Rev Judge Brown, Sr was that person to me. When I was 10 years old, my papa passed away but what he instilled in me has forever stayed planted within me. My papa was preacher, and I attended the church that he pastored. I can remember as a little girl sitting out in the congregation listening to him preach about God and the same man that stood before the people was the same man every day of the week. He always carried his self with respect and also held out a helping hand to others. There were several things that my papa taught me, but one lesson sticks out the most. While visiting him at his house one day, he told me that he wanted me to say the 23rd Psalm before he preached this one particular Sunday. When I tell you, I was so nervous because I hated talking in front of large crowds. I didn’t realize in that moment that my papa was trying to teach me something. So, each day, I read and studied the 23rd Psalm leading up to that Sunday. I can remember that Sunday, my papa called me up to the pulpit and I recited the 23rd Psalm without any mistakes. When I sat back down at my seat, I looked up at my papa and he nodded his head and gave me the biggest smile. My papa had an assignment given by God to teach me the 23rd Psalm. I realized over the years that the 23rd Psalm was the roadmap to life. My papa knew I wouldn’t always be a little girl and that I would have to grow up and face my own adversities, but God would always be there to guide me. It wasn’t until I was older that I found out papa had cancer. I often look back to when I was a little girl, I never saw or heard papa complaining about his sickness, but I do remember his faith in God never changed. Papa’s life helped me through my journey with diabetes. Even though he’s no longer here, the memories will forever live on in me and the Brown family legacy will continue to be passed on from generation to generation. I thank God for blessing me with a papa like him. I honor you papa and thank you for showing me how to handle my own journey.
Ariel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello everyone!! My name is Ariel Brown and I’m the founder of Pumped 4 My Journey. Pumped 4 My Journey was given to me by God to share my story living with type 1 diabetes. Before you can understand Pumped 4 My Journey, I would like to introduce myself to you. I’m the proud mother to the most amazing little girl, Kaliya, certified medical assistant to an endocrinologist as well nurse practitioner/diabetes educator, lifestyle coach, Dexcom warrior, inspirational speaker, and self-published author.
In 2019, my doctor and I were looking for a children’s book about diabetes because at the time, my daughter was very fearful of my diabetes. We were looking online for a book, but we didn’t see anything that caught our attention or resembled me. My doctor suggested that I write a book and I kind of laughed it off. Growing up I wasn’t a fan of writing because to be honest it was a challenge for me, and I didn’t think I was good at it. I then stopped looking for a book and never really thought about it again until 2021. My Aunt Nita whom I was very close with passed away and I became very depressed. I began to ask God what I should do now that she was gone, and he slowly revealed the book. I will never forget that Sunday I was watching church in 2022 and I heard something say, “Go write the Book.” I grabbed a pen, some paper, and I began to write. 3 hours later, the book was complete, and, in that moment, I realized Pumped 4 My Journey was birthed. On this journey of self-publishing this book, I was blessed with an amazing mentor, coach, and other special individuals that helped guide me on this journey.
The meaning behind the story of my name
When I was 17 years old, I tried to commit suicide with my insulin pump. I became so depressed that I didn’t even want to live. I would literally pump so much insulin into me at night and pray to God I wouldn’t wake up the next morning, but I woke up each morning. I did this several times, but the insulin never touched me. I am a suicide attempt survivor. By the grace of God, I’m still here. God revealed to me Pumped 4 My Journey because what I tried to use to kill myself actually pushed me to my purpose to help others along the way. I often think back to those days, and it bring tears to my eyes because they’re so many people that attempted suicide, and they’re not here anymore. I want to pay honor to them along with their families, I want their voices to be heard through me.
Growing up with type 1 diabetes, I didn’t have anyone that looked like me going around telling me that I could survive this disease. I felt in my heart, God was telling me that my purpose was to share and inspire others that they can make it living with type 1 diabetes.
Pumped 4 M Journey was originally supposed to be a book for my daughter, but God revealed it was so much more than that. Pumped 4 My Journey would be more than a book but my calling to serve others living with type 1 diabetes. The crazy thing is I was looking for a book for my daughter and the whole time I was the book. I just had to open up and speak the words that then were transmitted to the paper.
I would love for people to view and accept Pumped 4 My Journey as a new way to view life and to view it as a purpose. God took what was so painful to me at 12 years old and created something so beautiful.
I’m very proud of myself because I didn’t give up on Pumped 4 My Journey. I spent a lot of sleepless nights and shed a lot of tears publishing my book, but I didn’t quit. I realized that Pumped 4 My Journey was more than just for Kaliya, but it was to touch the lives of others dealing with the same issues I had gone through. I often think back to my 12-year-old self, and I dedicate this book to her. My goal is to be able to place my book into the hands of individuals that have diabetes and let them know this book was created for them.
Pumped 4 My Journey has helped me to define myself as someone living with diabetes and not as diabetic. I carried the label as diabetic for so many years and I realized that had to stop. I’m so much more than diabetes and so are you.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Growing up with type 1 diabetes was very tough because I was the only one in my family that had it. I really didn’t have anyone that could relate to what I was going through but God blessed me with 2 amazing parents that supported me all the way. Even though neither one had diabetes, their faith in God and raising me up in a Christian home is what helped build that foundation in me to trust God.
Through the years living with type 1 diabetes, I always tried to blend in with everyone else meaning I didn’t want to be classified as the girl that had diabetes and I didn’t even want people to know I had it. I can remember a time that my mom and I went to a support group for children with diabetes. While attending that group, I felt like an outcast and I didn’t want any parts of being associated with a group like that and in that moment, I realized I didn’t want to share my story with anyone else because I was embarrassed. I began to cover up and hide my diabetes from the world, but God had other plans for me. I believe the turning point came when I failed nursing school, and I began to work at my endocrinologist’s office working as a certified medical assistant. I noticed the majority of the patients that I helped care for had type 1 diabetes and in those moments, I was finally able to talk about my journey of diabetes and not be embarrassed. Literally, being able to share with my patients that I had diabetes has brought me so much joy and peace. I look back at that 12-year-old girl that was diagnosed with diabetes, and I tell her this is for you. The pain that I experienced for so many years living with diabetes has pushed me to my purpose. Yes, there were times I wanted to give up and there were times I didn’t want to deal with diabetes, but God wouldn’t allow me to quit because I had a story to tell. Pumped 4 My Journey is more than a book it’s my calling to serve others.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
In April of last year, I was blessed to be able to have my first podcast interview with Diversifyher Podcast. I knew during my interview; the host would have asked where the viewers could follow me, and I wanted to be prepared. So, in March of last year, I started Pumped 4 My Journey’s Instagram Page. If I can be completely honest, I was very scared to start my Instagram page because I’m a very private and kind of shy person when it comes to social media. I began to realize that I had to come out of my shell and let the world know who Ariel Brown is. Instagram allowed me to share my journey with type 1 diabetes with my posts, reels, and lives. I wanted people to know me on a personal level and I realized I just had to be me. I started off with a few followers, but I was determined to make a difference and allow my followers to know me on a personal level. These are the strategies that I used: I started posting 3 posts a day, going live once a week, and then doing reels every day. I wanted my Instagram page not to be a place to talk down about diabetes but to be a page where people can find some inspiration and motivation. What I love even more about my page, my followers are able to get to know me and I’m able to create content with my daughter. I can honestly say, I can see the growth in me since starting my Instagram page in March. I encourage anyone that’s starting an Instagram or currently has one to be consistent, be you, be grateful, be willing to learn, and never stop no matter what. The goal of Instagram is not having the most followers but the hearts that you are willing to touch.
On March 20, 2023 I celebrated my 1-year anniversary for Pumped 4 My Journey’s Instagram page. In the process of starting my social media page, I have become an inspirational speaker and am eager to connect all over to speak with those looking for some inspiration. Pumped 4 My Journey was approved to be placed in its first school system in Prince George County, Virginia-elementary, middle, junior high, and high school. My desire is to have Pumped 4 My Journey in every school’s library, clinic, and guidance counselor’s office. Pumped 4 My Journey is excited to create care packages for children that are getting diagnosed in the hospitals and doctor’s office as well. Pumped 4 My Journey is now available on Amazon and also my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pumped4myjourney.com
- Instagram: Pumped 4 My Journey
- Youtube: Pumped 4 My Journey
- Tik Tok: Pumped 4 My Journey
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Sharda Jolayemi and Alicia Gregory