We recently connected with Chiaurelia Spencer and have shared our conversation below.

ChiAurelia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After my daughter turned 8 months, I was over the domestic violence I was experiencing within our little family. I left the great state of Texas and headed back home to “Tha Yay Area” aka The Bay Area (East Oakland to be specific). In the midst of moving back I applied for Government Assistance; CalWORKs (TANF/AFDC), CalFresh (SNAP) & Medi-Cal (Medicare), the whole 9! In addition, I applied to and attended Holy Names University to finish out my degree plan.

Regardless of the Spring Semester ending I still had a weekly requirement to fulfill as a part of the Welfare to Work Program. I had to find something to do for at least 25 hours throughout the week that would push me towards Self Sufficiency. I began Work Experience at a Local Non-Profit Agency where I learned the art of Case Management, in addition – I began participating in Supervised Job Search Workshops at the Social Service’s Office. I built a rapport with the Supervised Job Search Workshop Facilitators as well as my Employment Counselor. I truly admired how dedicated they were to helping me succeed. They always sent me job leads, assisted me with revising my resume, and they even conducted Mock Interviews with me so that I could get the jitters out before the real interview.

One day I got a very perturbed voicemail from the Workshop Facilitator, she was quickly divulging all this information about how the Agency would be taking applications and conducting interviews for CalWORKs Recipients to become paid interns, no more welfare & food stamps! They would be paid W2 employees, working full time, making $19/hr! She stated it was a pilot program & she didn’t know much more but I should do the application immediately. Fast Forward…
Not only did I get the job; I interned in the Alameda County Board of Supervisor’s Office, and at the end of my internship I was being offered a permanent position within the BOS Office. However, I declined this offer and followed my heart’s desire of becoming an Eligibility Services Technician within the Social Services Agency. I went from receiving Cash Aid to providing it to others, I went on to work in Foster Care Eligibility, later promoting to an Employment Counselor and eventually becoming a Career Development Specialist – all of this in less than 10 years!

Having gone through my own struggles and overcoming them, and now meeting with clients and listening to them express their own life challenges, I realized that these individuals needed more than financial resources. As the place they come to when they are in need (Social Services) we should be giving them more than Employment Resources. How can we expect someone to show up to work for 25 or 35 hours a week when they are dealing with a lack of confidence, or they aren’t fully aware of how to complete an application, what to wear to an interview, or what phone and email etiquette are?!
When we’re in school we learn.. But for the most part we are just learning to pass a standardized test… If/When someone goes to College or University they learn their major focus of study… When we get into a position of employment we are trained only on that particular job function… When do we begin to learn the necessary skills for life? When are we given the opportunity to Personally Develop ourselves to prepare for “The Real World?” The reality is, we aren’t given time for any of that, most people aren’t even aware they need to make time for it. Most folx just go along with the flow of life until a situation happens, by then one is reactive to the situation rather than being proactive.

I tried my best to incorporate Personal Development strategies into my 1:1s with my Clients as an Employment Counselor but I could only do so much because The State Regulations are Employment Focused, not People Focused.
THAT is when I decided I had to take matters into my own hands. I discovered from working with my clients that it can be extremely difficult to change habits and routines as an adult. My logic is that becoming a teenager is full of transitions and changes as it is, so if we instill positive habits and routines at this stage of life they will be well equipped as they grow into young adults.

I realized that if I could begin to create a curriculum for Middle Schoolers to receive Personal Development Strategies and Techniques then they would have a better chance at being prepared for the world that awaits them when they cross the bridge from Adolescence to Adulthood… That is how Lifestyle to Legacy Academy, Inc. was birthed.

ChiAurelia, 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?

I Am ChiAurelia Spencer.. I Am in the business of pouring into others and being an impactful resource! I am a Personal Development Coach, Speaker, Mentor, Workshop Facilitator, Poet, Melanated Millennial Mother, a Wise Woman.. Overall a Beautiful Being!
I believe that it is extremely important for Tweens, Teens and their Caregivers of today to be provided with support, guidance, resources, and so much more to ensure that they are knowledgeable enough to make positive decisions for their wellness. I enjoy providing Personal Development Coaching, Mentorship, Speeches, and Workshop Facilitation to youth so they have the chance to have realistic conversations, ask questions, and be guided through their daily experiences.
Personal Development Coaching for Tweens and Teens is important to me because I know what it’s like to experience the mental confusion that comes from the transition of puberty, I know what it’s like to desire support and not know how or where to find it.
I am most proud of the individuals I have guided along their journey, the ones who come back and share their beautiful experiences of navigating a situation, going through a process that allowed them to grow, securing an employment placement or a role in a play due to their increased confidence.
I want potential clients, followers and fans to know that there is no situation that cannot be worked through – just be willing to put it in the work.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My current email signature is “The Key to Being Free is YOUR Authenticity ~ ChiAurelia” This has become a key phrase / motto for me because I know it to be true! When you suppress certain parts of yourself or you try to change them to be more “fitting” for others it causes unnecessary mental stress. It’s literally too much to keep up with.. When you are your natural self, you are in a more relaxed state of mind, you flow through your day & life effortlessly. 50% of my feedback/reviews is about how people resonate and connect with me, how they felt like they saw themselves within me, how I gave them courage to be more of themselves because of how I showed up. My reputation is my authenticity!… & incase you were wondering, the other 50% of reviews / feedback has been centered around how the Prolific Plans (action items) I provide were beneficial in making progress along their journey as a student or a parent ;-)

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

In my experience the best source of growing new clients has been reverting back to the old school method of getting out into the community. I definitely see the benefit of Zoom Rooms, Facebook Groups and Online Masterminds – however for me, being able to be at the events in my community, to go back to the schools I am familiar with from my own adolescents, to be a product of my own environment shows a level of relatability with the teachers, faculty, staff and students that are my audience. Honestly, it feels good to grace the stage in places where I once sat in the audience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiaurelia3/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiaurelia3/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChiAurelia