We were lucky to catch up with Nia Anderson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

There’s is too much “what” and not enough “why/how”. For the longest time I believed I was a math teacher, because truth be told, that’s all I thought to do with math other than be a mathematician. In addition to other general studies, more insight into how various subject matter impacts real life, like how math is used to help solve crime or do taxes, how history is important to understanding human behavior and anthropology, how science to the technological and medical advances we live off everyday. In this Information Age, why is the question that matters most.

Furthermore, most of the teachers in secondary school had no real word experience for what they taught, most was from what they were taught in school, not information they’ve used in real life. This also includes emotional and social learning, and how to work with a variety of other with different personalities, perspectives, and cultures.

I am not a fan of standardized testing because I don’t think it adequately captures how much a student actually knows and or understands. I would suggest one or two alternatives, whether a project or portfolio of sorts that students can present as proof of what they know if they don’t test well.

Lastly, teachers get paid less than half of what a starting salary should be. Likewise, not nearly enough money is put in education and is usually the first dept to lose money in budget cuts. I would definitely change that entire process and pay teachers more and give more to the schools so they can provide students a healthy, safe, and effective learning environment.

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.

It started off as writing. I realized I had a lot to say about what I was learning and processing, but really no way of sharing it on an appropriate platform. So, I started a blog in 2012, called “Be You for a Purpose”, and over the last 10+ years as I became it became a ministry.

“Be You for a Purpose” is an umbrella of my authorship, worship leading, coaching, podcasting, interviewing, speaking, and leading workshops.

With the variety of parts, what does be you for a purpose even mean? Well, when I was creating the blog I wanted a name that would incorporate the meaning of my own name, Nia. Around that time I was just starting to embrace my own name and how I lived my life. I was on a self-discovery journey with the Lord, and I was learning that nothing about who I am or who anyone is is by mistake. God has a much bigger purpose for all of us, so all of us are on mission. Thus, everything we day, we must say with purpose, and everything we do, we must do on purpose for ultimately His purposes.

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

The Lord tends to make me pivot when I get too comfortable. After I had did blogging for some time and realized “Be You for a Purpose” was a ministry in so many words, I knew I had to adjust what I was doing and how I was getting the message out. In comes Facebook business page and Instagram. I had to be creative in a way I wasn’t used to, and really didn’t want to. As time passed, I knew people needed to see me, so in comes videos, and it progressed from there, new platforms new ideas, each o which I was reluctant, because it was new and I was comfortable with what I had already been doing and would require more of me. One of the more recent, was taking the spotlight off of me and showing examples of others who are being themselves for a purpose and it’s been an incredible journey and opportunity to connect with so many amazing people from all over.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

To be honest, I am still building. Although, one of the biggest things that has been a help is collaboration. I really began to see consistent growth when I started “Purpose Spotlight” and I began brough people onto my Ig Live series and thus their followers. People who wouldn’t have know me or seen me otherwise and vice versa

Another piece to this I am still working on is consistent. It’s challeging for me, but it’s part of the territory and I see the difference when I am fairly consistent (for me that’s posting at least 3 times per week) versus when I am not.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beyouforapurpose.com
• Instagram: @beyouforapurpose
• Facebook: Be You for a Purpose
• Other: Anchor: Be You for a Purpose: The Podcast