We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Prof. Ona Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Prof. Ona below.

Hi Prof. Ona, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

I wish I could have started my business much earlier. I have to say that even as a child or as children, we are not always encouraged initially to create our own business or become an entrepreneur. Usually, we are encouraged to immediately go to college, become a doctor, lawyers, astronauts, career executives, bankers, etc. We are also encouraged to be the best wife and mothers and have children. Still, no teachers, community leaders, parents, etc., ever promote, motivate, or push for their children to become business owners or entrepreneurs.

However, I wish I had started my business right after graduation while attending college. I started my business in April of 2013. I became a consultant where I would coach young women and girls that needed direction and accountability. Starting soon would have given me more leverage in putting more energy, time, and resources into building my business. The money we spend on college could be foundational to a highly profitable business. Especially for me because I have 5 degrees. The money paid for those degrees would have set my business up for life, and I would have much more impact within the community helping those who are disadvantaged or are in unfortunate situations.

Additionally, I probably would have changed my degree focus to courses or studies that would have given me more insight into building and growing a business. Although the traditional education or institution is good, it often leaves out the experience part, and we desperately need both. Many of us spend years in school to graduate with a degree, get a job, and hopefully get the experience we need. I often think it is backward. Why not launch into the expertise that is the best education you could ever receive.

Starting, building, and growing my business has been the most educational experience and the best rewarding challenge that I have ever faced. What I am learning daily as I continue to build my business is something that can never be taught in a classroom.

Building a business intellectually stimulates and engages your mind beyond what you can lay out on paper. It charges your feelings and emotions when you see the fruit of your labor come to fruition. You feel every emotion possible when starting a business and watching it grow to places that you didn’t even imagine.

Prof. Ona, 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?

I am a professor who believes in education. Maybe not necessarily the traditional way as in sitting in a school for hours upon hours, but education in the sense of taking our life lessons as our courses and getting a degree in life itself. I am an advocate for females of every generation. I love bringing enlightenment to women in leadership, where we learn to become leaders of our own lives. My business provides education through my online institute, The Global Female Civility Leadership Institute. Our core values are excellence, integrity, leadership, quality, and discovery. I am an international mentor and consultant for female leaders in conjunction with being a professor.

I am a barrier breaker and bridge builder. I educate and enlighten women on breaking internal and external barriers to succeed in their life endeavors. I stand apart from others and my business because we don’t go with the norms or the status quo. I like creating new philosophies, ideas, and concepts that promote authenticity and unique identity. I wouldn’t say I like fitting into categories, boxes, statistics, or percentages. I am not interested in sitting at preconstructed tables or sitting in poorly constructed chairs. I like building my own and creating an environment conducive to innovation and creativity.

I am most proud because I never give up, even when I want to. I approach each challenge with strategy, and I have learned to maneuver around the things that are committed to complacency. I am proud to know who I am and love who I am. That is what I want my potential clients, followers, and fans to learn and experience. I call it freedom.

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

I had to unlearn the story that I don’t need permission or approval for anything that I do in my life or my business. If there is something that I must do to meet a need, then I can do it. If I need to alter or revise something, I can do that. I had to learn in business that I don’t have to accept anyone that may try to change my vision or mission. When we start altering to fit what others think or expect from us, I have learned that we start losing our identity as individuals and business owners.

In our society, we love the opinions of others. We like to know that they approve of what we do and how we do it. The second that someone may not agree or support us or what we are doing, we get discouraged and often abandon our vision. We start second-guessing ourselves and scaling back with fear. I have learned to take the risk and go for it. It is worth it, and we are worth it.

I have also learned not to share everything with everyone. Being quiet keeps your vision and mission safe until implementation is complete. I can remember sharing because of excitement and being invigorated about my ideas and concepts. But I soon learned that most would respond to you where they are mental. If they are fearful, then they will discourage you. If they are stuck, then they will try and keep you where you are. If they are not sure about their next steps, they will invoke a sense of uncertainty. I have learned that as a business owner, you must believe in yourself and your services regardless of what everyone else may think.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As I was building The Global Female Civility Leadership Institute, the only female academic platform specifically designed to address the internal and external barriers that women face. I desired to create something unique and different yet spoke to the soul of every female. I wanted my curriculum and school to be accredited. But at the same time, I did not wish to have a systematic influence on the curriculum and way of teaching. Systems usually limit and present some biased approaches to education. Because of this, I decided to go through the accreditation process as a private institution so that I could teach a curriculum that is specifically designed for females and not be dictated the learning process for the female student. I wanted the students to feel free to identify their barriers and personally grow and educationally.

When I started the accreditation process, I thought I would pass out. It was rigorous, and it seemed as if it was never-ending. There were checklists, protocols, stipulations, and not just with one governing organization but for several. They all had to agree, and you couldn’t advance to the next step or organization until the initial organization gave the green light. I thought I would never get to the end of the process.

However, I kept going through the tears, long hours, feelings of defeat, and some sleepless nights. I finally received my accreditation. I completed the process before time and received a handwritten note from the group of reviewers that noted they appreciated my work’s excellence.

I was surprised, relieved, and realized that it was all worth it! I did it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theglobalfemalecivilityleadershipinstitute.org
• Instagram: @female_leadership_institute
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProfessorOnaCMiller
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-ona-c-miller-b7888250
• Other: www.onacmiller.com

Image Credits
Nathan Paul Photography