We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Reginald Howard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Reginald below.
Reginald, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
I published my first book in 2018. It was the first thing I ever did entrepreneur wise. I heard about a service online with older gentlemen who helped other authors published their book. I took my rent money and gave him the deposit because I thought I was betting on myself. Keep in mind that I was a father of 2 sons and engaged to be married. Long story short he stole the money and I never heard from him again. Luckily, I expressed my concerns online and old coworker that I hadn’t talk to in 10 years gave me the money because he believed in everything that I was doing. But I still didn’t know what to do with the money. Luckily, I met someone online who was also invested in me as an individual and she said she would publish my book for free as long as I sent her customers. It should me that what the universe has planned for you, no one cant stop. The whole story in it’s entirety can be found on my podcast here. https://youtu.be/0TFPYj9jqBU
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Reginald A. Howard is a multiple suicide attempt survivor turned mental health activist. He captured much of his early life in his self-published book entitled; Suffering into Success: A Paradigm Shift Of Struggle To Achieve Happiness. Reggie’s dedication to healing provoked him to start the Black Mental Health Podcast which currently has 80,000 downloads and earned media attention from the Philadelphia Tribune, Women’s Health Magazine, and various other media outlets.
Reginald joined Black Men Heal as the Senior Program Coordinator in 2020, after first entering the organization through its inaugural cohort. Reg’s commitment to seeing improvement in the health care system led him to become a Community Consultant with the Collaborative Opportunities to Advance Community Health (COACH) Trauma-Informed Healing – Centered Practices Advisory Group from the Health Care Improvement Foundation.
His passion for mental health earned credentials from the Pennsylvania Certification Board as a Community Health Worker and Certified Peer Specialist. He serves on many boards including the board of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Drexel University and the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Reginald’s emotionally connecting journey has been captured in many presentations including the City of Philadelphia, Rotary Clubs, Philadelphia Prison System Training Academy, the Philadelphia Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Training and multiple engagements with the School District of Philadelphia. He currently attends Drexel University with the intention of becoming a Psychiatrist in the future. Reg puts the motivation into Mental Health so that it can be the focal point of today’s conversation. He uses his life experiences to ignite, inspire and empower others to prioritize their mental health.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Consistency. Once I started my journey I haven’t stopped and pivoted to something else. It’s all been fruit from the same tree for the past 5 years. I actually just go deeper into my niche and provide value on another level.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I was in a major car accident in December 2018, that could’ve shifted my career. I broke my leg, had to learn how to walk again and lost all sources of income. I had just begun speaking, podcasting and published my first book. It shook me up but it made me put life in perspective and not take life for granted because it could be gone in an instance. I detailed the car accident story here : https://youtu.be/0bzt0cf6gv0
Contact Info:
- Website: https://reginaldahoward.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reginaldahoward/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reginaldahoward/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldahoward
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReginaldAHoward
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RoRdLUiPeh7Yr26MC113g
- Other: Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/black-mental-health-podcast/id1394583671?mt=2 https://www.tiktok.com/@reginaldahoward Looking to start the conversation about Mental Health in your school, business or organization? Bring Reg in to come speak. For more information: https://reginaldahoward.com/speaking/