Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Veronica Clanton-Higgins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Veronica , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Initially, I started out doing business coaching and non-profit support. I was working on my Doctorate in Social Work, and often found myself in situations where individuals were reaching out to me for a different form of support: life coaching and professional development. I never forget my first client was the sister of a friend. She reached out to me to help her sister work through a difficult life stage. I was able to connect her to resources and help her with her self-esteem. After this experience, I had an ah-ha moment where I realized that I could help people become the best version of themselves through life coaching! I started offering Life Coaching & Personal Development services and things took off from there!

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.

Of Course! I am Veronica Clanton-Higgins. I am mental health consultant, socio-emotional wellness expert, mental health professional, certified life coach. and founder of the Compton Wellness Collective. I am a proud native of Compton, CA. I do my best to address the disparities in mental health care for black and brown communities. I earned my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California and I am currently pursuing her Ph D in Clinical Sexology.

I founded my business, VCH Prosperity Consulting, in 2016. After I pivoted from business coaching, I began focusing on life coaching, social-emotional wellness programming, and mental health consulting for organizations and businesses. I have been on the mission to ‘heal the hood’ through offering wellness workshops and social emotional group programing. I also consult with organizations and businesses to provide professional development for their staff on how to work with the community and themselves. In order to provide more services to more people I created the social impact initiative, Compton Wellness Collective, a conglomerate of healers working together to activate change in underserved communities.

Growing up in Compton, I witnessed a lot of individuals who were impacted by the lack of quality mental health care and socio-emotional wellness resources. This in turn had a ripple effect on interpersonal interactions at the community level, creating an environment of discord. I became a mental health professional in order to disrupt this cycle, so that individuals from underserved communities, such as Compton, are provided the opportunity to thrive. Everything I create has a community approach to it and is always culturally relevant. I believe in the collective approach to mental health/socio-emotional wellness. I remember the way my nervous responded to growing up in the hood. I had to teach my body and mind how to not operate in survival mode, which is what I teach those I work with.

I am most proud of the being able to give the community what I felt I needed as a child…an opportunity to grow and thrive.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity, relatability, creditability. Authenticity is about being true to yourself. This is the trait that helped me build trust and rapport with my community. I often share personal stories or experiences that reflect my authenticity. I discovered that by being open and honest about my journey, including my successes and failures, that I have been able to connect with people. I am always open to answer questions and offer resources, which I feel helped me to build credibility. I am also a lifelong learner, so I make sure to continue researching, learning, adjusting, and refining my skills and knowledge.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Being humble!!! Being humble really sets the tone and makes people more willing to listen and engage. Leave your ego at the door. Ego prevents you from being able to be attuned to the needs of the organization, community, or your individual clients. So, allowing yourself to be humble keeps you grounded and focused on the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prosperwithvch.com
• Instagram: prosper_vch
• Facebook: VCH Prosperity Consulting
• Linkedin: vchprosperityconsult
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@veechiggins5863