Meet Dr. Avis

We recently connected with Dr. Avis and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Avis, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe that I garnered my work ethic from my upbringing. Growing up in a foster home taught me the value of believing in yourself and understanding that you were put here for a purpose…that is much bigger than you. When I realized that I was responsible for how my life turns out, despite how it began, it was then that I developed the mindset of always work hard, and play later. I am my own competition.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Currently I serve as an assistant principal of a high school. I have been in education for almost 20 years and have served in various leadership roles. I LOVE EDUCATION. I believe that it literally saved my life. As an educator, I believe that it’s important that we all remain life-long learners. The more you know, the more change you can create. Knowledge is more than power.

I believe that I will always educate in some capacity, but I feel that my gift lies in empowerment speaking. For the past 6 years, I have shared my story through speech. On the stage (no matter what that looks like) is where I find the most freedom. To be able to inspire someone is powerful and it’s something I truly aim to do. Where you come from does not determine where you are going! I will one day travel the world and speak! www.dravisfoley.com

I love to write! I have authored two books (Blue and Inevitable) and I am in the process of working on producing my latest novel, Inevitable, into a film. Writing is my religion. I love to create stories with characters that people can really identify with. I edu-tain when I write. Not only will the plot be dope, you will learn something in the process. www.inevitablethebook.com

I HAVE A STORY TO TELL. Ultimately I believe that I am going to end up in the entertainment business. Wherever I land, I will serve.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I believe that having resilience, managing my confidence, and having a commitment to excellence have been the most impactful qualities that I have maintained on my journey thus far. No matter what it is that you want in life you are going to have to practice resilience. Resilience gives you the courage to keep going even when you don’t want to go or grow. It is necessary to the process. Managing my confidence- meaning staying true to who I am and knowing that I can do whatever I put my mind to- helps me move forward with NO FEAR. Even if I do fail, I fail forward. My commitment to excellence is top-notch. I try to be excellent in all that I do. In my opinion excellence is a way of life that I intentionally embrace. I will always strive to be the better version of myself.

If you are early in your journey, I would like to offer 3 nuggets of wisdom that have helped me tremendously along the way.

1. Check your circle. Make sure that those you surround yourself with add value to your life. Your crew should support you and genuinely have your best interest at heart. Be wary of the company you keep because they are a reflection of who you are or who you want to be.

2. Stay in your lane. Your gift and skillset is unique. There is only one you- so be the BEST! There is no need to compare or compete with anyone (but yourself). You were set apart!!!

3. Believe in you. It does NOT MATTER if no one else believes. There are no limitations!

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I think that the most impactful thing that my mom did for me was to place me in the foster care system. Growing up under these challenging circumstances helped me understand who I ultimately wanted to become.

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Image Credits
Blair Devereaux

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