We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Armani Baker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Armani, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
I believe that generosity is essential because it is a pathway to both freedom and happiness. My generosity stems from my faith and family. Throughout my life, I watched my mother give not only to her children but to friends and extended family as well. It is through her acts of kindness that I learned that generosity is not always in the form of money. Generosity can be giving your energy, talents and or time to others. Growing up I would watch my mother strategically plan for everyone’s birthday and or special events. She keeps a planner including details of events so that she can either send a gift, make a phone call or simply say a prayer for someone. These acts of kindness from my mother, have helped mold me into the woman I am now. I am always thinking of ways that I can show up for others in my life.
Through my generosity, I have learned that genuine kindness has the power to transform lives and build trustworthy relationships. Additionally, when I give, it improves not only my mental health but the mental health of the recipient as well. It is a very rewarding feeling to know that you have made someone’s day a little bit better by showing up for them.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My journey started as a little girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago. I absolutely loved watching the news every morning before school as well as watching dramatic films when I got home from school. I say this to say, I always knew that when I grew up, I wanted to tell stories in some kind of way.
Growing up, I grew to have a love for theater. My uncle Terry was an actor, and one day I attended one of his collegiate acting classes at Columbia College Chicago as a 9 year old. I performed a monologue in front of his class and from there the rest is history. I went on to study theater at Chicago High School for the Arts and then received my Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
While I was in college, I still fed my thirst for creativity by studying at Second City and Acting Studio Chicago. I graduated from Second City’s Improv program while still in undergrad. I have performed at The Second City, The Obama White House, Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, Lookingglass Theatre Company, The Manhattan Monologue Slam, The Poetry Foundation, Hyde Park Art Center, and Chicago Cultural Center.
Currently, I serve as a Programming Coordinator at Weigel Broadcasting Co. Working in the world of TV is something I have dreamed about since watching the news every morning before school. What’s special about my role is that I have the ability to contribute to what people are watching everyday on TV. To know that I was once a young viewer dreaming about being in the position that I am in now, just shows the power of having faith and believing in yourself at all times.
In addition to my work as a Programming Coordinator, I serve as both a mentor and Co-Producer of GLMPI Talks, an all-girl talk show curated by Girls Like Me Project. Girls Like Me Project is an organization that is dedicated to mentoring Black girls in the city of Chicago and assisting them with uncovering their digital superpowers through various free programs throughout the year. I absolutely love my role with Girls like Me Project, because I am able to share my knowledge of working in the television industry with ambitious young ladies that look like me. Our documentary GLMPI En Nola, will be available soon.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey are kindness, optimism, and always having a commitment to learn. Leading with kindness will always get you in the right doors with the right people. When I was a little girl, my mother taught me to speak to everyone. It is important to acknowledge people because you never know how a nice smile and a greeting can make their day a little brighter. Being optimistic encourages me to keep going, it does not matter if your plan does not always go the way you intended for it to go. As long as you keep the faith with an optimistic attitude, your goals will be accomplished sometimes when you least expect them to. Lastly, always making time to learn something new will take you a long way. Whether that’s researching someone successful in your field, keeping up with the latest innovations or reading a book. Continuing to be a student will help you get ahead for the rest of your journey.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Currently, I am struggling with balancing my work-life balance. Ever since I was a child, I have always had a very overwhelming schedule as my parents kept me involved in extracurricular activities outside of school. Now as an ambitious woman, I am always looking for ways to grow and level up. However, I am learning that rest is essential to avoid burnout.
Additionally, It is difficult for me to say no to others when they need me to support or show up for them. I am a giver at heart, disappointing others, hurts me just as much as it hurts the recipient. I have. learned that feeling stretched and being exhausted is not beneficial to me or others around me. I am making a conscious habit of making sure that I have time to myself on a weekly basis now. I am enjoying taking naps, walks throughout the neighborhood, watching movies, and taking myself on coffee dates. Being alone, quiets the outside noise and refuels my spirit to be energetically creative and my mind to be at ease.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: armanirekea
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/armanibaker
Image Credits
Tee Media Pose Pics Studio (POSE Photography)
