Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angel Beloved . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Angel , 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?
There are various places where I would say my work ethic comes from, but I will start by saying it was established at a very young age. For the first few years of my life, I was raised by my grandparents, and
so every day I would see how hard they worked, especially my grandma. She was an immigrant from
Puerto Rico, and so the idea of having the American dream was something that she and my grandpa
both longed for, and they gave everything they had to try and obtain it. My grandma would take care of
everything around the house all while raising me, and my grandfather worked in the Cracker Jack’s
factory during the week and was a pastor on the weekends. Despite their endless efforts to make the
American dream happen for us, we lived teetering on the line of poverty for years. Then, when I was
around 6 years old, my grandmother was no longer able to take care of me and I was placed in the
foster care system, where I was sent to live in an orphanage. In the orphanage they had us all on strict
schedules to teach us discipline and how to take care of ourselves. We were expected to make our beds
every morning, do assigned chores, and maintain proper hygiene habits. It was a bit much for a young
kid, but it instilled a sense of organization and functioning that I still operate on to this day. I was
eventually, and fortunately, adopted by my parents, Phil and Liz. They were surprised to see that I
already had such a work ethic established at my young age, and they continued to encourage that
strength of mine by giving me opportunities to do chores and earn an allowance from it. They nurtured
my work ethic in lots of ways as I continued to get older, and that flowed over into my professional life
once I started having jobs. I’m very fortunate that my work ethic was established as consistently as it
was throughout my young years, because it is something now that I am so thankful for, and that I see a
lot of my peers still trying to develop. I truly am thankful that I am where I am today.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up in Chicago, and there I was always surrounded by the arts, so I developed a passion for the arts from a young age. I dabbled in a little bit of everything – acting, playing instruments, dancing,
painting, writing, etc. You name it, I probably tried it at some point. I was fortunate in the fact that my
artistic interests and passions were always encouraged. My parents were both very artistic as well, and
always included me in the world of the arts as they understood it. I remember it being so present in so
many ways. We were always playing music around the house, I would dance, and put on little plays for
them where I would have costumes and make my own little sets and everything. They would watch
everyone, and always had positive things to say about my creativity. Because of this passion that was
cultivated from a young age, the arts are also where I most frequently build connections and
relationships with people. I love seeing what other people can create, what they can do, and what has
their heart. It’s so inspiring, and it drives me to become more aware of the world. You learn so much
about people from what they create. Plus, you know, growing up in Chicago, that is such an artistic
space to exist as well. So, I was truly born and raised in the arts in a way. When it comes to the
professional side of things, the arts are present there as well, but I will explain that more in a moment.
For decades, I have been in youth work, and started down that path when I was thirteen and got my first
job as a camp counselor. There was something about being in that orphanage when I was younger and
seeing that there were safe adults who actually cared about what happened to me and didn’t just see
me as a way to earn their paycheck, that ingrained in me the idea that I wanted to get into youth work
myself. I wanted to be a person who made youth feel seen, cared for, and safe. Because having those
mentors who cared for me, loved on me, and looked after me made me who I am today. Chicago always
had that influence of mentorship, and positive adult men who were examples of positive masculinity.
So, I got into youth work to be like those mentors to other young people. Then, about 10 years ago, I got
the opportunity to work with youth who were experiencing homelessness, and it was so incredibly
humbling. I stayed doing that work for about 8 years. There are so many young people out there who
are being discarded, disregarded, given up on, and who are going through just horrendous things that no
one deserves to go through. So having the opportunity to come alongside them, and to be someone
they allowed into their small bubbles of trust, was truly a humbling thing to experience. I found I had a
gift for working with these young people, and for building relationships with them. It reignited my
passion in a whole new way. Now, I work with youth in different, more artistic contexts. I teach them
how to utilize various technologies to pursue their artistic ambitions and passions. It provides me the
opportunity to consult with them in a creative way, and to combine my two passions.
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 first thing that comes to mind is resilience. Building a sense of resilience is so important. There have been various times in my life where I wanted to give up, and where I experienced suicidal ideations. But
once I started addressing my trauma and began healing, it made me a whole different person and gave
me my power back. I hadn’t even realized that I felt so powerless until I began working on healing. So,
gaining that resilience through changing my mindset and learning to ask for help, truly was a game
changer and was so empowering. We are not here on earth meant to do things alone. We are meant to
have community. Resilience may sound like something that is rooted in taking on the world alone, but I
think it actually means just the opposite. Next, I would say learning about other people’s cultures, lived
experiences, realities, and perspectives. This can be done where you live, in cities all across America, or
by going to different countries. Doing this will open your eyes to who you are and where your place is in
the world. Plus, having an understanding of how other people live versus how we live here in America
helps you keep everything in perspective too. It helps you become so grateful for things you may
otherwise take for granted. Lastly, I would say having an open mind is so vital. It doesn’t help anyone for
someone to be stuck in their ways. You need to want to keep learning, evolving, trying new things, and
figuring out where you fit in this vast world. If people aren’t sure how to incorporate these pieces of
advice into their own lives though, or who are early on in their own journeys, I would say just don’t give
up. Do research, ask questions, find community, and build confidence. And I know that saying “build
confidence” sounds abstract, but what I mean by that is that the more you show up in whatever it is that
you want to learn, and not doubting yourself in it, and not listening to other people who are doubting
you, you will build a strong sense of self that will become unshakeable. Being grounded in who you are
as a person is life changing in a way that will pleasantly surprise you.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Hands down, my parents are who I have to thank for everything. Phil and Liz did so much research when they adopted me. They really embraced figuring out how to love me so authentically and sincerely. They
encouraged me to love myself and to embrace myself in a world that told me I should hate myself. I
would be young and saying things like “I wish I had white skin, blue eyes, blonde hair” etc., and my mom
would respond by saying, “no, you have beautiful brown skin, you have beautiful brown eyes, and
beautiful brown curly hair”. Doing these kinds of things helped me learn to love myself in a world that
wants BIPOC to hate the way they look. My parents also made sure to put me in therapy at a young age,
which of course, as a teen, I hated and didn’t understand, but now I am so thankful they did that. They
also made sure to establish a steady routine around the house, so as to create a sense of predictability
and stability for me, which was huge for someone who had experienced abandonment and trauma from
the time they were born. On top of that, they always encouraged me to follow my passions instead of
directing me in one way or another. They never tried telling me what my passions should be, or what I
should do as I got older. They encouraged my creativity but also ensured I was still well-rounded. I
struggled a lot in school especially with math and reading. My parents were so patient with it. They
would sit at the table with me and help me with my homework for hours, even when I would get
frustrated and go off, they would help calm me down, reassure me, and we would continue on. Them
doing that was so invaluable. It would have been easy for them to just want to give up on this kid who
wasn’t their blood, you know? But they love me so much, and they always found a way to support me.
Even as I got older, when the challenges shifted from being academic to being more serious and even
life threatening, they handled it all with love, grace, and accountability. I never doubted that they loved
me, even when they were doing things I didn’t like to hold me accountable for my actions. They saved
me in various senses of the word, and I wouldn’t be who I am, or where I am today without them.
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