Meet Dr. Heather Hetheru Miller | Personal Change Coach, Activist and Village Elder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Heather Hetheru Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Heather Hetheru, what do you want people to remember about you?
As I reflect over my life’s journey, I have often thought about what I want my legacy to be. The 3 life lessons I want to share that I believe best represent the legacy I want to leave includes positive examples of 1) living my purpose; 2) cultivating my family for generational impact 3) and leave the world better than I found it. I want people to remember that I stood up for what I believed and I served my family and community with passion and love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career has been a collection of 5 pathways reaching more than 20,000 individuals and businesses, that includes workforce, community, business, economic and personal development of people from birth to 94 and the many spaces they work, play, worship, learn, love and become. This work is how I became a Personal Change Coach. Embedded into my work as a Personal Change Coach are a myriad of roles including facilitator, writer, director, leader, advocate, trainer, evaluator, union officer, coordinator, consultant, mentor, strategic planner, program planner, policy and procedures developer and many other roles and tasks. I help guide ordinary people to extraordinary lives by coaching them into a new mindset and helping them see their strengths and unique gifts from an inspired perspective. Whether groups, teams, leadership and/or individuals the process is much the same— person-centered. I am most proud that I have the capacity to take the lessons, knowledge, skills and experience from my journey to build a unique tapestry of success for myself and others. There are 3 distinct practices that set me apart from others; my commitment to a person-centered approach, my commitment to living a purpose-driven life, and the ways I apply my gifts, tools and abilities. It is because of these practices that I am a Personal Change Coach and have been called on to serve in leadership in my family and our larger communities as a village elder, board member and consultant for a number of other enterprises.
The journey was not easy facing racism, agism, and sexism also bridging the gap between what a person knows and what they need to know to reach their next level. It was essential to continue to use wisdom, inner guidance and retooling to stay relevant and innovative. Also coaching various demographics of people in various spaces and seasons of life has not be easy but is deeply rewarding. Our shared journey reveals that many who may not always know their value because of their education, history, physical and mental challenges and even their skills and knowledge have access to level of success because we continue reimagine who we are. Drawing out the strengths already in them, whether business, team or individual has been my focus and ultimately I approach each opportunity knowing that together our tasks will be achieved. What I have learned about people throughout my journey is the various levels of resilience, insecurity, talent and bandwidth each individual has to tap into to draw out their personal power.
I want the world to know that “Your Inspired Journey” is a real truth and it is our business to help others recognize and explore it. We are a part of an amazing journey to uncover how we are all connected and make real impact in the world. Everyone we touch has unlimited opportunity to have an inspired journey and to inspire someone else on the journey. There are inspired ideas, inspired solutions, inspired outcomes, inspired books, inspired purpose, inspired relationships; there is inspiration everywhere! We guide ordinary people into extra ordinary lives!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever, we would have an eclectic itinerary of the 3C’s; Culture, Creativity, Communion. Culture would take us through a tour of both Detroit Culture and our African-American Heritage. We would visit places within 1 hour drive of and within Detroit. Museums and Galleries are high on the list (Detroit Historic Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum, DIA – Norwest Gallery, N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Cranbrook, Fox theatre, Lions, Pistons, Tigers Sports Plex/tours, Dabls Bead Museum, Shrine of the Black Madonna); Creativity (Breakfast Club where artists reveal their works, Podcast Studio, Wayne State, TechTown, Fisher building, Henry Ford Museum, GM Renaissance Building, Painting with a Twist, Detroit A Bloom; women’s events, a concert at the Aretha, my brothers farm, my friends horse stables, Spicers Orchard); Communion (would start with food and fellowship –best burger spot – Sonny’s Burgers, best BBQ – Nunn’s BBQ, best home cooked breakfast Mary’s Grill; healthy choices – Cooking With Q, tea & fellowship Java House, a taste of Turkey Grill -turkey wing, Crab House – Alfredo, lamb chops, ribtips, bbq smoked wings, Bucharist- grilled chicken Swarma, chill spots like Cred Café Speak Easy, Brix Winery, Detroit Rosa -music/comedy -One-Mic, music Berts – Thursday nights, Bloom Transformation Center, Gabriel Rishard Park, Belle Isle Garden, Belle Isle Aquarium Botanical Gardens, Hart Plaza, Eastern Market, Avenue of Fashion). We would include an electric scooter ride on Dequindre cut, mobile peddle bar, Qline.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who have contributed to my life’s journey beginning with my parents but the first awareness in meaningful living came from a poem often credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson but written by Bessie Anderson Stanley, “What is Success?” It gave me permission to appreciate the small things in life that had value regardless of the amount of money a person had. Secondly, Fannie Lou Hamer’s courage, vision, perseverance and strength as an activist has left an indelible mark on my ideas of what I (and other women) are capable of accomplishing and what our impact on change when our voices are heard. Lastly, women like Ma’at Seba, Crystal L. Gunn, Roseann Graves, mentors Patricia Dockery and Pamela Moore, who demonstrates industry experience, knowledge and confidence while moving an entire city into a new paradigm of women’s empowerment, training, development and advocacy.

Website: https://www.yourinspiredjourney.com

Instagram: inspired_journey1

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherhetherumiller/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.miller.16752754

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@heatherhetherumiller-perso739/featured

Image Credits
Ashley Nichole Photography; Kahn Santori Photography