Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Harris.
Bianca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My company comes from a place of vulnerability and yearning to be heard. By 5 years old I had moved so much buses seemed like home. Constantly on the go never firmly anywhere. When I eventually moved with my grandmother it was almost too late. I was eating to suppress issues that I had faced from the moving, issues with my family and how I was always compared to every other girl that wasn’t me because of my weight. After my grandmother passed it was a void so I filled it with older and violent guys while I was in high school and ultimately I lost a child through miscarriage that occurred with my ex. School which was usually an escape became my prison being teased for not smelling the best because I didn’t always sleep in a home or for not looking the part. I eventually thought I just wanted to not be here anymore mentally or physically. I tried several times to commit suicide it just didn’t seem worth being here but they failed. I tried every drug and nothing worked and I felt that there was no escape from the nightmare. Then I just became angry and mean and resentful and I took it out on anyone I could at times. When I finally graduated from high school after my fourth attempt at the TAKS and then transferring to another school. I went to college not just any college THE GREAT Prairie View A&M University and it was as if I had a clean slate losing all the weight and the baggage that held me down . I also found something that I was missing people who cared a family and the love it entailed. I always felt alone but not anymore I had the Tuckers, some amazing friends, and a hidden gem in college my Aunt Hughes. For the longest time I didn’t realize I needed people but everyone does.
When I left college searching for what the next level was most people said, “When you find your passion, you find the purpose.” Unfortunately, what they do not talk about is the harshness and aggravation that comes with stepping into an unfamiliar lane. That was my story when I went for my masters. I knew that it was always something that I wanted, especially after settling for one degree and a minor. So, I was hurt wanting to prove that I deserved the other degree I stubbornly went for an MBA program. As I sat in class after class, I realized that I was out of place. It truly felt like a job and not something I wanted nor desired. As class winded down and I ended up passing for that semester, but I knew it was something missing the question was what exactly was it. One night I was sitting talking with my best friend about the woes of life. As she flipped through her computer, looking for a master’s program to go into. And it was as if something jumped in me when she said Texas Southern University was offering a new master’s program in communications. I knew at that moment what my next step was. A few days later, I was sitting in my room just trying to think of ideas that interested me in communications after it caught my attention. And I realized all the times I was told to write a book and that there were other people like myself wanting to be heard. It dawned on me Speaks Experience for people like me and at that moment, I knew what was needed. And I went back to school or the basic as others would say with a mission.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, I wish I could say the road to this point has been a straight line. The rocks and thorns I have hit and touched have been quite a lot, but with those disappointments comes revelation. Understanding what is needed not just by you but from others around you. I have learned so much over the course of trial and error even deviating off the course. Learning that just because you are good at everything doesn’t translate to what you are great at. I remember when I wanted to doit all in and used a common phrase its communications. Not understanding that everything can be equated to that field. Being an influencer of young minds has been one of the most rewarding yet draining feats yet. Find people who are where you desire to be and learn from them. Seeking out a mentor to help hone and develop your skills to be a better speaker has been a challenge. The right mentor can take you either to another level or keep you stagnant. It made me question my ability as a person just wanting to touch lives and make an impact. And yet it still gives me the strength I need to continue my journey. Having a company and trying to establish why people should listen or what makes you the expert in that particular field has also been challenge. But wise words from my uncle, he said: “when you know the players you know how to play the game.” It’s about finding your groove and working until you master it. Those words have been a constant reflection of how I do everything especially when I am unsure. With every fall, there is always a way to rise above negativity, anger, depression, self-doubt, and unexpected letdowns.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Speaks Experience – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We want to empower the youth and bridge gaps between the older generation and today’s. We are seeing history repeat itself in society and across all outlets and platforms. By putting on charity events and going into the schools directly affected by the decisions that are made we look to create a space for them to be who they are. As a company, the biggest accomplishment we are proud of is two rather one. The first being when we started, most wanted to support in any way possible. It is necessary that the mission we put out is understood and can be a way to unify everyone on common ground. People trusted our company enough to be the lead on very important topics. I have worked with some amazing people and organizations from The Women Of AT&T to Texas Diversity Council to even the YMCA, that when we do events that pertain to the culture and communities surrounding, they want to help. We are not just a company that talks about the issues we want to be apart of the change for the next generation. The second is the first annual turkey drive that we started. At first, it was just a pop up just to do something in the area, and it quickly became more with the hashtag #100turkeys #100families drive in my old neighborhood. The amount of support was overwhelming, to say the least. It started as an idea and quickly became a reality people giving time and sowing seeds back into the lives of so many of the youth and giving hope to the parents. Thanksgiving celebrates coming together of different minds across all generations and loving one another. It’s not about what you believe but rather the idea of caring for each regardless as one. We as a whole, don’t care to be recognized but to know that we made an impact. The foundation of this company is to recognize others and to shine lights on the voiceless and meaningful issues in the community. As a result of this amazing event we have several charity affairs from a Step Show assisting Domestic Violence survivors to Charity basketball game with proceeds going towards giving toys to the children.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that we are all connected to one another. There is someone who knows a person you need in any situation. The people are warm and kind compared to most places. The social scene that you can immerse yourself in is one of diversity and charm. Everyone has their own passion and mission, and we are free to let those creative juices shine past even our own expectations. We are so driven by the people around each of us, and we push each other to be the best us possible in whatever way that looks. I feel in the city at the same time; it is a glass ceiling when it comes to the level of greatness one can achieve. The way we push people that we are unfamiliar with is the same way we should push for those in our own backyards who are on the frontlines. We are so conditioned sometimes to what we see. In other cities like New York or LA, there are no limits to the amount of growth that can be had and unfortunately when you are starting in a place where it seems to have so many who want that recognition it can be hard to know the right direction for you and your company. Finding that in itself is a journey. Staying focused on what your foundation and platform is will ultimately be the reason you either will make it or fold. There will be people and entities that try to change your path but stay firm in that. It is the only way to put a stamp on who you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.speaksexperience.com
- Phone: 832-303-1938
- Email: speaksexperience@gmail.com
- Instagram: speaks_experience
- Facebook: SpeaksExperience
- Twitter: Speaksexperienc
Image Credit:
James Salone
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
