An Interview With Maria Angelova
Don’t limit yourself: You are a superb bring. Someone somewhere needs to hear your story.
It feels most comfortable to stick with what we are familiar with. But anyone who has achieved great success will tell you that true growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. What are some ways that influential people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to grow both personally and professionally? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. LaKisha James.
Dr. LaKisha James is an international bestselling author, mentor, global speaker, event host, corporate event planner and set designer. She is the recipient of the 2019 CEO on the Rise award and 2021 Global Leadership Award. She is the 2021 Marquis Who’s Who in America recipient and 2022 Marquis Who’s Who of Professional Women recipient.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up in a single parent household. My father and mother divorced when I was young. My mother remarried and divorced. After that, my mother worked 2 jobs to make our lives comfortable. I am the middle child. I have an older sister and younger brother (he passed the day before Mother’s Day 2021). My younger brother and older sister always had a bond but me…I was the black sheep. I always knew I was different, even at a young age. I was always a loner and continue to be that way. I excelled in school. I was a popular girl school. Everything came easy to me. I was a straight “A” student, and I was involved in extra-curricular activities.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Everyone has a story. What’s yours? Everyone has a story that has or will impact them in their life. It could be a negative or positive impact. Believe me, it will impact you. That doesn’t mean your past will define your future. My life journey has really humbled me. From the beginning until now. I don’t regret what I have encountered. I say if I had to go through it again, I would. My trials and tribulations have equipped me for life’s journey. God has given me everything I need to be successful, and I will not let him down.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I was on a podcast in 2022. It was called The Ultimate Life. On that podcast, I was able to see how I had grown as a woman and as a professional. Many times, we don’t see the growth in ourselves. I was able to talk about a few circumstances that happened in my life. As I began to talk about them, I continued to heal. When you start to talk about anything that you experienced that was traumatic in your life, you start to heal, and you will help others do the same. Growing through is essential in life.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does “getting outside of your comfort zone” mean?
Getting out of a familiar position, situation, territory, or circumstance that hinders growth.
Can you help articulate a few reasons why it is important to get out of your comfort zone?
Oh my! Where do I start? You will never grow. You will never know your full potential. In life we must get out of our own way. It is just like working in your business. We as professionals must give up control. If we don’t remove ourselves out of our businesses or in life situations, we will continue to be staggered. Who wants to feel stuck? I sure don’t. Been there and done that. I do not want to revisit that place. Take that leap, stretch yourself and leave that familiar place that does not challenge you, makes you feel powerless and that keeps you sheltered. Staying in your comfort zone will limit you. Who wants limits???
Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Can you explain what you mean?
I will say this. No, you will not. You may feel like you are but no. You will feel unsatisfied. You will be hungry for more but just don’t know how to get there. You will not feel challenged, nor will you want to engage in anything new. Your comfort zones allow you to think you’re confident but you’re not.
Can you share some anecdotes from your personal experience? Can you share a story about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow? How does it feel to take those first difficult steps?
Stepping out my comfort zone allowed me to see myself. I stepped into my greater. Sure, I was afraid but if I was not afraid to experience, I would not be where I am today. I can remember my first time speaking. My God! I was afraid. I had never spoken on a platform before. Not to mention all the people that would be watching. My mind was telling me this was not familiar. You will freeze up. I would think, how would people view me? What would I say? From that moment, I created an alter ego. When I speak, I become another person. A person that knows my craft, expertise. Heck, people come to see me not the other way around. I learned to embrace where I am and stepping out of my comfort zone allowed me to be here…sharing.
Here is the central question of our discussion. What are your “five ways to push past your comfort zone, to grow both personally and professionally”?
- Don’t limit yourself: You are a superb bring. Someone somewhere needs to hear your story.
- Affirm your life: say affirmations at least 3 times a day. You will be amazed at the person you see in the mirror will not be the same person you see in 3 months.
- Experience new things: You will never know what new feels like until you try it. You got this!!
- Take a risk: What is something you have thought about doing for a long time. What is on your bucket list?
- Pray: God will guide you. You will need to be sensitive and pay attention.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that keep someone from pushing out of their comfort zone?
Being afraid, being content, worried about what people will think and listening to that voice in your head.
There is a well-known quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “Do something that scares you every day”. What exactly does this mean to you? Is there inherent value in doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, even if it does not relate to personal or professional growth? For example, if one is uncomfortable about walking alone at night should they purposely push themselves to do it often for the sake of going beyond their comfort zone? Can you please explain what you mean?
Oh my! That quote is so true. You will never know who you are if you do not push yourself. I believe God created all of us for a special purpose. I don’t want to leave this earth knowing I did not push myself to my greater self nor did I not surround myself with individuals that allowed me to learn from them. There is a saying, never be the smartest person in a room. If you are, get in another room. We all have some people in our circles we can learn from.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would inspire the “be true to yourself” movement. I feel a lot of us can be a bit hard on ourselves. We all are unique beings. Once we realize our true potential and learn how to be our authentic self, there would be no stopping us.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why?
Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Oprah Winfrey. She is Oprah Winfrey. Enough said.
How can our readers follow you online?
FB: Dr LaKisha James
LinkedIn: Dr. LaKisha James
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Dr LaKisha James On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone to Grow Both Personally and Professionally was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.