Meet Adelia Johnson | Social Worker, Business Owner, and Event Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adelia Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adelia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Atlanta, Georgia, a true Georgia Peach and Grady Baby. I was raised in the heart of Atlanta off Simpson Road until the passing of my grandfather. My entire family resided in less than a 10-mile radius of one another. I was raised with my family being my village. I remember growing up with my two older brothers riding our bikes up and down the street we lived on, I remember walking to my aunt’s house after school and hanging out with my cousins, and I remember visiting my elderly neighbor across the street and having tea parties. My background and upbringing have so many wonderful memories that helped shape me into the woman I am today. It also has some that weren’t so wonderful that helped build my character and shape my worldview. While I remember the fun times, I remember when my oldest brother picked my middle brother and me up from elementary school and he was held at gunpoint. The person said that if my brother moved he would blow me and my brother’s brains out. I remember playing in our front yard and a car came down the street at high speeds, hitting a stop sign, going through the church parking lot next door, and stopping in a tree in our yard. Some teenagers had stolen a car and jumped out. I remember my grandfather getting ill, being hospitalized, and then dying. His passing away marked a shift in our family because it was then that my family and I relocated to Decatur, GA.

When we moved to Decatur, GA I was blessed to live in the home with my mother, my two brothers, my two uncles, and my grandmother. My entire family relocated to Decatur and again, my family was within a 15-mile radius of each other. After the tragedy of losing my grandfather, my family seemed to be coming together again. Within a year, the family home that we finally began to settle in, caught fire and we had to move to my aunt’s house who lived one street over. Our home was rebuilt within a year and we were able to move back in. Our neighbors had pulled together and supported us during this time of rebuilding. In gratitude, my grandmother would cook pots of collard greens and cornbread and have me deliver them to the neighbor’s houses. I watched how my grandmother would help the single mothers in the neighborhood by babysitting their children. I remember going to our great-grandmother’s home during the holidays and seeing my family laugh, reminisce, and love each other.

All of the aforementioned wasn’t randomly shared. I intentionally shared what I did because this explains why I became a Social Worker who helps address barriers that impact the lives of children. It explains why I’m so supportive of those I love. It explains why I try to love from a genuine and pure place. It explains why I show kindness because you don’t know the stories of others and how close to the edge they are. It explains why I express gratitude to those who have shown kindness toward me. It explains why I host the #SisterHypeSquadInternational, an event that celebrates the wins of women and encourages women in their losses. The person I am today was built through love, family, and overcoming adversity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work as a Social Worker and the owner of I Am My Morning Coffee sets me apart from others because both hats allow me to genuinely care for others. I don’t just support others in their wins, I support and encourage them when they are in a low or losing place. The truth is that we don’t broadcast the losses, but I understand how the losses make the wins even more special. The reason I am where I am today is because I am called to answer a problem. Being a Social Worker answers the problem of young people not having safe spaces to just be. I Am My Morning Coffee challenges people to be the best versions of themselves. I want the world to know that I understand that I’ve been called to be a vault for people who need safe spaces to be vulnerable. I do this work through both of the hats I wear.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A fun and exciting week-long trip would of course include steak! I would find the best dining and make sure my friend has a wonderful dining experience. I would make sure my friend visits some venues that host local musical artists and we will visit a few museums in the city. Atlanta is known for its festivals, so I would make sure that was on the agenda as well. On Sunday though, I’m going to show them a great time a Spirit and Truth Church!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been so fortunate and blessed to have amazing people who have supported me to this place of my life. My family first and foremost deserves a shout-out because of how they nurtured and challenged me.

If I start naming people, I may begin getting in trouble because I’ve been blessed with so many wonderful people, lol, but I will name a few people who came in right at the turn of my life.

Mr. Kayvon Sledge is the one who recommended me as a School Social Worker. He supported me on a journey of understanding that my intervention could mean the life or death of a child. My role as a Social Worker is important and he helped me to understand that it isn’t to be taken lightly.

Pastor Mark Moore, Jr., the Senior Pastor of Spirit and Truth Church has supported my entrepreneurship endeavors. Every opportunity that was available to support my business, I Am My Morning Coffee, he would do so. He has provided resources such as The Young Leaders Conference, Leadership Summits, and virtual resources that have led my business to new levels. I have also matured spiritually through his sermons and guidance, and this has prepared me for this part of my life.

The Leadership and congregation at Spirit and Truth Church have stood in the gap for me through prayer, guidance, and support.

Iris Jeffrey, my dear friend, has mentored me on my financial journey and has helped me create a budget and stick with it.

My son, AJ, has encouraged me by being a good son. He’s kind, he speaks words of positivity to me, and he helps keep me focused.

I have a host of friends who have held me up in my time of need. They are superstars and I’m beyond blessed and honored to know them.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammymorningcoffee/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammymorningcoffee/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQj1cf4I28GdddsgNpFny7g

Image Credits
Brandon Rashad gets credit for me in the Pink and White and the Burgandy holding my hand up. Kevin James gets credit for all of the photos of me in the Red dress.