Meet Chandrika D. Phea | Best-Selling Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chandrika D. Phea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chandrika, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is, in essence, to reach out for and, perhaps, hold danger. This definition inspires the question, “What was I thinking, getting on a plane with a one-way ticket to San Diego, intending to train for a few weeks with people I’d never met, preparing to teach Chinese college students while, not owning a passport?!” That was the epitome of danger and it positively revolutionized my entire life.

The first substantial risk I took was that of enrolling into an HBCU with little to no support. Fast forward several years, it’d be difficult to celebrate the success of my recently released and risky bestselling memoir, “Lord, I Don’t Want to Die a Christian…,” without reflecting back on the day I left home for college. It seems that I reached out for danger once, long before crossing the ocean to live abroad, with each impactful accomplishment linked to its predecessor.

The fear of risk taking could be minimized if you only have to take one. My life is proof that reaching out for danger one time, perpetually opens doors assigned to that initial grasp, if you just keeping holding on to it.

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.
As I mentioned earlier, I am the author of the bestselling book, “Lord, I Don’t Want to Die a Christian…” and it is what I am most proud at this point in my life. I am excited about the doors it is opening to enjoy authentic conversation around the sentiment. The title and much of its content seems to be shared by many who have read it. Lots of us have been thinking the same but it took courage to announce it in the form of a book.

Conviction is how I got to where I am professionally and it wasn’t easy. I found myself choosing conviction over relationships and that was tough. But to ignore the conviction and burden to write my book might have caused much more personal discontentment. So, I wrote and published the book at the “risk” of losing connection with some of my favorite people.

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?
Absolutely! Below is a week’s worth of itinerary and I hope it is helpful.
Monday: Red Top Mountain State Park for a hike and picnic at the water. Tuesday: Meet and greet in the line of a Slutty Vegan Restaurant
Wednesday: A trip the GA Aquarium and brunch at Thumbs Up
Thursday: A Pine Mountain hike and dinner at Mercy’s Jamaican Kitchen
Friday: A bike ride on the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, Al Riverwalk and pizza at Your Pie on Broadway while enjoying a weekend concert on Broadway in Uptown Columbus.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’d like to shout out my parents and little sisters…the Phea family, they are consistent. Mrs. Wilma Wamble and Mrs. Kathy Lassiter, who were my elementary and high school teachers in Oklahoma City. I’ll never forget them and their impact on my life. Shout out to Bishop Carlton Pearson, whose book found me when my international teaching assignment expired. My experience of life, God, and people had expanded before my return to the States from China, and Bishop Pearson’s work offered to me a peace in knowing I wasn’t alone.

Website: https://chandrikadphea.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandrikadphea/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandrika-d-phea-6a41133a/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChandrikaPhea

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandrika.phea/

Image Credits
Photographer: Andy Buckmire Photographer: DStewy DSoul