Meet Leah Huggins | Author, Non-Profit Consultant & Servant Leader

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

Hi Leah, how do you think about risk?
Risk-taking is an interesting thing. When you are serious about making a plan work, risk-taking doesn’t seem so risky. I remember when I quit my job to volunteer. People thought I was crazy, and at one point I thought so too, but it was worth it and opened many other doors. Now when I think of taking a risk I always remind myself that the reward will be greater than the risk and then I take the leap of faith.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Getting where I am today was quite a journey and I am continually learning about myself in the process. My parents always said I was an obedient child. In this obedience, I was afraid to follow my passions and often did what was expected. Most times, this left me unfulfilled and frustrated. When I finally started speaking up, I went really hard against the grain, which yielded the same results as being obedient. I had to learn how to honor and receive advice from others, while still doing what worked best for me. I needed to learn to eat the meat and spit out the bones. This caused me to seek help from a Spiritual Life Coach who talked with me and helped me see things through the spiritual and natural lens. It was then that I paid attention to my gift of encouraging, empowering, motivating, and inspiring others. People would always tell me I did this, but I never paid it much attention because it came so naturally. Embracing this about myself led me to many fulfulfilling careers including serving at a homeless shelter, writing a book, becoming a grant writer, and even enrolling in seminary.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m all about self-care, so we would begin by getting a massage. I often visit Treat Your Feet for a massage and foot rub. The massage is good, but the foot rub is heavenly! At some point in the trip, we would have to visit Sweet Samba, the Howell Mill or Alpharetta location for facials, although they offer many other services and the estheticians are knowledgeable and amazing. Then we would grab something to eat from Sunshine Jamaican Restaurant in Stone Mountain. From there we will do some shopping and get ready for a night of dancing at Buckhead Saloon. The Like Glue Fridays when they play reggae, soca, afrobeat, and dancehall is a real vibe. They can’t come to Atlanta without visiting some of the historic sites. On Sunday, we would attend service at The C4 Church in Peachtree Corners and grab brunch from someplace along the way. Then we would probably take a Sunday nap because we are exhausted from the weekend’s activities.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my parents, Leonard and Dearie Huggins…my Pastors, Pastor Ahmad and Pastor Jewel Dawson, Site Pastor Bernard Mkorongo and The C4 Church…my squad, Sharon Ruff, Felicia Brissett, Tasheka Williams, Sindy Howery, Julia Williams, and Audra Hampton…my Spiritual Life Coach, Eddie Sheffield.