Meet Mildred J. Mills

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mildred J. Mills and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mildred J., what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is authenticity paired with consistency. Every project I create is grounded in lived experience and guided by a clear mission: to tell meaningful stories that educate, heal, and inspire. Audiences respond to honesty, especially when I approach difficult subjects with integrity and purpose.

Equally important is my commitment to showing up consistently—whether through writing, speaking, or creative production—while maintaining high standards of quality and intention. That combination of truth, discipline, and purpose has allowed my brand to grow organically and resonate across diverse audiences.

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 an artist/creative, my career reflects a unique blend of corporate leadership and creative purpose. After a successful, decades-long career in information technology and executive leadership, I transitioned into storytelling as a full-time creative, bringing discipline, strategy, and structure to my artistic work.

Today, I am an author, speaker, and podcaster whose work centers on resilience, justice, and personal transformation. I have published my memoir, am working on a children’s book, and speak nationally on issues related to trauma, family impact, and overcoming adversity. Each creative endeavor is intentional—designed not only to engage audiences, but to inform, heal, and inspire meaningful change.

This intersection of business acumen and artistic expression allows me to approach creativity with both heart and strategy, ensuring my work is impactful, sustainable, and purpose-driven. My previous collaborations with book clubs, librarians, and business leaders highlight my ability to connect with diverse audiences and stakeholders.

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?
If my best friend came from Sacramento to visit me in Atlanta, I would be filled with gratitude and focused on making her feel deeply loved and at home. Much of our time would be spent high above the city in the calm of my high-rise condo—laughing, resting, and simply being together.

I would stock the kitchen with all her favorite foods and prepare a classic Southern meal—fried chicken or smothered pork chops, collard greens, cornbread dressing, candied yams, and banana pudding—filling the space with warmth and comfort. She’d sit at the counter reciting poetry while I cooked, savoring the intimacy of the moment, even though we’re usually quite health-conscious.

As lifelong creatives, we’d binge classic black-and-white films like Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Raisin in the Sun, and Lilies of the Field. Between movies, we’d reflect on college days, raising families, surviving divorce, finding love again, and growing older together.

There would be tears—for legendary artists we’ve lost, for our parents, and for the people who shaped us—and just as much laughter as we reminisced about pageants, modeling, and the carefree girls we once were.

On our final evening, I’d host an intimate happy hour with friends from my building—artists, professionals, and community leaders—over wine and cheese. We’d end the week holding each other, shedding happy tears, and parting with full hearts, already looking forward to the next reunion.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I cannot stand on a stage or before an audience without acknowledging the hand my late parents, Abraham Billups & Mildred J Billups, had in guiding my path. I am grateful for their unwavering support and values, which help me inspire the audience to reflect on their own roots. My success would not be possible without the firm foundation of hard work, discipline, structure, and faith that they laid for me during my childhood. I will forever owe them a debt of gratitude.

Although it was not on my mind to write a book at the time, I will never forget the pride I felt when I read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings at eighteen. That book inspired me to see my Own voice as valid and powerful, encouraging others to speak openly about both life’s beauty and its struggles. It helps me to remind the audience of the strength found in honesty and self-expression.

Website: http://mildredjmmills.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mildredjmills/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mildred.j.mills

Other: https://sites.libsyn.com/455796

Image Credits
Lelund Durond Thompson, photographer.