Speaker 1: 0:30

So my name is Angel Diggs. I'm a life coach. I go by the name of A Diggs the coach. Some people call me the coach. So I have over 25 years of experience and I'm counseling, mentor, community services, mental health advocate, also helping out my community, helping out youth and young adult women.

Speaker 2: 0:54

I love that. Now give me a little bit of a background about yourself and how you got started in your industry, and I'd also like to know the type of, I guess, issues that people are having that they're coming to you for to help them better their lives.

Speaker 1: 1:11

Yeah, so a little background about myself. I grew up. I kind of felt alone. I was bullied a lot as a kid. I didn't have a lot of resources, I didn't have anyone to look up to. I'm also a young tame mom, mom so I didn't have a lot of resources and I kind of had to figure out a lot of things on my own.

Speaker 1: 1:38

I was actually going down like a dark path at a point in my life where it was like I had to provide for my daughter. I had to try to figure out a way, you know, to do things on my own. And I ran into a lady who took me under her wing and kind of showed me different avenues and different ways, because she saw my potential before I saw my potential as a young person. I knew kind of what I had, what it took to be a voice for somebody else who was going through a similar situation. However, you know, getting under my mentor and her showing me different things and unlocking and helping me to unlock those key factors inside of me and getting to know what I needed to do, it kind of inspired me and put me on a path to that. Okay, you know what I already know what I'm supposed to do. There are other people who are going to do similar things like me and they need to be able to have outlet and be able to come out and have access to resources and better their life as well. So I knew that it all started with me changing my mindset for me to be able to help somebody else change their mindset. So, in addition to me getting in different programs and collaborating with youth advocates and services in the community and things like that, it kind of guided me to the type of people that I needed to connect with and the type of people that I need to help and provide resources from. So that just deepened my passion even more to be like you know what I changed my life.

Speaker 1: 3:29

You know and I know what I came from and I know what resources and things that I needed, what I came from and I know what resources and things that I needed. And I know it's other people that need those things too, so let me stand in the gap to be able to help them. So that's what I do, yeah, and every day is not easy, but it's definitely worth it, especially when I know that I can help a family. I know I can help a young woman, I know I can help a young man who are going through certain challenges and they don't know where to go. So that's one of my main motivations is just to be an advocate for those who definitely need somebody to lean on, because we all do. We all do, even myself. Like I said, I've been in this industry for over 20 years, but there are still some times where I have to learn on my coaches and you know I have to call my mentor. So, um, I also want to be there for someone else.

Speaker 2: 4:28

Yeah, absolutely yeah. And I mean, just because you're a coach doesn't mean that you don't go through those things right, everybody needs their coach. Even therapists need their own therapist. Oh yeah, yes, definitely, absolutely. And I'd like to ask you a little bit about what the journey's been like. I understand from what you told me that you were, I guess, bullied, which I'm so sorry to hear, that I always just sympathize, because I know it's not an easy thing, just sympathize because I know it's not an easy thing. How did you finally decide that you wanted to, I guess, change your mindset from all the things that maybe you experienced negatively in school and what empowered you? Because sometimes that can be something very hard to overcome and just hard to get over. It's hard, and when people are mean to you, that stuff sticks right.

Speaker 1: 5:19

Right, right. So I'm glad that you asked that, because I do face a lot of those questions, you know that comes to me from the youth and also from other women you know who have grown up in those challenging situations and have to face that every day and, like you said, it's not easy to get over. So what I've learned is that we have to be like you know what I need help. That was my main problem, you know, coming up, because when people bully you or when you're getting abused and things like that, we tend to isolate ourselves because we feel that, hey, we're the only ones. That's going through this, right? So it's like I don't have no way to go. I'm going to continue this cycle, right? So at some point you have to decide okay, am I going to continue to get bullied or am I going to look for a way out, right? So it comes a breaking point where we hit a wall. Right, and for me, mine was I kind of turned to violence, right? No, I'm not encouraging this for anyone, but I'm just telling my story so that I can inspire someone else to let you know that there is a way out, right?

Speaker 1: 6:33

So in my situation, not only was I going through bullying, I was also being abused at the same time, right, and I really was alone. So, in order for me, I felt like nobody could see what was going on with me. So I started to fight back, right. So I started fighting people getting locked up, things like that nature turn to drinking, turn to doing drugs, you know, trying to clear my mind. And one day I was like you know what? This is it, this is it. There's no reason for me to be here Now, even though I just explained to you earlier that I knew I had a deeper purpose, right. But at some point you start feeling like, okay, is my purpose to continue to get bullied, continue to be, you know, pressured by what life is bringing on or what, right? So I hit this stage. I'm like you know what? This is it, this is it.

Speaker 1: 7:30

And in my situation, I was like, look, something got to change today. Even I might look for somebody to help me, or I'm just going to end it all. So I had to actually sit down and think you know what? It's something better for me. I have a purpose here. So I had to make up in my mind that you know what, what am I going to do.

Speaker 1: 7:52

I didn't seek help, not just because I didn't know there was help out there, I just didn't seek it because I thought I wasn't worth it. So then I had to start realizing you know what I'm worth all good things, so at least you know before I turn to another path, let me see if there's sunshine at the end of this tunnel, and thankfully for me, I was able to find them. Well, the mentor found me. You know it was just took a lot of crying. It took a lot of yeah, you know I had some makeup in my mind that I'm willing to accept help.

Speaker 1: 8:28

No, because that's a big thing as well too, because we tend to think that we don't have help, so we're not going to look for right. But if we change the way we're looking at the situation and say, okay, you know what, maybe there is someone out there that can help me, let me try this out first. Yeah, and we have to be open. So, absolutely so. That's one of the things that saved me.

Speaker 1: 8:52

I opened up soul to be able to accept help, and that made a huge impact in the trajectory of my future. It showed me that there is another way, other than violence other than drugs, other than alcohol, which was also becoming overwhelming, because it's only so much you can drink, only so much you know drugs that you could do before You're destroying your life. Yes, so now you're becoming your own enemy, along with the other people that are, you know, putting that against you. So I had to make a decision Am I going to continue to let all of those factors hold me down and bring me down and make me feel down, or am I going to turn that around and start using that positivity or using my story to help other people who are going down those similar paths? So I chose To turn that around. Yes, use all my hurt and everything that I've been through as life lessons to teach somebody else To help others yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:59

People that I've met, you know growing up, or people that I've, you know, encountered, or people that I continue to encounter, who are suffering and suffering inside. Yeah, so I'm here, you know, and I've made myself. I've not only opened myself up to receive help, but I've opened myself up to give help and be a light to someone else.

Speaker 2: 10:22

Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. Like it's, it's so hard overcoming things and then let alone helping other people. Like that's. That's incredible, despite what you've been through and the fact that you wanted to turn it around and change. You've been through and the fact that you wanted to turn it around and change and I'm glad that you had that coach or mentor there to help guide you and help you to start to heal. So thank you for sharing that.

Speaker 1: 10:44

Oh, no problem, Thank you for listening.

Speaker 2: 10:47

Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 10:47

Yeah, you know and there's still times where you know, I've course developed different programs and mechanisms, you know, along with the help of my coach, and then also, you know, with my own training and you know background and degrees. I've developed my own program as well. But it gives me hope that, you know, if I could just reach one person, then they could reach another person and then we all can build up someday. There's so much stuff going on in this world. I want to at least be some type of positive. I can't change everything, but what I can help and what I can change, I want to be able to do it Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 11:32

I think you're on the right path for that. So yeah, I'd like to talk about your book.

Speaker 1: 11:36

If you wanted to just show us, oh yeah, so this is my latest book that I have coming up, so it is available now. It goes with my program culture program that I have, which is the Coach Foods 70 Days to Success. So my book is actually an addition, it's a workbook to their program and it's also you can use the book aside of taking the program, and it gives you it's kind of a guide for 30 days to level up. Now in this book it gives you key points, 30 key points in 30 days that you would use, and they're little, simple steps that will help you open up your mind and be able to, you know, get on that path of um self-development and self-improvement.

Speaker 1: 12:24

Yeah, building up your own self-esteem to get you back, because that's what I'm about as well, you know, getting to you, because if we don't have you, then you can't contribute to everybody else's positive. So you know that's what I'm about. First, how can we help you out to get your mindset where you want it to be and help you achieve your goals so that you can be a staple in helping other people. Yes, so that's pretty much what this book is about and I'm really encouraging everyone who's watching, listening, to go ahead and purchase it off of my link tree, so it's that link tree, slash Nick Ainge and that's N-I-K-K-A-I-N-G-E, so that book is available there as well. As you know, if you would like to join my program because I am going to be started back in March, okay, so I will be having the sign-up dates coming up for that to join the new course.

Speaker 2: 13:28

Okay For that so I love that. And what made you want to start this book? Like I know, you've had a lot of ideas and you help people um through your sessions, but what made you want to just take everything and put it in a book?

Speaker 1: 13:40

yeah, so actually this is not my first book but this is one you know of three that I have out right now. But what made me put this one out? Um, in addition to the the course, is that um, it's easy to go ahead and be like okay, I'm a teacher, I'm a, this is this and this is that and that and that, but sometimes you have to have hands-on activities, so you know, you need to be able to see.

Speaker 1: 14:05

You need something to change where you can go back in and be like, okay, hey, I have my notes. Let me go back and look at this. Let me write down. You know what it is that I need to do. Let me write down you know what it is that I need to do. Let me see this step by step. And sometimes we go through different stuff where it's like, okay, I have to do this whole big thing all at one time. It's overwhelming.

Speaker 1: 14:26

In this book, yes. So what I did was I kind of simplified it so that you could say, okay, hey, this day, if I could just tackle this this day, if I could tackle this that day. So everything is kind of spread out and it gives you a chance to think about, to reflect on okay, what did I do today, what did I learn today? And you can actually see. I have a tracker inside the book where you can actually see your progress for the day. You can see your progress for the week.

Speaker 1: 14:56

So I wanted to make sure that I highlighted that in this book so that, one, you won't feel overwhelmed, yeah. Two, you'll be able to see where you started from and where you are now. Three, you'll be able to actually, at the end of those 30 days, you can see your growth and you'll be able to build from that, yeah. So those were my main points from this book that I wanted my readers and readers to actually get and tackle and say you know what? I can do it. I can do it. It's not overwhelming, it's not something that's beating me down. I have the opportunity to, yeah, yeah, I have the opportunity to.

Speaker 2: 15:36

Yeah, yeah, I love that. I think that's great because sometimes I'll put stuff on my phone and I don't like it because I won't look at it or I'll get distracted. I call me old fashioned, but I do like writing it down on a notebook. I like writing it down on a piece of paper and having it and being able to physically check it off and physically just see it. Right, because sometimes electronic stuff it just you'll get a notification and then I'm like, oh, you get lazy or you scroll or whatever you know. So I think that's great and the fact that you put it into a book so people can look back and see, like everything that they've accomplished and how they started and how they ended up and how maybe they need another book so they can accomplish it.

Speaker 2: 16:16

So I think that is wonderful. I like that. It's almost like a diary journal too, because sometimes I'll throw away my checklist, but it's good to have it together to see like I never thought I was going to accomplish that. I kept putting it off, I procrastinated, but look, I did that and I did more. So I think that is a brilliant idea.

Speaker 1: 16:36

And a lot of people probably find a lot of benefit to having that. Thank you, and seeing also what I was thinking about is, when I created the program, I was like you know what A lot of people are into their electronics nowadays, so when they sign up for the program, I also have this guide available for the participants in the program. But you don't have to be in the program to get the book. So say, if you just wanted to purchase the book, you're able to just purchase the book, but if you sign up for the program, you would get the book inside of the program. Okay, yeah.

Speaker 2: 17:08

I love it. What have been some of the most memorable or meaningful impacts that you were able to have in certain people's lives?

Speaker 1: 17:19

There's so many that I can't even you can't pick a favorite. I can't pick a favorite, but I will say this looking at it overall, I never thought that you know this kid from. You know this kid from you know what seems to be nowhere.

Speaker 1: 17:41

You know what seems to be um, underclass, as the society will call it you know, not having the finances to have name brand stuff or be popular or have people that care about me, I never, never, would have thought that, you know, I would be able to touch so many people's lives. But being able to actually be out in the community, be able to help. You know, my clients and customers and different people that I run into like that come to me and I don't even know them.

Speaker 1: 18:11

They just say they're drawn to me and I'll be able to say something and it impacts their lives and all of that they draw to me and I'll be able to say something yeah, it impacts their lives and all of that is meaningful to me because now I can use what I've been through to help them out. And they don't even know why they were drawn to me, but now their life has changed. Yeah, I've inspired someone. And that means so much to me because it's like wow, you know, one lady I met a couple of years ago.

Speaker 1: 18:42

I was on the metro and I don't know what it was, but I was drawn to her. You know, I spoke to her and said hello and she said can I sit by you? So she sat next to me and we just was talking. She just told me her life story, you know, and I talked to her and I gave her a little inspiration and motivation and she, before she got off the bus, she said you know what, thank you, man, I didn't get your name, but thank you so much. She said today I was going to kill myself, oh my gosh. And I was like what? No, like, no.

Speaker 1: 19:14

I have so much going for you now. But she said, just by you talking to me like you gave me hope and you gave me you know, inspiration and she, like you know, but I can make it, oh, that is so. So that, definitely like it shocked me because I'm like wow.

Speaker 2: 19:35

Just by listening and talking to people you know.

Speaker 1: 19:37

So it's like just for me being able to have that type of impact on somebody's life. You know to, to show them, you know, what it ain't over it's not over.

Speaker 2: 19:50

So you know, I really feel good about that yeah, no, absolutely that is crazy, like that is incredible. And then, um, where do you hope to be in the next five years with your business and personally?

Speaker 1: 20:04

Um. So right now, um, I do have a show, um, a podcast show called Ask the Coach, and that is, aside from um, my life coaching business. Um, so with that show, I do have room for people to come on to tell their stories. Also, guests and audience or whoever sends questions to me to have them answered on the show. I'm also a motivational speaker, a woman speaker, so I speak at different conferences. Speaker, so I speak at different conferences.

Speaker 1: 20:38

So what I see, um in the future is being able to expand, you know, possibly globally, be able to touch more people's lives, inspire more people and just, you know, letting people know hey, it's okay, you know, no matter what the world looks like, no matter, you know what someone else tries to put on you or things like that, and they should guess what we in this together. Yes, you know, and if the person standing beside you is not with you, I'm here. I might not be right beside you, but I'm here. Somebody that you could watch, somebody that you can listen to, someone who won't lead you down the wrong path. So that's where I see myself in the future being able to actually touch different households. Touch you, touch women, touch men, inspire people to do better. You know and let them know you can do better.

Speaker 2: 21:25

I love that Because I did it.

Speaker 1: 21:26

Yeah, and you can too. You know, and I'm very transparent. I believe in authenticity, you know, because I can't expect somebody to listen to me and take my advice if I don't take my own advice. So you know, I'm really, you know, open about certain things, because I'm not perfect.

Speaker 1: 21:49

A lot of people you know, a lot of coaches, a lot of speakers, a lot of motivational speakers and things like that that I've encountered or seen or worked with, you know, they have this type of facade where it's like, hey, I don't have no problems, nothing is going on. I'm, I'm picture perfect, and they expect people that come to them. They feel like they have to live up to a certain standard with me. I don't have any standards for you. This is your life. You know what I'm saying. However, I'm here to help you Because we all need help and I'm not perfect, and I let my clients know I'm not perfect either, and what I know and what I've learned and what I've experienced and what I've studied, guess what. I'm here to help you learn the same thing, so that you can do that for your life as well. Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 22:42

Well said, I love it, thank you. Is there anything maybe that I have not touched on that you want to share, whether it's about yourself, your book, your industry?

Speaker 1: 22:54

I just. I mean, I feel like we pretty much shared a lot today. Like I don't want to take too much time, sharing you know a lot about the industry, but I do want to share and make sure that I you know, emphasize and reiterate that you are important, you know you are valuable.

Speaker 1: 23:14

Time is valuable and I'm not just talking about you, I'm talking about whoever no, real talk about me, please, just kidding whoever this show may impact, or whoever you know I'm talking to right now because and I say that genuinely, because I was someone who thought that my time was valuable or I wasn't worth anything, or, you know, this is all I have in life. But I'm here to inspire you and to let you know, guess, what you can do. Whatever you want to do, you know you are valuable, you are important and your contribution to this world matters. But it's up to you to take a hold of those reins and be like you know. But this is what I want to do, whether it be positively or negatively.

Speaker 1: 24:01

Yeah, you know, at the end of the day, ultimately we make the choice, you know, and if we not going to give up which I encourage you not to then you got to go all the way. Yep, you know you have to make a decision to say, hey, guess what? Let me try. Help, I've tried this, I tried that, I tried that. What else can I try? No, don't stop trying. And I say that to say I don't know how many people have seen, um, the old Lonely Tunes with Wile E Coyote. Are you familiar with Wile E Coyote? And Are you familiar with Wile E Coyote in the road.

Speaker 2: 24:35

Wile E Coyote. Yes, in the road, meet me yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:37

So I love him because, like a lot of people that were on the bait, always was against him because he was trying to get the road runner.

Speaker 2: 24:46

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:46

But what I like so much about Wile E Coyote is the fact that he never gave up.

Speaker 2: 24:51

No, he did not.

Speaker 1: 24:55

He never gave up. Despite all the stuff he went through, it's like he ain't got blown up.

Speaker 2: 24:56

He didn't get burned Fell off cliffs.

Speaker 1: 24:59

He didn't do everything, but guess what? He never gave up?

Speaker 2: 25:02

He sure didn't he kept coming back.

Speaker 1: 25:04

He kept coming back, and that's what I want to inspire you guys to do. You know, no matter how low you are, no matter how you're feeling and I'm not going to say how low you are, let me say how low you're feeling- Because, you're not really low. No, you think. You think that you're low, yeah, or the circumstances around you are making you feel like you're low. Just get you out of there. You know what I'm saying, but I just want to say keep getting up, keep trying.

Speaker 2: 25:30

That's so beautiful. I never thought of it like that.

Speaker 1: 25:33

Eventually, guess what You're going to get the prize, you're going to get the gold. You're going to be where you need to be. Yes, you know, and if you give up, you get nothing, exactly, you know, except for the tears that you cried, the hurt that you've been through, you know all of that will be in vain. You know, yeah, all of that would be in vain, you know. So that's all I pretty much had to say, and I hope that touches someone.

Speaker 2: 25:57

Yeah, no, thank you so much. And I realized that I got caught up in, like your story and like the things you went through and the things you've been able to accomplish that I totally forgot to ask you about marketing. And before we end, I would like to ask you, like, what have you found is working, um, with marketing for you, or what isn't working? Are you an avid social media user? What do you like to do?

Speaker 1: 26:19

so, um, usually, well, I'm just now getting really into the social media thing, so I don't have as many followers yet. Yeah, hopefully that'll change. Yeah, um, you know, everyone starts somewhere, but usually I'm like in the community, like outside.

Speaker 2: 26:35

You're more in person connections.

Speaker 1: 26:37

Usually I was outside, and you know, meeting people, meeting people, and it's been working out great and I've been able to touch people locally, you know, and be able to help those lives. But now, like I told you earlier, I'm trying to reach more people and you know impact, because I've realized it's bigger than my community, it's bigger than me.

Speaker 1: 26:57

It's bigger than you. You know what I'm saying and it's a lot of people that need to hear my story. They need to hear other people's story, which is another inspiration for my show, which is why I've opened it up the way that I have, because there are people that are afraid to be able to. You know, hey, I don't feel safe to be able to say this. So I don't feel safe to be able to say that, so I create that space. Yeah, you know, no judgment, anything like that.

Speaker 1: 27:22

So, um, it's, it's moving along like I'm getting a lot of um feedback from that. I'm positive, and I do have some people that's like hey, wait, you the cross, and I, but guess what? That's's like hey, wait, you're crossing out, but guess what? That's not going to stop me from doing what I need to do to help other people, because that's what the main goal is. So, um, I'm working on building that up. Um, right now.

Speaker 1: 27:45

Yeah, um, I'm still good in the community, everything, but, like I said, I'm trying to expand with that. So, again, I'm trying to expand with that. So, again, I'm marketing my books more. I'm putting them out more in my program so that I can have people from other areas, connect with people from here, and you know it may be someone in Tennessee that connects with somebody from North Carolina, you know, and things like that. I'm finding that I'm able to get those connections and you know, it's definitely meant a lot to me, and not only to me but to them. Yeah, so I'm just going to keep going. No, I love it, I'm just going to keep going as you should.

Speaker 2: 28:22

You should keep going.

Speaker 1: 28:23

So look out for my name, to hear my name more often.

Speaker 2: 28:26

That's right. One more time when can people find you?

Speaker 1: 28:36

Where can people listen to your, your show? Yes, so people can find me. At now, I'm on Facebook and I'm on Instagram. I do have two pages one for my coaching, which is A-D-I-G-G-S-T-H-E-C-O-A-C-H. That's for my coaching business, and you can find me on Instagram and Facebook. And then for my show. I have a fan page for the show and I'm actually building that up and that's called Ask the Coach and that's A-S-K-C-H-E-C-O-A-H. So that's on Facebook and Instagram. Okay, it's Ask the Coach 21 on Instagram.

Speaker 1: 29:11

Okay, and then, yeah, just going from there, people can email me their questions or concerns, or if they would like to tell their story or be a guest on the show, they can email me at AskTheCoach21 at gmailcom and just put in the subject line. You know, if you have a question, make sure you put your question in. If you want your question featured on the show, you can also, you know, indicate that when you have a question, make sure you put your question in. Um, if you want your question featured on the show, you can also, you know, indicate that when you ask the question, or if you just want to answer, you know on the page, because I do just answer the question on the page or I'll pull it into the show. So you know it depends on what they. You know the person wants to send it in there. Um, if they want to tell their story, just make sure that you let me know and I'm here I'm here.

Speaker 1: 29:56

If you're looking for a coach, you can also um email me on that same page and just um let me know wonderful.

Speaker 2: 30:05

Thank you so much for being a guest on our show today and for sharing your experiences, your wisdom and the things that you've gone through. We really appreciate you taking the time to be here.

Speaker 1: 30:15

Oh, thank you, no problem, I appreciate you. Of course, like I said, thanks for having me, thanks for allowing me to be able to share my story and, you know, reach someone else and inspire someone else, so thank you.

Speaker 2: 30:27

Absolutely, thank you.