PRO CONNECT
Photography by Porter Loves
"I coach and write to cultivate change through daily growth and personal development. It’s all for the purpose of unleashing your true potential, whether you are looking to grow yourself or grow in your business."—Anita Russell, MEd, CPLC
Anita is committed to doing BIG things—building community, inspiring change and giving back. She is the founder and principal of The Place to SOAR, a social enterprise dedicated to cultivating change through daily growth and personal development. To SOAR is to step out and redesign, to disrupt limiting beliefs and empower deep self-knowledge to get unstuck in life. She is a woman God, international bestselling author, life coach, and speaker. She believes strongly in the power of stories as a means of self discovery, teaching, and learning.
Anita received the Certified Professional Life Coach designation from the Certified Life Coach Institute. She is a John Maxwell Team Certified Coach and member of the International Coach Federation. She holds Master's in Educational Leadership from Capella University and resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
“While not ignoring harsh realities of life in America, Russell is relentlessly optimistic about herself, God, and her readers, and she writes in a relatable, motivational tone indicative of a seasoned life coach.”
– Kirkus Reviews
A professional life coach blends her story with tips for others seeking self-improvement.
As an author of multiple self-help books, regional vice president for the U.S. Coalition of Black Women Businesses, self-made entrepreneur, and scientist, Russell is clearly very successful. In this book, she blends memoir with self-help as she guides others toward achieving their own dreams. With an emphasis on “vertically digging” within oneself (as opposed to “horizontally” amassing a list of “résumé-defined experiences” and qualifications that may not even lead to self-fulfillment), Russell’s signature “SOAR” concept encourages readers to “Step Out and Redesign” their lives on their own terms. Autobiographical sections range from inspirational, e.g., she describes her successful career in leadership, research, and development for a major pharmaceutical company, to relatable, such as when she faced financial difficulties that threatened to cut short her daughter’s senior year of college. As a devout Christian, the author’s personal story and advice lean heavily on the importance of faith and prayer. She cites God’s direct intervention in her own life, and Bible verses and inspirational quotes from religious figures occur throughout. Written during the 2020 protests against racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death, the book does not shy away from issues of racism. The author notes her own experiences with prejudice and her resistance to corporate and societal “back-of-the-line expectations” that threatened to turn her into a “powerless, unrecognizable version” of herself. While not ignoring harsh realities of life in America, Russell is relentlessly optimistic about herself, God, and her readers, and she writes in a relatable, motivational tone indicative of a seasoned life coach. Charts, tables, and catchy acronyms abound and reinforce her strategies to “nurture, grow, and empower your life.” While self-empowerment rhetoric may be a bit heavy-handed for some, and the fervent Christian messages may alienate others, no one can deny the inspiration led by example in Russell’s own life.
A detailed, uplifting, if idealistic, approach toward finding fulfillment in life.
Pub Date: March 23, 2021
Page count: 151pp
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2021
Favorite author
Dr. Maya Angelou
Favorite book
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Favorite word
STUPID - Super Talented Unique Person In Development
Unexpected skill or talent
Coaching for personal transformation
Exclusive Interview with Anita D Russell by Dendy Media, 2021
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