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Hidden Gems: Meet Althea Bates of A Bates Consuting

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Althea Bates. Them and their team share their story with us below:

What makes Althea, Althea? She is a woman who has the ability to walk into a room and command  the attention of those in that space. Dr Bates has an essence, it’s a mix of tomboy ‘tude with the ability to be a girly-girl, sprinkled with more than a dash of (non-arrogant) nonchalance. Today she can truly say how she got to where she is today , both personally and professionally is the god given boldness (godfidence) to not listen to the naysayers and to secure her bag by pulling out all her gifts, talents, skills and abilities and using them to encourage and empower others especially other women as well as collaborating as opposed to competing with other women.   Dr Bates currently operates as the CEO and Founder of A. Bates Consulting and The “I Am Dr Bates” Brand which provides a range of training , coaching and leadership related consulting services relative to topics and areas in resiliency/wellness coaching, motivational speaking, youth development, case management, workforce development and human services practices.
In August of 2016, Althea launched and founded The Project Resiliency Movement, LLC and kicked it off with the #Resilience Conference in 2016 which hosted over 250 women of all backgrounds supporting each other through workshop and interactive activities while women embraced the fact that they don’t always have to be strong. This conference opened the path for a 2nd conference entitled Destination Resiliency which inspired the writing of “Destination Resiliency: A Self-Care Planner and Guide (2017) which has reached over 300 people since its initial printing. The theme for both events came from Dr. Althea Bates belief that “we can as women of color uplift each other consistently, because supporting my sister in her time of need provides healing and resiliency to both of us.” As these women empowerment programs continued to enhance those around her and the connections to women she gained seemed to evolve, Project Resiliency was born. Project Resiliency has become a social movement that seeks to encourage and empower women of color in areas of self-care and resilience related to mental, physical and emotional health while providing connectivity and support to other women of color through resilience circles (organic meetups in a local park), conferences, workshops and summer seminars. This also highlighted that women wanted to remain connected for longer than just the moment.
In watching, relationships bloom in others motivated Althea’s own desire to write her own stories; to heal others, as she healed herself. Althea Webber-Bates continued her work as an author & co-authoring book projects including: Favor in Failure (2018); Life Balance for the Women on the Rise (2017) and Soaring into Greatness (2017) as well as Brokenness, Baggage and Blessings (2018). In finding her voice and owning her journey she also found in herself the gift of presenting high energy messages that takes the audience through her own personal journey and the purpose she found as she built her Resiliency. Throughout her years as a motivational speaker and author Althea relates to teens, adults and corporations alike inspiring and motivating them to begin the process of healing through empowerment.
Today Althea seeks to facilitate personal and professional growth while motivating her audience to find their resilience personally and professionally using their narratives to facilitate the path to success. While inspiring others professionally she hopes to be inspiring the ones she loves the most: her son Zyaan and daughter. As a Consultant, Author, Resiliency/Wellness Coach, Motivational Speaker/Trainer, Image Consultant and thought leader in the area of girls and women she understands the varying areas of personal development that many struggle with including fear, lack of confidence, lack of self-esteem etc. One thing that she has come to understand in the work she does especially with women and young girls is that we are all linked to one another and our connection to one another brings forth healing, growth and resiliency. Dr. Bates not only encourages the women she works with to take this guided journey of self-discovery but she challenges them to invite someone else in their inner circle to take it with them because in doing so you become accountable to someone else in committing to your own exploration, self-discovery to bring about its manifestation to ultimately discovering the favor of your secret sauce within the failure of the experiences that groomed, shaped and molded you.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Brokenness, Baggage, and Blessings (the title of her autobiography) has served as the backdrop for her life story. A story of happiness, hurt, growth, pain, anger, fear, boldness, and most of all resiliency. A life documented, lived, and survived. She deems herself a survivor. Bates has not only survived she describes “I have thrived on my journey to becoming Althea Webber Bates. I am still learning and being molded into the best version of myself. I am sharing what I have learned so far on the journey to becoming me in the hopes that I may inspire someone else.”

Bates states “Failure was in my DNA so to speak I was born into a situation where the odds were already stacked against me.” She describes in detail that in her 43 years of existence “I have survived being a sexual abuse survivor, marrying young, divorced young, being a child out of a wedlock relationship between my mother and father’s affair, teen abortion, bullying, failed dating relationships, struggles in my academics, two broken legs, job lay-off, etc.” She further states “the failure was embedded in me not by messages I received from my household growing up but from my own self-inflicted messages of self-hate, self-doubt and lack of self-esteem.” Mrs. Bates describes “sometimes I feel like I am having an out of body experience when it comes to things I have been through. I mean how does this happen to someone like me, someone with goals, hopes, dreams and a vision for their life end where I did….stuck.” Bates shares “the truth is I was busy trying to appear to have it together hoping no one would suspect that I was failing at that as well.”

The ultimate favor in failure Bates states she gained from examining the various points of “epic fails in my life is that I would not be me without any of these experiences, paths or journeys explored throughout my life. The journey to myself has been on that I would not change because it molded and shaped me into the best version of myself. My favor in failure led to my being an author, my starting my businesses, my working on a doctoral degree, my being a mother, a daughter and one of the things I am most proud that favor in failure to was my Non-Profit Project Resiliency Movement, LLC a social movement go birthed in me to support, encourage and empower women in areas of resiliency and self-care.” She now uses and shares the beauty in her failures with women that she comes in contact with she shares the message of resiliency and self-care with women.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Althea Webber Bates is the Founder and CEO of A. Bates Consulting LLC, a full-service consultancy established in 2006. It offers resiliency and wellness coaching, a youth development component, case management, and workforce development services in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut. With over 18 years of experience in the social services, advocacy, and the nonprofit sector, Dr. Bates now finds herself with multiply disciplines. These include Motivational Speaker, Author, and a champion of women empowerment issues.

Mrs. Bates currently operates as the CEO and Founder of A. Bates Consulting which provides a range of training -related consulting services to nonprofits/municipalities relative to topics and areas in youth development, case management, workforce development and human services practices.

Dr Bates Is A Executive Life Strategist Coach, Health and Wellness Coach, Resiliency Coach, Author, Motivational Speaker, Image Consultant And A Nonprofit Thought Leader in The Areas Of Women Empowerment, Women’s Advocacy, Youth Development and Workforce Development Practices.

She Does It All, Not Only Does She Care About The Rights Of Women She Cares About Their Mental Health, Holistic Healing and Wellness As Well As Them Focusing On Their Own Resilience and Self-Care. She continues to strive to be a change-maker and “the best she can be” and all her endeavors. Dr. Bates is available for speaking engagements, program development, entrepreneurship programs, career skills, life coaching development, and women’s empowerment leadership.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My Mentors throughout my career and life met me in motion,  meaning I was actively pursuing my career and educational goals and shared with each of them what I needed. What worked well for me was a couple of things, first being clear on the goals I wanted to attain and what supports I needed to help me accomplish each goal. In addition, being open to supports on how I could attain my goals, faster, quicker and with less detours. Mentors and networking along my personal and professional journey has definitely allowed me to navigate spaces, be in rooms and sit at tables that I would not otherwise ever be introduced to.

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Image Credits
LMG Photography Fullframe Foto

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