Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Harris.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Honestly, how I got to where I am today is by nothing but the grace of God. He has given me many gifts and in every season of my life, when I wasn’t sure of what to do or how to do it, God has made a way out of no way every time and I am forever grateful. To make a long story short, I have always been involved in the arts; singing, dancing, acting, writing music, modeling, you name it, I have either done it or will soon do it. I was blessed to be able to attend The Booker T. Washington High School for The Performing and Visual Arts where I was in the dance cluster while performing in plays outside of school locally in Dallas. Although I was afforded many opportunities in the arts, I always knew that I was destined to be more than a performer. I knew my purpose had to be bigger than just my elevation, but the elevation of others and my dream shifted from wanting to be center stage to emphasizing how I could connect and empower people from the stage.
My sophomore year in college was a year of massive transformation from heartbreak, depression, and the untimely passing of my Aunt Belinda. That summer, because I am a theatre major, I attended a theatre workshop that opened the door for me to uncover and heal pain like never before. It was a wakeup call for me and in the Fall of 2017, I decided to create my YouTube Channel, MissHeatherHarris. The purpose of my channel is to create a space where people who are in search of guidance, inspiration, and good laugh or two, can come and receive encouragement to start pouring into themselves spiritually, emotionally/mentally, physically, and creatively on a regular basis. I have recognized that it is of the utmost importance that as young people, we begin to heal our broken places now so that we will not carry the pain of our past with us well into our 40s and 50s.
In most cases when a young person is experiencing pain or heartbreak because we are young, we are told to “keep living” or “that ain’t nothing” or “life goes on, you’ll get over it.” And although those statements may be true, many do not teach us HOW to keep living or HOW to properly get over something, just that we will eventually. Unfortunately, that is not conducive to our growth and in some cases may result in young people self-medicating, self- harming, lashing out or finding themselves in an even worse situation than before. Small cracks of brokenness can create massive shatters later on in life.
After watching too many of my loved ones struggle to find their way back to wholeness and coming to terms with my own pain, I knew there had to be a better way to finding true healing instead of super gluing the pieces together with substances or temporary happiness. So, I decided that I wanted to inspire young people to start having those tough conversations by sharing my testimony and tools that I have learned (and am still learning) that have helped me on my way. I emphasize that life is a journey, not a race, so no matter how many we may get knocked down, we always come back stronger and better than ever.
I never thought my platform would evolve into what it has become today; where people come to me for spiritual guidance and the core of my channel be centralized on my faith in God. Even though it was never my intention, it has brought me so much joy to be able to connect with people who want to be better and form a deeper relationship with God. By starting the conversation, I have opened the door for believers to get closer to Him and those who may not believe to start healing and living more intentionally.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not in the least. Acceptance from my peers was a big part of my struggle. I have always been the odd one out of my group of friends and I used to feel a lot of shame for being or wanting different. When I say different, I mean I didn’t have a wild or adventurous side in high school and didn’t participate in many things my friends did. Sometimes it would be because of the protection of my parents, or me not having the desire to want to but later it was due to isolation that was the result of a toxic and possessive relationship that ended horribly. But God will take your situation and make it work for your good if you trust Him in the midst of your storm. I learned a lot about myself during those seasons of my life; who I wanted to be and what I didn’t want in my life. I guess you could say that I was like a caterpillar who was growing into a beautiful butterfly but people could only see the cocoon and not what God was creating in it.
I will definitely say that even with all of that I have been in my own way. We can be our worst critics and I will admit I have been. The same shame I spoke about feeling earlier, grew into fear that silenced my voice for some time and ultimately kept me from creating my channel. I was always worried that my channel wouldn’t be well received or that people would say I was being judgmental or other negative things. Ultimately, I allowed the thought of what people “might” say keep me from speaking my truth and creating a space for serious topics to be discussed. But I let God take the wheel and here we are. I don’t have all the answers nor do I claim to but I will keep having these tough conversations on my channel to find them. I decided that I would rather take the chance of being ridiculed or ignored by 9 in order to change the life of 1.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the MissHeatherHarris story. Tell us more about the business.
So I am a YouTuber or Influencer as my generation likes to call it but I feel like so much more than that. I am known for many things, acting being one of them because I am currently getting a degree in Theatre with a specialization in Acting. What I am becoming known for is my videos where I bring light to tough topics that are affecting us, young adults, today while bringing people to deepen their faith in God and in themselves.
I am most proud of the fact that my channel has unintentionally become like my own ministry. Yes, you will see the occasional vlog but overall I found that in discussing certain topics, God and my faith has always shown up in some way. And yes, I am discussing living life in college, how I’ve questioned God, being in a toxic relationship, and being transparent about my journey. But my prayer before I film or upload a video is that people see Him through me and that whether those who watch believe or not, they leave my channel with a better outlook on life that inspires them to do the work necessary to begin their healing process.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
YouTube and Social Media are always ever changing but I definitely see them shifting from the usual beauty blogger. Instagram model, etc. to highlighting other aspects of life such as family, faith, business, and investing. Showing people how to better elevate themselves in ways aside from makeup or flat tummy tea yunno? That shift will also come because those who are currently in the limelight will begin to shift their focus, thus shifting ours. We see it with Facebook and Jada Pinkett- Smith’s The Red Table Talk. She is now using her platform to get her audience to have their own discussions about important topics such as sexual abuse and drug addiction. We even see it with Beyonce; we’ve gone from Single Ladies to turning lemons of adultery into Lemonade. They are encouraging people to address/release their pain and live fully in their truths because that is where the power lies!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/c/MissHeatherHarris
- Email: miss.heatherharris@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_heatherlynnn_/
Image Credit:
Christian Herrera, Prxnce Nduka
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