We’re looking forward to introducing you to Pastor Ricardo Miller. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Pastor Ricardo, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day looks like I start at 5am spending some time in prayer – I found it’s the perfect way to start my day. After that, I brush my teeth and get myself a bottle of water, then I go into my early morning devotion time. I’ve found this to be very, very helpful for starting my day off right. Then I head into exercising, and I’m trying to get that in about five days a week. That’s like a solid start to the day for me!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ricardo Miller, and I have dedicated my life to helping people discover purpose, maximize potential, and live effectively. I am the founder of Effective Living LLC, a life management company built on the principle that faith and practical wisdom go hand in hand. Beyond my work in business, I have the honor of serving as an elected official in the City of Red Oak as City Councilman, Place 3, where I am committed to making a positive difference in our community.
I’m also in the process of launching The Study Church here in Red Oak, a ministry designed to bring the Word of God alive in a way that is practical, relevant, and applicable to everyday living. My passion is to show people that Scripture is not just for Sunday, it’s a guidebook for how to live, work, and thrive throughout the week.
Community involvement is dear to me. I’m a proud member of the Rotary Club of Waxahachie, the Red Oak Area Chamber of Commerce, and I serve on the Library Advisory Board in our city. I love Red Oak, and I believe our best days are ahead.
At the core of everything I do …. whether in business, ministry, or public service, is a love for people. I believe God has called me to help others win in life. That is what drives me, that is what makes Effective Living special, and that is why I continue to serve and build right here in this amazing city.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was in 1999, when I had the privilege of representing the youth of The Bahamas during our nation’s very first National Youth Parliament. It was a historic moment—televised across the country—where I had the opportunity to stand and speak on behalf of young people throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
As I delivered my address, I felt a deep sense of responsibility, not for recognition or personal gain, but for the opportunity to use my voice in service to others. That experience ignited something in me—it was the first time I realized that true power is not about control, but about influence, service, and making a positive impact on people’s lives.
It was in that moment I first felt the call toward public service and politics, not for the pursuit of power, but for the privilege of serving people at the highest levels with integrity, compassion, and purpose. That conviction has stayed with me all these years and continues to guide everything I do today.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me what success never could, that true strength is not found in applause, recognition, or external achievements, but in how you endure life’s most painful seasons. After almost 30 years in ministry, the hardest thing I ever faced was my divorce. I don’t believe in divorce, and after 18 years of marriage, having to walk through that valley felt like the deepest suffering of my life.
At that point, I had acquired a lot of external success, I had been featured on magazine covers, appeared frequently on television, written in newspapers, and spoken at conferences across the United States and around the world. Yet in the middle of all of that, I found myself empty inside. My pain was not something any award, celebration, money, or recognition could heal.
The same year I was inducted into my high school’s Hall of Fame, 30 years after graduating, I was also beginning the painful process of separation in my marriage. It was a reminder that external success does not shield you from internal brokenness.
Suffering taught me to lean into God’s grace in ways I never had before. It showed me that success cannot teach endurance, humility, or dependence on God the way suffering does. Success celebrates you, but suffering shapes you. It was in my brokenness that I discovered the power of healing, resilience, and a deeper compassion for others who are hurting. That is a lesson no stage, spotlight, or honor could ever give me.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I absolutely love this question, because for me, authenticity is everything. As the founder of Effective Living LLC, my mission is simple yet profound: to create a life you don’t need to take a vacation from. That mission isn’t just something I teach, it’s something I fight to live out every single day.
One of my greatest pursuits is to become one with what I know, meaning I strive to live the truth I’ve discovered. So yes, the public version of me is the real me. What you see on stage, in a book, on social media, or at a conference is the same man you’ll see offstage with my family or in the community. The difference is that those closest to me get to experience me in a more relaxed, unpolished way, not superficial, just real. I don’t believe in putting on a mask or pretending to be something I’m not.
It gives me tremendous joy when people tell me that what they’ve read in my books, heard on podcasts, or seen in my messages lines up with how I live my life day-to-day. That, to me, is the highest compliment…that my walk and my talk match. My aim is not perfection, but consistency. I believe God has called us to live authentically, and I want people to know that the man they see in public is the same man striving every day to walk in truth, faith, and effective living.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I pray that when my life is done, people would say that Ricardo lived his life to the fullest and that he made everyone who was close to him better. At the core of who I am, I love seeing people improve, I love helping people win, and I want my life to reflect that.
I hope they say I was truly a man of God who loved his family deeply, who added tremendous value to his community, and who built a church that served its city well while advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
I want them to remember that I gave back to my roots in The Bahamas, making meaningful contributions to my elementary, middle, and high school and that I was known for delivering life-changing, practical messages that were easy to understand and apply. My focus has never been about just building buildings, but about developing people. That way, my legacy lives on in every person who read my books, listened to my podcast, or sat in one of my conferences or church services and captured truth they could pass on to others.
Ultimately, I want people to say that I defied the odds, became a game changer, and kept evolving ….growing stronger, wiser, and better with each season of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RicardoMiller.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachricardomiller?igsh=aHp0ZmcycGpvajJ3&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachricardomiller?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: https://x.com/ricardomiller1?s=21&t=Xiv5KojB6HRULrSX5xMqKQ
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577941091298
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@coachricardomiller9655?si=T83awXo76tTWRsHM
