We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The credible messenger/lived experience movement has been a staple in San Diego and I’ve gotten to know a lot of great mentors that have impacted youth and adults in a transformational way. If I think about a human’s life, there are several choices a person can make in various ways and I believe that people really do have a choice to live how they want, which includes removing themselves from the gang or human trafficking culture. I designed my business to be able to work with lived experience experts that can shift someone’s life dramatically just because I believe fully that humans do want harmony, safety, peace and fulfillment in life, which I want to be a part of.

Myself and the people I work with are highly respected due to the fact that it’s genuine and real and actually really very simple – Human to human interactions that we engage in on an every day basis. San Diego has been fortunate enough to encounter the lived experience movement and I know there are other cities and counties across the country that would benefit an immense amount from us provided our services elsewhere, acting as mentors and implementing practices that can produce healthier and safer communities.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is based around lived experience experts in gang prevention/intervention and anti-human trafficking. Lived experience experts, also known as credible messengers, are individuals that used to be part of the gang life or human trafficking, removed themselves and are now advocating for other individuals to remove themselves as well. I’m an advocate alongside lived experience experts, which includes government relations, programming, data collection and being an overall liaison to ensure that our efforts are reaching a community holistically on all levels to build partnerships. 

What sets me apart from others is the willingness to say I don’t have all of the answers and stand firm with our mission, regardless of what other people want our programs to be. Another element that is unique is showing other geographical areas outside of San Diego that we can make an impact even though we’re not from those areas and that we’re there to expand the movement, not compete or take away from efforts that have already been made. It’s truly about enhancements and the drive to give back on a national level.The most challenging aspect has been the skepticism of certain programs that I fully support and campaign for because this work is not black and white. Outcomes can show up in many different forms and sometimes it’s all about planting a conversation in someone’s head to then have them shift their view or know that someone is there as a support. The other difficult aspect has been putting myself out there over and over again, knowing that being in the lime light sometimes comes with criticism and judgement along the way.

Overcoming this is an ongoing journey and is possible from the people I work with and allowing them to trust me and vice versa. It really is all about the people I work with and the biggest lesson I’ve learned was not to be so independent in my work and have built teams within each client I work for intentionally. There have been difficult moments where I’ve wanted to quit and what’s keeping me from doing that are the teams around me, which has created partnership.

My brand is about knowing that humans are imperfect and giving people the chance to live their lives in society, regardless of their past.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego is filled with anything and everything, which is why it’s such a cool spot to live in. I would definitely say an ideal week would be the following:

1. Beach day (With potential paddle boarding or kayaking)
2. Hiking in Lakeside on El Capitan
3. Local breweries and Mexican food
4. Other great food and craft cocktails
5. Hopping around North Park/University Heights/Hillcrest
6. Walking around Barrio Logan for culture and art

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My business would not exist if it wasn’t for everyone I work with, which includes Shaphat Outreach, Youth Empowerment, Armand King, Jesus Sandoval with the Gang Commission, and every other credible messenger/lived experience expert out there. The love and support of friends and family, of course, and all of the coaches I’ve had along the way. I know this is vague! There are too many people to thank for my success and I just wouldn’t be here without the hundreds of people that have touched me along the way.

Website: http://ablivewell.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-brown-a7402513/

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