Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Aviles.
Hi Angel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a kid growing up in the Bronx, I would dress up and get lost in my imagination for hours. It wasn’t a shock to anyone that I wanted to become an actress. In the early 90s, I decided to pursue her dream and moved to Hollywood. My brother Rick had successfully made the move a few years earlier, and his role as Willie Lopez in Ghost opened doors for me, I immediately got an agent and landed roles on projects with up-and-coming directors Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Michael Patrick King, and many others. In 1993, I nabbed a starring role in the cult classic Mi Vida Loca, directed and written by award-winning filmmaker Allison Anders. My big break in the role of Sad Girl cemented a legacy in Chicano culture that I could not have imagined.
Following my acting career, I started a career in marketing communications. Like so many other women, the stressors of my work, family, and everyday living began to pile up. Before I knew it, I was facing bouts of panic, anxiety, and depression. It was at this point, I knew I needed to do some soul searching and I embarked on a mental, spiritual and physical, wellness journey. In 2009, I began to blog about my experience, in 2011, I had my first coaching client and my new calling emerged.
Today, I’m a confidence coach as well as the author of a bestselling book, “Too Happy To Be Sad Girl.” author. Ironically at 51, I’m more “popular” than ever. I’m considered a Latinx influencer on social media. Most of my (100K+) audience would say I’m a Chingona (which roughly translates to badass). The title first came to me due to my role in Mi Vida Loca which still stands as one of the only films to cover gang culture from a female perspective. When I say cult, I mean it. I’ve had the surreal experience of seeing my face painted on everything from T-shirts to tattoos.
I’ve spent the last few years focusing on wellness in “the hood,” both as a paid provider and a volunteer. My workshops are a transformative mash-up of mindfulness, storytelling, and theatre. My clients are primarily professionals who’ve dedicated their lives to serving marginalized communities but too often neglect their own well-being. I love making people laugh and being a disruptor of thought and behavior. I can walk into a prison or a boardroom with the same ease. I’ve learned to embrace who I am in order to make a difference in the world and now teach others to do the same.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smoothe? LOL! I think my life is a lot like my favorite ice creams. These treats are mostly smooth but it’s the chunks that make them interesting and most delicious. Unfortunately, while I was making my way through my worst moments, life barely seemed palatable let alone delicious but upon reflection, I can see what those moments ultimately meant. My biggest challenge has and will always be figuring out how I will manage the experiences, good or bad. I wrote about the details of my journey in my book which is 174 pages, so clearly I have more to say than I can put in a paragraph. Suffice to say that trauma, success, sabotage, awakening, and activism have all played a role in who I am today. I think the absence of discussions around mental health made things a bit more difficult for me but opening up the dialogue in my community was something that I felt obligated to participate in.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This month, I was recognized by the City of Los Angeles for my self-help book, “Too Happy to Be Sad Girl,” and coaching practice. I’m not the sappy type… well actually, truth be told, I’m a TOTAL SAP. This moment was special though because I came to LA when I was 22. Like so many other people, I wanted this magical city to validate me, transform me and make me into what I came to planet earth to be and, guess what? It happened! It didn’t unfold in the way or timing my naive 22 years old mind thought it would but it did occur in a deep and meaningful way.
The certificate of recognition was presented by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez (District 6) – the first and only woman of color to hold this position in the City of Angels. And in part, read: “With May being National Mental Health Awareness Month, we find it fitting to recognize the iconic representation of Latina strength and vulnerability that you portray while emphasizing techniques to reduce stress, improve communication, and harness the power of forgiveness, acceptance and love.”
The people I get to work with are overachievers, used to working hard and excelling. They live their entire life being the change in their families and communities but skip themselves. Creating a fun, relatable framework that gets people to embrace and act upon the idea that they are worthy of the love, time and attention that they give others, this is the thing I am proudest of.
How do you define success?
Living my life on purpose and with purpose.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.angelawakened.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelawakened/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelAvilesMiVidaLoca
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF-xwFA9TldzWfg7QtIHoGA
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Aviles/e/B08LGG2VJZ
Image Credits:
Photo of Angel and Nury Martinez courtesy the Office of City Council President Nury Martinez.
