Sharon Angel: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

Letting go of the “for the sake of it” things — After that reassessment, I fully let go of all the things I did for the sake of pleasing others, living up to other people’s expectation of who I should be, going to places/events to check off a box. I was slowly losing the dead weights I had been carrying over the years but 2020 was the year everyone saw me be a changed human. Who I was in my mind, I fully lived in 2020 because I finally accepted myself as a free individual.

Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked in Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50's.

How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?

In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Angel.

Sharon Angel is an Author, TV & Podcast Host, Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker. Her heart is for the suppressed women and children, and in her talks around the world, she fights to give the isolated, underprivileged and untouchable a voice. Sharon’s book, “The Courage to Identify Who You Are” which challenges young adults to find their identity, was recently awarded #1 New Release on Amazon (4.9 rating). The success of this book inspired her to host a podcast “The Courage to Identify” (4.9 rating) which breaks down concepts of identity and promotes healthy daily decision making to help young adults battle stress, anxiety and peer pressure that culture and religion might cause. Her talks transcend cultures to bring resolution and middle ground to generational issues by making freedom, justice and equality a priority.

Her website: www.sharonangel.com

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

Growing up in a missionary family and coming from generations of Christian evangelists, I’ve had to move around a lot. My first move was after completing high school and a semester of college in India. Starting my Bachelors in Media Studies in Canada, I had to move again to the US where I finished my degree in Broadcast Communication. Moving was a hassle and quite frankly broke me as I restarted my life over several times thinking “this is my forever place”. After coming to the US, I moved around some more. Finishing my bachelors in Texas, I then moved to Virginia to work for a television broadcast company. After working there for a few years and completing my graduate degree, I moved again to California where I now run a video production company. Safe to say that I’m familiar with constantly having to begin a new life regardless of the country, coast and culture. These fresh starts made me want to pursue a full time career in media to tell my story of finding self and help others struggling with their identity. My goal is that those who hear my story will be able to build bridges by having heart healing and a mindset change. I believe this is possible when each person finds confidence in who they are.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

1. Resilience- I remember raising hell with my family because I got angry this one time. Right when I felt like I would fit in and start having a life, we would have to move again. Living out of a storage box in one way made me resilient to change.
2. Humor — Re-starting life multiple times grounds us to take things easy and laugh at some of the stupid things we say and do. No matter how difficult life can be, being able to laugh at my mistakes has helped me cope with big life transitions. This is one privilege that I share with my closest circle.
3. Loyalty — Being loyal to my roots (friends and family) has been one of the biggest traits which keeps my support system alive. Without them I’m not sure if I would have made it this far.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?

My childhood and teenage years were spent mostly in the studio and on the road. I don’t have many memories in school as every chance I got, I remember being in a different city or country because service to humanity came first. I saw the world. My parents made it a point to introduce us kids to different cultures, foods and languages. So, at a very young age, jet lag and routine changes were my closest friends. The plane was my second home and my suitcase was my prized possession. I now have friends from all over the world, can relate with different cultures and easily adaptable to change thanks to all these experiences.

My career began as a kids tv show host, telling stories and entertaining others like me with songs and dances. Along with my siblings, I was the youngest female host in India to release several albums and video CDs (remember those?). 90s kids still write to me and send a video from the past saying, “this is what I grew up with.” Seeing them now, I’m like “OMGsh” but that exposure was truly the beginning of my love for the media industry. Being in front of the camera since age 10 was the stepping stone to host an open air event in an Indian city where women were not encouraged to lead in public. That event gathered 5500 people and was one of my career milestones. Naturally, I grew into becoming confident before crowds of 100,000 and having no stage fright.

And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?

I know what you’re thinking. Wow! She had it all. Why would anyone want anything different?

In many ways, though on the outside I had it all, my insides were turning dark. It felt like a race that would never end and at one point I did not know what I was running toward. Have you ever been at a place where you know that if you don’t stop to catch your breath now, you are going to run out of breath and eventually be forced to stop? That’s how I felt. I had to accept the fact that I was running out of air and needed to pause because if I didn’t stop then, I would never be able to catch my breath.

Once I took ownership of my life, I realized it was a jolt to many around me. People in my inner circle were much calmer and understanding than those in my outer circle. The outsiders were loud, screaming, shouting and abusive with their words online. So I had to shut them down for a while so I could figure out my life. I’m happy I made that decision because once I bordered off what I didn’t need, then the transition to a new full life was much easier.

A few steps that I followed were

1. Analyze — I took time to record and assess all the parts of my life that felt like something was missing and what those triggers were. This was in all areas of my life such as lifestyle, career, beauty, money matters, religion and culture.
2. Reading and learning — In the process of doing that, I read many books that were sometimes not in my areas of interest or familiarity. Reading these books gave me a different perspective than what I was exposed to.
3. Traveling — I proudly say that the biggest gift that my parents gave me is the travel bug. Some go to therapy to deconstruct and heal but I traveled. Every penny I had earned over the years, I spent seeing the world. This helped me see differently and choose for myself what life concepts/philosophies I want to keep and what I needed to weed out.
4. Reassess — There was a point in my life where I was traveling every two weeks for work. I’m not sure if it’s the hustle to become something when you are stripped down to nothing but I wanted my career to become something so I went everywhere I needed to, to earn that paycheck. The height of my travel was in 2019. And in early 2020, there was a lockdown. I was forced to stay put in one place. No planes. No suitcase. No jet lag. No random routine. Just me and my thoughts. Another best thing that happened to me as that time was the epitome of me coming to terms with who I had become from who I was 10 years ago.
5. Letting go of the “for the sake of it” things — After that reassessment, I fully let go of all the things I did for the sake of pleasing others, living up to other people’s expectation of who I should be, going to places/events to check off a box. I was slowly losing the dead weights I had been carrying over the years but 2020 was the year everyone saw me be a changed human. Who I was in my mind, I fully lived in 2020 because I finally accepted myself as a free individual.

Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?

I had a dream. A bad dream. It came to me when I was at an event in India. I was so exhausted and took a nap between programs. I remember seeing darkness and waking up hot and sweaty with tears all over my face. I was panicked and my heart was beating fast. I had never felt that way before in my life but oh boy, the pressure I felt in my body was so much bigger and heavier than all the pressures of life combined. I never wanted to feel that way ever again but I did not know how to not feel that again.

Fast forward, in 2008 my grandpa died. To many it was a dark and hopeless time because of who he was as a person. I witnessed people coming to his funeral and shouting “Father, you are gone” “Who will be my father now?” That was my wake up call. People need hope and they will find it in the most unexpected things or people. I had that hope. That hope was not tied to a person or thing. It was in me. That hope was all I needed to continue fighting for my freedom out of fear and darkness.

What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?

I discovered that I have the ability to teach and mentor. After coming to LA, I partnered with a Women’s Empowerment Organization to teach women filmmaking and use documentaries/short films to tell their stories. It was fully online, so women from countries I’d never been to like Jordan and Pakistan had joined the course. Though most of them did not have a background in media, telling them my story and breaking down filmmaking into bit sized concepts helped them write, film and edit short videos for their platforms. This proved to me that if I channel my passion in the right area, be patient and take each step diligently, then my work will turn out successful.

I have spoken to many women and young girls in my lifetime. I have heard their stories of hurt, betrayal and brokenness but this is the first time I saw women turning their stories into healing for themselves and others. Mindsets can change when you make the decision to change it for good. Freedom can be attained for yourself and others when you put in the work. This, I saw with my own two eyes when I (with my film partner) mentored these women into making films with a strong message. After seeing this project be successful, I have continued to mentor and teach people from different walks of life to share their story using media.

How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.

Things are going great. The first initiative was to write my book, “The Courage to Identify Who You are”. It released in 2020 and was awarded #1 New Release in teen and young adult autobiography category. Has a 4.9 rating today and for this I have to thank my followers and supporters.

I did not want to stop with a one-off book so I started a podcast called, “The Courage to Identify”. The podcast takes all the concepts from the book and breaks it down to everyday ideas that will push the listener to make a decision versus lingering around the idea of change. Season one of the podcast released in 2021 and has a 4.9 rating (Again, thanks to my supporters). Season Two releases May 15, 2022 which I’m so excited about.

The best part of all of this is, I get to connect with my audience and hear of what they go through. To hear them say, “your voice is comforting” or “you went through what I’m going through now and helping me see a way out” is the best feedback I can get. That encourages me and keeps me motivated to push boundaries to help people find freedom and dignity that they deserve.

Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?

Everyday was a struggle. Especially when you are an Indian immigrant and can hear your parents’ voice in your head (though they are nowhere close to you), it is a struggle. There is no off button to the “Did I bring you here for this?” “Don’t waste your life” “Just come back” statements. It is tempting. Tempting to go back to the simple, comfortable life. It’s a struggle also because you feel a little guilty for all the sacrifices they have made to give you a good life but I couldn’t stay there as that life was scary.

That life was so scary that, at one point, every weekend became a panic and I would have a fever of 101C. I became anemic and anorexic because I wasn’t sure I would get out of that panic. Being in that place of panic was uncomfortable and restless but in that low, I realized I would take the fear of the future over the fear of not having a future. When I made the decision to rework my life, right then I felt a change. I won’t say that it was easy or not fearful. It was daunting but this fear had a glimmer of light somewhere. No matter the reality that I could fail, become homeless, be disowned, be stripped down to nothing, disrespect the sacrifice of my parents, there was confidence that moving forward toward freedom was the right decision. That small streak of light and drop of confidence was enough for me to take on the restarts, failures and new beginnings.

That tiny hope in the stuff I was made of back then, let me believe that just hanging on and surviving till now is not an accident. If I was able to survive amidst sickness, panic, shame and guilt, I would be able to survive what was to come. Come to think of it, I remember telling myself: from this deep waters swim to less deep waters. The water got shallower. Swim to less deep waters. The water again got shallower. Did this over and over again till I saw the shore and was able to stumble toward it. I didn’t see the shore at first nor did I hope to see it soon. I wanted to get out of where I was to less deeper waters. That’s what got me through to believing in getting the life of freedom that I live today.

In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?

I didn’t necessarily have a support system when I made the transition. This was something I had to do for myself. If I had reached out, would my support system have helped me? Absolutely, but this was not their fight. So after I made the transition, I reached out to a handful of people and said this is what I’m doing now. Some believed me. Some didn’t. Those who stayed, I worked on my relationship with them — like my best friend since childhood, parents, close friends who launched me into my now life. Those who didn’t, it was sad but I mourned losing them, healed and moved on.

Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?

By saying no. I had to say no many times. I had to support some no’s with reasons but some were just plain no as they did not need a statement to back it up. My strong no’s and yes’s were indicators to pushing boundaries. Pushing my own boundaries and others’ boundaries inch by inch. This was the most uncomfortable as it caused friction in self and with others mostly because they were not used to this Sharon nor did I know who the real Sharon was. Pushing these boundaries was a learning for me and everyone around me but it has been worth it as I can attest to how much peace it brings by saying this is what justice looks like. Getting out of one’s comfort zone requires courage and if anything, this process has tested how much of that I have..

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. You will always be in the unknown — Life is never certain
2. Your friends circle will become smaller — As you grow older, lesser number of people will find things relatable to you
3. Mediocrity will not cut it — If you want to make it in life, you can’t just do the bare minimum

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Identity before purpose — This obsession to find purpose to say finding purpose will give meaning. No, finding yourself is the first step to finding meaning. If you don’t know yourself, what you like, who you want to associate with, then you will always feel exhausted when it’s time to give. Purpose is for service. You cannot serve without knowing what and where you want to give. Before giving, you should have stuff (time, energy, product/service and self) to give. Can’t give from an empty or half full glass.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)

Arianna Huffington — She has gone through a lot in life and built an empire. She is a great example of a woman leader. Sharing a meal with her would be an absolute privilege.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharonangeld

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sharonangeltwit

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sharonangelig

YouTube: www.youtube.com/SharonAngel

TikTok: www.tiktok.com.@sharonangeltok

Website: www.sharonangel.com

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!