Meet Dr. Felicia Harris | Communication Consultant & Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Felicia Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Felicia, how do you think about risk?
I think taking risks and building a life you love go hand in hand, One of my favorite mantras is “feel fear and move forward anyway.” I mean, if we are being honest, there’s no way to avoid risk. There’s risk in moving forward and there are risks to being stagnant. One of the ways that I talk to myself about risk is being honest about that—saying to myself, okay, there’s a risk that ‘xyz’ might happen if you do this. But what might happen if you don’t? I’ll tell you one thing, every time I’ve gone out on a limb for something that was risky (leaving my family to attend graduate school full-time as a single mom, staying at grad school for a PhD, leaving the state to pursue a career opportunity in Texas), it worked out even better than I thought it would. The last thing I’ll say about risk is that (largely because of that track record) I don’t mind betting on myself. I know what I’m capable of and that makes it facing risk head on less intimidating.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a communication professor by day and an author/writer/consultant also by day, nights, and weekends. Ultimately, everything I do is fueled by my love of writing. To write well, one must read a lot! You need to KNOW things. And you also need to understand how to make those “things” and ideas knowable by others—that’s what led me to teaching. That, and the allure of being able to read and write for a living.

As the youngest daughter of four children I am probably exposing my inner childhood wounds when I say this, but I love creating moments when I feel seen and understood. Clarity is illuminating and transformative. I love being able to bring about understanding for others whether I am in the classroom or working with a client to convey critical touch points about their work or lives.

The ‘aha’ moments are what I get excited about. Those moments are also what have kept me going when my career was at a crossroads or I was on an uphill leg of the journey. I remember when I was writing my first book, First in the Family, there were moments when I would start to feel like, “oh, this is impossible!” And, then, I’d work through the frustration: How else can I say this? What else do I need to know? What does my reader need to know? Eventually, a moment of clarity would come and it would be the most exhilarating moment. It probably sounds nerdy to say, but those types of breakthroughs are some of the most gratifying moments of being a communicator. Then, when I hear from a reader who experiences a similar breakthrough just from reading what I wrote—ah! It doesn’t get any better than that. I live for those moments. Whether it’s with written words or a lecture or some sort of visual communication, I know that the moment the dots connect is such a powerful moment that can truly transform lives. And I know this because of my own journey—my master’s thesis was even titled, “Connecting the Dots: Touching the Interstices of Media Culture, Society and Self.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I’m keeping it real—on the way home from the airport, we’re swinging by Whataburger so we can dip our fries in fancy ketchup while we unpack and plan our week. For breakfast and brunches, we’re grabbing pancakes from Dandelion Cafe, getting cutesy on the patio at Agnes Cafe & Provisions, or catching a vibe with chicken and waffles at Taste Kitchen + Bar downtown. I’m certain that we’d be ready to move our bodies and my besties know I’m a Pilates girlie, so we’d be catching a reformer flow class and a golden chai latte at Duo Houston or heading to Memorial Park for a hot girl walk and talk. I can’t let my friends leave Houston without experiencing some of the arts and culture scene, so of course we’re hitting up Thursday happy hour at MFAH, heading to Project Row Houses to see what’s currently on display on the row, and popping by Kindred Stories and Gulf Coast Cosmos Comics to check out some books and comics before making our way around Third Ward and downtown to check out all the beautiful public art and murals on display. My favorite wine bar just closed (I’ll miss you Cru on Upper Kirby), so for our wine night we’d head to Vinology for a flight recommended by one of the sommeliers on staff. For cocktails, we’re heading to Julep and cozying up in a big booth for handcrafted drinks and fresh popped popcorn, swinging by Axelrad for a swing in a hammock with a slice of pizza from Luigi’s, or heading to The Davenport for one of their 30+ specialty martinis. I am not really big on the nightlife scene, but if we somehow found the energy to stay out past 9pm, we’re probably finishing the night at Urban Social.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ah, this is a tough one. I am standing on the shoulders of so many giants that it’s almost like a balancing act! It goes without saying that my son, my mom, and my family catapulted my journey of becoming. And they were joined by high school teachers, FBLA advisors, college professors, graduate advisors, an incredible crew of young, gifted and Black peer mentors in graduate school (CubeNation forever!), and my current sisterhood of women—and especially Black women—walking alongside me. The list could go on for pages, and every single name would be essential.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicialynne

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicialynne?trk=contact-info