Writer. Coach. Speaker. Faith-walker.
I partner with leaders, visionaries, creatives and gamechangers to help them clarify their thoughts, elevate their ideas, amplify their message and step more deeply into their destiny.
Writing.
Books
I collaborate with leaders, visionaries, creators and game-changers to unleash the power of their voice to amplify their message and empower humanity.
Adult
Among many books I have written, two have become New York Times best sellers: Friends: A Love Story, with Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance and 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox, with Roni DeLuz, N.D. Ph.D., and James Hester. Two books have won the NAACP Image Award for Instructional Literature: Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life (2015), the companion book to the award-winning American Promise, by filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson; and Health First!: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide (2013) written for the Black Women’s Health Imperative. I’ve written one nonfiction book about spiritual transformation for men: The Code of the Righteous Warrior: 10 Laws of Moral Manhood for an Uncertain World with Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller; and one about the spiritual transformation of a couple: No Crowns in the Castle: Building a Strong Relationship and a Harmonious Life with Fantasia and Kendall Taylor.
Middle Grades and Young Adult
I’ve penned many books for young adults. These have been acknowledged or won awards: We’re In This Together by Linda Sarsour, a 2017 Women’s March organizer, was recognized by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Middle Grade Book of 2022 and School Library Review as Best Nonfiction Book of 2022; The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 with Tim Madigan, received Booklist and Kirkus Starred and School Library Recommended reviews; We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Democracy by Congressman Elijah Cummings, was an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Non-Fiction and Library Journal Starred review; Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson, was a Parents’ Choice GOLD Award winner and Amazon Editor’s Pick Best Nonfiction for Kids.
Children’s
I even challenged myself to write a picture book: One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission with Mrs. Katherine Johnson. It’s a lot harder than you might think!
Journalism
For 15 years, I specialized in African-American health and wellness. In addition to writing for numerous publications, I was editor-in-chief of HealthQuest: The Publication of Black Wellness; Real Health: The Publication of Black Wellness; the National Medical Association's Healthy Living magazine; and The Black AIDS Weekly, the electronic publication of the Black AIDS Institute. Two of these publications have won National Health Information Awards. I led the Black AIDS Institute’s team of volunteer journalists that reported from the International AIDS Conference, the world’s largest health conference, when it was held in Mexico City, Mexico; Vienna, Austria; Sydney, Australia; and Durban, South Africa.
In addition to health journalism for Ebony, Essence, Health and other magazines, I’ve counted the American Diabetes Association, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, American Express Publishing, Penton, Rodale, and Smart + Strong among my clients.
I am a graduate of the National Institutes of Health's "Medicine in the Media" program held in conjunction with the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invited me to participate in "HIV/AIDS and African American Women: A Consultation Supporting the Center for Disease Control's Heightened National Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis Among African Americans".
Reports
I researched and wrote the first "White House Report on African Americans and Education" for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and African Americans, a gold-standard white paper intended as the transitional document from the Obama administration to the incoming presidential administration as well as a guide to state, local and national policymaking. Sadly, the Trump administration buried it. I also penned "Getting Real: Black Women Taking Charge in the Fight Against AIDS," the first report on this topic, which I then presented at a national gathering of Black women leaders from major government, civic and civil rights organizations.
Executive Coaching.
I am a Board certified (BCC), Certified Professional Coach (CPC), and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) studied in somatic abolitionism and somatic coaching to help Black bodies heal from racialized trauma and stress.
I help Black leaders, visionaries, creators, and game-changers break barriers by creating a sustainable structure of work/life balance that centers their health, unleashes their gifts, and transforms their spirituality into a Force for good.
In addition to my coaching training, I bring to the coaching moment 13 years in sales, marketing and management experience with Fortune 100 companies; 20+ years of expertise as health writer covering BIPOC communities — including as the editor of four Black health publications, and the author of two NAACP Image Award-winning books: “Health First! The Black Woman’s Wellness Guide” and “Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life,” both focused on Black life.
Public Speaking.
Because my work involves a tremendous amount of research, I seek opportunities to share that information with new audiences in live settings. For example, I present regularly to parents, educators, school administrators, and other members of the village to help them support young people in fulfilling their potential. Click here to learn more about the topics I’ve spoken about and some of the clients I’ve served.
I also share my research in the form of professional development sessions to empower educators, school leaders, staff and administrators to be more effective with children of color. I also equip parents and the village surrounding children of color with the skills they need to rear young people who face institutional and structural racism, the challenges of the digital era and the rise of White nationalism.
Faith-walking.
Prior to stepping out on faith to become an entrepreneur, I worked for 13 years at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Pepsi, where I progressed through a series of increasingly responsible sales, marketing and general management positions. I have owned my own business since 2001.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, I live in Philadelphia, where I enjoy yoga, swimming, cycling and preparing my pipes for my next life, when I hope to come back as Cassandra Wilson or Liz Wright. I am active in my community, church and my alma mater Princeton University, from which I graduated with honors. I’ve pursued further education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Organizational Dynamics Program, Penn’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education and the Center for Creative Leadership. I obtained my coaching training from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching and have received subsequent coaching training from Bill Baren, Lisa Nichols, Dr. Susie Carder, and Dr. Resmaa Menakem.
Follow me on Twitter @HilaryBeard, Instagram @HilaryBeard and Facebook.