Alverno College, for over 135 years, has strived to educate and empower women to realize their leadership, strength of voice and potential to lead in the working world. Alverno’s support of “The Future is Female” continues to showcase and exemplify these efforts by supporting the stories of grit, resilience and strength of character of present, past and future leading women in the Milwaukee community! #AlvernoStrong

Dr. Shakkiah Curtis grew up on Milwaukee's North Side and later graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor's degree; Alverno College with a master's degree; and a PhD from Colorado Technical University.

She currently resides with her family in the Harambee nighborhood and is the owner of fitness and wellness center Spinn MKE as well as the director of business development, membership growth and engagement for the MKE Tech Hub Coalition.

Driven by faith, family and her career, Curtis instated the "3-non-negotiable rule" in her life and has been stronger, happier and more productive ever since. 

OnMilwaukee recently had the opportunity to converse with Curtis and ask her eight questions based on the "8 Abilities" that all students achieve with an Alverno degree: Communication, Analysis, Problem Solving, Valuing in Decision-Making, Social Interaction, Developing a Global Perspective, Aesthetic Engagement and Effective Citizenship.

OnMilwaukee: What does active listening mean to you? Do you consider yourself a good listener, and if so, how has this helped you in your personal and professional relationships?

Dr. Shakkiah Curtis: Active listening means understanding even when you don’t want to, leaning in and learning with your heart and not just your mind. This has allowed me to build great relationships even in the face of challenging differences because I choose to hear with my heart and be open to understanding someone else's perspective. 

What was the last subject you were curious about and then pursued to learn more? How did you pursue it?

The last subject I was curious about was Emotional Intelligence, which I pursued as my area of research for my dissertation in my doctoral journey. I wanted to understand people and how understanding people could help reach successful outcomes. Researching this topic has propelled me in so many ways, it's unbelievable.

If you can’t figure something out yourself, what source or person do you turn to first? How long do you wait before you ask for help? As a woman, do you think you wait longer to reach out?

I have always been a person to ask questions. I am a natural researcher. When I want to know something I study, research and ask questions. I figure out who knows more than me and how they can help me find this answer. I utilize people and their expertise all the time, then of course searching things out is always a natural instinct.

Being a woman doesn’t have anything to do with my answer search. If I don’t know something I am confident enough in my own lane and own knowledge to understand I don’t and can’t know everything. It saves time and effort asking for help when I need it.

What are your personal values? Who and/or what inspired them and how do these values affect your decision-making process? 

My personal values are faith, family and then career. I also believe health and wellness are foundational pillars to a successful life. As a first generation everything, I had to learn to lean on my faith and belief in God to guide me through all of these lanes.

 I created the "3-non-negotiable rule" in the process of my healing and elevation journey a few years ago. I was consistently overwhelmed, exhausted and empty trying to take care of everyone and everything else. I  had to figure out how to balance and fill my cup daily. With that the "3-non-negotiable rule" was born.

The 3-non-negotiable rule focuses on health, wealth and personal development. These three activities or actions that are created should be meaningful, applicable to you, and doable daily. These three actions should also be completed before the world has access to you.

My 3-non-negotiables are pray/devotion/meditation; workout; coffee.

Just as the flight attendant tells you every time you’re on an airplane, “put on YOUR mask before helping others," the 3-non-negotiable rule is your daily mask and reminder to fill your cup before filling everyone else's.

I wake up at 3 a.m. and work on my non-negotiables everyday before family, children and the world has access to me. I have learned the power in protecting my energy and space as well as the benefits of discipline and consistency that has come along with this.

Technology and on-line communication/meetings/social has definitely changed over the years. Do these things help or hinder your growth – or both?

Both: social media is a gift and a curse. Owning a business and working in the field of business development in the tech world it is always a part of my daily life. The goal is how do I learn how to balance it all? Learning to understand priorities using social media and taking a mental break when necessary is key.

Where is the farthest you’ve traveled and what is a thing or two you learned from the experience? And what surprised you?

I've been blessed to travel the world. I am not sure what’s the farthest, but I do have a trip to Africa planned in the fall. My two favorites as of late have been Jamaica, Hawaii and Peru. Each has taught me so many different things. Each place showed and exposed me to cultural experiences – all beautiful in their own right.

Travel teaches you the world is a amazing place. It's filled with glorious memories and beautiful people. Sometimes we see the world as this small place and it reminds me over and over that travel is the best teacher to learning about yourself, learning about people and understanding the opportunities that exist. 

What are your favorite art forms? How do you challenge yourself to actively engage in the arts?

I love expressive art. I support art in so many ways, but by far it has to be collecting art and learning the stories of the artists that inspired the art. 

How do you/your work move Milwaukee forward?  

I work to break barriers. I work to disrupt the norms. I work to create opportunities for people who look like me. I live, build and advocate for my city but I also put in the work to ensure I am offering my gifts, resources and talents to contribute to the solutions needed and not the problems.