Today we’d like to introduce you to Lia Hibbert.
Hi Lia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
As far back as I remember I have wondered “Who am I?” Growing up in a small community where the village raises the child, I was not only concerned with pleasing my mother (the single parent who later remarried when I was 13) but my grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, the priest, nuns, shopkeeper and the strangers I encountered.
Coming from a culture-rich history transplanted by means of my African and European ancestors, underscored by oppression, genocide, and colonialism, I found myself cycling through the generational residue of toxic thought patterns and behaviors. This kept me from showing up and owning my full potential and living through passion and purpose.
I felt I owed everything to others, even in circumstances where I found myself immobilized by fear as the others that I was meant to be safe with, the others that were connected by blood, terrorized and bullied me. Over time, I embodied this trauma until it deteriorated my body, mind, and spirit. In 2017, after losing my business and being displaced by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, I reached the depths of this deterioration finding myself in a rut that I could not get out of. The pain body inside of me that had been festering and growing for years, compounding in strength by the continuous stream of negative inputs–that I later realized I allowed–had finally taken over. My body had shut down, I gained a significant amount of weight and though I had battled it most of my life, that was the heaviest I had been at 360lbs. I was morbidly obese with a spectrum of symptoms to accompany that diagnosis–pre-diabetic, sleep apnea, and chronic urticaria, to name a few.
At this point, I became detached from reality. I started to think that I was not deserving of being, not worthy of existing, and pondered ways I could take my own life. In January 2019, after ending up in the emergency room once again from severe panic attacks and hyperventilation, I had had enough. I began doing the work by sloughing off layers of sociocultural imprints that had been suppressing my ability to see myself for who I am and determine who I want to become. For too long I allowed my trauma to serve as my “why”, the catalyst for proving to others that I was good enough, I was worthy enough, and that my voice matters. It wasn’t until I realized that I needed only to prove it to myself that I began to transcend. Through reading various books, listening to podcasts, going to therapy for the first time, undergoing EMDR, meditating, journaling, getting active and changing my diet, traveling to new places with new people, and setting boundaries in my relationships, I sought to understand myself as an individual as well as within the context of others and how we can work together for the common good—in spite of our differences.
Today I know who I am, 185lbs the least weight I have ever carried, I am a Divine being on an intentional journey, living on purpose and through passion, gratefully aware of the abundance and love in my life. I am the strength of my Taino ancestors, the hope of my African dynasty of Queens and Kings, and the vision of my European forebears. I am a daughter of a very diverse and dynamic Caribbean Society and the survivor of a great diaspora, which has fundamentally underscored my curiosity in the diversity of people, cultures, perspectives, and work ethic. Moreover, I am always fascinated to learn how these combine and function together in society and systems—both formal and informal institutions—and I enjoy applying what I learn in real-time. I have always sought the human dimensions aspect of any endeavor, project, or opportunity I have pursued.
This profound interest in people coupled with a robust, ancestrally inlaid, work ethic and business acumen have led me to my passion, the field of Human Resources and Organizational Development in which I have been diligently building career capital for approximately twelve (12) years. In 2022, I hit a major milestone in my career by choosing to leave my government job and pursue my passion full-time. I stepped out with faith in myself and the Universe knowing that I have the strength, confidence, skills, and abilities innately, and the backing of family, friends, colleagues, and celestial energy that support my dream. I started my own business consulting and professional services company, Strategic HRM, LLC., and since then, the business has grown to two (2) locations, serving clients in both the US Virgin Islands and Florida.
We work strategically with our clients to develop relationships, identify pain points, assess inefficiencies, and devise solutions to better streamline their overall HR function and Organizational Development allowing for congruency and optimizing the bottom line. As a proponent of living for impact and a believer that mission begins with the individual and community, I aim to bring this multicultural perspective and intimate knowledge of the USVI and Florida communities to any project I work on. As a servant leader, I seek to lead my team with empathy and be a custodian of company values. My mission is to “Empower People and Transform Organizations.”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Strategic HRM, LLC, People come first. We believe your business or organization is only as robust and impactful as the talent, skills, and commitment of the people that work there. We “Empower Your People and Transform Your Organization,” using cutting-edge methods, models, technology, and resources, to foster a workforce and overall culture of continuous growth and improvement.
Our full suite of client solutions supports business and organizational development, growth, sustainability, and resiliency in Human Capital Management, Organizational Development, Compliance, and specialized support of business processes. We serve clients in both the US Virgin Islands and Florida. We are committed to providing premium quality services for our clients and as such have assembled a highly skilled, diverse, and complementary management team and workforce. Through being custodians of our vision, mission, and core values, we aim to foster a culture of inclusion, equity, and diversity, where our team and clients feel safe, heard, and valued.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Favorite books:
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• Hooked by Nir Eyal
Apps:
• Calm
• Patterns
• Nebula
• Audible
• Apple Podcasts
Podcasts:
• Oprah Super Soul Sundays
• Darren Hardy
• The Habits Habit
Contact Info:
- Website: www.strategichrmvi.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liahibbert/
