Who is Angelique Miles?
Born in raised in NYC – Queens to be exact. I call Harlem home now. I am a mother of a 27 year old man (!). Divorced for much longer than I was married. I am a former music publishing executive who signed most of your favorite R&B/Hip Hop acts of the 90s. Now, I am a social media influencer with over 40k followers. At 52 years old, I have become a public speaker, brand ambassador, model, and most recently an actress.
Talk about your stellar career in the music industry.
From 1990 until around 2005, I was a music publishing executive at the world’s largest publishing companies. During that time, I signed Missy Elliot (recently inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame), Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Junior MAFIA (which included Lil’ Kim), Ghostface Killa, Stevie J, and many other songwriters and producers.
What was it like transitioning out of music?
I don’t know if I would necessarily call it a transition. After I was let go from my last gig, I wasn’t able to land another position of the same caliber. I worked independently for a while, but that also fizzled out. I had lost my passion for it, I think. The business was changing at the time and I didn’t change with it I guess.
How did you decide on redefining yourself in the wellness and fitness world?
It wasn’t something I set out to do. After living the high life for so long, it was rough for me for a long while and I went into a deep depression. I had identified with what I did for so long that I didn’t think I knew how to do anything else. In addition to that, I was so good at what I did, I didn’t understand why it wasn’t happening for me anymore. I had always dabbled in fitness and wellness, and I knew that even though I felt down and out, I refused to look the part.
After being let down by another music situation, I had asked myself what I really wanted – what I would love to get up and do every day. The answer was I was wanted to work out every day, practice other forms of self care, and monetize it. I didn’t know how was going to monetize it at the time, but I began working out and doing some of the things I was already doing with more of a purpose. I was doing Crossfit at the time. The WODs were so crazy and intense, I felt like I needed to tell someone what I was doing, lol. I started sharing my workouts on social media, so that’s how it all started.
Do you have others in your age group you can pow wow and build with in this social media world?
Not really. Most of my age group is just getting into Instagram, which is where my biggest following is. In the beginning, many in my age group asked questions like, “Why do you post so much? Instagram is for kids.”, and “I see your posts. How do you monetize that?” So many in my age group didn’t get it at first. Truthfully speaking, I didn’t exactly know how I was going to monetize it either. I just intuitively knew that it was going to happen. It took a long time and many rough days when I questioned what I was doing, but when I would run into strangers on the street who told me how much I inspired and motivate them, I knew I was on the right track.
The majority of my followers are between the ages of 25-44, believe it or not. Whenever I attend events or campaigns, I’m usually the oldest one there. Being older, sharing on social media still doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does some of my younger counterparts. For them it’s second nature. I have to make a real effort to share as much as I do, take photos of everything, etc. Sometimes I forget, lol. I’m also a loner, so I really have to make the time to do photo shoots for content. Or if I’m lucky, I’ll be out with someone who doesn’t mind taking photos, lol.
What has been your foundation in doing all you do?
My foundation is that I really love what I do. I love fitness, I love wellness, I love beauty. I love to inspire and motivate others by example. It really doesn’t feel like work.
I feel like I’ve laid the foundation for my brand in 2018. Now, in 2019, I am writing a book, booking more speaking engagements, creating more meaningful content not just for my age group, but for anyone who is interested in what I do. To top it all off, I have joined the cast of a film, Protector of the Gods, which goes into production this summer. The opportunity literally fell into my lap – acting had never crossed my mind. When things like that happen – and everything I am doing has pretty much happened this way, confirms that I am finally living in my purpose. It feels really good.
