Episode 110: Aaliyah Miller & Her Screenplay, I Am: Muslim/American

Episode 110: Aaliyah Miller & Her Screenplay, I Am: Muslim/American

As far back as Aaliyah can remember, she's been a performer in expression and a storyteller at heart. From the performative arts, including dancing at 5 years old and acting, to communications studies, which included broadcast journalism, television, and film production, Aaliyah has been sharing value with others, eliciting emotions through creative messaging.

And she seems to shine most when she's helping others tell their stories, whether she's working her 9-to-5 career in organizational public relations and communications or studying and refining her screenwriting. She's the epitome of the storyteller who wants to get lost in possibilities of her imagination yet comes back down to earth to carry out the pragmatic need of business, ensuring she's measuring what's needed to make the story she wants to tell as impactful as it can be.

This is the first time my guest is sharing a screenplay on a episode of The Book Leads Podcast, but storytelling is storytelling, and it can take different shapes and forms to convey its narrative. There are creative, business, communications, and leadership lessons shared throughout this time I spent with Aaliyah.

One step beyond the powerful storytelling that takes place in books is medium of video, which allows us to see the person, read their body language and expressions, and hear the urgency and tone in their voice - hence the video component of this podcast.

Aaliyah is finding and shedding light on the stories of Muslim-American people in this film. They're just a small sample but demonstrative of the wide spectrum of experiences across the lives and experiences of all Muslim-Americans.

A great lesson in this conversation is that we need to leave space for each other to be who we are, a transparency which affords us the opportunity to learn from one another. The impatience we have for someone not knowing our story completely from the get-go sabotages our ability to share with each other and ask/answer questions to gain more understanding.

Aaliyah, in becoming a part of the production staff on I Am: Muslim/American, sought to tell stories and convey a narrative that isn't too often seen or experienced. She and her partners wanted to show what else was out there aside from the negative and stereotypical depictions of Muslim Americans.

She's doing her part to take back control of the narrative's reins. We should all do that with the stories that are important to us, whether they're ours or of others.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

• How a really good story can affect change for the things you do.
• You can't write without listening.
• Opportunities for creatives exist, even if it's not your full-time job.
• "When you wear too many hats, you're going to shortchange one thing."
• Pressing pause and putting aside your biases.
• A plea to the audience here: Consider what your story is and how valuable it is.
• "Have a close community that you can trust...to be candid with you, to be truthful with you about your work."
• No one is going to tell your story better than you.
• What is your superpower?
• "Whatever comes from within us, wherever we bring that, we're going to make better what we can."
• The power of encouraging young people who don't see themselves as being able to command a story.
• The power of shout-outs to those who have made a difference in our lives.
• How are you measuring what you do?
• Consider what it's like to be "the other."

The MAIN QUESTION underlying my conversation with Aaliyah is, How do you invite others to understand who you are, not letting stereotypes and misinterpretations dictate the narrative for you?

MENTIONED OR APPLICABLE BOOKS

• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
• From Promises To Progress: A Leadership Guide To Help Organizations Avoid Common Mishaps And Bring Their Racial Equity Aspirations To Life by Andrew Beamon

MENTIONED OR APPLICABLE PAST EPISODES

• Episode 47: Andrew Beamon & From Promises To Progress: A Leadership Guide To Help Organizations Avoid Common Mishaps And Bring Their Racial Equity Aspirations To Life
• Episode 60: Patricia Ortega, MS & Building A Story Brand Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
• Episode 68: Pete Sena & The Creative Act: A Way Of Being by Rick Rubin
• Episode 73: Kimberlee Pita & Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

ABOUT AALIYAH

Aaliyah is a storyteller and uses words as her superpower to help drive change for individuals and organizations. She wrote the script “I Am: Muslim/American” for Long Wharf Theatre’s New Haven Play Project. The film was a multimedia project funded by the Doris Duke Foundation to foster connections between Muslim and non-Muslim community members. The film is an official selection of the New York Lift-Off Film Festival, the ‘Pulling Focus’ African American Film Festival of the Quad Cities, and the International Black and Diversity Film Festival. The film has also received recognition awards from the Global Accolade Film Competition for the following film categories: African American Filmmaker, Islamic Filmmaker, Women Filmmaker, Women Theme.

FIND AALIYAH & OTHER RESOURCES

• I Am: Muslim/American (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y7eLY_Xb2k
• LinkedIn:?https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/aaliyahmiller/
• ProduceHERS FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheProduceHERS
• Mentioned: Western Connecticut State University | Online MFA in Writing

YOUTUBE TIME STAMP

• 00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast - Aaliyah Miller
• 00:57 - Introduction & Bio
• 04:01 - Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?
• 05:56 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?
• 24:23 - The kind of work Aaliyah was doing while working on her writing career.
• 44:55 - Where Aaliyah's desire to help others comes from.
• 48:41 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?
• 57:01 - What does leadership mean to you?
• 01:02:35 - Can you introduce us to the screenplay?
• 01:06:23 - Can you provide a general overview of the screenplay's format?
• 01:26:45 - What did this project change in you?
• 01:34:17 - What’s next for your writing?
• 01:37:38 - What book has inspired you?
• 01:39:24 - What do you want people to take away from the film?
• 01:40:45 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)

About The Book Leads

On?The Book Leads?podcast, I speak to specialists and experts across various industries and from varied backgrounds to learn about the book that made an impact and left an impression on their work, life, and leadership. In the course of my conversation I also learn about my guest's background, experience, and work they're carrying out today.?

This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.

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About Me

I'm a?Leadership Performance Coach and Consultant?at Coach It Out, LLC (www.coachitout.com).?In addition to coaching, and as you can see above, I enjoy writing, podcasting, and speaking about leadership. Specifically, I work with clients to realize what they're all about when it comes to (1) new positions they've been hired or promoted into; and (2) rediscovering what they want out of their leadership, development, and career.

My signature talks include?Design Your Leadership! Nine Ways to Sharpen Your Leadership Brand In The Everyday, and?Platinum Networking: Designing A Unique Experience For Others In A World Of Disconnection.

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