Championing A Global Revolution of Love: Sonia Jackson Myles, The Sister Accord
What's your story?
Name: Sonia Jackson Myles
Country of origin: U.S.A.
Founder: The Sister Accord
Who is Sonia Jackson Myles in your own words?
I was born and raised in Saginaw, MI (approx. 100 miles north of Detroit). Saginaw was a General Motors (GM) town—a very nice, quaint, middle class city with strong communities and plenty of jobs. Unfortunately, today, my city is plagued with hopelessness and violence, as are so many cities across America. I have faith that this will change one day.
I was everybody’s baby as it had been a long time since a baby had been born in my family. I have a very loving immediate and extended family. During my childhood years, my father was Chairman of a local GM Union, and my mother worked at GM as an inspector before retiring to pursue an Associates Degree in Social Work at Delta College. I observed, at a very early age, that both of my parents were dedicated to blessing others. As a result, the seeds of serving others were planted in me, and have continued to blossom throughout my life.
I am the youngest of 4 children (I have two sisters–Kathy & Connie, and 1 brother–Anthony). There is a large age gap between my siblings and I. They are 11, 12 and 13 years older than I am. So, in trying to keep up with them, I was always focused on the things they were talking about, which were well beyond my years. My parents have a lot of funny stories about me in trying to keep up with them. When my siblings didn’t want me to know what they were talking about, they would spell the words. I would be so upset! To this day, I know that the fact that I’m a great speller is because I was committed to learning how to spell so that I could know what was going on!
Another story that my mom loves to tell is when I was getting ready for kindergarten. I said to my mother “My teacher is going to be surprised that I know all of my letters, all of my numbers, and all of my colors.” My mother responded that she agreed that my teacher would indeed be surprised. My mother continues and says that I stopped and looked at her and said “Sometimes, you have to show people what you can do!” Voila! At the age of 5, I had figured out one of life’s important lessons—”Showing” people what you can do is so important. Many of us have great ideas, but it is the execution of those great ideas that makes the difference. I love to dream! I love to write the visions, in my journal, that will have a global impact and make the world a better place. What I love even more, is when I am able to bring those visions and DREAMS to life! I call my process for bringing my dreams to life DREAMWALKING!
Tell us about the journey of discovering your purpose and important lessons learned along the way.
The journey of understanding who I am and why I was created started for me a long time ago. I am not supposed to be here. There have been a number of incidents throughout my life that should have killed me. I’m still standing because I have work to do. I drank furniture polish as a toddler and instantly developed pneumonia. I was in a bus accident where the bus went over a cliff and stopped short of a river, I have been rear-ended in car accidents 7 times!! 7 is the number of completion, so we’re going to say that my days of car accidents are over!! I may be bruised, but not broken!! I am a fighter! I am a winner! I am an overcomer!! As I pondered the question “why was I created?” particularly after the bus accident, it became clear to me that I had work to do and that I had everything I needed to walk in my purpose.
My Truths for Discovering My Purpose
- 1. My gift was planted as I grew in my mother’s womb
- 2. It is my responsibility to tap into that gift and bring it to life
- 3. I was operating in my purpose all along, but didn’t know it
- 4. Being still and taking the time to listen to God was a key step in understanding my purpose
- 5. There are people yet to be born depending on me to bring my dream to life
- 6. Once I understand the responsibility I have to walk in my purpose, I must develop a plan of action to bring my purpose to life (writing in a journal is key)
- 7. Walking in my purpose gives me great energy and the passion that exudes is contagious
What led to the birthing of The Sister Accord?
The Sister Accord was birthed as a culmination of the work I’ve been doing over the years with girls in my youth, and women as I entered adulthood. I’ve been blessed with great relationships with females, but would always hear about the drama and negative interfaces so many girls and women have with each other. I wanted to do something about this and use my small voice to send a message around the globe that we must come together on “One Accord,” to make our lives better and make the lives of our sisters better—we can do this when we vow to love and take care of each other!
I created the Sister Accord Resolution first for a speaking engagement at an inaugural event for President Barack Obama’s during his first election. I wanted to write something that was aligned with the theme of “change.” I didn’t realize that I had struck a chord in so many women (and men) who told me that I needed to do more with the resolution. I had no intentions of doing anything more than the presentation I had just given.
I was touched by the fact that so many men told me that the Sister Accord resolution was also a great reminder for them as to how they should treat women well. Who knew? I went on a fast and received great clarity regarding how I should drive this movement further globally. I discovered that the next execution for my global platform would be a beautiful book that would give girls and women everywhere the tools to develop and sustain positive loving relationships with each other.
The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister 
book was born in 2012. With the publishing of this book, I started “The Revolution of Love,” and am committed to having 1 billion girls and women agree to live the principles of The Sister Accord, and come together to solve some of the world’s most egregious issues such as poverty and violence. I have now launched The Sister Accord Foundation and we have 3 global areas of focus:
- Educating girls and women
- Enlightening girls and women of the power of Sisterhood
- Eradicating bullying and violence against girls and women
We are committed to making a difference. When girls and women come together with a common purpose, the unimaginable, the unthinkable, the impossible becomes possible!
What do you like most about your career as a Corporate Purchasing Executive and mentor. What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
What I love about my career is that I’ve been able to make a difference in the 20+ years I’ve been in Corporate America. I started my career in the automotive industry and long before people were talking about the importance of relationships, both internally and externally, I had developed a leadership style that was quite different than those that I saw, that I dubbed compassionate leadership. There’s this notion that “nice girls and guys finish last” and that it’s not good to be viewed as “nice.” I reject this notion.
I know that the results I’ve garnered over the years, as a result of my leadership style, which is centered on strong relationships and collaboration, have been because I treat others with respect and in line with how I want to be treated. I rejected the notion early on that I must denigrate, make others look bad, or try to “take people out” in order to advance. I’m clear that what God has in store for me is for me—no one can give it to me and no one can take it away.” This has served me well over the years.
The other thing that has been a cornerstone of my achievements is my commitment to and passion for mentoring. I have a mentee from every continent with the exception of Antarctica! I’m blessed to be able to make a difference in the lives of others and am a better leader as a result of the people who have poured into my life, as well. During my automotive years, I started a program at Cody High School, in inner city Detroit. I pulled a team of amazing leaders together and we went to the school on a weekly basis and taught professional development and life skills to the students. We added a scholarship and internship program. My students today are successful and they still keep in touch. They move me to tears every time I think about how far they’ve come. They have overcome many challenges and obstacles and kept moving forward! I’m honored to have played a part in their progression. It’s a blessing and linked to why God created me!
Why the focus on women and girls in The Sister Accord movement?
I think men, by and large, get it! I see them coming together around sports, in the workplace, socially, etc. Girls and women, on the contrary, still have some work to do to ensure we’re looking out and taking care of each other. I want girls and women who are starting to progress in Saudi Arabia to know that their continued progress will accelerate if they love, respect and take care of each other. I want girls and women in India to vow to each other that they will not sell each other to the sex slave trade. I want girls and women across the globe to understand the importance of loving themselves, seeing other girls and women as an extension of themselves, and then being willing and ready to do anything they can to help support the success and dreams of their fellow sisters. The principles of my movement are simple, but they are not easy to live and they are not easy to practice daily. You have to be intentional and committed to ensuring that your every interaction is positive, uplifting, and supportive.
How can interested women become a part of the organization and what should they do to support?
To learn more about The Sister Accord movement, please visit www.thesisteraccord.com to become 1 in a Billion! The work is great and will take each and every one of the “Billion” to bring the principles to life. Ensuring that you have great relationships with other women takes work. You have to work at it. You have to be intentional. You must have a heart for this work. I still hear the comment “I don’t have female friends, or I don’t deal with women,” from far too many women today. I always tell these women that they are missing out on so much joy by not having positive relationships with their sisters. My husband is a great man, but there are just some occasions where my sisters are invaluable in their counsel. My life would not be complete if I didn’t have my sisters by my side. Remember to Love Your Sisters! Together, we can change the world!
Editor’s Note: Sonia has since left her corporate job and is focusing on working with The Sister Accord.
Sonia has developed seminars and curriculums for girls’ and women’s groups, corporations, schools and colleges/universities that focus on giving people the tools they need to establish healthy and meaningful relationships. If you or your organization has an interest in inviting Sonia to speak, please contact her at [email protected].
Connect with The Sister Accord on Facebook
(First published in DUNIA PRINT Magazine Issue 11)
