Mildred J. Mills, a nationally recognized author, award-nominated podcaster, and motivational speaker, who transitioned into author by telling her compelling journey that started on a 60-acre cotton farm in Wetumpka, Alabama.

Born the third of 17 children, Mildred’s life is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of voice, as she rose from humble beginnings to a distinguished career as a retired IT executive. She captured her life poignantly in her memoir, Daddy’s House: A Daughter’s Memoir of Setbacks, Triumphs & Rising Above Her Roots.

It is a powerful journey through childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the unbreakable will to rise above it all. Mildred grew up in a home marked by faith, discipline, and pain. Her father—a devout, hard-working farmer, brick mason, and carpenter—was both provider and punisher. Her mother, a tender and prayerful woman, taught her love, endurance, and forgiveness. From the cotton fields to the pews of their country church, Mildred learned early the meaning of work, obedience, and silence.

But at 19, she was kidnapped on her way home from work in Columbus, Ohio, trafficked, and raped by a group of men. Traumatized and alone, she buried the memory so deeply it would take decades to resurface. Abandoning her first love–music–and her dreams, she fled the city to start over. Yet, one year later, she found herself pregnant, unmarried, and a college dropout dependent on a welfare check.

But not for long. Mildred refused to be defined by tragedy. Guided by her mother’s unshakeable faith and her father’s relentless work ethic, she clawed her way from poverty to the corporate boardroom, becoming a successful IT executive. Although she endured heartbreak, single motherhood, domestic abuse, and the daily reckoning with her past, Mills discovered healing, self-love, and purpose.

Her’s is a story of survival, faith, and fierce determination.

Mildred is also the creator and host of the award-nominated podcast, My Cotton Patch Moment, where she encourages listeners to heed their inner voice, pivot with purpose, and reclaim their destiny, regardless of their starting point. She’s also the recipient of the 2022 Etruscan Prize and the 2024 Self-Love Advocate of the Year Award.

Her upcoming children’s book, The Hope Club, explores the emotional impact of parental incarceration, offering comfort, understanding, and hope to children navigating absence and loss. Mildred holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Arts in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) and English. Learn more about her by visiting mildredjmills.com.