Meet Angel Mcneil

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angel Mcneil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk-taking is at the heart of any influential impact you can create on this Earth.

All my life, I struggled with debilitating fear. In preschool, classmates thought I was a functional mute because I was afraid to speak. In middle school, I sat at the lunch table alone every day, dreaming of what it would look like not to be a shy outsider; in high school, I was battling severe isolation in the midst of a family crisis, hoping that somehow I could find any meaning that could outweigh my suffering.

Although I was lost in the midst of my perceived insignificance and my tragic home life, my spirit cried out to be a change-maker, a bold leader, a voice of hope, and a motivator in love;

It was like God was daily whispering to my soul, “This is is who you were designed to be.”

The question I was left with was: “How do I become the person I was designed to become with a boulder of fear blocking me from my destiny? A boulder of fear blocking me from ME?!”

Over time, I started to become blatantly aware that to become a person who takes risks, a person who establishes change, and a person who makes a sliver of a difference in this world, I needed to face fear instead of continually running from it. “Ok.. so I feel like a boulder is blocking me from my greatest future, the best version of me… well, running in the opposite direction would mean I’m heading in the direction of the lowest version of me, the weakest form of existence… being a life that is barely and fearfully lived, and that is not going to help.”

Facing the boulder of fear would mean coming face to face with my own weakness and powerlessness.
When you face the bully in your mind, you face a new version of yourself.

Sometimes, meeting the new version of you is scarier than the bully itself.

As I began to turn around and face the fear that was ruining my life, I started to realize how small I was; I realized I needed God’s help if I wanted to step into God’s plan for my life.

In the midst of my tragic suffering, I made a deal with God, realizing how weak I was. I prayed the boldest prayer.
“Jesus, I can’t do this life alone; instead of blaming you for my suffering, I will ask that you be my friend in it. I lay my measly little life down. Help me to step into YOUR will for my life. I need You.”

From the simplest surrender, there was birthed the most passionate confidence.
Daily, doing life with God made me feel like my spirit and soul were being coached by the most genius mentor and father figure in the world. It was the love and direction from my Creator that changed everything.

I began to come to the revelation that anxiety spoon-feeds our fear. Anxiety is simply the uncertainty of the future. If I could change my relationship with uncertainty, I could change my relationship with fear.

I became more and more comfortable with uncertainty the more I became comfortable with faith, surrender, and trust.
Not trusting in my own understanding, in my own answers…but trusting in the one who had all the answers.

As I began to take risks of faith in the direction where God led me to go, impact, influence, and meaning slowly trickled into my life. The boulder of fear became smaller and smaller. Before I knew it, the trickle became a flood, and the boulder became nonexistent.
I became comfortable with boldness, living in a new world, familiar with uncertainty, and spurred on by faith.

I took a risk at 18, and my risk-taking led me to post videos online.
Instead of being crushed by the fact that no one was available when I was younger to teach me how to do my hair and makeup, I decided to be the woman my younger self needed for today’s younger generation.

I started to turn the tables and find a sense of empowerment. “I will learn so that I can help myself and help others!” Before long, I was helping 260,000+ girls on TikTok learn how to feel like the best, most empowered version of themselves.
I started to work closely with the makeup brands I used to stare at in awe as a child in the makeup stores.

Following this, I took a risk that led me to move to LA when I was 20 and pursue a college degree in psychology. Now, I am in graduate school studying to become a marriage and family therapist, and I have spoken to over 1,000,000+ people online about how to experience their emotions deeply and establish a positive change in their mental health.

This year, I took a risk. In the middle of a complete shift in my business where little to no income was coming in, I felt like God was coaxing me to start random acts of kindness movement in LA.

How was I going to START a movement with no team, with no funding, and no solid direction? This boulder did not stop me because I decided to move in faith. I didn’t have the answers, but I would follow the God that did.

I started Jesus Loves LA, a movement that speaks words of life over the people of LA. We have surprised hundreds of complete strangers in the city with random acts of kindness. Each random act of kindness is inspired by testimonies of LA locals who have been met by the radical love of God.

For instance, I recently became friends with a girl named Olivia. We are partnering to have her testimony inspire Jesus Loves LA’s next random act of kindness. Olivia’s dad died from cancer around August 30th, a few years back.

The only thing that Olivia had to remember her dad by was the matching teddy bear that she shared with him before he passed. The love of God meeting Olivia in a time of need motivated her to start a nonprofit where she could give back to the world. She now donates custom-made teddy bears to children in need!

This year, around August 30th, Olivia and I are partnering on a random act of kindness where we will give custom-made teddy bears to cancer patients in the oncology unit at the Children’s Hospital of LA, a full circle moment that brings meaning to the passing of Olivia’s father.

We have surprised strangers in person and anonymously with gifts like flowers, gift cards, prayers, letters of encouragement, necklaces, meals, and so much more.

Although it is a challenge to find funding for these types of projects, time and time again, God somehow provided through the selfless generosity of others.

Something that gives me confidence in a time of hardship and difficulty when it comes to risk-taking – is this verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

My own understanding and reasoning tend to lead me into fear, stress, and timidity. But moving in flow with the Spirit of God, understanding that I don’t have to have the answers, leads me to move as bold as a lion, trusting in God’s huge plans for my life.

The risks that have changed my business and creative life the most are the risks that changed ME. The risk to be loved and to love. The risk to see and be seen. The risk of knowing others and being known by others. The risk to spiritually and psychologically transform.

Risk-taking helped me not only to step into my destiny but to step into ME!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The exciting and most challenging part about being a creative is that there is always a continual process envisioning, dreaming, and executing. There is something so special about closing your eyes and letting your imagination run free. I find that when I ask God to give me a vision to create, the most crazy and unique ideas tend to seep into the tapestry of my mind.

The challenging part of having to continually envision, dream, and execute is the tension that comes with guarding your mind and heart. I find that a pure idea and a creative masterpiece because it utterly destructed and destroyed the second that you let your mind become infested by the opinions of others.

A creative idea meant to be a sweet and unique masterpiece now becomes molded into the image of the crowd’s likeness, contributing nothing of worth except admiration from an audience who expects what their eyes’ tastebuds desire.

Creating videos for a living and moving in step with the spirit of God to bring Jesus’ love La to life calls for a constant state of sensitivity to my imagination and a constant cycle of killing the fear that would corrupt it.

The best lesson that I have learned along the way is that…
I used to think that creativity was a process of giving, but now I have found it to be a process of receiving. In my psychology career, I have ultimately found that human beings are wired and created to give love, to express freely, to make meaningful change, and to have a sense of agency. To thrive is ultimately to come into agreement with a calling and cause that brings fire to your soul.

A major theme about how we are wired is that we do not gain when we get. We receive when we create. There is a major sense of fulfillment once we have a meaningful flow of output that pours from the Spirit that fulfills us within. When we create positive change by humbly adding our touch of beauty into this world, we receive a world of lasting meaning.

I used to think that you should only mention what you create regarding what you have monetized, but now I actually believe the opposite. Monetization and what looks successful in the world’s eyes are all incredible things to celebrate. However, the ultimate creative success is to bring a voice to your creativity that the crowd has not yet received. To stand next to a creative act is to stand next to your vulnerability, and to stand next to your vulnerability without a crowd’s validation of it is the purest form of the creative spirit.

Some of my most well-received work would be my video creation and my Jesus Love’s LA projects, yet if I were to stand next to my vulnerable pieces of work that have not yet been accepted by the crowd, I would share my creative projects such as these….

I also love to create podcast episodes in my free time on my “Your Brain on Jesus” account, where I break down the nuances that come with healing spiritually and psychologically.
I love to create colorful, childlike paintings that I hang around my house that remind me to live without bounds and embrace my inner child.
and I love to write poems and create wondrous narratives about the beauty of life.
and so much more!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question!!!

First, we would start the beginning of the morning by taking morning walks and strolling by the beach with a coffee. My favorite beaches are Crescent Bay Beach in Laguna, any beach in Malibu, or the beach by Santa Monica Pier. In regards to coffee, I am currently obsessed with Urth Caffe Honey Vanilla Lattes, Civil Coffee in Studio City, and anything from Millies Cafe. Speaking of Millies Cafe, talk about the best breakfast I think I have ever tried on this earth. I mainly love the vibe in Silverlake. The kindest staff, cutest streetside seating area, and fair prices. I am obsessed with their biscuits and gravy.

My favorite restaurants I would take my best friend to would be The Butcher’s Daughter for a healthy meal, Cecconi’s for a fancy date, Micceli’s for an old Hollywood vibe, Met Her at a Bar for fancy pasta, Larchmont Pizzaria for cheap pink pasta that tastes like heaven, and Luv 2 Eat Thai Bistro for the most bomb flavor explosion of a lifetime hahah. Of course, we would have to go to the classic Erewhon and get the buffalo cauliflower as well, for the ultimate LA experience. I could go on forever with these recs!! Oh, also, you can’t forget about the famous Pine and Crane! Oh! and Aroma Cafe.

Regarding interesting and exciting experiences to find in LA, I love to serve at Mosaic Hollywood and always bring my best friends who are visiting here on Sundays. Mosaic is a church, and I help run the children’s ministry and lead worship for the wondrous young, creative souls. Whenever I bring friends here, they are overwhelmed with new, kind friends and a million daytime group hangs they are invited to attend throughout the week.
I would also love to take my guest to the classic Getty Museum, my favorite secret for outfits being the URM thrift, and ALL of the estate sales we can find. The Butterfly Pavillion should be the most gorgeous experience as well.

I am not much of a going-out type of girl regarding nightlife, but I love throwing dinner gatherings at my high rise to watch the sunset go down while having crazy laughs and fun convos with friends at the dinner table.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes! I love this. I would love to give a shout-out to QT Bear Foundation, the foundation that I previously mentioned above. QT Bear is a non-profit that provides custom made teddy bears for children in need.

First, I give credit to Jesus for everything! Everything that I have gained, attained, learned, and found has all resulted from God’s goodness. Second, I want to honor my parents; they are the most wonderful, supportive, spirit-filled people in the entire world!
Third, I want to thank my older sister, Grace, my younger sister, Carolyn, and my friends. There is nothing like good sisters and a community that pour into you in times of need. Doing life alone is the worst! I felt the pain of that, especially in my younger years, and these are all of the people who pulled me out!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angel_mcneil_/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBrainOnJesus

Other: Tiktok Main: https://www.tiktok.com/@angelmcneil3?lang=en Jesus Loves La Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jesus_loves_la/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NoSNzZRrScJ0XY5FGk2W0 

Image Credits
VIDEOS: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4RIPLuyWo8/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8iQ6qASHtt/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8QaZrIPqjN/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7FiQf9SGpg/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==