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Doris McMillon,
CEO, McMillon Communications.
Photo credit: Sam Kittner. |
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or more than 20 years Doris McMillon has allowed God to use her to create the successful business McMillon Communications, Inc. Doris is a media trainer, news anchor, voice coach and motivational speaker. She also offers "Say it like a pro" workshops that teach business leaders how to improve their speaking skills and enhance job performance. Her accomplishments are impressive, especially considering how she got here, and clearly reveal her trust in Christ.
Doris was born in Germany in 1951. Her mother was a native German woman and her father an African-American military man. Her father left the country to return to the United States. Her mother didn't feel she could raise a black baby in Germany, so she placed Doris for U.S. adoption.
"They did make me go to church," Doris remembers about her adoptive parents. "I was in the church, but the church wasn't in me. My father actually was called to preach. I saw his life change, and he always tried to point me towards Jesus. I was not interested. My mom left him because she didn't want to be married to a preacher."
Doris grew up primarily with her adoptive mother. who physically and emotionally abused her. Because of his heavy work schedule, her adoptive father was absent.
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Doris McMillon on the set
with Benita Purohit, a producer at
the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare. |
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After the abusive childhood, Doris went to Wayne State University and earned a degree in Mass Communications. After graduating, she established herself as a leading journalist. She worked as a news anchor in both New York and Washington, D.C. and worked for NBC, ABC and FOX.
In 1986, Doris was on top of the world. She was married to an orthopedic surgeon, living in a million-dollar home in New York and was on the air at WJLA in Washington, D.C.
By the end of the year, all changed. Her husband left her - with $100,000 in debt - and her contract with WJLA was not renewed. Doris considers all that as part of God's plan because, soon after these trials, she prayed to receive Christ and later started McMillon Communications (www.mcmilloncommunications.com).
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Doris McMillon talking with women
after her speaking engagement at
Mt. Zion Church, Arlington, Virginia. |
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Doris promptly joined a women's fellowship group at her church and was discipled by several godly women. A couple of the women even made business referrals for her. Her good friend Margaret bought her a Bible. The relationships she developed with these women led Doris to make some early wise business decisions.
Because of the debt and loss of her job, Doris was desperate for work. "I was to interview with a headhunter for a job that paid $150,000 a year with all the perks. I didn't know who the company was. The night before the interview I got on my knees and prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, tomorrow I'm going on this interview and you know how desperately I need the money. But Lord, I'll make a vow to you. If this job has anything to do with alcohol, tobacco or gambling, I will not take it. In Jesus name. Amen.'"
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Doris McMillon
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The next day, Doris interviewed and was offered the job with Phillip Morris. Doris declined the position as she had promised God she would. She walked out of the office thinking, "God I'm looking to you to supply all my needs." And he has.
It hasn't always been easy. "A lot of people in the media have filthy mouths," Doris says. "I absolutely can't stand it when someone uses the Lord's name in vain. I've learned now to use it as an open door to spiritual conversations. I figure if they start by calling on the name of Jesus, I can ask, ‘Do you know Him?' It's funny now that the thing that I hated most about the industry has become an opportunity to talk about Jesus."
Doris looks for open doors everywhere. When she is conducting a television interview, she uses biblical examples. When she has downtime on the set, she witnesses to a cameraman. When she interviews clients for potential business, she finds where they're hurting and offers Jesus.
Doris has a personal prayer and devotional time every day. She also prays at least once a week with her good friend Cheryl. She believes prayer is essential to business success.
"I've had peaks and valleys in my business. Every valley causes me to trust God even more." Doris has learned never to make any business decisions without praying. "No business decision is too small. I take everything to him. He is the CEO of my company."
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Doris McMillon with her grandsons,
Noah, 8 and Caleb, 5. |
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Doris believes it is because she has relied on God that McMillon Communications has been successful as a business and she has a good reputation in the industry. She suggests Christian business owners remember that people are "always looking to see how much we live our faith. I try to be a walking sermon. I always pray that God not allow me to do anything that will ruin my testimony."
Doris also keeps her word and does not create problems on news sets or act like a diva - many in the industry are accustomed to seeing that type of behavior from television professionals. "I want clients to see how I handle duress and stress. I pray that when I get frustrated or angry or am treated rudely, my response will come from the Lord."
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Doris McMillon and
her husband, Raymond Miller.
Photo credit: Kevin Johnson. |
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Doris has won many awards and wants people to know that she is working as unto the Lord. She wants that reputation to carry over to her home life. "When people say nice things about me in business, I want my husband Raymond to say, ‘She is that way at home, too.' I see my business as an opportunity to strengthen the faith of other believers and an opportunity to plant, water and sometimes reap a harvest from those who don't know the Lord."
After over 20 years in business, Doris still looks everywhere for opportunities to share her faith. She concludes, "I must do an excellent job, so it gives me the opportunity and privilege to let others know about Jesus. When I exceed their expectations in my business, it opens doors and allows me to be salt and light."
Doris recounts the story of her abusive childhood and reunion with her birthparents in her best-selling book, "Mixed Blessing" (St. Martin's Press, 1985). She is writing her second book, "Finishing Well" (to be released in 2008), which chronicles her new life in Christ. |
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