A Conversation with Adrienne Bradley on Leadership, Wellness, Identity and the Power of Being Enough
By Valerie S. Walston, ThD
The Truth Contributor
For the inaugural installment of the SOAR Series: Celebrating Women of Color and the Allies Who Elevate Them, it felt only fitting to begin with a woman whose leadership, authenticity, and commitment to community impact inspire those around her every day: Adrienne Bradley, associate vice president of Engagement, Community Health and Impact.
Bradley is known throughout the community as a strategic leader and passionate advocate, but behind the title is a woman deeply grounded in family, service and purpose. During our conversation, she offered a candid look into her personal journey, the challenges she has overcome, and the values that continue to guide her work and life.
A Career Built on Service
Contrary to what many might expect, Bradley did not originally envision a career in community health and engagement. As a young woman, she dreamed of becoming a journalist or working in broadcasting. It was through a college internship with United Way that she discovered a different calling.
“I interned in college at United Way and really kind of fell in love with the passion for the work and for serving others,” Bradley shared. “I realized, man, I can make a career out of giving back and serving others.”
That realization changed everything. What began as an introduction to nonprofit work evolved into a purpose-driven career dedicated to advocacy, relationship-building, and improving outcomes for others.
“It doesn’t just pay the bills,” she said. “It’s something that I’m really passionate about.”
Family: The Foundation of Everything
While Bradley’s professional accomplishments are impressive, she is quick to point to her family as the center of her world.
“My family is everything to me,” she said without hesitation.
She spoke lovingly about her partner, whom she describes as her best friend, her two sons, four bonus daughters, her twin sister and her mother, whom she talks with every day during her commute, and her dad who has been extremely instrumental in the success of her career.
“They keep me grounded,” Bradley said. “They are my world. They are my rock.”
It is clear that the strength she brings into boardrooms, community meetings, and leadership spaces is rooted in the relationships that sustain her behind the scenes.
Rewriting Assumptions
One of the most powerful moments of our discussion centered on identity.
As a biracial woman, Bradley described the challenges of growing up feeling as though she never fully fit into a single category.
“My whole life, growing up, I never felt like I fit anywhere,” she said. “I was never Black enough. I was never enough of something else. I was just kind of in this space.”
That experience shaped how she views the world today and fueled her commitment to challenging assumptions.
“I’ve had to rewrite people’s assumptions about me,” she explained. “Who I am, what I do, where I came from. I call them teachable moments.”
One example came when she became a mother and encountered repeated assumptions that she would leave her career behind.
“I knew I wanted to come back to work,” Bradley recalled. “People kept saying, ‘We know you’re not going to come back.’ Assumption, assumption, assumption. Just don’t assume.”
Her message was simple but profound: ask questions, extend grace, and allow people to define themselves.
Wellness Is Not Optional
As a mother, executive leader, community advocate, daughter and friend, Bradley wears many hats. Yet she emphasized that none of those roles can be performed well without intentional self-care.
“I take my PTO. Take your PTO, people!” she said with a laugh.
For Bradley, wellness is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Exercise serves as both a physical and mental outlet, and she makes a conscious effort to carve out time for herself and her children.
“When you’re off, be off,” she said. “Set those boundaries. It’s important.”
She also emphasized the importance of asking for help and communicating needs clearly, lessons she learned over time as both a leader and a parent.
Leading Through Community Impact
Much of Bradley’s work focuses on improving health outcomes in the community, particularly around maternal and infant health. She spoke candidly about the urgency of the challenges facing families and the need for greater collaboration among organizations.
“We all just need to be better partners,” she said.
Bradley believes lasting solutions require listening directly to those most affected.
“I can build programs all day and assume that I know what’s going to work best,” she said. “But if I don’t have real-time feedback from the people actually navigating these systems, how do I know they’re working?”
Her approach is centered on partnership, humility and service.
“We need to put our patients, our clients and participants at the center of all of this.”
She also made it clear that community voices matter.
“If you’ve had a bad experience navigating a system, tell somebody. Tell me. Email me. Call me. I do want to hear about it. I may not know you, but I promise you I care.”
The Power of Being Enough
When asked what she would say to a woman struggling with feelings of inadequacy, Bradley’s response captured the heart of who she is.
“I feel that way often, and I think most women do,” she admitted.
Then she offered the kind of wisdom that lingers long after a conversation ends.
“You are enough.”
She reflected on the immense expectations society places on women: to excel professionally, care for families, support others and seemingly do it all without struggle.
“We can’t be everything to everyone,” Bradley said.
She spoke about the reality of partnership and balance, sharing that there are days when one person carries more of the load so that together the family continues moving forward.
Perhaps the most memorable quote of the entire interview came when she said:
“Your enough in the moment is your enough. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
In a world that constantly asks women to do more, be more, and achieve more, her words serve as a powerful reminder that worth is not measured by perfection.
A Woman Who SOARs
Though Bradley describes herself as a private person, her impact speaks volumes. Her commitment to service, her dedication to family, her advocacy for equitable healthcare, and her belief in lifting others up embody the very spirit of SOAR.
As the first featured leader in this series, she leaves us with a lesson worth carrying forward: success is not about being everything to everyone. It is about showing up authentically, serving with purpose, and recognizing that even on our hardest days, we are enough.
And that may be the most powerful way to soar of all.
Valerie S. Walston, Th.D.
Community Health and Engagement Coordinator
Valarie.Walston@ProMedica.org