Meet Candice Grevious | Co-Founder of Transform the Hustle | Sr. Project Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Candice Grevious, Co-Founder of Transform the Hustle. Transform the Hustle is a Black-owned and led cultural consultancy that specializes in Social Corporate Responsibility, DE&I Advisory, Content Creation, Experiential Marketing, and Digital + Marketing Strategy. The TTH network serves as a community collective building platforms and experiences to expand representation for Black corporate professionals, independent creators, and entrepreneurs.

Below we’ve shared our conversation.

Hi Candice, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

The concept of “hustle culture” cons you into believing that through sheer grit, determination and sleepless nights, anyone can breakthrough to success. For communities like ours, that deeply romanticized narrative doesn’t fully capture the nuanced realities we face when it comes to the grind itself.

Our families immigrated from Jamaica and Nigeria with next to nothing, hustling to provide the basics as they built new lives in New Jersey and New York, respectively. We watched our parents pour their energy relentlessly into making that American dream a reality – fueled by a fervent desire for their children to have exponentially more opportunities than they ever could.
So, Hilda and I share an intimate, multi-generational journey embodying that ‘never-quit’ grind mentality. It’s woven into our DNA, and strengthened by the sacrifices of our families.

But while working together at in media, no matter how we outperformed and exceeded expectations, we kept running into those insidious, invisible walls of discrimination blocking our advancement. It was demotivating to keep charging full-speed into the company’s barriers, biases, and blindspots around our talent as hard-working Black women.
I’ll never forget the sting of Hilda being passed over for a promotion she worked tirelessly for that instead went to a less-qualified colleague who had coasted on institutional privilege. Or the invalidating moments of having my voice disregarded or ideas ignored in meetings, only to have them recognized as revelatory coming from someone else’s mouth.

That’s ultimately what inspired us to launch Transform The Hustle in 2021 with our own funds. We realized that rather than perpetually grinding within systems not architected for our leadership or success, we needed to leverage our cultural genius to redesign those systems from the ground up.

Transform The Hustle isn’t just another social group – it’s a community defining new ways for multicultural creators and professionals to fully embody our voice, self-worth and disruptive influence. We’ve evolved beyond “hustle culture”’s narrow, individualistic emptiness into something bigger by centering collaboration over competition, we’re building tables big enough for our multidimensional talents and brilliant ideas to be nourished and amplified. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Transform The Hustle is both a community collective and agency. We are committed to reshaping the corporate landscape, one innovative initiative at a time. As Black women entrepreneurs, we’re driven to address the disparities across business and investment head-on.

Specializing in Social Corporate Responsibility, DE&I Advisory, Content Creation, Experiential Marketing, and Digital Strategy, we empower Black professionals and communities through impactful initiatives. Our creative services authentically showcase diverse Black perspectives across audio, film/television, digital campaigns, and immersive events.

A standout collaboration was our partnership with Unilever, where we curated a Madam C.J. Walker pop-up event. This immersive experience attracted hundreds, offering an educational insight into the origins of Black hair care and featuring brand historian A’Lelia Bundles.

Unlike traditional consultancies, we blend community impact with agency expertise, providing a comprehensive approach to business services. Our team prioritizes cultural representation, ensuring diverse voices shape our projects. Despite the challenges of self-funding, we focus on creating meaningful partnerships and seizing opportunities to advance our mission.

At our core, we champion the nurturing of Black talent and advocate for brands to invest in our community. However, funding disparities persist. According to CNBC, by the end of 2022, there was a 36% drop in overall VC dollars, with Black entrepreneurs experiencing a 45% decrease in financing. We see ourselves as the changemakers for investment in Black culture, recognizing its fundamental role in driving success and innovation.

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?

If we’re sticking around New York City, we likely kick things off on a whimsical note with Tea Around Town. It’s the perfect fancy yet low-key way to get dolled up and feel transported without the hassle of travel. At our age, Instagram-worthy but low-effort experiences are ideal – I don’t even have to leave my seat to be thoroughly impressed!

After tea, catching a Broadway show like the classic Wicked is a must, though we make sure to catch off-Broadway productions too.

Once we’ve eased into the weekend, we like to amplify the experience with a decadent wine and dine tour from brunch straight through the evening hours. A few of our beloved go-to spots are Scarpetta for exquisite Italian fare, the lively cocktail bar Agency of Record which always hosts a “pre-party” scene, and JoJo by Jean-Georges for an organic, farm-to-table culinary adventure. We’ll cap the night at one of the many mixers or parties listed on The Black Linkup – their curated events tailored for Black audiences never disappoint.

By Sunday night, I’m ready to stay in, reset, and recharge before setting my sights on the new week. But those date nights replenish my spirit and remind me to savor every experience to the fullest.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

There have been a few people who have been instrumental in the success of Transform The Hustle! First and foremost, our faith in God is the spiritual anchor that gives Hilda and me the drive and the foresight to break out of the 9-5 grind and pursue our dreams.

And that drive led us to build our TTH family – who has been riding with us from day one! We – more than likely – threw the last party in New York, at Dumbo House, before the world shut down in 2021. Now, we’ve scaled to having multiple events throughout the year, from hosting the #SHOPBLCK 2-day event at Shopify, leading our Creative & Entrepreneur panels, and throwing our annual BLCK Office Holiday parties. The growth and love we’ve experienced within this community have allowed these events to become more real year after year – and create a safe space for our audience to explore new career paths and tap into exciting collaboration opportunities to nurture lifelong connections. We’re truly blessed to serve as a conduit for this collective energy.

But none of this would’ve been possible without our former boss (during our tenure at SheaMoisture) and mentor, Ronn Richardson. Not only did he actively champion our vision for TTH, but he also cultivated an environment where we could show up as our authentic selves, unapologetically – every single day at work.

He made sure our voices, our ideas, were not just heard but implemented. He didn’t just pay lip service to diversity – he lived and breathed it, creating opportunities for us to make a real impact.

SheaMoisture was much more than just a workplace – it was a space for our creativity and ambition to evolve. It allowed us to explore every facet of our Blackness, without fear or reservation. And the empowerment and confidence Ronn instilled in us? You can’t put a price on that.

In the end, our journey has been a testament to the power of faith, family, and mentors who lift us up. We’re eternally grateful for the supportive network that has helped us flourish and thrive.

Website: https://transformthehustle.pixieset.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformthehustle/
Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/transform-the-hustle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformthehustle
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBalVXH3xMo9TMVJvO_8TQg

Image Credits
Transform the Hustle