Meet KITANA CA$H | Actress|Model|Creative Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with KITANA CA$H and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi KITANA, how do you think about risk?
I believe that risk is necessary. Not in a reckless way but in a calculated way. Everyday when we wake up we have to choose to be innovators or followers and there’s no way to change the world without being a risk taker. I’d be lying if I said I had a plan when I first started this journey. All I knew if I didn’t like what I was seeing or the life I was living and was up to me to make that change for the better.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So what’s really crazy about me making a living as a creative now is I thought I was going to be a doctor until high school. When I was 4, I told my parents I wanted to be a pediatrician and I stuck by that until I was like 16. I went to science camps and was a total nerd lol. Around that age, I started playing around with music. I had been writing poetry and raps since about 12 and when I was 16, my best friend at the time gifted me an acoustic guitar and I never looked back. Since then I’ve lived many creative lives. Most recently, I’ve found a passion for acting and you can catch me a new movie that’s got done pretty big buzz slated for release later this year. I also have a photography and film company, Brooklyn James Productions and a store, The Society Empire. This journey has absolutely not been easy. I lost everything to do what I love, even my marriage. People thought I was out of my mind when I decided that this was the life path that I wanted to take. But I’m here and every single day I truly feel like I’m winning at life. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you have to do this for you. Every one is going to have an opinion. But your life is yours and yours alone. You have to believe with every bone in your being in your greatness even if you’re struggling or having a bad day. You have to believe in you when no one else does. I think that’s what sets me apart and what I want my brands to evoke. Realness, rawness, truth. Break the f*cking rules.

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 cool, chill vibes so I would probably do dinner at Rock Steady or APT4B. A lot of my friends are DJs or musicians on the scene here, so I’d probably take them to see a live show or dancing. I would definitely take them to the high museum or the gallery on peters street. And it’s not a trip to Atlanta without a brunch, so Breakfast at Barney’s or Bar Vegan are always lit.

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’s definitely people and places that I identify with why I am who I am. Namely, my father. From a very young age, he instilled hustle and grit in me. He helped me understand what it meant to go out and get it. That you can’t just sit around and wait for life to happen. He was seriously like a miracle worker to me. I come from very humble beginnings and my father drove taxis for a living when I was a child. I was lucky enough to attend private school on an academic scholarship and I remember coming home and telling my dad crazy stuff like “hey I wanna go on this field trip that all the rich kids are going on. I need $500 by tomorrow.” And somehow every time he made it happen. He never made excuses, and as an adult, that has stuck with me. When I became an entrepreneur, even if he didn’t agree, he was my first customer. He’s my hero. So, yeah. My dad and maybe the book The Alchemist.

Instagram: @iamkitanacash

Other: @thesocietyempire

Image Credits
Photography: @1120.ren Outfits | Accessories: @thesocietyempire