Meet Paris Simpson | Creative Producer

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

Hi Paris, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
If I’m honest, my business was created as a by-product of simply wanting to host a wellness event for Black men. My parents have worked traditional jobs and started various businesses throughout my life, but being an entrepreneur was never something that appealed to me. Before 2024 my career was in television and film development, and I loved it. I’d always had a love for television and storytelling so I felt like I’d found my path in the world and although bumpy at times, felt very secure in my field and the trajectory of my career. Midway through 2023, our industry went on strike and the production company I worked for could no longer support the staff so I was laid off. The industry was in shambles, no work was available anywhere and I felt like the rug was pulled from under me in an instant. Months later the strike ended but work was still hard to come by so I had to figure out other ways to channel my creative energy. I thought back on the wellness event I came up with in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, and dug in. I wanted to create a safe space for Black Men to connect and express themselves as they navigate their mental and emotional health. As I worked on the event, the vision grew and the necessity for this type of platform became so evident that I knew it couldn’t just be a one-off situation, I had to make it grow in order to really make a difference, so Agency of Affirmation was born.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Working in development, I approach every creative project from a storytelling perspective. I consider myself a multihyphenate creative, so whether it’s TV/film, event production, or community outreach, I think about the mission and story behind it. Who are the characters, what’s the setting, the mission, and the main takeaway? We all have such different journeys and perspectives but if I can create something that fosters commonality, where people can feel seen and heard through a memorable experience then that’s what I want to do. I want to do everything with purpose, passion, and quality.

I’ve gotten to where I am through trial and error. By trying different things until I figured out what made me excited. It’s definitely been hard, but it’s also rewarding to accomplish goals big and small. You have to have a community to keep building you up when you fall but you also have to believe in yourself and push through on those days that feel too hard. Give yourself grace, rest, reset, and keep going.

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?
Many people in my life have poured encouragement and love into me throughout my life but for this particular venture, I have to thank Monica Henderson of Mink Life for pushing me to start the wellness event that led to Agency of Affirmation. I’d spoken about the idea with several people but she pushed me to finally sit down and write the vision down. Get it out of my head and onto paper so that it felt tangible. Without that push I don’t know how much longer it would have taken for me to execute.

Also, my best friend Melissa Martin, once I told her what I was doing and she immediately connected me with men in the mental health community who helped me get the conversation rolling. Their excitement for what I was doing gave me fuel to keep pushing even though I was nervous.

My siblings and other close friends were also very supportive and my co-producer Shy was also a huge support in getting things organized and executed.

Instagram: @agencyofaffirmation

Image Credits
Photo credit: Xavier Shorthouse