Reflecting on the things that made a difference

We asked some of the city’s rising stars to reflect on what made a difference in their journey. We asked them to tell us about what they think the most important factor has been behind their success.

Re’Nae D. | Fashion designer and publisher

The success of my brand is determined by the amount of people’s lives uplifted by my creations. From the customized designs to the publication of ROYAL magazine, my mission is to Change the World Through Fashion and represent the unrepresented. So if I’m doing that, I am successful. Read more>>

Meet Shelby Steel | Eco-Educator, Co-founder of Gather Forest School and GrassRoots Middle

I love the work we do at Gather Forest School and GrassRoots Middle for many reasons! We are Black-centered, which means that culturally, we are grounded in Blackness. We study our subjects and the world through the lens of BIPOC scholars, authors, environmentalists, and educators. This allows our students to understand that environmental stewardship and academia are not places where they need to feel tokenized or alone. They are part of a community that has come before them and will walk with them on their educational journey. When children first start our program, we partner with guardians to introduce nature and build a love of the environment. But after a while, we introduce environmental justice issues – not in the way of protests or telling students how to feel, but by discussing our environmental observations and current affairs. We also create family-in-nature events and offerings so that we can grow in our intergenerational communal care. Read More>>

MJ Racadio | Award-Winning Hollywood Podcaster/Celebrity Blogger

The most important factor behind the success of my brand is the mission and vision which is to Discover, Connect, Making dream a reality. One Brand at a time. In addition, the inspire and empower one person at time. Read more>>

LeAnn Hall | Model, Personality & Emerging Entertainment Consultant

Consistency. Consistency is definitely an important factor behind my success and the success of my brand. With social media and technology you can reach millions of people daily. Understanding that your fans, friends, family and supporters are always staying in tune for what you are doing next or what you have to say next drives that interactive quality. Read more>>

Open Relationship Podcast

Open Relationship Podcast was specifically created to be a voice for Black Gay Men and other POC in the LGBTQ+ community. The co-hosts are four individuals who come from different backgrounds with different life experiences and different perspectives. Read more>>

I think a big part of my success has been always trying to keep a “customer service” mind. As creatives, as much as we hope to be hired for our talent and our vision, it’s also important to remember that we must be easy to work with and reliable. The creative industry is all about relationships, and your reputation is everything. Read more>>

Provy Tha Boss

Self preservation, having an understanding of where I was & where I wanted to be an also what it a take to get there, I want to say overall it’s the sacrifices I make knowing what’s at the finish line is definitely worth all the work I put in. Read more>>

The most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is the mission to spread the love of Christ globally through the powerful medium of music. Music’s unique ability to influence and touch the subconscious mind allows me to inspire and uplift individuals, especially those who are broken or weak. Read more>>

Anitra Deen | Networking Strategist and Fractional COO

The most important factor behind the success of my brand is having a personal and professional network. My business cannot operate in a vacuum where I am the sole operator of my vision. It’s imperative to have a personal and professional support system to achieve my goals. Read more>>

Avnah Long | Fashion Designer and Master Cosmetologist

There are many factors that contributed to the success of my brand. One of the most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is that I didn’t give up. The others are that I actually set up my businesses the right way as a a legitimate business. Read more>> 

I believe the most important factor behind the success of my brand is being my authentic self. When I started my content creation journey, I had a vision and an idea of the type of content I wanted to create, but I often struggled with confidence in front of the camera and being comfortable sharing my personality on such a large platform. Read more>>

Kane Shirley | Jiu Jitsu Athlete

Taking risk and being open minded; I’m still young in my Jiu Jitsu journey however I feel like the reason I’ve made big leaps in my skill development in only a few years of activity training is because I’ve remained open minded to take advice from anyone. White belt, black belt and anywhere in between I can learn something from everyone! Read more>>

Asha Wilhight | Content Creator

The most important factor behind my success is optimism. Without optimism, how can you get through the days of discouragement or the “bad days” when it can always be worse. With success, it’s always a plus when you LOVE doing what you do and the support from others are genuine. Read more>>