September 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Boldness opens doors that talent alone cannot. This truth radiates through Imani Black's journey from a tiny North Carolina high school to becoming a multi-faceted creative force in Dallas.
With refreshing candor, Imani shares how she transformed from the teenager who boldly announced to her entire school that she was "moving to Dallas to be somebody" into exactly that person – an award-winning photographer, documentary filmmaker, and art curator whose work has been featured on billboards in Deep Ellum. Her path wasn't linear or obstacle-free. From academic struggles that had her photoshopping grades to avoid being sent home, to landing a post-graduation job making coffee despite her qualifications, Imani's story resonates with anyone who's ever felt their potential was being overlooked.
What sets her apart isn't just talent, but an unwavering belief that creating her own opportunities would eventually eclipse the limitations of traditional paths. While stuck in an unfulfilling agency position, she launched her photography series "The Black Series" and created a documentary following Dallas creatives – projects that eventually allowed her to build the portfolio and connections that would transform her career. "If I don't try, I'm not gonna get it, it's not gonna fall in my lap," she explains, distilling years of experience into one powerful truth.
Beyond the practical lessons in creative entrepreneurship, Imani offers a masterclass in identity formation. Influenced by figures ranging from Kanye West to Kim Kardashian (whose "beauty, brains and business" approach she admires), she's crafted a professional persona that embraces her natural boldness while remaining authentically herself. Now balancing remote corporate work with her creative ventures, she's plotting her next moves – expanding her production company, opening a coffee shop, and owning an art gallery.
Ready to stop playing small and start creating the opportunities you deserve? Listen now and discover how boldness might just be your untapped superpower.
Imani's Profile
Imani's Website
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
if I don't try, I'm not gonna get it, it's not gonna
follow my lab.
It's been like a, a mix oftrial and error.
There have been times whereI've receded, I'm not so bold or
I'm just like or I don't likethis, or I think it's all okay
overall.
But it's like I don't want tomiss opportunities and just from
time I've learned, even workingin the advertising industry,
(00:32):
like those mouths don't get fedand they like people who are
loud, like I've noticed in theworkplace, like people who are
like loud but on their stuff notloud, but they speak, they,
they, they talk to people.
They're not going into officejust doing their work and then
(00:52):
being going home like it's no,it's the people who are talking
to you, you, you coming tobother you.
I didn't do that at my last jobbut, like I've noticed, it's
like you.
There's, there's a way to moveabout life and it is being bold,
that is being confident, evenif you don't fully feel it, like
I felt like in high school.
I had to fake it until I madeit.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Hello, you're here with Maddox and Dwight.
Hello, you're here with Maddoxand Dwight.
We're the Connections andCommunity guys for the love of
creatives.
Wow, that's a drawback.
Today, our guest is Imani Black.
Imani, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
We're delighted to have you.
Thank you, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Well, I'm going to, before we jump in and start
really getting into theconversation, I'm going to turn
the mic over to you for a minuteand let you tell the audience a
little bit about yourself,because you can do that better
than I can do that.
Just, you know, one or twominute overview of who you are
and what you're about.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, of course.
So my name is Imani Black.
I'm originally from NorthCarolina, but I moved out here
to go to school at theUniversity of North Texas over
what?
2013.
So I've been out here eversince.
I've always wanted to move toDallas.
I had big dreams.
So, like everyone in my highschool, they knew that I was
(02:24):
moving to Dallas and was goingto make something for myself.
Because I told them I was.
And just over time, like thatis truly transformed into that.
So graduated from UNT, majoredin advertising, worked in the
advertising industry, learned alot because I started out as a
secretary.
So I was making coffee, doinginventory planning, events and
(02:47):
things like that A lot of theadmin work.
And I remember just being sounhappy with my role in that
because I'm like, I majored inadvertising, I have internships,
I lead like I'm a leader, likeI do a lot of big things.
So why am I making coffee?
It was a very sore subject forme back then, but when I look
(03:07):
back, it really helps me because, being that I was so driven, I
decided to create my ownprojects.
So from there, I created adocumentary titled Day with
Dallas, which is where Ifollowed the life of a couple of
creatives for over almost ayear the life of a couple
(03:27):
creatives for over almost a year.
And then I had a celebration atTrinity Cider where we just
celebrated the release party ofeverything and the closing of
the actual documentary filmingand everything that was fun.
That was in 2019.
And then, as well from thatpoint, I had already had an
ongoing photography seriescalled the Black Series, where I
put out a photography projectevery year from 2017 onward to
(03:50):
2021 under that title and fromthere, like it's just helped me
build a portfolio of work.
And then now, where I am in mycareer, is where I was doing all
that work for myself free in mycareer, is where I was doing
all that work for myself free.
I literally only have like onephotography client per year at
that point and it was only itwas less than a hundred dollar
gig to now.
(04:12):
To now I'm, I have so manyclients, repeat clients as well
and I'm living out my dreamshere in Dallas.
So it's been amazing.
I've been on a billboard inDeep Ellum.
I've won an advertising awardwithout having worked in an
agency since 2019.
And I got the award in 2022.
(04:33):
So it was amazing and just somuch has happened and I'm so
proud and thankful for Dallasjust embracing me.
So I'm here.
I love being out here.
I'm also oh sorry, forgot abouthow we even met as well is.
I'm a curator, so I curate artshows.
I started out curating my ownart show in 2019, was doing that
(04:54):
every year until about 2022.
I got the opportunity to curatein Deep Ellum and from there
that was a community show.
So it was more than myself, andthe reason why I did that is
because the walls were so big atthe coffee shop that I was
hearing at.
I was like I'm just a youngprofessional.
I don't have the money to fillup these walls with my art
(05:16):
because I would need huge prints, so I thought of opening up to
the community so that everyoneelse can have a chance.
So I had one piece in the show,but there were 11 artists,
including myself, in the show,and then that's what kind of led
me to getting the banner inDeep Ellum and then just leading
to me curating another art showthis year called Cyber Dallas,
(05:36):
where I had a lot of artiststhat were amazing, and this is
like the futuristic, sci-fi viewof Dallas from a vision I've
have from a previous project andjust had the opportunity to
make that happen in downtownDallas.
And yeah, I do a lot ofcommunity work and I love Dallas
and I really show that throughmy creativity and providing
(05:58):
opportunities for others.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Beautiful Wow, you've done a lot.
Beautiful Wow, you've done alot.
That's amazing.
It was Women in Business Ibelieve Something of that nature
was the title of it, and youspoke so eloquently and had
achieved so much in such a shortperiod of time.
(06:35):
It just kind of wowed me and Ithought you know what an
interesting story.
And I think there are peopleout there that would gain value
from hearing this.
So I kind of want to go backand do.
I mean, you mentioned a fewdates and we don't normally do
this, but I got a little message, an intuitive message, just a
(06:55):
little few minutes ago that saidreally work on the timeline
here, because I think it'simportant to your story.
Because I think it's importantto your story, so you graduated
(07:21):
from high school and came in2013 to Dallas.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yes, yeah 17.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Okay, so let's go from there and go a little
slower and break it down,because you've really done a lot
.
And I want to kind of talkabout the mindset behind some of
it, because you said everybodyin my high school knew that I
was moving to Dallas.
I had big plans, so let's starteven back there.
(07:49):
When did you know what youwanted to do?
How old were you when you went?
Yep, I'm going to do this andI'm going to do it in Dallas.
And you begin to tell peoplewhere did it all start?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I would say it started in about 2010.
So my dad is actually in theArmy and he got stationed.
We were stationed inFayetteville Well, it's Fort
Bragg, but Fayetteville is themilitary town and so he got
stationed out here in Fort Hoodat Killeen.
And I grew up in a small town.
(08:24):
My high school was very small.
It was a class or it was 300students total, and then my
graduating class by senior yearwas only 40, actually 38.
And two of them were boys.
So it was a very small school,very tight knit, and my dad had
moved out here in 2010.
He was stationed in Fort Hoodand I was like, oh, I'm leaving
(08:46):
this, I'm going to a big highschool in Texas, I'm determined
to be a cheerleader, I'm goingto be somebody like, I'm going
to do all these things.
And we ended up, I ended up notmoving, he ended up just moving
, but me and my mom we stayedback home in Fayetteville
because eventually they movedback anyways.
But yeah, it started from thereand that's when, like, the big
(09:08):
spark came for me to go toschool in Texas, because, you
know, I wanted to go to highschool here.
It didn't happen, but then itwas like, oh, I can go to
college here and I have the GIBill, so I can go to school
anywhere for free, basically aslong as it was public and it was
a saving grace overall.
Now that I've heard the pricingI don't even know what college
(09:29):
costs still, but just knowinghow people have loans and
everything, I'm like whoa.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They have big loans that take a lifetime to pay off.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah, my mom, she's like 54.
She just paid off her studentloans and that's from like what
90s something.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
It's a small world.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I grew up in a town that was only 20 miles from
Killeen.
Really what's the name of yourtown, temple Temple.
I passed through Temple to goto Austin, right, isn't that?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
on the list Yep, and there's the Buc-ee's right there
.
Yep yes.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, I know Temple just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
I've been gone for a very, very long time, but yes,
that's where I grew up.
So what was it initially?
I know you're very much intophotography, but back in 2010,
when you started to have theseplans, was it photography then?
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It was actually so.
I've been doing photography allmy life.
My cameras they always I meanmy cameras.
My parents, they always boughtme like cameras or I would like
get some type of money from likea Christmas, birthday gift
allowance or something and Iwould buy a camera.
So I would say photography whenI was about 11 years old I
think that's sixth grade, Ithink it was about middle school
(10:52):
that's when photography reallystarted becoming a big interest
of mine.
Um, I bought this gigantic it'sgigantic now, but it was a
camera, um, a Canon and all that.
That was the first camera Iremember purchasing.
Actually, my parents got it forme, yeah, but yeah, it's always
been a thing.
And then when I have theopportunity to think bigger,
(11:12):
because like I can go to schoolanywhere, I was like, where
should I go?
And my parents, they, we, wevisited Texas so much growing up
, so it was like I came out herefor almost every summer or
winter break, on and off, itdepends on the year, but we
would come out here a lotbecause my parents, they met out
here.
I was actually born here, butwe moved when I was like one,
(11:34):
before I turned two years old,so that's why I call North
Carolina home because I wasraised out there but we would
visit here often because we havefamily here.
So you know, they kind ofencouraged me to think about
Texas.
They were like Dallas is whereit's at, we want to move back to
Dallas.
My mom, she went to UTA andthey met out there.
My parents met out there.
So she's like we're going backto Dallas and you know, there
(12:02):
were so many times we said wewere moving back to the DFW area
or even just Texas in general,and it never happened.
So it was kind of embarrassingwith, like, my classmates and
stuff Cause it's like I've beentalking about I'm moving to
Texas all this time, all theseyears of college not college of
high school and I never moved,was at the same high school for
four years so but when it wastime to start looking at
colleges and so forth, Iactually really wanted to go to
(12:23):
the University of Houston.
I really liked the program.
I really had these dreams ofbeing a photographer, so I was
going to go to their.
They have a photography program.
So I was like I want to go dothat down there.
And Houston is bigger thanDallas.
I was like I want to go to thebiggest city.
So that was just my mindsetback then.
My parents, they kind of theywere like you're not going to
(12:47):
Houston.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Basically they saved you from the humidity.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
They did, but I'm from the East Coast, I'm used to
the humidity, but they werelike you're not going to Houston
, like we're paying for yourschool, we're not letting you go
there.
So that's a no, but you canlook somewhere else.
So I looked all over thecountry.
I looked at California theywere like no.
I looked at New York they werelike no.
And then I was like you knowwhat?
Let me look at UNT.
(13:14):
They have a really goodjournalism program, and I
thought I wanted to do likejournalism.
Um and cause I was like, oh, Ican do photography still,
because photographers are injournalism.
So it was like I was kind ofweaving my mind around that.
It's funny, though.
When I applied for school, Iwas like, oh, I really want to
get in because I'm anout-of-state student, so let me
just say I'm going to go in forbiology.
So I applied to UNC saying Iwas going to go into biology,
(13:36):
didn't do that.
As soon as we got to freshmanorientation, I switched to
marketing, and marketing kickedmy butt.
This is creeping into 2013,2014 territory.
Marketing had kicked my butt.
When I got to UNT, I failed myclass.
I failed accounting twice, andthen I failed another class,
like, yeah, it just wasn't itfor me.
But during that time I learnedabout advertising.
(14:03):
So when I was like, finally,like hey, I have to make a
change.
I learned about advertisingwhen I went to go speak to, when
I spoke to an academic advisorand they recommended advertising
, I was like, oh, I could do alot with this.
Like you mean?
I mean I love pop culture.
Like my identity back then waspop culture warrior and I love
like media takeout, and I lovelike media takeout TMZ, vh1.
(14:25):
Like when they used to actuallyhave real substance on those.
Well, it wasn't substance, itwas junk.
Looking back, but I always jokethat MTV raised me.
So, like I loved watching TVgrowing up.
I knew all the celebrity gossip.
I just, yeah, I was a popculture girly, for sure, and
advertising goes hand in handwith that, like I learned.
(14:53):
And so during that time as well,I was always wanting a camera.
I didn't have a camera, I had alittle camera but it was cheap.
And then I just mostly startedfilming and doing photos and
videos on my iPhone, so that'swhat I was using to produce
things.
And then we had Instagram atthat point as well, and VSCO.
So I was, or what do they callit?
They call it VSCO.
I call it VSCO, but it's like aplatform, kind of like
Instagram too, and so I wouldjust put out the photography and
(15:15):
video videography aspect oflike my interest, cause those
are my interests.
And then in 2016, I it was mybirthday, my 21st birthday my
mom got me a nice camera, like Ihad got, gave my brother my old
(15:38):
camera, a little cheap camera,and I was like I really want to
start doing YouTube.
I really want to do photography, like I've.
I said this is 2015.
I've been begging my parentsfor a year to get, for a long
time to get me a camera.
So they, finally my mom.
She got me a camera for my 21stbirthday and, um, from there I
said, oh, that's a blow up, likeall I needed was a camera, and
(16:00):
from there I put out my firstphotography project.
It was called the black seriesand from there I put out my
first photography project.
It was called the Black Series.
I released that right aftergraduating from UNT.
So in June 2017, I released it,but I started in May.
So I went around townphotographing my favorite places
in Denton and then Iphotographed my friends cool
pictures of them.
They were my models and I vowedto do from that point, to do
(16:26):
every year as long as I saw itmade sense for me.
So I didn't end up doing it forfive years, but that was my
idea, like give me a camera andI'm going to make it.
I'm going to make something andI sure have.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
It sounds like a whirlwind, and there's
definitely some.
You had the support of yourfamily and a lot of things that
helped you along the way, butwere there any any setbacks or
challenges?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Oh yeah, I almost like my parents.
They are very into school, likewe have to to go.
I had no choice but to go tocollege.
So when, uh, I got there, Iwasn't doing the best as far as
like school, like I just it wasabout the second semester.
I want to say first semester Iwas fine because I didn't really
(17:16):
know anyone.
So I was definitely in schoolfocused.
Well, I'm not gonna lie, I'm,I'm a good student kind of.
Not really something I had togrow into learning how to be a
good student because it was myfirst time at school and on my
own and the discipline and beingorganized and so forth.
Um, I used to fall asleep inclass like I was like I'm, I'm
(17:38):
gonna be front and in class Ineed to sit at the front and
center.
I would sit front and centerand fall asleep in class.
I know it's so silly, but I wasconfident.
But the vision was there, butit was just wasn't fully there.
But I had to figure that outand my scariest thing for me was
(18:03):
my parents taking me, making memove back to North Carolina.
That was like the scariestthing to me, my freshman year
when I first moved out here, andso what I did was I ended up
just Photoshopping my grades.
I would be like my mom theyused to ask me for like proof of
my, like transcript or whatevermy grades for the semester and
I would literally Photoshop,photoshop.
I'm like I'm not moving backhome.
(18:24):
So to me, like that was like itwas a struggle, like navigating
, like hey, I'm not going backhome, I hate that.
I have to be devious or what isthe word?
Deceitful, deceitful to stay,but it's like I'm not going back
and that was.
And then once I actually failedthose accounting classes that
was my sophomore year failed,had to fail, and all that, and
(18:48):
so, or I had to go, I failed,and so with that it was kind of
scary because I was also goingto lose my funding for school
through the military because mygrades weren't up to par and
things like that.
So I would say that was likeone of the first real setbacks I
remember.
That were that was veryimpactful, where it was like
(19:09):
sink or swim for me because Ifelt like going back home to
North Carolina was like theworst thing.
So I'm like, oh no, I've beentalking about this all high
school.
I've been taught all this crap.
I didn't stop talking to allthese people from high school.
I have to make it work.
Like I can't go back home, likeI'm not, I'm not going back
home.
And yeah, I had to swim andthat's what I did.
(19:30):
I ended up changing my majorand that that really helped me,
because after I changed my majorI soared Like I was.
Advertising was definitely theway for me.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Well, it's good that you were able to turn it around
Like you definitely had arecovery, but what do you carry
with you?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Like how does that inform how you move through life
?
Now I feel like it's encouragedme to stay motivated and do
what I have to do to get towhere I want to be.
Fortunately, nothing's reallywhere I have to be deceitful,
but I feel like changing your,photoshopping your grades is not
that's not the worst thing inthe world, but I would say like
just having the mindset of if Ireally want something, I really
(20:13):
have to work towards it.
And you know I was sodistracted, like trying to.
I had a boyfriend at one pointand it was just a distraction
for me.
I was just trying to be a lotof things when I needed to
really just be a student andfocus on myself.
So I've noticed when I, when I'mlike, when I feel like I'm
(20:36):
distracted or I'm doing too manythings at once or just
something isn't fit or workingin my favor or where I really
want to go, I now, over a yearthis has been.
This was like that was thefirst time that kind of
situation ever happened to me,but it's happened so many times
and I realized that's life.
So it's like um, so now I havea really good uh, I'm really
(20:59):
good, balanced and understanding, like what is true for me and I
have to make these changes.
So I'm willing to do anything,not do anything, but I'm willing
to start, cut everything off,to start over, just be by myself
, figure it out, so that I canget to where I want to be and
just make those changes.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
So here's the million million dollar question.
All these years later, do yourparents know about the
photoshopped grades?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
no, I don't remember.
I feel like I have brought itup.
I think they do, because my mom, we had a heart-to-heart one
time.
Um, I think it was in 2016, 17,maybe I hadn't graduated yet,
but I was like, yeah, by the way, I had to change my major and
here's why I had to change mymajor because I was failing and
all that.
So I think I told her later.
(21:52):
So, yeah, it's not a secret.
I have a really goodrelationship with my parents and
so, yeah, they're like my bestfriends, so I'm pretty honest
with them.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That's awesome.
Well, I was just thinking.
Well, I wonder if they're goingto hear this.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, they're very, I will say they let me be myself.
So not that they're freespirited, they're not, they're
traditional in a lot of ways,but they let me be me.
So they know that I'm ago-getter and they knew I did
not want to come back home andthat it felt like a failure for
me to come back home.
So they knew I'm, they know I'mwilling to do a lot of things
(22:28):
to just make sure I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It's good to have that kind of support, Even if it
is traditional support.
It's great to have that kind ofsupport.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
And your parents are in North Carolina now.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
No, they actually live out here now.
They made, they finally madetheir way back.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Oh, wonderful.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I know that with such a small, small cohort that you
went through in high school,that you had a chance to, I mean
, that's an opportunity forpeople to get much closer than
in the large schools that youknow.
I grew up around here, sostadiums were used for
(23:16):
graduation ceremonies and youcould opt out because it was
just that huge, right.
Oh, wow, wow.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
But do you?
You still keep in touch withpeople that you grew up with
because of that?
No, I, in high school I wouldsay I was honestly in my own
world.
I was a lot.
I was on the Internet a lot,not gonna lie.
So not saying my friends wereon the internet eventually they
were but during high school Ijust always saw that I was a lot
(23:49):
of.
I went to a school where it'slike a lot of people wanted to
be in the medical field.
I was only in that schoolbecause, um, you could take
community college classes duringhigh school.
That was like the benefit to me.
That my mom made me kind of but, yeah, that was why I went to
that school.
So I just always felt like Iwas different, like I never.
(24:13):
I had like a few friends, but Iwas like always like a floater,
like I could blend in and kindof be cool with anyone.
But I didn't really have likemy core friends until about, I
would say, junior year, senioryear and.
But I was already like.
So I was on the internet.
I used to be.
I had a lot of followers onTwitter.
(24:34):
I was on Tumblr at some point.
No, that was later, that was incollege.
But, yeah, I was just aninternet girly, so it was like I
saw so much more and I wasalways the most different.
I felt like I'm not like othergirls in high school.
I was just different.
Like I didn't really connectwith anyone like that at my
school.
I had good relationships, butit wasn't like a deep bond and I
(24:55):
always felt like I was betterthan Fayetteville, which was my
hometown.
I was like I can't wait to getout of here, bro, like I
hometown.
I was like I can't wait to getout of here, bro, like I'm going
to be a big star, I'm going tobe this and that.
Like y'all, y'all, y'all, y'alllook at me as I'm nothing now,
which is fine, but I know I'mgoing to be somebody one day.
And so, um, after high schoolor after graduating, um, I
(25:16):
didn't keep in touch with anyoneum, for a long time.
And now I can even touch withabout four people out of the
five or about, or out of thewhat?
38 people, just about four ofthem today.
And over time, yeah, it's onlybeen a handful.
Like if I go home, I literallyhit up one friend and she
(25:39):
doesn't even live there anymore.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
So, yeah, Well, it sounds like you.
You managed to cast spells likewhat you said was going to
happen.
You made it happen, and therewas a combination of luck and
determination.
But you, it sounds like you hada real drive to really bring
about the things as you saw thatthey needed to be.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, definitely I.
I'm still shocked to this daybecause Imani Black Black isn't
my uh, my government name, butit's a name I made when I was 16
years old.
They told us not to put ourreal names on the internet and
so, um, I was like I don't wantto be these like weird names,
(26:25):
like I want to be my name or Iwant to have like the I call it
a pseudonym.
It is a pseudonym, but my nameis Imani.
But I made that name when I was16 and it was so crazy.
10 years later I won an awardas Imani Black in in Dallas,
texas.
Like it was a lot of, it's beena lot, oh my God, but it made
(26:47):
me cry.
I was like wow.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
That's really cool.
I love that story.
So I'm curious this go-getterthat you are, who modeled that
to you?
I mean, where did that comefrom?
Who modeled that to you?
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I mean, where did that come from?
I should say my family overall,and like my mom she's amazing,
she's a boss, and I saw thatgrowing up.
And my dad, he's a go-gettertoo, like he was in the army and
he also worked on the side,like I just come, or worked on
cars on the side, and like theyalways had something going on,
(27:24):
like there was always like I've.
Since I've graduated fromcollege actually, even before I
graduated from college, therewas a time where I had three
jobs at one point, and so it'slike I come from a family of
hard workers.
I watched my mom applying torace at her where she worked at
Like she went from strugglingand then pursuing her, having me
(27:45):
pursuing her education and mydad just being there along the
way supporting her and themcoming together and like making
the best for me and my brother,and so just seeing them really
inspired me.
And then I would definitely sayeven though this person is
taboo now, very but Kanye West Ilistened to him a lot growing
(28:07):
up, like ever since I heard GoldDigger when I was in third
grade, like I said my parents,let me do what I want, but in
third grade I heard Kanye WestGold Digger and I remember there
was this line.
He was like he got that ambition.
(28:27):
Baby, look in his eyes.
And I remember I was in the carwith my mom.
I was in the back seat.
I was like mommy, what's hisambition?
And she was like it means youwork hard, you get it done,
you're a go-ter, like basicallythat was just what she said.
I'm sure she broke it downBarney level for me, but I
remember I was like I got thatambition.
(28:49):
I remember saying but he likelistening to him growing up and
like you know he's a veryconfident person and like just
seeing, I watched so many of hisinterviews and so forth.
It's just that I've had a lotof time to study him before he
became uber weird.
But yeah, I've had a lot oftime to study him and like his
(29:12):
music has greatly influenced meas well.
Like I said, everyone in highschool knew I was moving in
Texas, but they also knew I loveKanye West.
I thought I was going to marryhim one day.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
He was going to wait for you to come from third grade
up to old enough to marry you.
Well, you know, you mentionedearly on about how you had the
job at the agency where you weremaking coffee, despite having
gone through the process ofearning.
You know well, you'd earned thedegree and you'd had the
internships and you'd done allthe things in order to to um get
(29:54):
you.
You you'd earned recognition,but it wasn't coming.
There's a possible.
There's another timeline whereyou're still making coffee.
Possible.
There's another timeline whereyou're still making coffee.
So what can you say to someonewho might be listening that's in
that situation.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Oh, I would definitely say no.
You're more than likely notgoing to be fulfilled at your
day job.
But if you can build somethingfor yourself outside of it, have
a reason outside of work thatgets you motivated.
Because during that time, whenI was making coffee and all of
that, I would just go go.
(30:31):
I was new to Dallas.
I would go go to work, go home,work out, smoke, drink and go
party.
And then the cycle wouldcompete or it would.
I would base that would be myweek, every week.
That was it.
And then it was like I mean,what am I doing?
Like I'm not doing anything.
I'm sitting up here on Twitterand drinking and smoking.
Like this is such a waste oftime.
(30:52):
I should be doing something.
And so it wasn't until about 20,the beginning of January 2018,
after I graduated.
I graduated in May, got the jobin August, was living in Dallas
by September.
From September to that point,that was my loop Smoke, drink,
go to work, work out, go out toeat.
Just be silly.
I was young, I was 21.
(31:14):
So, but once I figured out thatI wanted to do something, I was
like I need something to doafter work.
I can't keep doing this and I'mnot being fulfilled, like I'm
sitting up here waiting for themto give me an opportunity to be
on a production set or to makea documentary or to be a part of
these cool projects for thisamazing client we have, but it's
like it's not happening.
I'm making coffee or I'mgetting denied to even get
(31:38):
promoted and stuff like that.
So I was like, okay, well, I'mjust going to make something
outside of work and I studied.
I just watched a lot of YouTubevideos.
I studied them at work.
Like I was like, oh, you need tohave a meeting or you need to
like write these notes down.
You need to send follow-upmeetings after a meeting.
I need to write like I justkind of took it all in.
And so what I would say is like, yeah, if you're not fulfilled,
(32:02):
you're more than likely notgoing to be fulfilled at your
job.
But if you build somethingoutside of your job, you can.
There's a way out eventually.
It takes time, it's not goingto be overnight, but it could be
.
But if you don't ever start,you'll just be in a constant
loop.
So I would say look forsomething to do outside of work
that fulfills you and if youwant to pursue it for money, do
it.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Oh, go ahead, Dwight.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
No, I'm just saying sage advice.
People need to hear it.
I suspect they know it, butthey need to hear it.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
They need to hear it.
Yes, I agree completely.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
So I'm wondering if you can look back now at the job
where you made coffee and seethe perfection of that.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Oh, absolutely.
I'm so thankful If they had putyou on projects.
You might still be working ontheir projects, but they had you
doing coffee and, as a resultof that, your life went a
different direction, where youwork on your projects now
instead of their projects.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
And client projects.
I have plenty of clients, sonow I started with doing my
projects, but now my clientprojects take more priority and
more time of my time.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
I noticed right off when you spoke in the panel that
you are very confident and youspeak very boldly.
You don't hesitate to saywhat's on your mind, and I'm
wondering how you perceive thatability to be that confident
(33:36):
human being and be bold.
Be bold how has that?
I mean this is speculation,because you don't know what life
would have been like if youhadn't been confident and bold.
You can only speculate, butthat's what I want you to do is
speculate and tell us how youthink that opened doors for you
(33:58):
that might not otherwise, andwhat doors did it open?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
All of them honestly.
But you know, I feel likethere's I'm just, my family is
we're a loud family, and so youhave to speak up or they will.
You will get ran over.
So you have to speak up or theywill.
You will get ran over.
And after so many, after somuch time, you know it's such
you're, I'm a child, I'm growingup, so it's like, you know, I'm
(34:24):
finding my voice.
But they always let me bemyself.
I can definitely say that aboutmy parents.
They let.
They said I was weird, but theylet me be weird, and so over
time, it's just you.
I've become grounded in that.
I know I'm different, I knowI'm eccentric.
That's what I say now.
I know I'm eccentric, but I'vealways had friends, I've always
(34:47):
had my family.
I've always had thatconfirmation as well that I am
good or I am a solid person.
I am a solid person.
It's okay to be me, it's okayto be confident, it's okay to be
loud and proud, and I feel likeit's also just something God
put in me.
I don't know how it would be tobe a shy person.
I will say there are times thatI have been shy, but I think
(35:09):
there's waves of it and it's noteven like I'm shy, it's like
I'm just being quiet, I'mletting y'all do the talking and
I'm observing or taking it in,kind of figuring out what's
going on before I insert myself.
Because I know if I talk, Idon't know I might become the
center of attention.
A lot of the times is what I'venoticed.
So it's like I'm willing, I'mnot, I'm okay with being quiet,
(35:33):
but I'm not.
I know when to speak up, I knowwhen to.
I know it's okay to be loud andproud, and working at the
advertising agency reallysolidified that for me.
I had been loud and proud allthroughout college and I got a
lot of things done which I wasso proud of.
I walked into, I went.
It was right when I changed mymajor to advertising.
(35:56):
I was at summer school after Iliterally flunked the semester
before I was at summer school,after I literally flunked the
semester before I was at summerschool and I had finally
switched my major to advertisingand it was the first day of
class.
We had like an intro tojournalism class and they were
telling us about the North TexasDaily, which is our on-campus
newspaper, and I looked at theirsocial media because they told
(36:17):
us to follow them and I was liketheir social media sucks.
Like I have a thousandfollowers on Tumblr, I can make
this social media page pop.
So I, literally after classthat day, I went to the office
of the newspaper and I said, hey, I would love to run your
social media.
Like, could we talk about, likeI don't mind even volunteering
(36:39):
to do it Can we talk about that?
And I had a meeting with themain director, who was a faculty
, and then I met with the editor, who was a student.
So we met like a couple of dayslater and literally from there,
things shot off, literally.
I'm not even joking, but justthat kind of boldness.
It's like after you take boldaction, after bold action, after
(37:00):
bold action, it's like yourealize like, oh, if I don't try
, I'm not gonna get it, it's notgonna follow my lap.
It's been like a, a mix oftrial and error.
There have been times whereI've receded.
I'm not so bold, or I'm justlike or I don't like this, or I
think it's all okay overall, butit it's like I don't want to
miss opportunities and just fromtime I've learned, even working
(37:23):
in the advertising industry,like those mouths don't get fed
and they like people who areloud, but I've noticed in the
workplace like people who arelike loud, but on their stuff
not loud, but they're, theyspeak, very, they, they, they
talk to people.
They're not going into officejust doing their work and then
(37:45):
being going home Like it's.
No, it's the people who aretalking to you, you, you coming
to bother you.
I didn't do that at my last jobbut, like I've noticed, it's
like there's, there's a way tomove about life and it is being
bold, that is being confident,even if you don't fully feel it.
Like I felt.
Like in high school.
I had to fake it until I madeit.
I was like I don't know how Ifeel about myself, but I'm not
(38:05):
going to sit up here and playsmall Like I can't.
I see big things for myself andI was listening to a lot of
Kanye at that point and Tyler,the creator, and Rihanna and Amy
Winehouse.
So it was like, oh no, theseare all like old figures and
just very influential to me.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
So, yeah, so you had mentors of a sort people that
you modeled after.
You know, I think that weoftentimes when we see somebody,
when people see somebody likeyou, that it kind of looks like
it comes really easy to you.
You know they always say theperson who says, oh, everything
(38:45):
she touches turns to gold typething.
And when you talk to thosepeople, oftentimes they say
you're only seeing me now, whenit's all good, you didn't see
back there where I tripped andfell 12 times or something.
So you know the people thatthink, oh, you just got lucky,
(39:05):
or it just comes easy to you.
Speak to them in telling them.
You know that the boldness,sometimes it pops in your face,
I'm sure I know it does for me.
Sometimes it just lands flat,but there's a reason you still
keep doing it.
Speak to that for a moment,please.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Speak to why I keep going or how the boldness is a
question.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
You know, in spite of the fact that bold doesn't
always work, in spite of thefact that bold doesn't always
work, it's I personally.
I think it's more inclined towork than not work.
That's me.
But what's your take on it?
Because you continue to show upbold, because it's opened doors
to you.
But I guess what I'm trying toget across to our audience is it
(39:55):
doesn't work 100% of the time.
Usually we all stumble, fall,we all have to get up and dust
ourselves off.
We've all been told no, get outof my face.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yeah.
So for me I'm just knowing myjourney.
Like in high school, I rememberfeeling overlooked, like I can
definitely say that, like that.
That's when I start rememberinglike all my feelings and so
forth, as far as like cominginto my identity and things.
And I remember feelingoverlooked, like my friends.
They were pretty, they weredating guys and hanging out with
(40:32):
friends going to parties, and Iwasn't.
I would hang out with them, butit was like I wasn't going to
parties or I didn't have aboyfriend.
I wasn't, I would hang out withthem, but it was like I wasn't
going to parties or I didn'thave a boyfriend.
I wasn't getting like stalkedor chased around school or
anything like they were.
Thank God I look back but youknow, I've realized over time
it's like I crave that attention, but I knew I wanted it in a
(40:53):
way that felt good and so Irealized it's like you don't get
that just being on the sidelineplaying like someone's going to
see you if you're standing inthe corner.
When I look at the people who Iadmired, even if it's just like
a random person in class or Iwas in a summer camp or whatever
like I saw the people who spokeup, who were funny.
(41:13):
Who were funny, who were doingthings, taking action, whether
they were like oh, I'm going tolead this volunteer event or
things like that Like they gotthe attention.
So it's like I realized youdon't have to just be pretty,
you can do things and it comesnaturally because you're
(41:33):
interesting.
It's important to beinteresting and to be bold on
top of that is like oh, you'regolden, like you, there's
something there.
People like that's why we havethe news, that's why we have all
the celebrity gossip.
I did take in a lot of popculture too, so that's the
influence.
It's like I felt like I was astar.
I knew I was going to be a starone day, but then I've kind of
(41:55):
retreated.
It's like I don't want to belike a celebrity, like people
are following me down the streetor anything.
I don't want to.
I want to be influential in mycraft, like that's what I want
to be known for.
Um, and that's just a path I'vetaken.
It's kind of been a molding overthe years, but being bold has
allowed me to see like hey, thisis the type of attention I do
want.
(42:15):
This is the type of attention Ido want.
This is the type of attention Idon't want, or like it's really
a trial and error in a sensetoo, because you don't know,
unless you try, like I couldhave told you that I'm going to
speak on a.
Well, I'm not going to lie,there's so much.
I'm like oh, I didn't know itwas going to happen.
No, I used to talk to myself inthe living room and things like
that.
So I don't know, but it's justlike I felt a deep knowing that
(42:38):
I'm going to be somebody one day.
Maybe I'm starting small now,maybe I'm considered weird now,
but I always knew I was going tobe great.
And even where I am right now,it's like I'm still eccentric,
I'm still considered weird tosome people, but I know I'm
still going to go to my nextlevel and it's bigger than this
too.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
Oh well, that's a that's a great foreshadowing,
because as a little girl youknew that you were going to get
out of Fayetteville.
You knew you were going to goto Dallas.
And here we are, and you know,even when you were kind of
pinned into the corner to makingcoffee, you knew better, things
are around the corner andyou're making it happen.
So I'm curious as to what it isthat we have to look forward to
(43:23):
in the coming decades.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Wow, decades that's a great question.
Horseshadowing a bit, I wouldsay I'm actually working on this
now, but I know it's going toturn into bigger things later.
So I have a production companywhere I focus look to as an
inspiration for what I want.
So she has her media companycalled Hooray.
(44:03):
I want to own my own mediacompany one day.
She's also inspired me in thesense that I know I want to.
Well, I knew this before her,but I want to own a coffee shop
one day.
I visited LA about a year agoand I went to her coffee shop
like every day while I was thereand, oh my God, it was amazing.
But I know I want to.
About a year ago, and I went toher coffee shop like every day
while I was there and, oh my God, it was amazing.
But I know I want to own acoffee shop one day.
So, bigger production company,coffee shop.
(44:26):
And I also want to own an artgallery.
And then don't laugh when yousee me, but I'm probably going
to be a yoga or Pilatesinstructor too.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
You do, you Do it Good for you.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
That's what I really see, and my goal is to actually
have, like one of my productionsbe on a Netflix series or be a
Netflix series one day.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
So yeah, I don't poo-poo that being a yoga
instructor at all, because youdidn't mention her as one of
your icons, but another local,um, oh, my, my goodness.
Oh, who's the jazz singer?
Um the well, the reason I bringher up is because she's also a
(45:10):
doula, which is oh unexpectedand she sings internationally
and she helps with bringingabout births.
Erica Badu.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Oh, yes, so yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Monty, one of the things I noticed about you and
it's worth calling out because Ireally want the listeners to
get this that you are absolutelya big dreamer, but big dreams
in themselves are nothing morethan just big dreams.
You know, what makes those bigdreams come true is you take
action.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
And it's the coupling of the big dreams and the bold
actions that manifest yourreality.
You know, we think sometimesthere's a whole subset of our
culture that believes well, thisis just the hand that I was
dealt Bullshit.
Right, we did get dealt a hand,but you know, like in most card
(46:11):
games, you can lay a card downand pick a card up.
Yeah, you know, you can changeyour life when you change your
mind.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
We are starting to get near the ending time.
We need to wrap up, but we haveone final question for you and
it's the big question.
We save this to the end In yourcurrent creative life, like
real time right here now.
What is the biggest pain pointand specifically that challenge
(46:47):
that, if it were solved, wouldbe a game changer for you?
Speaker 1 (46:56):
That's such a great question.
That's such a great question.
There's so many things that Iwant and I feel like some of
what I've had right now I'veaccepted.
So it's like I have a full-timejob.
Um, there was a time where Iwas doing this full-time.
I got laid off in 2023 and Igot a new job last summer.
It's been over a year now, um,but I was unemployed for six
(47:19):
months.
But during that time I reallylearned how I really learned so
much I was.
It was great.
I want to go back and do that,but because I have like some
shorter term goals.
I know that having a job isjust disability and so forth,
and just the uncertainty ofwhat's going on in the economy
is what's kind of keeping mehere.
(47:41):
But I know deep down, if I werefull-time on my own, like I'm
gonna go there.
I'm gonna figure out a way tolike make more than what I even
earn now through my paycheck.
So I would say, like it's justI'm thankful for my, but I know
I can do more for myself beyondit.
But I accept it right now forwhat it is, because I know it's
(48:04):
going to lead me to where I needto go and it's not the worst
circumstances, like I literallywork remote, so like um, there
are worse jobs.
So yeah, I would say that's themain thing right now is just
that.
But I appreciate it and I'mrealizing, like I used to think
my corporate life was separatefrom my creative life, but over
(48:27):
time I've had to realize likeit's okay that they're merged
and together, like it's all meregardless, so there's no need
to compartmentalize.
Of course you can have thingsprivate, but like there's no
need to compartmentalize.
Of course you can have thingsprivate, but like there's no
need to compartmentalize, likeoh, this is my aspect of this
and that, and no, what I do atmy creative world is
professional, so it is a part ofmy just overall professional
(48:50):
experience.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I say this all the time it's not.
It doesn't have to be an either, or it can be an, and yes, I
love that.
You know you said I know thisjob, even though it's not my
ideal, it's not my long term.
I know it will lead me where Ineed to go and you have
experience of that, because it'sjust like the coffee serving
job.
Yes, it literally is when youneeded to go, and so what a
(49:16):
beautiful place to be in, whereyou can trust the process.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
Yeah, that's been a big thing is trusting the
process and, finally, feelingcontentment as well.
That was an issue for a while.
I'm like, I'm not satisfied.
I got to go to the next thing.
That's partially why you seeall these projects too, but I
always put my all into them.
So, but feeling contentmentright now and the fact that I'm
(49:45):
not doing anything like or I amdoing things, but it's like I'm
not promoting it or I'm notsharing it.
I'm working behind the sceneson things and it's like I have
things going for myself.
I just don't have to share itand I can just work or I can
just chill, in a sense.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Yeah, I get it.
It's important.
It's called balance, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (50:06):
Yes, yes.
And can I say something as wellas far as, like, another role
model?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
So Kim Kardashian I've followed her a lot growing
up, like what she did and soforth, like I saw her rise
because I was a kid and watching, inhaling pop culture, so she
was in the media all the time.
But what I really admired abouther, what I knew coming into
Dallas and what I I picked outthe pieces about her that I
(50:36):
really like and it's threethings beauty, brains and
business.
Those are what I try to embodyand I feel like I do and she was
like the person I kind ofpulled that.
Of course I have a lot of otherwomen that I admire too, but
for her to see how she does it,it kind of informed me in
(50:58):
certain aspects of like what Ido for my business.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
Beautiful.
Yeah, I think it's incredible.
You know, and we normally talkmore than we did today about
community, but right here, inthese final moments, you know,
you're describing the varying,different people and even though
maybe you didn't know thempersonally, you drew from their
lives and what they they were.
(51:23):
They were like quasi mentors insome way and and in some Way,
that is a form of community.
Speaker 3 (51:33):
Oh, 100 percent.
I mean, it's the same way thatI learn a lot from books.
I have conversations withpeople who are long dead and
it's because they've modeledthings that I see as being
important lessons and I try mybest to honor them honor them.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, books are amazing.
There's so much wisdom.
I love reading, so, yeah, well,I listen more than anything,
but yeah, I love reading books.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Imani, this has been amazing.
Thank you so much for comingand spending an hour with us and
sharing your story.
We've really enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Yes, Thank you.
I've enjoyed being here.
Before we go
if I don't try, I'm not gonna get it, it's not gonna
follow my lab.
It's been like a, a mix oftrial and error.
There have been times whereI've receded, I'm not so bold or
I'm just like or I don't likethis, or I think it's all okay
overall.
But it's like I don't want tomiss opportunities and just from
time I've learned, even workingin the advertising industry,
(00:32):
like those mouths don't get fedand they like people who are
loud, like I've noticed in theworkplace, like people who are
like loud but on their stuff notloud, but they speak, they,
they, they talk to people.
They're not going into officejust doing their work and then
(00:52):
being going home like it's no,it's the people who are talking
to you, you, you coming tobother you.
I didn't do that at my last jobbut, like I've noticed, it's
like you.
There's, there's a way to moveabout life and it is being bold,
that is being confident, evenif you don't fully feel it, like
I felt like in high school.
I had to fake it until I madeit.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Hello, you're here with Maddox and Dwight.
Hello, you're here with Maddoxand Dwight.
We're the Connections andCommunity guys for the love of
creatives.
Wow, that's a drawback.
Today, our guest is Imani Black.
Imani, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
We're delighted to have you.
Thank you, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Well, I'm going to, before we jump in and start
really getting into theconversation, I'm going to turn
the mic over to you for a minuteand let you tell the audience a
little bit about yourself,because you can do that better
than I can do that.
Just, you know, one or twominute overview of who you are
and what you're about.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, of course.
So my name is Imani Black.
I'm originally from NorthCarolina, but I moved out here
to go to school at theUniversity of North Texas over
what?
2013.
So I've been out here eversince.
I've always wanted to move toDallas.
I had big dreams.
So, like everyone in my highschool, they knew that I was
(02:24):
moving to Dallas and was goingto make something for myself.
Because I told them I was.
And just over time, like thatis truly transformed into that.
So graduated from UNT, majoredin advertising, worked in the
advertising industry, learned alot because I started out as a
secretary.
So I was making coffee, doinginventory planning, events and
(02:47):
things like that A lot of theadmin work.
And I remember just being sounhappy with my role in that
because I'm like, I majored inadvertising, I have internships,
I lead like I'm a leader, likeI do a lot of big things.
So why am I making coffee?
It was a very sore subject forme back then, but when I look
(03:07):
back, it really helps me because, being that I was so driven, I
decided to create my ownprojects.
So from there, I created adocumentary titled Day with
Dallas, which is where Ifollowed the life of a couple of
creatives for over almost ayear the life of a couple
(03:27):
creatives for over almost a year.
And then I had a celebration atTrinity Cider where we just
celebrated the release party ofeverything and the closing of
the actual documentary filmingand everything that was fun.
That was in 2019.
And then, as well from thatpoint, I had already had an
ongoing photography seriescalled the Black Series, where I
put out a photography projectevery year from 2017 onward to
(03:50):
2021 under that title and fromthere, like it's just helped me
build a portfolio of work.
And then now, where I am in mycareer, is where I was doing all
that work for myself free in mycareer, is where I was doing
all that work for myself free.
I literally only have like onephotography client per year at
that point and it was only itwas less than a hundred dollar
gig to now.
(04:12):
To now I'm, I have so manyclients, repeat clients as well
and I'm living out my dreamshere in Dallas.
So it's been amazing.
I've been on a billboard inDeep Ellum.
I've won an advertising awardwithout having worked in an
agency since 2019.
And I got the award in 2022.
(04:33):
So it was amazing and just somuch has happened and I'm so
proud and thankful for Dallasjust embracing me.
So I'm here.
I love being out here.
I'm also oh sorry, forgot abouthow we even met as well is.
I'm a curator, so I curate artshows.
I started out curating my ownart show in 2019, was doing that
(04:54):
every year until about 2022.
I got the opportunity to curatein Deep Ellum and from there
that was a community show.
So it was more than myself, andthe reason why I did that is
because the walls were so big atthe coffee shop that I was
hearing at.
I was like I'm just a youngprofessional.
I don't have the money to fillup these walls with my art
(05:16):
because I would need huge prints, so I thought of opening up to
the community so that everyoneelse can have a chance.
So I had one piece in the show,but there were 11 artists,
including myself, in the show,and then that's what kind of led
me to getting the banner inDeep Ellum and then just leading
to me curating another art showthis year called Cyber Dallas,
(05:36):
where I had a lot of artiststhat were amazing, and this is
like the futuristic, sci-fi viewof Dallas from a vision I've
have from a previous project andjust had the opportunity to
make that happen in downtownDallas.
And yeah, I do a lot ofcommunity work and I love Dallas
and I really show that throughmy creativity and providing
(05:58):
opportunities for others.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Beautiful Wow, you've done a lot.
Beautiful Wow, you've done alot.
That's amazing.
It was Women in Business Ibelieve Something of that nature
was the title of it, and youspoke so eloquently and had
achieved so much in such a shortperiod of time.
(06:35):
It just kind of wowed me and Ithought you know what an
interesting story.
And I think there are peopleout there that would gain value
from hearing this.
So I kind of want to go backand do.
I mean, you mentioned a fewdates and we don't normally do
this, but I got a little message, an intuitive message, just a
(06:55):
little few minutes ago that saidreally work on the timeline
here, because I think it'simportant to your story.
Because I think it's importantto your story, so you graduated
(07:21):
from high school and came in2013 to Dallas.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yes, yeah 17.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Okay, so let's go from there and go a little
slower and break it down,because you've really done a lot
.
And I want to kind of talkabout the mindset behind some of
it, because you said everybodyin my high school knew that I
was moving to Dallas.
I had big plans, so let's starteven back there.
(07:49):
When did you know what youwanted to do?
How old were you when you went?
Yep, I'm going to do this andI'm going to do it in Dallas.
And you begin to tell peoplewhere did it all start?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I would say it started in about 2010.
So my dad is actually in theArmy and he got stationed.
We were stationed inFayetteville Well, it's Fort
Bragg, but Fayetteville is themilitary town and so he got
stationed out here in Fort Hoodat Killeen.
And I grew up in a small town.
(08:24):
My high school was very small.
It was a class or it was 300students total, and then my
graduating class by senior yearwas only 40, actually 38.
And two of them were boys.
So it was a very small school,very tight knit, and my dad had
moved out here in 2010.
He was stationed in Fort Hoodand I was like, oh, I'm leaving
(08:46):
this, I'm going to a big highschool in Texas, I'm determined
to be a cheerleader, I'm goingto be somebody like, I'm going
to do all these things.
And we ended up, I ended up notmoving, he ended up just moving
, but me and my mom we stayedback home in Fayetteville
because eventually they movedback anyways.
But yeah, it started from thereand that's when, like, the big
(09:08):
spark came for me to go toschool in Texas, because, you
know, I wanted to go to highschool here.
It didn't happen, but then itwas like, oh, I can go to
college here and I have the GIBill, so I can go to school
anywhere for free, basically aslong as it was public and it was
a saving grace overall.
Now that I've heard the pricingI don't even know what college
(09:29):
costs still, but just knowinghow people have loans and
everything, I'm like whoa.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They have big loans that take a lifetime to pay off.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah, my mom, she's like 54.
She just paid off her studentloans and that's from like what
90s something.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
It's a small world.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I grew up in a town that was only 20 miles from
Killeen.
Really what's the name of yourtown, temple Temple.
I passed through Temple to goto Austin, right, isn't that?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
on the list Yep, and there's the Buc-ee's right there
.
Yep yes.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, I know Temple just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
I've been gone for a very, very long time, but yes,
that's where I grew up.
So what was it initially?
I know you're very much intophotography, but back in 2010,
when you started to have theseplans, was it photography then?
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It was actually so.
I've been doing photography allmy life.
My cameras they always I meanmy cameras.
My parents, they always boughtme like cameras or I would like
get some type of money from likea Christmas, birthday gift
allowance or something and Iwould buy a camera.
So I would say photography whenI was about 11 years old I
think that's sixth grade, Ithink it was about middle school
(10:52):
that's when photography reallystarted becoming a big interest
of mine.
Um, I bought this gigantic it'sgigantic now, but it was a
camera, um, a Canon and all that.
That was the first camera Iremember purchasing.
Actually, my parents got it forme, yeah, but yeah, it's always
been a thing.
And then when I have theopportunity to think bigger,
(11:12):
because like I can go to schoolanywhere, I was like, where
should I go?
And my parents, they, we, wevisited Texas so much growing up
, so it was like I came out herefor almost every summer or
winter break, on and off, itdepends on the year, but we
would come out here a lotbecause my parents, they met out
here.
I was actually born here, butwe moved when I was like one,
(11:34):
before I turned two years old,so that's why I call North
Carolina home because I wasraised out there but we would
visit here often because we havefamily here.
So you know, they kind ofencouraged me to think about
Texas.
They were like Dallas is whereit's at, we want to move back to
Dallas.
My mom, she went to UTA andthey met out there.
My parents met out there.
So she's like we're going backto Dallas and you know, there
(12:02):
were so many times we said wewere moving back to the DFW area
or even just Texas in general,and it never happened.
So it was kind of embarrassingwith, like, my classmates and
stuff Cause it's like I've beentalking about I'm moving to
Texas all this time, all theseyears of college not college of
high school and I never moved,was at the same high school for
four years so but when it wastime to start looking at
colleges and so forth, Iactually really wanted to go to
(12:23):
the University of Houston.
I really liked the program.
I really had these dreams ofbeing a photographer, so I was
going to go to their.
They have a photography program.
So I was like I want to go dothat down there.
And Houston is bigger thanDallas.
I was like I want to go to thebiggest city.
So that was just my mindsetback then.
My parents, they kind of theywere like you're not going to
(12:47):
Houston.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Basically they saved you from the humidity.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
They did, but I'm from the East Coast, I'm used to
the humidity, but they werelike you're not going to Houston
, like we're paying for yourschool, we're not letting you go
there.
So that's a no, but you canlook somewhere else.
So I looked all over thecountry.
I looked at California theywere like no.
I looked at New York they werelike no.
And then I was like you knowwhat?
Let me look at UNT.
(13:14):
They have a really goodjournalism program, and I
thought I wanted to do likejournalism.
Um and cause I was like, oh, Ican do photography still,
because photographers are injournalism.
So it was like I was kind ofweaving my mind around that.
It's funny, though.
When I applied for school, Iwas like, oh, I really want to
get in because I'm anout-of-state student, so let me
just say I'm going to go in forbiology.
So I applied to UNC saying Iwas going to go into biology,
(13:36):
didn't do that.
As soon as we got to freshmanorientation, I switched to
marketing, and marketing kickedmy butt.
This is creeping into 2013,2014 territory.
Marketing had kicked my butt.
When I got to UNT, I failed myclass.
I failed accounting twice, andthen I failed another class,
like, yeah, it just wasn't itfor me.
But during that time I learnedabout advertising.
(14:03):
So when I was like, finally,like hey, I have to make a
change.
I learned about advertisingwhen I went to go speak to, when
I spoke to an academic advisorand they recommended advertising
, I was like, oh, I could do alot with this.
Like you mean?
I mean I love pop culture.
Like my identity back then waspop culture warrior and I love
like media takeout, and I lovelike media takeout TMZ, vh1.
(14:25):
Like when they used to actuallyhave real substance on those.
Well, it wasn't substance, itwas junk.
Looking back, but I always jokethat MTV raised me.
So, like I loved watching TVgrowing up.
I knew all the celebrity gossip.
I just, yeah, I was a popculture girly, for sure, and
advertising goes hand in handwith that, like I learned.
(14:53):
And so during that time as well,I was always wanting a camera.
I didn't have a camera, I had alittle camera but it was cheap.
And then I just mostly startedfilming and doing photos and
videos on my iPhone, so that'swhat I was using to produce
things.
And then we had Instagram atthat point as well, and VSCO.
So I was, or what do they callit?
They call it VSCO.
I call it VSCO, but it's like aplatform, kind of like
Instagram too, and so I wouldjust put out the photography and
(15:15):
video videography aspect oflike my interest, cause those
are my interests.
And then in 2016, I it was mybirthday, my 21st birthday my
mom got me a nice camera, like Ihad got, gave my brother my old
(15:38):
camera, a little cheap camera,and I was like I really want to
start doing YouTube.
I really want to do photography, like I've.
I said this is 2015.
I've been begging my parentsfor a year to get, for a long
time to get me a camera.
So they, finally my mom.
She got me a camera for my 21stbirthday and, um, from there I
said, oh, that's a blow up, likeall I needed was a camera, and
(16:00):
from there I put out my firstphotography project.
It was called the black seriesand from there I put out my
first photography project.
It was called the Black Series.
I released that right aftergraduating from UNT.
So in June 2017, I released it,but I started in May.
So I went around townphotographing my favorite places
in Denton and then Iphotographed my friends cool
pictures of them.
They were my models and I vowedto do from that point, to do
(16:26):
every year as long as I saw itmade sense for me.
So I didn't end up doing it forfive years, but that was my
idea, like give me a camera andI'm going to make it.
I'm going to make something andI sure have.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
It sounds like a whirlwind, and there's
definitely some.
You had the support of yourfamily and a lot of things that
helped you along the way, butwere there any any setbacks or
challenges?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Oh yeah, I almost like my parents.
They are very into school, likewe have to to go.
I had no choice but to go tocollege.
So when, uh, I got there, Iwasn't doing the best as far as
like school, like I just it wasabout the second semester.
I want to say first semester Iwas fine because I didn't really
(17:16):
know anyone.
So I was definitely in schoolfocused.
Well, I'm not gonna lie, I'm,I'm a good student kind of.
Not really something I had togrow into learning how to be a
good student because it was myfirst time at school and on my
own and the discipline and beingorganized and so forth.
Um, I used to fall asleep inclass like I was like I'm, I'm
(17:38):
gonna be front and in class Ineed to sit at the front and
center.
I would sit front and centerand fall asleep in class.
I know it's so silly, but I wasconfident.
But the vision was there, butit was just wasn't fully there.
But I had to figure that outand my scariest thing for me was
(18:03):
my parents taking me, making memove back to North Carolina.
That was like the scariestthing to me, my freshman year
when I first moved out here, andso what I did was I ended up
just Photoshopping my grades.
I would be like my mom theyused to ask me for like proof of
my, like transcript or whatevermy grades for the semester and
I would literally Photoshop,photoshop.
I'm like I'm not moving backhome.
(18:24):
So to me, like that was like itwas a struggle, like navigating
, like hey, I'm not going backhome, I hate that.
I have to be devious or what isthe word?
Deceitful, deceitful to stay,but it's like I'm not going back
and that was.
And then once I actually failedthose accounting classes that
was my sophomore year failed,had to fail, and all that, and
(18:48):
so, or I had to go, I failed,and so with that it was kind of
scary because I was also goingto lose my funding for school
through the military because mygrades weren't up to par and
things like that.
So I would say that was likeone of the first real setbacks I
remember.
That were that was veryimpactful, where it was like
(19:09):
sink or swim for me because Ifelt like going back home to
North Carolina was like theworst thing.
So I'm like, oh no, I've beentalking about this all high
school.
I've been taught all this crap.
I didn't stop talking to allthese people from high school.
I have to make it work.
Like I can't go back home, likeI'm not, I'm not going back
home.
And yeah, I had to swim andthat's what I did.
(19:30):
I ended up changing my majorand that that really helped me,
because after I changed my majorI soared Like I was.
Advertising was definitely theway for me.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Well, it's good that you were able to turn it around
Like you definitely had arecovery, but what do you carry
with you?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Like how does that inform how you move through life
?
Now I feel like it's encouragedme to stay motivated and do
what I have to do to get towhere I want to be.
Fortunately, nothing's reallywhere I have to be deceitful,
but I feel like changing your,photoshopping your grades is not
that's not the worst thing inthe world, but I would say like
just having the mindset of if Ireally want something, I really
(20:13):
have to work towards it.
And you know I was sodistracted, like trying to.
I had a boyfriend at one pointand it was just a distraction
for me.
I was just trying to be a lotof things when I needed to
really just be a student andfocus on myself.
So I've noticed when I, when I'mlike, when I feel like I'm
(20:36):
distracted or I'm doing too manythings at once or just
something isn't fit or workingin my favor or where I really
want to go, I now, over a yearthis has been.
This was like that was thefirst time that kind of
situation ever happened to me,but it's happened so many times
and I realized that's life.
So it's like um, so now I havea really good uh, I'm really
(20:59):
good, balanced and understanding, like what is true for me and I
have to make these changes.
So I'm willing to do anything,not do anything, but I'm willing
to start, cut everything off,to start over, just be by myself
, figure it out, so that I canget to where I want to be and
just make those changes.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
So here's the million million dollar question.
All these years later, do yourparents know about the
photoshopped grades?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
no, I don't remember.
I feel like I have brought itup.
I think they do, because my mom, we had a heart-to-heart one
time.
Um, I think it was in 2016, 17,maybe I hadn't graduated yet,
but I was like, yeah, by the way, I had to change my major and
here's why I had to change mymajor because I was failing and
all that.
So I think I told her later.
(21:52):
So, yeah, it's not a secret.
I have a really goodrelationship with my parents and
so, yeah, they're like my bestfriends, so I'm pretty honest
with them.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That's awesome.
Well, I was just thinking.
Well, I wonder if they're goingto hear this.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, they're very, I will say they let me be myself.
So not that they're freespirited, they're not, they're
traditional in a lot of ways,but they let me be me.
So they know that I'm ago-getter and they knew I did
not want to come back home andthat it felt like a failure for
me to come back home.
So they knew I'm, they know I'mwilling to do a lot of things
(22:28):
to just make sure I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It's good to have that kind of support, Even if it
is traditional support.
It's great to have that kind ofsupport.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
And your parents are in North Carolina now.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
No, they actually live out here now.
They made, they finally madetheir way back.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Oh, wonderful.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
I know that with such a small, small cohort that you
went through in high school,that you had a chance to, I mean
, that's an opportunity forpeople to get much closer than
in the large schools that youknow.
I grew up around here, sostadiums were used for
(23:16):
graduation ceremonies and youcould opt out because it was
just that huge, right.
Oh, wow, wow.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
But do you?
You still keep in touch withpeople that you grew up with
because of that?
No, I, in high school I wouldsay I was honestly in my own
world.
I was a lot.
I was on the Internet a lot,not gonna lie.
So not saying my friends wereon the internet eventually they
were but during high school Ijust always saw that I was a lot
(23:49):
of.
I went to a school where it'slike a lot of people wanted to
be in the medical field.
I was only in that schoolbecause, um, you could take
community college classes duringhigh school.
That was like the benefit to me.
That my mom made me kind of but, yeah, that was why I went to
that school.
So I just always felt like Iwas different, like I never.
(24:13):
I had like a few friends, but Iwas like always like a floater,
like I could blend in and kindof be cool with anyone.
But I didn't really have likemy core friends until about, I
would say, junior year, senioryear and.
But I was already like.
So I was on the internet.
I used to be.
I had a lot of followers onTwitter.
(24:34):
I was on Tumblr at some point.
No, that was later, that was incollege.
But, yeah, I was just aninternet girly, so it was like I
saw so much more and I wasalways the most different.
I felt like I'm not like othergirls in high school.
I was just different.
Like I didn't really connectwith anyone like that at my
school.
I had good relationships, butit wasn't like a deep bond and I
(24:55):
always felt like I was betterthan Fayetteville, which was my
hometown.
I was like I can't wait to getout of here, bro, like I
hometown.
I was like I can't wait to getout of here, bro, like I'm going
to be a big star, I'm going tobe this and that.
Like y'all, y'all, y'all, y'alllook at me as I'm nothing now,
which is fine, but I know I'mgoing to be somebody one day.
And so, um, after high schoolor after graduating, um, I
(25:16):
didn't keep in touch with anyoneum, for a long time.
And now I can even touch withabout four people out of the
five or about, or out of thewhat?
38 people, just about four ofthem today.
And over time, yeah, it's onlybeen a handful.
Like if I go home, I literallyhit up one friend and she
(25:39):
doesn't even live there anymore.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
So, yeah, Well, it sounds like you.
You managed to cast spells likewhat you said was going to
happen.
You made it happen, and therewas a combination of luck and
determination.
But you, it sounds like you hada real drive to really bring
about the things as you saw thatthey needed to be.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Yeah, definitely I.
I'm still shocked to this daybecause Imani Black Black isn't
my uh, my government name, butit's a name I made when I was 16
years old.
They told us not to put ourreal names on the internet and
so, um, I was like I don't wantto be these like weird names,
(26:25):
like I want to be my name or Iwant to have like the I call it
a pseudonym.
It is a pseudonym, but my nameis Imani.
But I made that name when I was16 and it was so crazy.
10 years later I won an awardas Imani Black in in Dallas,
texas.
Like it was a lot of, it's beena lot, oh my God, but it made
(26:47):
me cry.
I was like wow.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
That's really cool.
I love that story.
So I'm curious this go-getterthat you are, who modeled that
to you?
I mean, where did that comefrom?
Who modeled that to you?
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I mean, where did that come from?
I should say my family overall,and like my mom she's amazing,
she's a boss, and I saw thatgrowing up.
And my dad, he's a go-gettertoo, like he was in the army and
he also worked on the side,like I just come, or worked on
cars on the side, and like theyalways had something going on,
(27:24):
like there was always like I've.
Since I've graduated fromcollege actually, even before I
graduated from college, therewas a time where I had three
jobs at one point, and so it'slike I come from a family of
hard workers.
I watched my mom applying torace at her where she worked at
Like she went from strugglingand then pursuing her, having me
(27:45):
pursuing her education and mydad just being there along the
way supporting her and themcoming together and like making
the best for me and my brother,and so just seeing them really
inspired me.
And then I would definitely sayeven though this person is
taboo now, very but Kanye West Ilistened to him a lot growing
(28:07):
up, like ever since I heard GoldDigger when I was in third
grade, like I said my parents,let me do what I want, but in
third grade I heard Kanye WestGold Digger and I remember there
was this line.
He was like he got that ambition.
(28:27):
Baby, look in his eyes.
And I remember I was in the carwith my mom.
I was in the back seat.
I was like mommy, what's hisambition?
And she was like it means youwork hard, you get it done,
you're a go-ter, like basicallythat was just what she said.
I'm sure she broke it downBarney level for me, but I
remember I was like I got thatambition.
(28:49):
I remember saying but he likelistening to him growing up and
like you know he's a veryconfident person and like just
seeing, I watched so many of hisinterviews and so forth.
It's just that I've had a lotof time to study him before he
became uber weird.
But yeah, I've had a lot oftime to study him and like his
(29:12):
music has greatly influenced meas well.
Like I said, everyone in highschool knew I was moving in
Texas, but they also knew I loveKanye West.
I thought I was going to marryhim one day.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
He was going to wait for you to come from third grade
up to old enough to marry you.
Well, you know, you mentionedearly on about how you had the
job at the agency where you weremaking coffee, despite having
gone through the process ofearning.
You know well, you'd earned thedegree and you'd had the
internships and you'd done allthe things in order to to um get
(29:54):
you.
You you'd earned recognition,but it wasn't coming.
There's a possible.
There's another timeline whereyou're still making coffee.
Possible.
There's another timeline whereyou're still making coffee.
So what can you say to someonewho might be listening that's in
that situation.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Oh, I would definitely say no.
You're more than likely notgoing to be fulfilled at your
day job.
But if you can build somethingfor yourself outside of it, have
a reason outside of work thatgets you motivated.
Because during that time, whenI was making coffee and all of
that, I would just go go.
(30:31):
I was new to Dallas.
I would go go to work, go home,work out, smoke, drink and go
party.
And then the cycle wouldcompete or it would.
I would base that would be myweek, every week.
That was it.
And then it was like I mean,what am I doing?
Like I'm not doing anything.
I'm sitting up here on Twitterand drinking and smoking.
Like this is such a waste oftime.
(30:52):
I should be doing something.
And so it wasn't until about 20,the beginning of January 2018,
after I graduated.
I graduated in May, got the jobin August, was living in Dallas
by September.
From September to that point,that was my loop Smoke, drink,
go to work, work out, go out toeat.
Just be silly.
I was young, I was 21.
(31:14):
So, but once I figured out thatI wanted to do something, I was
like I need something to doafter work.
I can't keep doing this and I'mnot being fulfilled, like I'm
sitting up here waiting for themto give me an opportunity to be
on a production set or to makea documentary or to be a part of
these cool projects for thisamazing client we have, but it's
like it's not happening.
I'm making coffee or I'mgetting denied to even get
(31:38):
promoted and stuff like that.
So I was like, okay, well, I'mjust going to make something
outside of work and I studied.
I just watched a lot of YouTubevideos.
I studied them at work.
Like I was like, oh, you need tohave a meeting or you need to
like write these notes down.
You need to send follow-upmeetings after a meeting.
I need to write like I justkind of took it all in.
And so what I would say is like, yeah, if you're not fulfilled,
(32:02):
you're more than likely notgoing to be fulfilled at your
job.
But if you build somethingoutside of your job, you can.
There's a way out eventually.
It takes time, it's not goingto be overnight, but it could be
.
But if you don't ever start,you'll just be in a constant
loop.
So I would say look forsomething to do outside of work
that fulfills you and if youwant to pursue it for money, do
it.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Oh, go ahead, Dwight.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
No, I'm just saying sage advice.
People need to hear it.
I suspect they know it, butthey need to hear it.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
They need to hear it.
Yes, I agree completely.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
So I'm wondering if you can look back now at the job
where you made coffee and seethe perfection of that.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
Oh, absolutely.
I'm so thankful If they had putyou on projects.
You might still be working ontheir projects, but they had you
doing coffee and, as a resultof that, your life went a
different direction, where youwork on your projects now
instead of their projects.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
And client projects.
I have plenty of clients, sonow I started with doing my
projects, but now my clientprojects take more priority and
more time of my time.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
I noticed right off when you spoke in the panel that
you are very confident and youspeak very boldly.
You don't hesitate to saywhat's on your mind, and I'm
wondering how you perceive thatability to be that confident
(33:36):
human being and be bold.
Be bold how has that?
I mean this is speculation,because you don't know what life
would have been like if youhadn't been confident and bold.
You can only speculate, butthat's what I want you to do is
speculate and tell us how youthink that opened doors for you
(33:58):
that might not otherwise, andwhat doors did it open?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
All of them honestly.
But you know, I feel likethere's I'm just, my family is
we're a loud family, and so youhave to speak up or they will.
You will get ran over.
So you have to speak up or theywill.
You will get ran over.
And after so many, after somuch time, you know it's such
you're, I'm a child, I'm growingup, so it's like, you know, I'm
(34:24):
finding my voice.
But they always let me bemyself.
I can definitely say that aboutmy parents.
They let.
They said I was weird, but theylet me be weird, and so over
time, it's just you.
I've become grounded in that.
I know I'm different, I knowI'm eccentric.
That's what I say now.
I know I'm eccentric, but I'vealways had friends, I've always
(34:47):
had my family.
I've always had thatconfirmation as well that I am
good or I am a solid person.
I am a solid person.
It's okay to be me, it's okayto be confident, it's okay to be
loud and proud, and I feel likeit's also just something God
put in me.
I don't know how it would be tobe a shy person.
I will say there are times thatI have been shy, but I think
(35:09):
there's waves of it and it's noteven like I'm shy, it's like
I'm just being quiet, I'mletting y'all do the talking and
I'm observing or taking it in,kind of figuring out what's
going on before I insert myself.
Because I know if I talk, Idon't know I might become the
center of attention.
A lot of the times is what I'venoticed.
So it's like I'm willing, I'mnot, I'm okay with being quiet,
(35:33):
but I'm not.
I know when to speak up, I knowwhen to.
I know it's okay to be loud andproud, and working at the
advertising agency reallysolidified that for me.
I had been loud and proud allthroughout college and I got a
lot of things done which I wasso proud of.
I walked into, I went.
It was right when I changed mymajor to advertising.
(35:56):
I was at summer school after Iliterally flunked the semester
before I was at summer school,after I literally flunked the
semester before I was at summerschool and I had finally
switched my major to advertisingand it was the first day of
class.
We had like an intro tojournalism class and they were
telling us about the North TexasDaily, which is our on-campus
newspaper, and I looked at theirsocial media because they told
(36:17):
us to follow them and I was liketheir social media sucks.
Like I have a thousandfollowers on Tumblr, I can make
this social media page pop.
So I, literally after classthat day, I went to the office
of the newspaper and I said, hey, I would love to run your
social media.
Like, could we talk about, likeI don't mind even volunteering
(36:39):
to do it Can we talk about that?
And I had a meeting with themain director, who was a faculty
, and then I met with the editor, who was a student.
So we met like a couple of dayslater and literally from there,
things shot off, literally.
I'm not even joking, but justthat kind of boldness.
It's like after you take boldaction, after bold action, after
(37:00):
bold action, it's like yourealize like, oh, if I don't try
, I'm not gonna get it, it's notgonna follow my lap.
It's been like a, a mix oftrial and error.
There have been times whereI've receded.
I'm not so bold, or I'm justlike or I don't like this, or I
think it's all okay overall, butit it's like I don't want to
miss opportunities and just fromtime I've learned, even working
(37:23):
in the advertising industry,like those mouths don't get fed
and they like people who areloud, but I've noticed in the
workplace like people who arelike loud, but on their stuff
not loud, but they're, theyspeak, very, they, they, they
talk to people.
They're not going into officejust doing their work and then
(37:45):
being going home Like it's.
No, it's the people who aretalking to you, you, you coming
to bother you.
I didn't do that at my last jobbut, like I've noticed, it's
like there's, there's a way tomove about life and it is being
bold, that is being confident,even if you don't fully feel it.
Like I felt.
Like in high school.
I had to fake it until I madeit.
I was like I don't know how Ifeel about myself, but I'm not
(38:05):
going to sit up here and playsmall Like I can't.
I see big things for myself andI was listening to a lot of
Kanye at that point and Tyler,the creator, and Rihanna and Amy
Winehouse.
So it was like, oh no, theseare all like old figures and
just very influential to me.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
So, yeah, so you had mentors of a sort people that
you modeled after.
You know, I think that weoftentimes when we see somebody,
when people see somebody likeyou, that it kind of looks like
it comes really easy to you.
You know they always say theperson who says, oh, everything
(38:45):
she touches turns to gold typething.
And when you talk to thosepeople, oftentimes they say
you're only seeing me now, whenit's all good, you didn't see
back there where I tripped andfell 12 times or something.
So you know the people thatthink, oh, you just got lucky,
(39:05):
or it just comes easy to you.
Speak to them in telling them.
You know that the boldness,sometimes it pops in your face,
I'm sure I know it does for me.
Sometimes it just lands flat,but there's a reason you still
keep doing it.
Speak to that for a moment,please.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Speak to why I keep going or how the boldness is a
question.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
You know, in spite of the fact that bold doesn't
always work, in spite of thefact that bold doesn't always
work, it's I personally.
I think it's more inclined towork than not work.
That's me.
But what's your take on it?
Because you continue to show upbold, because it's opened doors
to you.
But I guess what I'm trying toget across to our audience is it
(39:55):
doesn't work 100% of the time.
Usually we all stumble, fall,we all have to get up and dust
ourselves off.
We've all been told no, get outof my face.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yeah.
So for me I'm just knowing myjourney.
Like in high school, I rememberfeeling overlooked, like I can
definitely say that, like that.
That's when I start rememberinglike all my feelings and so
forth, as far as like cominginto my identity and things.
And I remember feelingoverlooked, like my friends.
They were pretty, they weredating guys and hanging out with
(40:32):
friends going to parties, and Iwasn't.
I would hang out with them, butit was like I wasn't going to
parties or I didn't have aboyfriend.
I wasn't, I would hang out withthem, but it was like I wasn't
going to parties or I didn'thave a boyfriend.
I wasn't getting like stalkedor chased around school or
anything like they were.
Thank God I look back but youknow, I've realized over time
it's like I crave that attention, but I knew I wanted it in a
(40:53):
way that felt good and so Irealized it's like you don't get
that just being on the sidelineplaying like someone's going to
see you if you're standing inthe corner.
When I look at the people who Iadmired, even if it's just like
a random person in class or Iwas in a summer camp or whatever
like I saw the people who spokeup, who were funny.
(41:13):
Who were funny, who were doingthings, taking action, whether
they were like oh, I'm going tolead this volunteer event or
things like that Like they gotthe attention.
So it's like I realized youdon't have to just be pretty,
you can do things and it comesnaturally because you're
(41:33):
interesting.
It's important to beinteresting and to be bold on
top of that is like oh, you'regolden, like you, there's
something there.
People like that's why we havethe news, that's why we have all
the celebrity gossip.
I did take in a lot of popculture too, so that's the
influence.
It's like I felt like I was astar.
I knew I was going to be a starone day, but then I've kind of
(41:55):
retreated.
It's like I don't want to belike a celebrity, like people
are following me down the streetor anything.
I don't want to.
I want to be influential in mycraft, like that's what I want
to be known for.
Um, and that's just a path I'vetaken.
It's kind of been a molding overthe years, but being bold has
allowed me to see like hey, thisis the type of attention I do
want.
(42:15):
This is the type of attention Ido want.
This is the type of attention Idon't want, or like it's really
a trial and error in a sensetoo, because you don't know,
unless you try, like I couldhave told you that I'm going to
speak on a.
Well, I'm not going to lie,there's so much.
I'm like oh, I didn't know itwas going to happen.
No, I used to talk to myself inthe living room and things like
that.
So I don't know, but it's justlike I felt a deep knowing that
(42:38):
I'm going to be somebody one day.
Maybe I'm starting small now,maybe I'm considered weird now,
but I always knew I was going tobe great.
And even where I am right now,it's like I'm still eccentric,
I'm still considered weird tosome people, but I know I'm
still going to go to my nextlevel and it's bigger than this
too.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
Oh well, that's a that's a great foreshadowing,
because as a little girl youknew that you were going to get
out of Fayetteville.
You knew you were going to goto Dallas.
And here we are, and you know,even when you were kind of
pinned into the corner to makingcoffee, you knew better, things
are around the corner andyou're making it happen.
So I'm curious as to what it isthat we have to look forward to
(43:23):
in the coming decades.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Wow, decades that's a great question.
Horseshadowing a bit, I wouldsay I'm actually working on this
now, but I know it's going toturn into bigger things later.
So I have a production companywhere I focus look to as an
inspiration for what I want.
So she has her media companycalled Hooray.
(44:03):
I want to own my own mediacompany one day.
She's also inspired me in thesense that I know I want to.
Well, I knew this before her,but I want to own a coffee shop
one day.
I visited LA about a year agoand I went to her coffee shop
like every day while I was thereand, oh my God, it was amazing.
But I know I want to.
About a year ago, and I went toher coffee shop like every day
while I was there and, oh my God, it was amazing.
But I know I want to own acoffee shop one day.
So, bigger production company,coffee shop.
(44:26):
And I also want to own an artgallery.
And then don't laugh when yousee me, but I'm probably going
to be a yoga or Pilatesinstructor too.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
You do, you Do it Good for you.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
That's what I really see, and my goal is to actually
have, like one of my productionsbe on a Netflix series or be a
Netflix series one day.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
So yeah, I don't poo-poo that being a yoga
instructor at all, because youdidn't mention her as one of
your icons, but another local,um, oh, my, my goodness.
Oh, who's the jazz singer?
Um the well, the reason I bringher up is because she's also a
(45:10):
doula, which is oh unexpectedand she sings internationally
and she helps with bringingabout births.
Erica Badu.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Oh, yes, so yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Monty, one of the things I noticed about you and
it's worth calling out because Ireally want the listeners to
get this that you are absolutelya big dreamer, but big dreams
in themselves are nothing morethan just big dreams.
You know, what makes those bigdreams come true is you take
action.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
And it's the coupling of the big dreams and the bold
actions that manifest yourreality.
You know, we think sometimesthere's a whole subset of our
culture that believes well, thisis just the hand that I was
dealt Bullshit.
Right, we did get dealt a hand,but you know, like in most card
(46:11):
games, you can lay a card downand pick a card up.
Yeah, you know, you can changeyour life when you change your
mind.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (46:25):
We are starting to get near the ending time.
We need to wrap up, but we haveone final question for you and
it's the big question.
We save this to the end In yourcurrent creative life, like
real time right here now.
What is the biggest pain pointand specifically that challenge
(46:47):
that, if it were solved, wouldbe a game changer for you?
Speaker 1 (46:56):
That's such a great question.
That's such a great question.
There's so many things that Iwant and I feel like some of
what I've had right now I'veaccepted.
So it's like I have a full-timejob.
Um, there was a time where Iwas doing this full-time.
I got laid off in 2023 and Igot a new job last summer.
It's been over a year now, um,but I was unemployed for six
(47:19):
months.
But during that time I reallylearned how I really learned so
much I was.
It was great.
I want to go back and do that,but because I have like some
shorter term goals.
I know that having a job isjust disability and so forth,
and just the uncertainty ofwhat's going on in the economy
is what's kind of keeping mehere.
(47:41):
But I know deep down, if I werefull-time on my own, like I'm
gonna go there.
I'm gonna figure out a way tolike make more than what I even
earn now through my paycheck.
So I would say, like it's justI'm thankful for my, but I know
I can do more for myself beyondit.
But I accept it right now forwhat it is, because I know it's
(48:04):
going to lead me to where I needto go and it's not the worst
circumstances, like I literallywork remote, so like um, there
are worse jobs.
So yeah, I would say that's themain thing right now is just
that.
But I appreciate it and I'mrealizing, like I used to think
my corporate life was separatefrom my creative life, but over
(48:27):
time I've had to realize likeit's okay that they're merged
and together, like it's all meregardless, so there's no need
to compartmentalize.
Of course you can have thingsprivate, but like there's no
need to compartmentalize.
Of course you can have thingsprivate, but like there's no
need to compartmentalize, likeoh, this is my aspect of this
and that, and no, what I do atmy creative world is
professional, so it is a part ofmy just overall professional
(48:50):
experience.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I say this all the time it's not.
It doesn't have to be an either, or it can be an, and yes, I
love that.
You know you said I know thisjob, even though it's not my
ideal, it's not my long term.
I know it will lead me where Ineed to go and you have
experience of that, because it'sjust like the coffee serving
job.
Yes, it literally is when youneeded to go, and so what a
(49:16):
beautiful place to be in, whereyou can trust the process.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
Yeah, that's been a big thing is trusting the
process and, finally, feelingcontentment as well.
That was an issue for a while.
I'm like, I'm not satisfied.
I got to go to the next thing.
That's partially why you seeall these projects too, but I
always put my all into them.
So, but feeling contentmentright now and the fact that I'm
(49:45):
not doing anything like or I amdoing things, but it's like I'm
not promoting it or I'm notsharing it.
I'm working behind the sceneson things and it's like I have
things going for myself.
I just don't have to share itand I can just work or I can
just chill, in a sense.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Yeah, I get it.
It's important.
It's called balance, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (50:06):
Yes, yes.
And can I say something as wellas far as, like, another role
model?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
So Kim Kardashian I've followed her a lot growing
up, like what she did and soforth, like I saw her rise
because I was a kid and watching, inhaling pop culture, so she
was in the media all the time.
But what I really admired abouther, what I knew coming into
Dallas and what I I picked outthe pieces about her that I
(50:36):
really like and it's threethings beauty, brains and
business.
Those are what I try to embodyand I feel like I do and she was
like the person I kind ofpulled that.
Of course I have a lot of otherwomen that I admire too, but
for her to see how she does it,it kind of informed me in
(50:58):
certain aspects of like what Ido for my business.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
Beautiful.
Yeah, I think it's incredible.
You know, and we normally talkmore than we did today about
community, but right here, inthese final moments, you know,
you're describing the varying,different people and even though
maybe you didn't know thempersonally, you drew from their
lives and what they they were.
(51:23):
They were like quasi mentors insome way and and in some Way,
that is a form of community.
Speaker 3 (51:33):
Oh, 100 percent.
I mean, it's the same way thatI learn a lot from books.
I have conversations withpeople who are long dead and
it's because they've modeledthings that I see as being
important lessons and I try mybest to honor them honor them.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, books are amazing.
There's so much wisdom.
I love reading, so, yeah, well,I listen more than anything,
but yeah, I love reading books.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Imani, this has been amazing.
Thank you so much for comingand spending an hour with us and
sharing your story.
We've really enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Yes, Thank you.
I've enjoyed being here.
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