I thought I was destined to become an erotic poet and spoken word artist. Authors Sistah Souljah, Omar Tyree and Eric Jerome Dickey were introduced to me during my teens and when I fell in love with the rhythm that made their words sing, no one could pry these novels away from my fingertips. I own every one of their books – both paperback and hardcover (my Sistah Souljah collection is signed). Utterly obsessed with the sensual nature of their narratives, I tried my hand at poetry and received an overwhelming response from readers via Facebook and shortly thereafter I’d introduce my work to my blogging community.
If the world were crashing down around me and I could only escape with three items, one of them would be my USB key which holds nearly one hundred poems I wrote during my early 20s. I still remember the days when I spent every waking moment exercising limitless creativity. During my free time, I’d host creative writing sessions in my parent’s living room with local poets and writers (that’s where my company name, the WritersBlok comes from).
When poetry became second nature, I tried my hand at songwriting. I spent my evenings and weekends in music studios challenging myself to catch the beat. With a few friends and a cousin who were very successful producers (and still are), I learned from the best. It was fun for a while, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t my forever-dream.
And one thing about me, I allow my dreams to evolve.
If it doesn’t feel right, I’m out.
Before I locked into one thing, I explored a variety of writing styles and career paths. More than a decade ago, from what I can remember, there wasn’t any way to tell which lane would actually work out because a blueprint didn’t exist.
Remember when everyone started blogging, like, back in 2009? We were all mind blown. Like, wow. This is a thing? It can actually be a lucrative career? If you wanted to be a blogger for a living, people legit thought you weren’t serious about your life and future.
While stretching myself creatively, my primary focus was to establish myself as a journalist. Thanks to a referral from one of my mentors in 2010, I had a very busy freelance career for four years. I wrote for various newspapers reporting on everything from fashion to entertainment, politics to human interest stories. I still have the very first check (and every single newspaper clipping) I received from my art hung up on my bedroom wall. I laminated it with pride as a reminder there’s always more where that money came from. When everyone believes you cannot sustain a career as a writer, you pretty much need any encouragement you can get. I was determined to fight for my happiness and to keep my childhood dream alive. Between 2010 and 2014 I also wrote and published my first novel, Everything I Couldn’t Tell My Mother.
2014 was an interesting year. While reading an article published in Forbes I was introduced to the secret world of ghostwriting. BTW, the consistent thread here is my willingness to follow my curiosity until I landed on something that gave me butterflies. And when I finished devouring this new information, I realized this was something I wanted to explore even more. But I was already juggling A LOT. Not only was I working a 9-5, I was releasing a new book, freelance writing, songwriting, blogging, volunteering and public speaking. Where the heck was I really going to find the time to add anything else?
Knowing that pursuing ghostwriting would be a critical career move, I put a pin in the idea with the intention to revisit it later. In the meantime, my focus was to complete the projects I was currently working on and build my reputation using blogging, interviewing and public speaking as my vehicles. This wasn’t a process I wanted to rush at all. I was young. In my 20s. I had time to figure shit out.
In a short while, my profile as a writer and speaker became noticeable. People recognized my words and audiences filled seats anywhere I spoke. So, due to my limited capacity, I had to let a few things go to make more room on my plate. In 2015, I was invited to speak at a conference at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and met a woman CEO who has since mentored me for almost ten years. She is the founder of a communications agency in Philly. Her and I established a friendship almost immediately. We sat together on a panel and stayed in touch in the months to follow.
I emailed her with my career updates, engaged with her on social media and even flew into her hometown on occasion (often scraping pennies together to purchase the flights) to get face time with her over coffee. I made sure to stay visible and schedule time on her calendar every so often. On one particular phone call during a casual conversation, she said, “You know what? We are in the process of onboarding a new writer but I think I’m actually going to hire you instead.”
Holy shit.
Keep in mind I still work a 9-5 in Toronto, Canada and now I have the opportunity to freelance for a communications agency based in Philadelphia. It was my first major break outside of my hometown and the world of journalism. I was thrilled but also did not know what the heck to expect.
Check this though, any time I make a move, I take someone with me. So I actually co-signed a good friend of mine and agreed to split my earnings so she could level up her shit too. I knew we would both benefit from this experience.
Our first assignment from the agency: write a 15-minute speech for one of the biggest supermodels in the world who is going to be speaking on one of the biggest stages in the world.
I’m sorry, wut?!
My friend and I had to pick up our mouths from off the floor. We were thrown into the deep end and immediately had to show and prove what we were capable of. A shock to our nervous system, a few tears of frustration and a week of sleepless nights later, we submitted our draft.
The feedback?!
Nothing.
My mentor and her team said they had no edits to bring forward. We nailed the tone, message, audience takeaways and delivery. Again, you have to understand, I felt like a small fish in a big pond. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I watched a lot of speeches but had never written a speech before. The pressure was more than I thought I could carry. But we made a lasting impression and babyyyyyyy, it boosted our confidence times infinity.
Do you hear me?!
Times INFINITY (Lol).
We went on to co-write/ghostwrite an op-ed published in Vogue Italia for the same supermodel followed by several pieces of game changing content for other celebrities. And yes, we started off strong, but there was also a steep learning curve to overcome. Writing in someone else’s voice is not as easy as you may think. Working freelance for a communications agency was a great training ground and my mentor fostered an environment where I felt comfortable asking a ton of questions. She was also very transparent about how my role and contribution fit within a larger brand strategy. I learned a lot from that experience and it became one of the stepping stones that shaped my future career. Two years later I started my celebrity ghostwriting agency, the WritersBlok, with ZERO clients. That’s important to share because even though I had experience, I had to build a roster from scratch.
I love being a journalist because I have a platform to highlight Black voices in mainstream media. My columns have raised the profiles of hundreds (likely thousands) of others in more ways than I can count, but what was once the cornerstone of my brand, I now view as a freelance job that will fade in a few short years as the industry continues to shift and execute massive layoffs. But my career as a ghostwriter?! Ye, I can’t see myself doing anything else. And had I not explored a myriad of writing styles, I don’t know if I would have ended up here.
Simply put, one of the reasons I pursued ghostwriting is because it gives me the opportunity to have a seat at the table with the world’s leaders and doers. We’ve all seen and heard about the rise and fall of politicians, athletes, founders and celebrities for reasons (but not limited to) that include poor messaging, delivery and the inability to navigate cultural, societal and generational sensitivities. And over the years I’ve asked myself, how? why? who is their advisor? what were they thinking? And I was left puzzled.
Six years later, I am still asking these questions, but I am now in a position where I can do something about it. My clients do not make a (content) move without my insight. And before I work with anyone I need to know more about what (foundation) they are standing on (morals, values, belief system) and what they are fighting for. And if they are unsure, then I break out the whiteboard and create a safe space for them to dream again. We dig into the causes they are passionate about and what types of conversations they’d like to contribute to. I’m not just a writing partner. I’m a strategist and human diary. I shoulder the responsibility to help people tell their stories and take a stand on hot button topics through brand assets.
Working alongside my mentor empowered me to question everything, become solution oriented and think quickly on my feet. My former decade-long corporate position as an Executive Assistant also helps a great deal too because it enabled my ability to anticipate the needs of my clients, test my organizational skills, pay attention to detail and efficiently manage multiple projects on nearly impossible deadlines.
Another reason I pursued ghostwriting is because I saw where the world of communications was going and I wanted to stay ahead. With increased digital media consumption, no one can meet that demand themselves and once 2020 hit, Black creators were in high demand (we all know why). But the thing is, there are only a handful of us in comparison to our white counterparts. So I want the work my company leads to be an example in itself. I want the projects we touch and the educational content we create on our podcast, social and blog to send smoke signals so that every Black and brown woman and girl consider this career path as an option.
That’s what my mentor did for me. She is my real life superhero. Wife, mom, business mogul, big sister and friend who still plays an active role in my life today. We dream, work, and build together. I am so grateful she gave me wings to fly and encouraged me to believe in myself.
(this personal story has been condensed significantly)