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Black Entrepreneur Experience
BEE 505 Uncharted Paths with Rakia Reynolds ~ Rewind
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Rakia Reynolds, founder and executive officer of Skai Blue Media, she shares her journey of innovation and creativity in the communications industry. Website: Let's Connect and Engage: Leave a Today on what you enjoyed about Black Entrepreneur...
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- [00:00]
Dr. Francis Richards
Welcome to the Black Entrepreneur Experience podcast, inside the business buzz and brilliance of black entrepreneurs. Here's your host, Dr. Francis Richards.
- [00:12]
Dr. Frances Richards
What happens in Vegas goes all over the world on Black Entrepreneur experience, episode number 505. Thank you for joining us for Black Entrepreneur Experience. This is where we shine the light on the most successful black entrepreneurs in the world. I'm your host, Dr. Frances Richards. I am so humbly honored to have today with us Rekia Reynolds, wife, mompreneur, founder and owner at Sky Blue Media, a public relations agency located in Philadelphia. Welcome, Rekia.
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Rekia Reynolds
Thank you so much for having me.
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Dr. Frances Richards
You know what? I have given our audience a very brief snippet of your bio. Why don't you fill in the gap and share with our audience what you'd like them to know about yourself and in your company?
- [00:57]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, great. Awesome. So again, my name's Rekia Reynolds and I am the founder and CEO of Sky Blue Media. Sky Blue Media is a multimedia communications agency and we work with people and products on their business branding and bragging. And I like to break it down when we say we work with people and products on their business branding and bragging. Some people like lifestyle. In the lifestyle space, we work with top models such as Grace Mehari and Ashley Graham, the first curvy model to ever be on the COVID of Sports Illustrated. We work with Serena Williams and her apparel brand for hsn. We work with a ton of folks in the tech space, but with an overarching theme of lifestyle. So making it your everyday thing in the tech space, when we talk about products, we work with technology companies like Dell. We're currently working with them on really disrupting their model for native content storytelling. So being able to storytell and tell stories about products versus selling products. So you can have this transactional piece when you're buying a product or the way that we like to think about it. At Sky Blue Media, you can story tell rather than story sell. We're working with Dell Technologies on some of their native content storytelling. We've also worked with nonprofits such as Global Citizen. I'm currently an entrepreneur in residence for Visit Philadelphia, which is the agency of record that markets the city of Philadelphia, which is why we have an office in the city of Philadelphia. We also have an office in New York City and we have folks from our team in Denver, Oakland, New York and in Montreal. Because when we worked with Global Citizen, we did quite a bit of work in Canada. So we have a great global footprint where we're working across the country and across the world to help people in products to tell their stories. On the business side of things, it's making sure that when we work with a client, we make sure that they have a great advisory board, they have the right people around them, are they meeting the right stakeholders that can help to add to their business. Then on the branding side, it's making sure that there is that nonverbal and the verbal aspect of communication, but making sure that the branding and the imaging is on par with the story that you're about to tell or the story that you're telling your consumer audience, whether that's your marketing collateral or what your website looks like, or your media kit or across channels. What is the story that you're telling on social media and what is your digital footprint? Are you communicating in a way that is also visual to your audience? Because we know that words can tell a story, but we also know that there's this nonverbal portion of storytelling. So we work on the verbal and nonverbal storytelling aspect. And then when you get into the bragging portion, it's making sure that we are crafting stories for our clients that can communicate across the channels that they need to be communicated on. Whether that's making sure a client is telling their story on a Good Morning America or Today show, or maybe it's crafting a really great op ed for Forbes or making sure that their voice is heard in the Wall Street Journal or making sure that they're quoted in the New York Times, or it could even be making sure that they're on a stage doing a TED talk. So for our clients, we make sure that we're working on the traditional aspect of communications, which is the books that we're picking up and reading and then also the non traditional aspect of communications. Are they facil a really great breakout? Are they on the stages that they need to be on? And again, doing that integration of what we're calling new media now, which is the intersection of advertising and communication. So we're a multimedia shop. There are about 14 of us at Sky Blue Media and we're all across the country, but our main offices are in Philadelphia and New York.
- [05:21]
Dr. Frances Richards
And so Rekia, tell us your story. I you started your business in 2008 and you tell the story. I've read some of the seen some of the interviews and articles about you. Went from unemployment to this amazing PR relations firm and so tell us about that journey.
- [05:44]
Rekia Reynolds
Yeah, so you know, I always say I like to share the story behind the glory. Oftentimes we see all of the wonderful Things, things that people are doing. And it's like, oh my goodness, you're working with Serena Williams and Ashley Graham and Dell and Comcast and all of these amazing clients that you have. And I always say, I started somewhere and my somewhere was I started my company honestly through A series of unfortunate events originally. And for me, unfortunate was that portion of time when I didn't have a job and I didn't know what I was doing. But I'll take you, take you back a little bit. I was producing a non scripted TV drama series for MTV Networks with a production company who really took a chance on me. I started off as a production assistant and they made me an associate producer for a scripted drama series that was going to be premiering on an MTV network. And after that I then went on to become an associate producer for TLC and Discovery Health and when tv and then I started looking at other forms of tv. And while I was working in television, I was also freelancing for Lucky magazine, so producing fashion editorials. And then when magazines started to change and the pages started to get a little thinner, and this was back in 2007, and television started to change, basically at one point there was a big layoff and they brought everyone into a room and said, hey, this major show that you're working on is moving, moving to la. And at that time I was pregnant with my second child. My husband and I, we were beginning our lives together as these young professionals. And I was like, oh my gosh, we can't move to la. So I was essentially unemployed and thinking about what is it that I can do? And in between those things, and I'll say that I took a very nonlinear route. So I'm skipping some of the story where I went to a traditional public relations agency, agency left, that then went back to television because I was like, my heart is in television. And then I was laid off. And while I was laid off, it really, Bishop TD Jake said a quote a long time ago, and he said, challenges provoke the power within you. And for me it was a big challenge because I was like, I can't. I've gone to school. I think I'm an intelligent person and why can't I just figure this out? And so through those moments of what I called like, you know, my dark moments, I figured out that I could really determine what my destiny would be. And that was taking everything that I'd learned in television, taking everything that I'd learned in producing television shows and producing, you know, content on the web for those television Shows and interviewing people and writing scripts and editing all of the. All of the things that I had learned. I literally wrote them down on a piece of paper and said, you know, when I was in business school, I learned how to write a business plan. But what is my personal plan? How do I take all of my attributes and all of the things that I know that I have and the talents that I possess and turn it into something that I could monetize into a business? That's honestly what I did. I wrote everything down. I came up with creating this multimedia communications agency. I went back to Temple University, my alma mater, and I. I really pitched them on business. So I started pitching people myself and saying, here are all the things that I could do, and this is what I could do for your business. And that's how I built the business. In the very beginning, I was going to the very small mom and pop stores. My very first client was a shoe store called Bus Stop Boutique. And I went in and I said, listen, I know you may not have a ton of money to pay me, but if you could really partner with me and be my first client. So Temple University and Bus Stop Boutique were my first clients. And that's how I built the business. I built it brick by brick. And I also know that you're as good as the last thing that you produce. So I was working for a fraction of the cost with my first clients, and then just producing really, really great work and building my. Really building my portfolio so that my work could speak for itself. And I knew that those people would be my ambassadors, and they would be the people that could help me get other business, because I knew if I was producing really great work for them, their communications, their decks, and everything else, that I was doing videos for them, someone would ask, oh, who did that for you? And that's what happened. People said, who did that for you? Or who produced that for you? And then people started saying, oh, this woman, she runs a boutique. At that time, we were calling it a boutique communications agency. The business started to just grow and grow, and I actually started it in 2009. I think I created the concept of the company in 2008, but in 2009, I started it. And then it took me about three years to really start to build that portfolio and to get off of the ground. People think, oh, you start a business, and the next year, it's great. But it really took me three years of very, very hard work and building everything brick by brick and being super, super scrappy to understand that, okay, Now I really do have a business.
- [11:21]
Dr. Frances Richards
And so how did you know? What was that aha moment? Rekia that you knew that you were going to be successful.
- [11:29]
Rekia Reynolds
You know, I think it's funny that, you know, the question of success. I have to be honest. You know, I've had the company since 2009, and every year from 2009 to 2012, I kept saying, oh, my gosh, I'm just going to do this for three years to see what can happen. I would say, I think it was after the fourth or fifth year in business. I'm a visual person, so I have to visualize things. When I got a bigger office space and I had people working with me, I was adding to the human capital of my company and looking at payroll. Like, oh, my gosh, I have people on payroll. I actually have a company and I'm doing these things that I've heard my mentors talk about. So I think it was when I started adding people to the company, and it was more than just me at that time. It was myself. It was an account executive. It was a community relations manager. And then when you start looking at the team and you sit at the head of your table. I think it was when I started sitting at the head of our office table and talking to my team about our clients, and we had some really big clients in 2012 and 2013. That's when I said, okay, we're really in the market where we're competing against really big agencies. At one point, one of our clients said, oh, how many people do you have on your team? I think I had four at that time. They said, oh, we thought you had about 50 people to your team. With the amount of work that you guys churn out. It was then when we started looking at other agencies that were 50 and 75 people and dealing with Fortune 500 companies, it was like, okay, now I've made it. This is what success looks like to me.
- [13:27]
Dr. Frances Richards
So what is one daily or weekly habit that you do consistently that has given you the greatest success?
- [13:36]
Rekia Reynolds
I would say meditating. I know that we talk a lot about mindfulness, but I think the thing that has made me successful, you know, when we talk about the word success, it means so many different things. And for me, the definition of success is being able to have a peace of mind, one that, you know, I am doing great work that I'm really proud of. I have really great people around me. I could step away without things falling, you know, step away without things falling apart. And I can see more than a Light at the end of the tunnel, I can see more amazing things happening. Whether it's more companies, more partnerships, other clients. I will say that meditating and being mindful of the work and the activity that happens every day has really been a key to my success. For me, it's getting up every morning and taking that time for myself to really, again, be that visual person that I am and really visualize what is my day going to look like, what are the meetings going to look like when I walk in. Because I used to feel, like, really intimidated walking into these big boardrooms and doing a pitch where oftentimes there was no one around the table that looked like me, that sounded like me. And to them it was like, oh, my gosh, who is this young girl coming and telling us what to do? And I've actually had people say that to me. So I really had to be mindful and meditate every single day. I started off with five minutes a day saying, I'm going to meditate, I'm going to visualize my day. I'm going to speak complete positivity over my life. Then it turned into 10 minutes, and then it turned into 15 minutes. But now I'm giving myself about 20 to 30 minutes per day where I'm really meditating and being super mindful about the partnerships that I want to make and all of the connections that I want to make, and also just establishing what the goals are for the day and then how I'm going to tackle those goals. So if I had to say the short answer, it's meditation and mindfulness.
- [15:55]
Dr. Frances Richards
So, Rekia, what is one valuable lesson you wish you knew before starting your business?
- [16:01]
Rekia Reynolds
Before starting my business, I think one valuable lesson, I think it's probably there are a couple. My mentor told me a long time ago, when adding people to your team, make that a slow process. And when you have to eliminate from your team, make it a very quick process. I was doing quite the opposite when I started my company. I was hiring people for or their charisma or personality. I wasn't hiring people for the task and their overall talents. I was really impulsive. I was doing it really quickly in the very beginning, like, oh, I like this person. He or she seems like they could be great at this. But I wasn't really looking at the talent or the task. I was looking at personality. I was looking, doing things on the impulse. And it took me a very long time to eliminate these people from my team, which it cost me a lot of money over time. I wasn't being really effective in the very beginning. So if I would have listened to that at the very beginning. So a mentor told me that sort of midway through the business, but I looked in the very beginning about the people on your team. So the human capital portion of your business, it's not just, you know, the money that you're spending, it's the people that you have around you. And for me, it was not doing what I was told in the very beginning, which was, you make it a slow process, and then when you have to eliminate them, make it a quick process.
- [17:42]
Dr. Frances Richards
So you've talked about a mentor. Tell us how you would go about someone that's listening, finding a mentor for your business, someone that can help with your. With the business aspect. I hear a lot of individuals talk about finding a mentor, and so can you talk about that?
- [18:04]
Rekia Reynolds
Yeah, I think, you know, having a mentor, it's like, you know, finding, you know, finding a job or, you know, gaining a client. There has to be the right level of aspiration, and then there has to be a level of relatability. So, you know, I sit down with people all of the time, people that I see, and I'm like, wow, these people are amazing. Why would they want to. Why would they want to mentor me? And you'd be surprised. There's this entire level of reverse mentorship because I sit down with folks all the time. And, you know, it has to be a reciprocal agreement. So if you had to look at three things, they have to be aspirational, they have to be someone that. Or they're doing something that you aspire to have or you aspire to be. But you also have to be able to have that relatability factor where you can relate to them and you can talk to them without feeling intimidated or talk to them. They can't talk to you where they're talking over your head or making you feel like things are going to be unrealistic to you. Then there also has to be that relationship factor where you know that something will be built, and then there has to be reciprocity there. You have to. You can't just. Adam Grant, Wharton professor, wrote a great book, and we sat on a panel together. So I always recommend his book. It's called Give and Take. There has to be a level of give and take there where it's. You're giving. You know, you're giving your time as a mentor, and then you're also learning you're gaining something from that mentee. So it can't just be that your mentor is Solely pouring into you. You have to be able to offer something. So I like to say at the end of all of my meetings where I meeting with a mentor or a potential mentor, what can I do to help you? Is there something that I'm doing that you'd like to learn from? How can I, how can I. How can this relationship be beneficial? And you have to be super transparent. If they say, well, there's nothing here for me, then you might want to be able to, you know, you might want to be able to move on. And sometimes in these, you know, sort of like relationships where, you know, maybe you're, maybe you're a millennial and your mentor is a boomer, you want to be able to say, there might be some things that I'm working on that you could benefit from, or vice versa, maybe. I've had instances where people have mentored me and they might have been a little younger than me. It's like, well, I'm learning from you because you're on Snapchat every day. And I really don't know Snapchat the way that everybody's talking about it now. And I really love to learn sort of the tricks of the trade from you. So you have to look at, you have to look at everything and make it more of a 360 circle when you're looking at mentorship.
- [20:57]
Dr. Frances Richards
So, Rekia, what's working for you right now in your business?
- [21:03]
Rekia Reynolds
Maybe be a little specific, like working for me. In what context?
- [21:10]
Dr. Frances Richards
In terms of you just getting more exposure, getting more business, building your business. Business.
- [21:19]
Rekia Reynolds
I think, you know, for us, what's working is we have. And I always go back to the people. I'm at a point where I have a really great team right now. These last couple of years have been tremendous for Sky Blue Media because I've gotten to a place where, you know, I have great people in positions that are very clear with the mission and the vision of Sky Blue Media. Very early on, I wasn't very clear with what the mission and the vision of Sky Blue Media was like. The vision as to where we're going and how we're evolving and how we can be one of the greatest multimedia communications agencies. I wasn't clear because I wasn't dreaming big enough. I think I'm at a point now where there are several things that are working great for the business. I have great people in place and I'm dreaming really big in the beginning with lots of financial constraints. When you start out in a business and you have so many financial Constraints. It's like a gravity pull on you in this force where you're sort of like, you feel smothered and you can't dream big. And now I'm at the point because of all of the people around me, because of the great clients that we have, because of the great partnerships that we've gotten at this point, I'm able to dream big and I'm able to work with my team where it's one streamlined process where we're all working together, we're all dreaming big. We understand the mission of the company. We also understand the vision of where we can go.
- [22:54]
Dr. Frances Richards
So when you hear about public relations, branding and marketing, do you agree with the statement, like, you know, it doesn't matter about the publicity, good publicity or bad publicity, as long as I keep my name out there? You hear this about some individuals that are movie stars or they're very known. Do you think that that's a good strategy for someone or do you think that that's not the best strategy when you're talking about business and branding?
- [23:29]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, well, I completely disagree with that strategy. I. For Sky Blue Media, we call ourselves strategic communicators and experts in communications. And not all PR is good pr. You have to be strategic with your PR because you can have one great story. I'd rather one of our clients to have one great story or one great speaking engagement or one series of really great social media posts over someone that is in the news every single day. Because there are a couple of things with it. One, there's reputation management and crisis communication. Sometimes we see people in the media, they're misquoted or there's a story that's not so great. And then as a communications expert, you really have to dig them out of it. So it's extra work on our part to say, okay, let's smooth this story over. Let's get some other things in the media. So we like to work with our clients on strategic communications plans. So one, delivering stories to your consumer audience that go directly to the product or the feeling that you're selling. So there's a little bit of. There's. I would say there's a little bit of emotional intelligence on that. There's also intelligence in making sure that there's consumer buying and behavior. So, you know, when we say we've actually stopped using, you know, the words public relations, we say multimedia communications and strategic communications because we don't want to just send out a press release. We don't do that. When I initially started the company in 2009, we were sending out a couple of press releases here and there, but the way that we were working with journalists and writers, I was sending them videos because I really wanted to show authentic stories to these folks. So it wasn't just words, it was giving them a visual presentation of who our clients were. And now it's evolved into videos in person meetings, because we like things to be authentic. I always try to work with our clients and our team, especially my team, who are doing the work every single day, to craft really cohesive strategic communication plans that get our clients in front of the right media at the right time instead of throwing them out there, you know, every single day or throwing them out there once a week. So we like it to be more, you know, I would say something that has a little more gravitas or magnitude when they're in the media rather than these little bites here and there.
- [26:13]
Dr. Frances Richards
So tell us, Rekia, who are your top two influencers in life and what lessons do they teach you?
- [26:22]
Rekia Reynolds
Top two influencers in life. You know, I would say I probably couldn't narrow it down to two, but you know, there are people out there, there are books that I've read, there are people that I listen to and I think it's. There are a couple of things that I've learned along the way and it's one, don't. And especially as it relates to now, people used to always say, look at what your competition is doing and make sure you're on the mark. I look at things and it's like I don't look at my competition. I look at what the space is and what the opportunities are. I learned in business school always look at what a SWOT analysis is, the strengths, weaknesses, the opportunities and threats. If I had to go back to things that have influenced my life or things that I've learned, I have to look at what I learned in business school and how I approach things from an economic standpoint, from an economies of scale standpoint, from a strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats standpoint. And that's business school. So when you think about communications, I like to approach it like I did in business school. I didn't go to school for public relations and communications. I went to school for international business, business and marketing and looking at what other countries were doing. So I would say there are probably not two main people that have influenced my life. It's probably looking at all of the things that I've learned and then some of the other things like that. My mentors told me about human capital and Keeping the right people around you. And in order to have a great business for me, it's having the right people around me. And my chief of staff, who I like to call out, her name's all mine, she came up with this word years ago called Friend Tour. So it's friendmentor. And it's having this great Friend Tour advisory board around me of people that will tell me the truth, that will push me a little further, that will inspire me, that will motivate me. Because in the world of entrepreneurship, you cannot do it by yourself. I don't care how successful you are, I don't care how long you've been to. In the world of entrepreneurship, you have to have the right people around you.
- [28:44]
Dr. Frances Richards
And so we appreciate that information about the human capital. And you talked about earlier about how you had built your team at first versus how you're building it now. So talk to someone in the audience. And then you also talked about when you're starting out, individuals having constraints financially and not being able to big to dream big. So talk to the person in our audience. They are, they have started their business and they're basically a solopreneur. And so there are those, those constraints. Those constraints. When you're talking about financial, what would you suggest for them in reference to building that human capital capital and getting good people to work with them?
- [29:34]
Rekia Reynolds
I think there are, you know, there are a couple of things. And in the very beginning, when I had lots of financial constraints and it's never easy, you know, I always, I like to say, like, it changes, it gets different. It's never this easy thing because the, you know, the bigger you grow, the more, more capital that you have access to, the more that you add to your team, the more people, the bigger the office is, the more you're spending on technology and balancing two offices or three offices. So I would say at the very beginning, one of the things I wish someone maybe would have just poured into me or just told me is to not take everything so seriously and to not beat yourself up over the failures, because the failures are the pieces of information or the pieces of your life that will help to bring you to that next step. It's all about really enjoying the journey because take every single piece and use it as a lesson in order to move forward. Especially for the folks out there that had those financial constraints. I, I have been there. I have seen the darkest of the darkest days. And it's like, oh my gosh, it's Tuesday. Payroll is on Friday. How am I going to pay Everyone. And I think transparency is what helped me in the very beginning, telling people that, hey, right now I have a client or a couple of clients that are late on payments. They've not paid yet, but I will be able to pay you at this point, because one of the first things I learned in business is, is you always pay your vendors first. The people that are doing the work, you always pay them first. And when you do have those financial constraints where you don't have a ton of cash flow, it's hard to do the work and be creative. In my industry, we have to constantly be creative because we're creating for our clients. So it's hard to do the work and be creative and motivate your vendors and keep your vendors engaged. But I think transparency and having a really great work culture and looking at the folks that work at my company or worked at my company as more of partners instead of people that work for me has been something that's been super successful because I think people, at the end of the day, especially for the solo entrepreneur, if you're doing great work, people do want to see you win. So it's really taking a step back, believing in your work, and really be affirming for yourself that you're doing great work. And it doesn't, you know, these dark moments don't last forever. It's just a little pivot, you know, sort of a little detour before you get to that final destination.
- [32:34]
Dr. Frances Richards
So take us on. When you talk about the. Those dark moments, take us on that moment. What was the worst moment in business for you, and what was the takeaway?
- [32:49]
Rekia Reynolds
I think, I mean, there have been a couple of, you know, bad moments where, you know, you. You work so hard and you go and pitch a client and you believe, you know, you're 75 or 80% there, and the client says, oh, we're going to, you know, we're going to go with another vendor. And you sort of put all of your, you know, you put all of your chips into one basket. So I, early on, I was sort of focusing on one thing, one thing. And now it's like, okay, you don't always just focus on one thing, especially when you're running an agency. So that's been, you know, one takeaway for me. Never focus on just one big client. Sort of spread things out to make sure that one client doesn't make or break your business. And then. And two, it's again, making sure that you establish boundaries with the people that you're working with, because there is a product, there's always a final product that needs to be delivered, whether it's a tangible or intangible product. And you have to have a really great work culture in order to do that. Then for the other dark moments, again, for those folks that are dealing with financial constraints in the very beginning, it's scaling your business at a rate that you can manage. You know, don't get in too over your head in the very beginning, you know, with. You know, and if you do have a ton of access to a lot of capital, make sure that it's something that you are. You're. You're able to deliver on a product. And you can. You can look at. You know, I work with a lot of entrepreneurs who, you know, get these investors, and at the end of the day, they have 15 people at the table telling them what to do. And it's like you have to scale at a rate that you know that you can deal with. So don't get in over your head. And then also, it's about being able to manage expectations. So for me, there are a number of lessons that I've learned from the dark moments, but a lot of them go back to some of the things that I've been saying in terms of not getting it over your head, get the right people around you. And I know this sounds really cliche, but at the end of the day, you really, really have to be the one that's believing in yourself. Because if you believe in yourself and you can stand in the mirror and say, I have the most amazing product, maybe you're a baker or a hairstylist, and you know that, you know that, you know, with all of your knowing that you have something that has a competitive advantage or you have a unique value proposition, if you can say that to yourself in the mirror and affirm it to yourself, then other people will also believe that.
- [35:22]
Dr. Frances Richards
So you've talked about amazing people being around you, your family. You're a mompreneur. Tell us, how do you. I don't even know if the word is balance, but how do you balance or blend your family life, business with everything that you have going on?
- [35:40]
Rekia Reynolds
You know, I look at it like, you know, I'm juggling, and it is a juggling act. And sometimes I have to be okay with looking at. Again, I'm a visual person, so I'm juggling all of these bowling pins in the air. And one of those pins is a mom pin, one is the wife pin, the other one is the leader pin or the entrepreneur pin. So being a Mom, a wife, a mother, you have all of these things. And early, early on, I actually used to wear an octopus earring to show all of the things that I did, again, being that visual person. So I wore an octopus earring for years, maybe for three or four years straight. So much so that photographers that would snap photos of me at events. One photographer said to me one time, I'm so tired of seeing that octopus pin. And I was like, okay, well, that's who I am. Like, I'm wearing my brand, I am my brand. And so again, visual, you know, being that visual person, saying, I have all of those, these things, but sometimes I have to be okay that a pin is going to drop. So whether that's the mom pin because I was late to pick someone up for something, or I didn't go to that, I wasn't able to go to the recital because I planned this business meeting two months in advance. I have to be okay with being able to drop the pin or maybe not communicating with my team as effectively as I could have because I have so many things on my mind and, and I'm cloudy and I feel underwater at a certain moment. Or maybe it's the wife pin because I've not talked to my husband all week or have not communicated. I'm a great communicator, but maybe I've not communicated with my husband because I forgot about it. I'm communicating with my clients. So it's being able to be okay with those things and say, okay, next week I can start anew and I can really write those things down and visualize. So for me, it's not saying, okay, I can do everything. It's saying I'm okay with dropping the pin every now and again.
- [37:40]
Dr. Frances Richards
So, Rekia, is there a technology tool or a technology platform that's a must have for you in managing your business day to day?
- [37:49]
Rekia Reynolds
For me, we work with the folks at Dell, so I always say I use my xps, I actually have it here. But I consider myself among the class of the mobile moguls where we're around with our phones and we're with our computers and our offices can be anywhere. So it's being able to have access to WI fi and my phone at all times. Because in the world of communications, we're constantly communicating, whether it's on phone or through email, or creating a pitch deck or, you know, reading, you know, reading a story that helps, you know, helps for our clients. So it's having, you know, it's always having my laptop and then always Having my phone, those are, I mean, and I'm just, it sounds, it probably sounds so boring and lame, but that's what I have with me all of the time.
- [38:43]
Dr. Frances Richards
So if you, let's, let's. If you conducted this interview, what is one question that you wish I would have asked you? And I'd like you to answer the question.
- [38:55]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, that's, that's a tough one. I saw the questions and I'm like, I don't know about that one. What is one, what is one question I would have asked? Let me think about the first thing that comes to mind. Oh, maybe something along the lines of, you know, maybe. And I think you did ask this, but I think we're in this moment where self care is super, super important. So, you know, what do I do? Because I'm so busy and I'm going sometimes, you know, six or seven days a week, you know, what do I do for myself for self care? And you know, since I'm in, you know, since I'm sort of in this, this mode of, or not sort of since I'm in the mode of, you know, meditation and mindfulness, what I do is I give myself time for self care. So I get. And I don't feel guilty about it. Before I used to feel guilty if I took time by myself or I took a walk or if I took a yoga class. It was like, oh, I'm taking away from my family or I'm taking away from my clients. And now I don't feel guilty about my self care. And that's taking a walk by myself that's doing yoga, that's going to get a massage, that is maybe taking myself to the beach for three or four days, which is what I'm doing right now. Checking myself into a resort and spending some time alone and just having that time for myself.
- [40:25]
Dr. Frances Richards
And you did mention a book earlier on in the interview and I'm going to ask this question and if that's the book you'd recommend, that's absolutely fine. So what book would you recommend to our audience and why?
- [40:40]
Rekia Reynolds
You know, right now I'm rereading the book the Secret and it has been phenomenal. Ten years ago I read it when I was in a really sort of like, I would say like transitional period of what am I doing next? Or maybe it was eight years ago, what am I doing next? And how do I remain positive when there's so much interruption in my life? And the book the Secret has been tremendous for me because it's allowed me to take that time for myself to really look at the metaphysical side of things, so to speak, and meditating and believing and being positive. Because oftentimes when you're an entrepreneur, it's really easy. And we have so much to distract us right now from comparing ourselves to other folks on social media, looking at what's going on in our world right now. And it's like there's so many constant interruptions, and you need those moments to say everything's going to be okay. And this is why it's going to be okay. So I would say the secret would be the one that was super helpful to me. The other book that I mentioned is an author by the name of Adam Grant. And if you read anything by Adam Grant, he has a book called the Originals. He has another book called Give and Take Again the Wharton Professor. Those have been. Those have been pretty helpful as well. And his is all about how thinkers think and, you know, how thinkers think and then how you. How the right, like sometimes how right brainers are really, really creative and how creative people should think.
- [42:26]
Dr. Frances Richards
So how did you name your business? Sky Media. That's pretty clever.
- [42:32]
Rekia Reynolds
So it was when I was a television producer. A television producer sat down with me and she said, rekiya, you always give us a clear blue picture of what we're supposed to do for the day, whether it's, you know, the production managers here or the gaffers here. She was like, everything is so, like, just crystal clear and just like blue. Like, you always give us a sky blue. Like, she would say, you would always give us a sky blue picture of what it's supposed to be. And when I had my first daughter, my husband and I were thinking about a name. And her name is S K a I. And in Mandarin, it means to love. So it's the action of love. So there's the sky, the sk a I for her. So that's what our company is. And blue we do a lot because, you know, I'm in the branding space, we do a lot around the psychology of colors and what they mean. So the color blue is. It's of trust, honesty, and sincerity. So, you know, a lot of banks use navy blues and things like that. And they use them because the color blue is supposed to tell your mind that this is the color of trust, honesty, and sincerity. So when you put the words, you know, to love, you know, sky to love, and then blue, it essentially means, you know, for my communications agency, we are. Our belief is that we are. We love to be sincere and honest when we're communicating. So gone are the days where 20 years ago when people were in the world of public relations, it's like, let's just put out a story, let's do a publicity stunt. Let's rattle these things up. And for us, we went completely the opposite. We work with our clients on trust, honesty, and sincerity.
- [44:19]
Dr. Frances Richards
Thanks for sharing. That is wonderful.
- [44:22]
Rekia Reynolds
Thanks.
- [44:23]
Dr. Frances Richards
So who are the black entrepreneurs that have inspired you to keep going?
- [44:28]
Rekia Reynolds
The black entrepreneurs that inspired me to keep going. I mean, there's. There's so many, I think, you know, I. We always talk about, like, we always talk about Oprah, but I love Oprah because she really does. She does give you the story behind the glory. Currently right now, I'm a big fan of Ava DuVernay because she started her journey in her 30s. And I think that is so inspiring to look at because we hear about so many techpreneurs being 21 and 22 and closing their fundraising rounds and having these big companies and being millionaires by the time they're 29. And, like, for folks like Ava DuVernay, she's just inspired another generation. You know, we call them the Xennials. They're not millennials, and they might not be Generation X. They're Generation Xers with the mindset of a millennial. So these are their folks in their late 30s who are looking at transitioning out or doing something else. So she's inspired a new world of xennials. Love that.
- [45:37]
Dr. Frances Richards
Thanks for that information. Well, you know, we've come to the part of our podcast we call it the Fun Facts Lightning Round. And I'm going to ask you a series of questions Rekiya, and I'd like you to give us very quick answers. Are you ready for the lightning Round?
- [45:53]
Rekia Reynolds
I am.
- [45:54]
Dr. Frances Richards
So the last movie you saw, the.
- [45:57]
Rekia Reynolds
Spider man with my kids, you relaxed doing what? It was Spider man, my kids.
- [46:03]
Dr. Frances Richards
No, no, no, you relax. Doing what?
- [46:06]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, I relax doing, you know, walking.
- [46:10]
Dr. Frances Richards
And your favorite singer or rapper.
- [46:14]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, my gosh. That is so controversial. My favorite. Oh, my gosh. I would say right now my favorite rapper might be Jay Z.
- [46:25]
Dr. Frances Richards
And your favorite dance song.
- [46:29]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, my favorite dance song. Oh, this is an old one. Is by Dr. Buzzards and the original Savannah band Sun Shower.
- [46:38]
Dr. Frances Richards
And what food you eat every week, no matter what.
- [46:42]
Rekia Reynolds
The food that I eat every week, no matter what. I probably every week have some sort of really good salad every single. I don't think I've ever spent a week without having a salad.
- [46:57]
Dr. Frances Richards
And your favorite month?
- [46:59]
Rekia Reynolds
My favorite month is probably July. Because of the weather. I like a lot of sun.
- [47:06]
Dr. Frances Richards
And you know what? This is not a fun fact. Lightning round question, but I would like you to share with our audience a parting piece of advice you want to offer.
- [47:15]
Rekia Reynolds
You know, since we talked about like financial constraints and things like that. One of my favorite quotes is actually by Joel Olmsted and he said, let your setbacks be a setup for really great comeback. And I've always looked at letting your setbacks be a setup for a really great comeback because those are the moments that are the most important. Sometimes we forget when we're doing so well, we're not as creative and we're just looking at the next thing and we're in a celebratory moment. But sometimes what those setbacks allow you to do is to really plan and strategize and have those those deep thoughts of what is to happen next.
- [47:55]
Dr. Frances Richards
Thank you so much, Rekiya, for joining us on black entrepreneur Experience. What is the best way for our audience to connect with you and to support your business?
- [48:07]
Rekia Reynolds
Oh, cool. So we're again, we're all about social media. So the name of the company again is sky blue Media. S K A I Blue Media. And we're on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and then you can look@infoskybluemedia.com if you want to contact us. Our website is skybluemedia.com and for me personally, my handles are Rakia Reynolds. So R A K I A last name Reynolds. R E Y N O L D s all one word on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
- [48:47]
Dr. Frances Richards
Thank you, Rekiya. And that is a wrap.
- [48:50]
Rekia Reynolds
Thank you so much. I enjoyed it.
- [48:52]
Dr. Francis Richards
Thank you for listening and subscribing to black entrepreneur experience. We would love for you to leave a review and rating on itunes and share with your friends. For show notes and more episodes, go to www.beepodcast.com. join us next week Wednesday. And remember, green is the new black. So keep your bank accounts and your business in the black.