‘Be very flexible about how you get there’

Earlier in a career that began in marketing, the American University graduate landed a lucrative job as a project manager (for a company she declined to name) that focused on telecommunications and aerospace projects. She found herself managing the marketing of a missile system—an assignment that served as a life-changing wake-up call.

“I was in [Washington] D.C. and the day has finally come, we’re going to unveil the missile system at this special event in D.C.,” he told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View. “It’s in a huge convention center with hotels , and the missile system is on the show floor for the first time – I’ve never seen a missile system before. I realized that if it was successful, it was going to kill a lot of people. I’m literally marketing weapons of mass destruction. I resigned soon after.

What came next?
i moved to atlanta [become] Head of Programs and Fundraising for the Atlanta Film Festival… After a while, a board member with a digital marketing agency invited me to work for him… I was constantly less on a ladder and more on a river. One that flows between business and storytelling, creative and commerce.

Finally, at some point, I realized what I wanted to do when I grew up – I wanted to build businesses and tell stories, so I sought experiences to do that at higher and higher levels. And now, here I am, being the CEO of an independent company and responsible for all business and financial results, raising money from private equity, walking the halls where you don’t often see people who look like me . I get to tell stories and empower the story tellers.

You weren’t as clear about your path when you first started.
I grew up on a farm in South Carolina. And by the time I was about 16, if you had asked me what I wanted to be, had I been the bright kid in school, I would have said I wanted to be a corporate lawyer, and Phylicia Rashad got Claire Was reported seeing as Huxtable [laughs]… I was an undergraduate communications major and thought I would go into journalism. But a drama class changed my mind again. I knew I wanted to tell stories… By the time I left AU, I had aspired to be a screenwriter. But I’ve worked part-time jobs my whole life — including that first job at Taco Bell — and I was eager to make money.

With your personal approach to Hollywood success as a “river”, not a ladder, what advice would you have for a newcomer?er?
There is a belief that you should be willing to do whatever it takes to make a place in this industry, but stick to your integrity, isn’t it? The cream rises to the top. I’ve learned a lot from working closely with Kevin Hart to have great relationships around town, and relationships are everything. At the end of the day, the other side of the deal, the person on the screen, the person sitting next to you, they’re going through things all the time, and you never know what those things are. It doesn’t cost you anything to be kind. And the second part I would say is keep your mind on the result or destination but be very flexible about how you get there.

You’ve been vocal about the importance of seeing people who look like you — and like America’s and the world’s diverse populations — on screens, in executive suites, and in boardrooms. Tell us about the importance of doing this through comedy.
There is a quote from Kevin Hart: “If we can laugh together, we can stay together.” And it’s scientifically proven, the emotional, physical and cultural benefits of laughter, isn’t it?… If you see someone smiling, it’s contagious. There is so much that divides us far and wide from our social feeds every day. Depression, anxiety, isolation is a problem globally. So the idea is to be able to smile and create new connectivity. You know, I tell my team all the time, what we do is important – more important than ever.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.