- 3 months ago
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00in the front. I'm glad to see everybody here for day three of GU Creators House. Whether this is
00:07your first day here or you've been here all weekend, we really appreciate you being out here
00:11this morning. And we have a very special conversation coming up. My name is Ryan Sampson and I am the
00:18social lead here at Essence Girls United. And today we're going to be talking about becoming
00:23the CEO of yourself and brought to you by Olay here to walk us through some of her experiences
00:29we have Anaya Gold, A. Gold Consulting Founder and Black Fashion Fair Communications Director.
00:36So please help us welcome her to the stage. Clap from the back. I see you out there. Clap
00:41from the back. Hello, Anaya. And if you guys are in line, don't be shy to make your way to
00:54the front. The shirts will be there after. If you're in line, come to the front and, you
00:59know, make sure you give Anaya all of you guys' attention. Hi. Hi, everyone. How are
01:05you? I'm doing good. I'm doing good. So honestly, we can jump right into the conversation because
01:10we have a lot to go through since you are so multifaceted. So the first thing is what a
01:15lot of people don't know about, you know, PR is that it holds a lot more significance than
01:21what meets the eye. So like when you see a Brandon Blackwood bag in a shoot or, you know, your favorite
01:27brand suddenly has a spread in a magazine. I don't think people understand that, you know, it's really
01:32PR doing a lot of the work for the clientele. So, you know, let's get into just like some of the
01:39challenges that you faced, you know, when going into this lane. And how did you know you wanted to
01:44become the CEO of yourself? Yeah. I mean, being a black woman in fashion in general is, it has its
01:51automatic nuances. Imposter syndrome is a big thing just because it's like I, before I started
01:58my own thing, I didn't really see any women that looked like me that were doing things on the level
02:03that AGC is doing at the moment. And that was a big thing for me. And I just felt like, okay, I can add
02:09to this space. I deserve to be in this space. I still use those affirmations every day, honestly,
02:14to make sure that I'm like, okay, staying on top of myself. But just in general, the opportunities,
02:20there was just really a lack of, and there still is just for blackness in fashion. So to kind of
02:26wake up every day and kind of have to strategize and figure out, okay, how do I get a Brandon Blackwood
02:32bag on a Rihanna? Or how do I get a Theofilio dress on a Beyonce? Like, how do you figure all of
02:38these things out? And just again, making sure that awareness is there for these black brands.
02:45I obviously push black brands more than anything. That is my bread and butter. But yeah, it's
02:51exactly, exactly. That's pretty much like, it's such a big thing. And people don't understand
02:56like that small placement, whether it's a show, an editorial spread helps build that brand up and
03:02give it that level of recognition to eventually make it to that commercial level and become lucrative,
03:08lucrative sorry, and to actually last. Exactly. And it shows because just recently, you know,
03:14everyone kind of just says, you know, support a black business, support a black business. But like I
03:20said, the work behind the scenes to make sure that you know, they are getting that amplification
03:23that they need. That's really where you know, a big part of what you do comes into play. And like I
03:28said, I think it's very, you know, underrated, your job is very underrated. I know you not might not
03:32think so. But you know, people just don't know what goes on behind the scenes. So I think it's a
03:37very, it's a very thankless job. Yeah.
03:39But I, I mean, I, I love it. I can't see myself doing anything. And like that passion and that drive
03:46that I have supporting these founders, supporting these brands, seeing blackness in fashion and being
03:52a part of a legacy that is promoting longevity. I don't need to thank you. That's enough.
03:58I love it. And on that and on that, you know, what is your main goal when it comes to amplifying,
04:04you know, a brand's voice? Like, how do you make sure it still stays authentic when they do,
04:09you know, escalate to some of these larger scales?
04:11Um, I'm very close with all of my clients, probably a little too close. Um, I know all of their business.
04:17I know all of their goals. I know exactly what it is that they want. And that's really important
04:22to me, um, in making sure that when they're stepping in these rooms that they're represented
04:27in an authentic way that is true to them and truly what they want. Obviously, you know,
04:32you can get into a space and, you know, it can get a little overwhelming or just, again,
04:36that imposter syndrome may kick in. But again, me knowing exactly what it is that they want,
04:42I can make sure that I'm advocating for them in the way that maybe they necessarily may not feel
04:47comfortable doing. Cause sometimes I'm like, listen, we're in a room, like, you know,
04:51somebody will say something and I'm just like, no, that is, that's, that's not correct. And I know
04:56you wouldn't treat somebody else of a different skin tone that way. So we're gonna, let's readjust,
05:02let's have a conversation. Let's make sure that these designers and these black people are getting
05:07exactly what everybody else in the room is getting. Like everybody needs to be getting the same share.
05:11And I make, I make it a point. Love that. And, and on that topic, honestly, you work with a lot of
05:18brands ranging from, you know, the largest to the smallest, you know, how, like, what is that
05:23decision making process for you? Like, if there is one, you know, like, how do you kind of decipher,
05:28you know, this is who I want to work with. This is who I know I can escalate to this larger scale.
05:33Like, is there a flow that you have? It's honestly, it's a love story every time. Like I fall in love
05:40with brands every day, but I fall in love for me. It has to be both. I have to be just as in love with
05:47the founder and the creator as I am with the product that they're making. Um, and honestly,
05:53seeing their passion and obviously like, you know, people have product and, you know, they have their
05:57business, but there's a specific level of passion that I have to feel. Um, because again, I'm the
06:05one that's turning around the messaging. I'm the one that's pushing it out to, you know, to the consumer,
06:10making sure that these magazines and, you know, these editors understand what it is that, you know,
06:15the brand is trying to convey. So I feed off of that energy very, very heavily. So I'm like,
06:20I have to feel that in order to be able to turn it around, put it on paper, put it in an email,
06:25put it in their faces, whatever the case may be, whatever I have to do.
06:29So as long as I feel that from them, I just kind of take it and just repurpose it into
06:36being a client. And I love it. The passion speaks volumes too. Like,
06:40I don't know if you guys are catching just how she's just, even though she said, sometimes it's
06:46a thankless job, she's really like, you guys can tell and you guys can see, you know, in the brands
06:52that she represents, you know, just the scope and the scale of how they're able to do everything.
06:59It's just, it really shows in how you're talking about it. And just like, although this may be a
07:04certain way, you never waver in how much effort you put into it and the boundaries that you set when
07:10creating it. So, you know, it shows, like I said. Thank you. Yeah, no, I, again, the passion,
07:16it's what drives me every single day. And again, like having that message and that ethos. And I've
07:23been able to develop that through my team for like the last three years. Luckily, I've been in business
07:28for three years now, which is crazy to say. But knowing my why and my purpose and being able to sit
07:35down with my team and let them know, I have a black woman led team, by the way. I'm so honored that I get
07:42to say that and just to hire more women that look like me in this space and be able to elevate and
07:47push them there. They're incredible. And they do amazing work. I would not be here without them.
07:53But being able to sit down with them and let them know what we're doing is not normal. The level of
07:59work, what we've been able to do, the placements that we have, just our name within the space within
08:04a short span of time. And to be black women in this space is not normal. And I have to say that to
08:10myself as well. Just like looking at the work that we've done thus far as a team, as a company,
08:16and just in a short span of time. I'm like, this is very much not normal. And I'm super proud of the
08:20work that we've done. But being able to relay that to them and just letting them know like,
08:26we got to keep it going. Like, I get it. We're doing the work that needs to be done. But on the grand
08:32scheme of things, we are still the absolute like minority within the fashion space when you look
08:39at it. And again, just having to put that in the head of my team, but also my clients and making
08:44sure that we're thinking so big, like the biggest, absolutely insane. I like to tell people I'm
08:50delusional when it comes to the work that I do, and who I see our brands on. There's nothing that I
08:56feel like we can't do or what we can't make happen. I'm like, if we put it out there, if my client
09:01puts it out there, and we want to do it, it will happen eventually. And I'm here to make sure that
09:06it does. Love to hear it. And switching gears, you know, this job, and we also talked about it just
09:14like a minute ago, the dealing with imposter syndrome, the long days, the kind of, you know,
09:19leaving, leaving your job, like being like, I did all of this, and I don't really feel appreciated for
09:24it. But, you know, you're very open and honest about the days where you don't feel so like 100% and
09:30you can't be so like front-facing for your clients. So, you know, how are you prioritizing
09:35your mental health when doing all of this? Yeah. What I recently did, like in honor of like
09:44Mental Health Awareness Month was I like went on Instagram. Recently, my team and I, we were
09:49featured in Teen Vogue, which was really amazing. And I just kind of quickly recalled how I felt that day.
09:56And obviously, like we were being highlighted by Teen Vogue for the work that we've done,
10:01which was amazing. And I was with my team, super happy on the outside. But internally,
10:07I was just, I was going through it. And I was just like, I was battling so many things that day.
10:14I was exhausted. I was tired. I was just completely over it. I did not want to be there, not because of
10:20what I was doing, but just because of the weeks that we had had. It was in the midst of Fashion Week,
10:25which is always super insane for us. And I also battle with high functioning depression and
10:31high functioning anxiety. So I always have to have like a balance of like working days and then days
10:39where I just cannot be outside. Like I'm just inside. I'm working all the time. But in terms of just being
10:44front facing, like I have to like be able to give myself that time. And I hadn't been able to do that.
10:49And I'm like, I was super overwhelmed. I was exhausted. So just kind of having to
10:54put on a strong man face like for my team and just again, like seeing their faces and how happy they
11:01were about just the accolade that we were receiving in that moment definitely got me across the finish
11:05line. But I was just like, wow, like, when it comes to my mental health, I definitely have to do just a
11:11better job of just like letting people know that I need this day, I need this hour, I need this minute
11:17to just collect myself. And it's something that I'm not good at. I'm so honest about that. I'm like,
11:23I'm terrible about a work life balance just because it's always this. I'm always trying to jump at whatever
11:29opportunity that I can, you know, as it presents itself, just because I'm like, I don't want to miss it,
11:35not only just for me, but also for my clients. So just trying to figure out that balance of like making sure
11:40that I'm putting myself on the same level that I'm putting everybody else that works for me,
11:46that I work with, whatever the case may be, just because I'm like, AGC wouldn't exist if I am not
11:52around. Yeah, and I'm glad that you touched on and again, just the transparency of like mental health
11:59and, you know, depression, anxiety, I'm really glad that more business owners and more CEOs are starting
12:05to be open about that. Because I deal with the same thing. Like, literally, I was talking to
12:11my coworkers last night just about like real stuff, the transparency of like, I'm on the verge of
12:17tears right now. Like, I have anxiety. It's so okay not to be okay. And I think again, like, I always get
12:24a ton of DMs of people who are like, wow, thank you so much for being so transparent and talking about
12:29your day. Because I'm the first one to post a meme like this is not the day. Yeah, I'm not having it.
12:34I'm not feeling it. Today is not it. But you know, then you'll see a story of me on set the whole day,
12:42or having a meeting with my team or running around, or we just got, you know, this placement, this,
12:46that and the third. I'm like, the business doesn't stop. It's just more so having to, again, have that
12:51balance of like, hey, team, take over. I need a break. I need a moment, like, again, reminding them,
12:58and they do a very good job of taking care of me as well. So I'm super lucky. Everybody like my team,
13:03my clients are like, how are you? Are you good? Did you eat today? And it's really, again, it's a love
13:08story. And we take care of each other in every way from a professional to a personal, which I really
13:13appreciate. And I think that's really the only way that like, my company can function. I can't not have
13:18that relationship with those people around me, because we're so close, like, in proximity,
13:24regardless, whether it's work, whether it's personal, like that relationship, I look for
13:29that more than anything. Yeah. And it's so important, like you said, to have people within
13:35your team and even regardless of if you do business with them, even like your friendships,
13:39your, you know, other relationships, it's so important to have people that know how to support
13:44you outside of you being like this figure, this CEO, this boss, because some people don't know how
13:48to talk to you outside of like your professional. And it's so strange. Like sometimes you'll be like,
13:54I'm not, I'm not having a day to day mentally. I'm not here. Yeah. And the last thing you want
13:59somebody to do is, well, let's grind through it. Or let's girl, right. I told you, I'm like,
14:04I'm not here. So it's so important for you to have. And I'm glad that you have that with you. And I'm glad
14:11that you're able to establish that for yourself. But it's so crucial to have people on your team that get
14:17that and understand that although, you know, you got to make stuff happen. If you don't allow me
14:24the space to reset and like recalibrate myself, I can't do anything for you. Because PR is a 24,
14:317 job. People don't understand that like my phone does not stop ringing. I am, whether it's one of
14:38my clients calling me, whether it's literally them like, Hey, have it. I have a design idea at
14:43three in the morning. I'm picking up the phone, looking at it, whether it's a stylist in Europe,
14:48like, Hey, I need a look. My client is going to Cannes. How fast can you get me a dress to France?
14:55So many different things that are happening across so many different industries that we're like a part
15:00of. And just again, having to accommodate and just being there for everybody, whether it's again,
15:06my team, my clients, the stylist, the editors, everybody always wants something. So it's just like,
15:11okay. Sometimes I'm like, well, what about what I want? Exactly. Exactly. What about what I want?
15:16Just a nap. Something. Right. Exactly. And it's, it's always the small stuff. Literally. I'm like,
15:21all I need to, I need a little snack. I need a little water. I need a nap. So many things like
15:25just to just keep, keeping, making sure that I can have that supply to push out, to get this business
15:32going on a continual every day. Exactly. And that advice goes for everybody. And we're not just talking
15:38about like, if you have to own your own business or if you're doing something on a grand scale,
15:42if you need a mental break, you need a mental break. Like, it's not a matter of, you know,
15:48am I letting somebody down or, you know, if I can't get this done today, will somebody be upset with me
15:53because of this? Your mental health comes first, regardless of anything. And when it does come
15:58first, you get, get situations. And I know you're still balancing it out, but you know, like I said,
16:04you're able to set those boundaries. You're able to make sure that things still get done,
16:08but on, on your accord, I know it doesn't happen all the time and it's a case by case basis, but
16:14having someone, you know, of great caliber saying like, it's okay to, to, to let people know that
16:19this is what's going on with me. You don't have to hide anything. No, not at all. I feel like I'm a
16:23little too transparent sometimes, but I appreciate it again. Again, I know that there aren't too many
16:29women like myself in this space. So just being super honest about what it is that I'm actually going
16:33through while it's happening. And it's done wonders for me being able to talk about it as well. And
16:38just being able to form a community of entrepreneurs and women like me who are, you know, advancing,
16:44maybe not in fashion, but whatever spaces respectfully that they're in, you know, we can all bond and
16:50really kind of get each other across the finish line, which there's nothing like that. And shifting gears,
16:57I have a question for you. Um, just kind of, of off topic of what we've been talking about,
17:02but kind of on topic. Yeah. What's one piece of advice or something that people have been telling
17:08you that you're kind of sick of hearing? Like it's, it's more so like, uh, at this point you're,
17:15what you're telling me right now is just kind of something that I know you don't genuinely mean
17:19or something that really doesn't resonate with me anymore. Is there any piece of advice or even if it's
17:24not to you, to any kind of like aspiring entrepreneur or creative that you're kind of like, when
17:30someone says it, you're like side-eyeing it a little bit? Is there anything? Um, I think
17:37I'm like, I'm trying to say what,
17:41of like the, probably just like, um, the reminder, like people just like, okay, like you need to just
17:48always advocate for yourself. And I'm like, again, I'm like, what, that's what I'm doing.
17:54And I'm like, I do that more than anything. I'm like, I'm constantly advocating for myself. And
17:59just again, like also just being black in these spaces, having to always be the advocate in the
18:06room. Sometimes I just want to show up and I'm like, I want you to already know why you hired me,
18:12like being, especially, you know, if I'm the only black woman or a black person in a space,
18:16especially, you know, in a white, in a whiter space, you know, it happens in a corporate space,
18:20whatever the case may be, it's always having to be like, that is not correct in any shape,
18:26way or form. Why, why would you even, why would you even think of something like that? And just
18:32having to be that black advocate in a white room continuously, just because people unfortunately
18:39don't have any sense. And I'm like, I want people to just kind of be more like, I'm like, if I can
18:45walk into a room, and people are just automatically aware, and not just putting nonsense on the
18:49table, because they think, okay, like, this is what black people may want. This is what the black
18:54consumer wants. And I'm like, that, they're like, and then immediately, yes, you, black girl, speak.
19:02Just that has happened to me so many times. And I'm just like, okay, well, if you did your research,
19:09if you actually took the time to strategize and lay this out, maybe we would not have ended up at this
19:15table with this terrible idea that I have to yet disband again, because it didn't make any sense,
19:21and you didn't do your job. So I have to step in and do not only my job, your job, everyone else's job
19:28to figure out how we're going to pivot to make this make sense. Yeah, it's happened so many times.
19:32And I'm like, I just want people to understand, like, hey, I did the work that I needed to do to
19:36be here. I want you to do your job. So I don't have to do yours. So it's not so much a saying,
19:41it's just more so an action that I like, really hope to see. Exactly. Because I'm tired. It's real.
19:47It's real. It's it's, you know, the concept of like meeting a diversity quota of like, you really
19:53didn't check for me before this, you're really just kind of doing it just to do it. And it
19:58shows. And that's how you end up with things that don't stick or things that seem like inauthentic.
20:03Right. And I'm not saying that obviously, like, I don't want to be in the room. Yeah,
20:07more of us. But you can tell when something is like an idea is intentional, and they sat and
20:13they thought about it. And they really like, pulled it together, rather than, excuse my language,
20:19something they just pulled out of their ass that they were like, okay, we think the black people
20:22gonna like this, let's rock with it. And it makes absolutely no sense. Yeah, I've had to have to go
20:27through that so much. Exactly. Tone deaf, all of that. Well, within that, as well, you know,
20:33what makes you excited for this next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs and creatives?
20:39Like, what's that one thing? And honestly, your generation and you know, the next generation,
20:44what makes you so excited about like, what they're cultivating right now? Like, what are you seeing
20:48that they're doing right now that you're just like, Oh, y'all got it? Honestly, it's the community. It's the
20:53community and the support that this generation has for one another. And it's pushed us eons ahead so
21:02far in a short period of time, in terms of just like resources, looking out for one another, again,
21:07like on a personal level, making sure that everyone is okay, just checking in to professional level.
21:12Like I see the camaraderie, not only amongst like, my community, but just also like, professionally,
21:19in terms of the designers that I'm around and them helping each other with their production and
21:23giving each other tips and tricks on like, how to do certain things. It's so beautiful to see. And
21:28it's so different from when I started, when everything was like, super cutthroat. I don't
21:32know if you guys are familiar, but like, when I started, it was very much like the hills, Lauren
21:36Comrade, very, I was running around the city and six inch heels and pencil skirts. I, it was not a good
21:43time. But it also nobody liked each other. So that was also a whole different thing. So you're
21:49fighting the battle, obviously at work, but then also on the streets of New York, running around,
21:54you know, just trying to make sure that, you know, people will let you in the door. So fast forward to
21:59now, I foster and I make it a point to harness community wherever I am, especially within like,
22:06my clients and just making sure that I'm connecting anyone and everyone to each other. That's such a big
22:12thing to me because it truly pushes us ahead rather than, you know, everyone being so like,
22:16cutthroat. And it's just honestly, it's something that's like, I have zero tolerance for it to be
22:21quite honest, just because I've seen how far we can advance if we truly are one. And especially in
22:29fashion, because it's so few of us as it is, it's so important to me that we are looking out for one
22:35another and that the community that we have with each other, we use it to take care of one another and push
22:40each other ahead. So it's been beautiful to see almost 10 years down the line, the difference
22:45from when I first started. Yeah. And every time you say like, you know, how there's not a lot of
22:52people like us in that industry, it always blows my mind. And we know that like, we build the culture,
22:59like we know the trends, we know what's next. Yeah, we, we, we're kind of the foundation of fashion,
23:04like everyone looks to us to where to go. So it's crazy that it's still taking this long to like,
23:12a get the respect that we deserve within those spaces, and you know, allow more people to come
23:17in and actually have their ideas be, be cultivated. So every time you say that, it just kind of like,
23:23it, it's a hard truth, but it's, it's no, it is. Yeah, it's just a reminder. I'll tell you,
23:28yeah, I was looking for, I was, I was hiring and I went on LinkedIn and I was like, yeah,
23:35let me just like kind of browse through some of these, um, some of these like agencies and kind
23:40of see, like, you know, do a little head hunting, see who's there. I'm looking through, I was like,
23:44oh my goodness, there are no black women on, I was like, there are no black women at these companies,
23:50like maybe two, three. And I'm looking literally at like the biggest of the biggest, even on the smaller
23:55side of the agencies. And I'm just like, wow, there's still not enough black anybody's in these
24:01companies, in these spaces, making the decisions. And that was definitely a hard, that was still a
24:07hard thing to accept, especially just because I, I feel like I've been very much in my bubble and
24:13it's a great bubble to be in. Don't get me wrong. But then you have moments like that where you're
24:17like, wow, we are still not here. Or even when I like travel to Europe for like fashion week and so
24:22forth and things like that, it's still very much, we're the minority in all of these spaces. So
24:29it's very much, it's not a hard pill to swallow, but it is, it kind of is something that I used to
24:34just kind of like fuel and push me. And I know, okay, this is where we need to, where we need to
24:38grow. Like we're not, the work is still being done. We still need to figure out how we get us
24:44in the room. And I appreciate the transparency too. We, we need to know these are things that we need to
24:49know. And again, use those to not discourage, but move forward, help us move forward and make room
24:56for us in these spaces. So wrapping up, and then if anyone has any questions in the audience, get
25:01them ready, because I will be asking in a second, what are some, you know, personal and business
25:06goals that you have? I don't know, I don't want to say within the next year, because things move so fast,
25:11but just moving into the future, what are some personal and business goals that you have for yourself?
25:15Um, well, we are moving into our first office this year. I love it. I'm so excited. We have a nice
25:23little AGC headquarters on 14th street, right in meat packing. I cannot believe it. I'm super excited
25:29to move in with the team and really just have a place to call home, not only just for us, but for
25:34our clients and really just continue to build our agency up. In the next five years, I just want to
25:40continue to take the fashion and beauty world by storm and just continuing to grow and building
25:47lucrative brands that have an ethos and, and just, you know, a je ne sais quoi that everybody needs.
25:55Um, and then my end goal, well, not my end goal, but like my biggest goal, hopefully in the next five
26:00years is to have an office in, in Paris or in Milan. Um, so I'm working, I'm working towards that. That's
26:07like my biggest, that's probably like my biggest like thing. So I'm like, it's there, it's going to
26:11happen, but just continuing to expand globally and really being the destination for black brands
26:18and representation. Love, love to hear it. Yes. Give her some claps, y'all. And now, like I said,
26:25if anyone has any questions from the audience, yes.
26:28Who are some of my clients?
26:29Who are some of my clients, you? Um, black fashion fair. This is Antoine, baby Gregory. Um,
26:37so yeah, black fashion fair, Brandon Blackwood, um, topicals. Um, Olamide was actually on the stage
26:44yesterday. Um, I'm wearing a lovely dress. Yeah. Show it off.
26:47The affiliate who's a Jamaican American designer. Um, he just recently won, um, a CFDA award,
26:53which if you don't know what that is, essentially like the Grammys of American fashion. Um, so working
26:59alongside them has just been super rewarding and yeah, so that's my roster. Love. Right here.
27:12Oh man. Um, be honest with yourself. Be honest about your leadership skills. I think as I'm
27:20continuing to grow my company, I am learning a lot about myself as well. And I've become a lot
27:26more personable because obviously, you know, you're building something, you know what you want,
27:30but you also have to allow your team to work and trust that they'll get things done and also just
27:36cater to their needs as well. We're all people. And again, I'm like, as much as I want people to
27:42obviously respect me and, you know, understand that I need time. I need to also be able to give that
27:48same level of respect to my team. And when they're having an off day and just really being more,
27:53just making sure that you're compassionate, like your level of compassion for your team,
27:57like over is overarching. Um, because literally like the better of a boss, the best boss that you are,
28:04the more your team is going to be loyal and dedicated to you. And just making sure that you're
28:08taking care of them as they're going to show up and do the work. And that's really what I've learned
28:12in the last three years. And then one more question. Yep. Oh my goodness. The moment I
28:21wanted to be CEO, um, there was no moment. Um, I absolutely did not have it on my bingo card to
28:29start a company by any means. But when I was trying to find a job, quite honestly, after I had gotten
28:35fired from my last job, that's a whole different story. Um, I was like, I didn't like the landscape,
28:42especially for fashion and the roles they were trying to offer me. I knew that I was more senior
28:47than the positions available to me at the time. And I knew also that I wanted to work solely like with
28:53black brands and focus on that area in particular. And unfortunately, there's still really not many
28:59agencies that are so keen to that in particular. Um, so through like freelancing and just taking on
29:05clients one day, somebody was like, so like, what is the name of your company? And I'm like the name of my,
29:12my what? So that is how that actually came into play. And here I am three years later with a company
29:18and a team of seven and a roster of 10 plus clients. And yeah.
29:23That right. Oh, honestly, go ahead.
29:32I did not. I did not go to college. So I got hired out of college. So I graduated high school.
29:39I knew I wanted to work in fashion. I went and got an internship. And I was kind of like battling the
29:45two literally school 6am classes, interning all day going to work right after. And luckily, I had a
29:52wonderful boss that saw potential in me. And she ended up hiring me at a school. I didn't actually
29:57really tell her how old I was. I kind of lied for a while. So funny story. I'm like working like these
30:03like liquor events. I'm at the door. I'm like, I need to see your idea. You're not getting in mind
30:07you. I'm 19. She didn't know that I was like, listen, girl, we gonna get this job done regardless.
30:12But yeah, so she found out literally on my 21st birthday, how old I actually was because she had to
30:16fly me out somewhere. And she was like, so you've been working for me for three plus years. And
30:20I was like, yeah, it's fine. We're here. We're great. But no, honestly, I didn't take the traditional
30:26college route. And I took that was just me taking a chance on myself. One of my goals is to eventually
30:32go back to school one day. I do value education in such a big way. But I took that jump. And I took
30:38that leap. And I wouldn't change it. So school is especially for PR communication. Sometimes it's just
30:44you have it. It really is a thing. Like as long as you're a connection builder,
30:49you have a vision, like you really can make a way for yourself.
30:55New York. I'm a New York girl born and raised.
30:59All right. And before we go, Anaya, how can we find you on social? How can we support you?
31:05Yes. So you can follow obviously our agency page, A Gold Consulting. You can follow me,
31:11Anaya Gold, A-H-N-I-Y-A-H, gold like the color on all social media platforms. And yeah,
31:18and I'm always accessible. You can always shoot me an email. You can always send me a DM. You can
31:22always find me on Twitter, actinafool. But if anyone ever needs anything, I am a giant resource.
31:28Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Anaya. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Absolutely.
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