The greatest story we get to tell

I’ve been speaking to a lot of college students recently. This semester, I’ve spoken at Lipscomb University, Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, and my alma mater, MTSU. Students tend to ask me questions around how I started my company and how I got into the entertainment industry. Essentially, what was my “why” then and now?

And I tell them the truth. 

I got into the entertainment industry because I needed a way to combine my love for music, Jesus, and business. It seemed like the best fit at the time 🤷🏾‍♀️. 

I started my business because I was underpaid at my job.

They’re always shocked at how candid I am.

It is important to be prepared for questions surrounding your internal motivations, whether others are asking or you’re reflecting on your own thoughts. Self-awareness is critical. You control your narrative, so make sure you know and own your story.

“…until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

African proverb

Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe used an African proverb in his 1958 novel Things Fall Apart. In it, he said, “There is that great proverb — that until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” This powerful quote speaks to those who have been silenced and gives them permission to take their power back.

All of us have a unique purpose and story. For most of us, an element of our story involves overcoming the expectations society or others have placed on us.

Growing up, I gravitated towards the keyboard and taught myself how to read music at eight years old. In high school, I thought about pursuing the music industry professionally, and in college, I was hooked after an internship at a label. When I went back to the label as an employee, I never would have guessed that entrepreneurship would become my path. But God had other plans. That season was necessary and life-changing for me. 

It is important to remember how you started and always maintain sight of that as you continue to grow.

All of our journeys will look different, making our story unique and worth telling. It may inspire others not necessarily as a blueprint for their own but as a source of courage and validation for their own unique paths. Of all the stories we are a part of and all the stories we get to tell, always come back to tell your own.