Today we’d like to introduce you to Neysa Garcia-Muhammad
Hi Neysa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi,
I’m Neysa and I’m a food-obsessed Executive producer. My journey took me from Sociology in college, to hospitality in my early 20’s. Then, I had a 7 year run in the tech industry, and now I’m a creative entrepreneur with my partner, Tabari.
I’m a Jamaican immigrant and came to the states as a toddler with my parents. Most of my childhood has been about survival and assimilation. I was told that the reason for being here was for better opportunities. I believe that the quality of the life you live depend on the quality of questions you ask. I wasn’t taught to ask “What lights me up?” or “What do I enjoy?”. Things that brought me joy were seen as something to do as a side project, but had nothing to do with my contribution to society or my ability to provide for myself.
My experience in the tech industry was especially a reflection of that. I worked hard, long hours, and did a lot of great work, but I was so far away from myself. The tech industry is known for having a much more relaxed corporate culture, but the expectations are high and corporate culture is really a synonym for white, straight, and masculine. As an empath, highly sensitive and intuitive person…I was crushed in that environment.
I had 2 choices. I could get better at the politics, figure out who to align with, get mentorship, and progress my career to director or VP of product somewhere exciting and fun to talk about at holiday parties. My second option was to ask myself, what else is there? If not this, then what? At the time, I had been a hobbyist photographer for 10 years. I had a portfolio, with a URL that I paid for, but never shared.
Then, in 2020, I watched protesters march past my house fighting for answers after the murder of George Floyd. The companies I worked at during and after that period demonstrated that they didn’t care. A donation here and there, but no real change was made with inclusion and equity. As I reflect on it now…why would there be a change if nothing was broken from their point of view? Justice and inclusion had nothing to do with their values a company.
All I could do was ask myself why I was putting in countless hours and energy into something that I didn’t even believe in?
My partner and I got married in 2021 and started Ginger and Carrot Productions one month later. Our goal was simple, to have creative careers and that vision expanded to telling compelling stories while honoring authenticity and inclusivity. We do that work in an emotionally safe container. That doesn’t always mean sunshine and roses. Sometimes it means, holding space for our clients while they express disappointment and figuring out how we could do better. Other times it means disagreeing with one another on the future of the company. No matter what, we created a beautiful container to feel seen and heard for ourselves and our clients. I can honestly say this is my dream job,
At this point, it isn’t about my title or what I do day to day, but what I’m championing through my work. The next time I write about Ginger and Carrot Productions, I might be speaking and teaching storytelling rather than producing. What I care about is harnessing the power of storytelling and giving people a voice to tell their truth.
This year, Tabari and I are producing our second short film and a Chef series bridging the conversation of food and spirituality. We’re doing more work that illustrate the stories we want to tell on Youtube @gingerandcarrotproductions
As always, we’re taking on more production clients in the food, culture, and community space. Whether you’re a restaurant, a CPG brand, or a brand that supports this industry in any way, we would love to hear from you.
Anyone that’s interested in working with us for short documentaries, social media & website content, or video series production can schedule a discovery call at calendly.com/gingerandcarrot and see our full portfolio at gingerandcarrot.com/portfolio
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but it’s been a road worth paving. Every single step as an entrepreneur is a learning experience. Building a small business is the learning curve of a lifetime. No amount of education can really prepare you for the level of resilience you have to build to do this. I had to learn how to communicate better, fail faster, build better relationships, and think like a CEO.
You might think “Once I’m well known, then I won’t have to go hunting for clients, I’ll have referrals”. That might be true for other entrepreneurs, but that wasn’t true for me. I directly go after the clients that I want to work with. I used to resent having to hunt to eat, but I realized that it’s empowering. I get to choose who I want to work with and curate the people that I have in my life. It gives me choice and that’s the beauty of working for ourselves.
Of course, referrals are great, and perhaps there’s a version of Ginger and Carrot Productions that is mostly driven by referrals, but until then, I’m proud of what we’ve built so far. It’s absolutely worth it to be able to do what I love with people that I admire. Every year, I get better as a producer, stronger as a business woman, and more secure in my inner dialogue. That’s the best gift that my journey has given me so far.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Ginger and Carrot Productions tell stories about food, culture, and community. We’re champions of authenticity, inclusivity, and emotional safety. We take on clients who need support with social media and website content, short form documentaries, and still photography. We’ve worked with brick and mortar businesses, CPG brands, non-profits, and personal brands. The through-line in all of the work that we do is create safe spaces for people to be themselves. Something I’m really proud of is that a majority of our clients were Black, Brown, or Queer. Being able to provide a high level service for our community creates so much fulfillment for me, personally.
Our industry is really saturated with videographers, directors, photographers, and designers. Every business needs this work, but how do you choose the right partnership in a city like Los Angeles? We’ve doubled down on our values and beliefs. Everywhere we go, whether it’s an in-person event, or an article like this…we emphasize who we are as people and as a company and that’s helped us to stand out while aligning us with like-minded people.
Right now, we’re taking on 4 more retainer clients who want to tell deeper stories that resonate with their community on a retainer. That can be a production house or agency who has creative work that they need support with and want to work with people who share their mission. This can also be a brand who’s ready for growth, but isn’t ready to bring on a full time marketing and branding team just yet.
If any of this sounds like you or your team, you can schedule a call to talk about how we can work together at calendly.com/gingerandcarrot
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Helping people amplify their ideas makes me happy. I don’t even really know why and I don’t think that matters. All I know is the world is richer in color when someone (could be anyone, even a stranger) looks to me and says “I have an idea and I want to know what you think”.
This is what I do all day everyday in my business and when I’m out walking the dog. This is who I am. It manifests as a creative role right now, but even if I were in real estate, I would be the same way. That’s what lights me up more than anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gingerandcarrot.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerandcarrotprod/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neysa-garcia-muhammad-858751344/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gingerandcarrotproductions
- Other: https://calendly.com/gingerandcarrot
Image Credits
Neysa’s profile photo was taken by Kelly Elaine Garthwaite, founder of Hey Y’all Consulting Co.
