Check Out Shylise Simpson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shylise Simpson.

Shylise, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m from Watts, California, a place that shapes you fast. My early life was rough, and for a long time, I was moving in the streets, gang banging and selling drugs, trying to survive with the tools I thought I had. I didn’t grow up with a roadmap or examples of entrepreneurship. What I did have was hustle, resilience, and a deep need to escape the life I was living.

Music became that escape.

Before I ever touched film or television, I was a rapper performing under the name Shay Nutt. Music gave me a voice, confidence, and my first real sense of purpose. It introduced me to storytelling, branding, promotion, and the power of owning your narrative. What started as artistic expression slowly turned into education in business without me even realizing it at the time.

As my life evolved, so did my vision.

After being raised in group homes and the foster care system and becoming an emancipated youth, I knew I didn’t just want success, I wanted impact. I wanted to create platforms, not just projects. That desire led to the birth of UGG TV Zone, an extension of my original brand, Underground Girls of Hip Hop, which was created to spotlight women in hip hop and underserved voices in entertainment.

Today, I’m a producer, writer, director, and founder of UGG TV Zone, an independent streaming platform dedicated to raw, authentic, urban-based content. What started as a dream is now a growing digital network with original reality TV, films, docuseries, and community programming. Our content has reached platforms like Roku, Android, Apple, and web streaming, and we continue expanding with new original projects.

Some of the projects I’m most proud of include The Ratchet Room, Fluffy & Fine, F Friendship, Eddie in Tha Trap, The Letts, and Power in Pink, an after-school disguised learning program we’ve run in multiple schools. Beyond entertainment, I’m currently building workforce and reentry programs like REEL Change and REEL Futures, using film and media as tools for economic mobility and healing, especially for single parents, youth, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

My journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve gone from the streets to the stage, from trauma to ownership, from survival mode to building legacy. Everything I do now is rooted in creating access, opportunity, and ownership for people who come from where I come from.

I am living proof that your past does not disqualify your future.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road at all. My journey has been filled with setbacks, lessons, and moments where I had to decide whether to keep going or give up. One of my biggest challenges has always been financial struggle. I didn’t come from money, I didn’t have investors waiting to bet on me, and I didn’t have a safety net. Most of what I’ve built has been self-funded, and there were times I was pouring everything I had into my vision while still trying to survive personally.

Another major struggle was learning to believe in myself. Coming from the background I come from, spending time in foster care, experiencing trauma, and being told directly and indirectly that I wouldn’t amount to much, it took a long time to truly trust my own voice and my own power. There were moments of self-doubt where I questioned whether I was good enough, smart enough, or capable enough to build something real. Sometimes the mental battles were harder than the financial ones.

I actually started this journey with Underground Girls of Hip Hop, which was created to give women in hip hop visibility and respect in a male-dominated industry. From there, I went on to develop and produce the Female Hip Hop Honors Awards, which became a major milestone for me. Producing large-scale events with little money and limited resources taught me everything about budgeting, logistics, negotiations, crisis management, and leadership. But it also came with stress, losses, and a lot of learning the hard way.

I’ve poured money into projects that didn’t immediately return profit. I’ve trusted people who didn’t always handle business correctly. I’ve had to rebuild more than once. But every struggle sharpened me. Every setback forced me to get better.

Nothing about this journey has been easy but every obstacle helped shape the entrepreneur, producer, and leader I am today.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Today, I’m a producer, writer, director, and founder of UGG TV Zone, an independent streaming platform created to amplify raw, authentic, and often underrepresented voices in entertainment, especially women and creators from urban communities. I specialize in reality television, original films, docuseries, and digital storytelling, but my real expertise is building platforms from the ground up. I don’t just create content, I create opportunities, ownership, and access. I’m known for producing bold, unapologetic projects like The Ratchet Room, Fluffy & Fine, F Friendship, The Letts, and Eddie in Tha Trap, as well as community-based programs like Power in Pink, which uses production as a disguised learning tool for youth.

What I’m most proud of is that I built all of this without a blueprint, without industry backing, and without generational wealth. UGG TV Zone started as a vision and grew into a digital network with multiple original series and a growing subscriber base, reaching audiences through Roku and web platforms. Beyond entertainment, I’ve expanded into workforce development and reentry programming through initiatives like REEL Change and REEL Futures, which use media production as a pathway for economic stability for single parents, youth, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Being able to merge storytelling with real-life impact means everything to me.

What truly sets me apart is that I come from the world I create for. I didn’t study this in a classroom; first, I lived it. I understand the streets, the struggle, the hunger for something more, and the power of redemption. I move with both creativity and business, purpose and profit, vision and execution. I don’t just chase success for myself; I build systems so others can climb with me. That balance of authenticity, resilience, and community-centered entrepreneurship is what defines my brand and my legacy.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The most important quality behind my success is resilience. No matter how many times I’ve been knocked down financially, emotionally, or professionally, I’ve always found a way to get back up and keep going. I didn’t start with resources, connections, or security, so quitting was never an option. I had to learn how to push through fear, rejection, and uncertainty while still showing up for my vision every day.

Along with resilience, I’d say faith in myself has become just as important. There were times when I doubted myself, but I kept working anyway. Over time, that persistence built confidence. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, bet on myself, and stay committed even when the results weren’t immediate.

That combination of grit, persistence, and self-belief is what carried me from the streets to entrepreneurship, from survival mode to building platforms and creating opportunities for others.

Pricing:

• Some shows Free with Ads
• 2.99 mo
• 29.99 yr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://uggtvzone.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uggtvzone
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uggtvzone

Image Credits
Tony Corley (T. Corley Photography)