Community Highlights: Meet Jasmine Denise of Pretty Shades of Melanin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Denise.

Hi Jasmine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started PSOM in 2016 as a way to highlight beautiful Black women and women of color in a positive light because I felt like we deserved more visibility and representation. What started as a simple platform to celebrate us eventually turned into something much bigger than I imagined. Deep down, I always knew I wanted to help my community in some way.

Around 2020, I realized PSOM had the potential to become more than just a social media page. I wanted to start telling our stories, spotlighting Black women-owned businesses, and creating a platform that offered real visibility and support. I also realized my passion wasn’t just building a business for myself — it was helping other business owners grow theirs. I genuinely love promoting brands, connecting people to resources, and using my platform to help businesses get seen. That’s when PSOM really evolved into a media platform and movement centered around visibility, storytelling, and community support.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges for me was finding my lane and really understanding my brand identity. I knew I wanted to help Black women, but it took time to figure out exactly what that looked like. At one point, I realized simply posting beautiful women no longer felt like enough because I wanted PSOM to provide real value and impact.

That process helped me realize that storytelling, business promotion, and creating visibility for Black women-owned brands was truly my purpose. Black women and our businesses are often overlooked, so I wanted PSOM to become a platform that intentionally puts our stories, brands, and achievements in the spotlight.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
PSOM is a media and storytelling platform focused on highlighting Black women, Black-owned businesses, and the culture through visibility, promotion, storytelling, and community support. Through brand spotlights, partnerships, and digital media, the platform helps connect businesses and creators with larger audiences while creating meaningful representation online.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to find your lane and stay committed to it. I never imagined I would end up in media, marketing, or storytelling, but over the years I realized these were gifts that came naturally to me.

Once I realized this was something I was truly passionate about, I wanted to be one of the best at it. I invested years into learning marketing, media strategy, branding, engagement, and how to genuinely connect with people through social platforms.

I also received mentorship from a psychologist and social media manager, which gave me a deeper understanding of audience behavior, branding, and what truly drives engagement online. A lot of people see the results now, but there were years of learning, strategy, consistency, and experience behind it.

I’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and through that consistency, PSOM has grown into a platform that has attracted celebrity engagement, brand collaborations, and a loyal online community through authentic storytelling and visibility. All of those experiences helped shape the way I approach media, storytelling, and helping brands grow today.

Pricing:

• Brand Spotlight packages are available for business features on @prettyshadesofmelanin. Custom packages are tailored to business goals, audience reach, and visibility needs. Interested brands and entrepreneurs can inquire via DM.

Contact Info:

• Website: Linktree: linktr.ee/PrettyShadesofMelanin
• Instagram: Instagram: @prettyshadesofmelanin