Community Highlights: Meet Latashia DeVeaux of DeVeauxted Enterprises

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latashia DeVeaux.

Hi Latashia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for the inclusion—I’m honored. I’m just a proud girl from South Central L.A. and I’ve been a publicity and talent relations executive for 22 years after landing in the PR field by fluke. As I was nearing graduating from college and preparing for law school, so I thought, I had to take an internship in order to graduate because I kept avoiding math classes like I avoided coronavirus. I interned at NBC in the Human Resources and community relations department.

It was the then President, a wonderful woman by the name of Carol Black who said I had a knack for public relations and communicating with people at different levels—that piqued my interest. Soon after graduation, I wasn’t sure about law school but knew I wanted and needed to work so I signed up with a temp agency. My assignment was at Rogers & Cowan, a premier entertainment PR agency. I started on a Monday filling in for the Receptionist and by that Friday, I was being asked if I was interested in a full-time job. To which my response was “hell yeah!” I wasn’t familiar with nor did I care about what company it was. I just knew I wanted to be employed.

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?
Oh, absolutely not! My career trajectory has been anything but smooth. Early in my career, I wasn’t encouraged to be my authentic self. I knew I had to work three times as hard as my peers while not always having an advocate or getting the support I needed grow or flourish. I experienced several layoffs and downsizing during my two-plus decade career journey. I made decision to walk away from jobs that didn’t serve me or disturbed my peace. At the same time, I’ve worked at organizations, great companies, where I was incredibly unhappy because I had a family (and a company) I needed to support. I’ve founded my own firm in 2003 and pulled double duty as a working entrepreneur (by choice) for most of my career. I’ve had failed business partnerships. I’ve experienced losses but I’ve also experienced so many wins! And although I’ve felt defeated more often than not, I never gave in or gave on people. I became more discerning and learned the art of the pivot before it became 2020’s anthem. I celebrate every micro wins and keeping pouring into myself as I do others.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
DeVeauxted Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 2003 while I was working in business and legal affairs at The Walt Disney Studios. I knew I loved law but I enjoyed writing and crafted stories and being a dot connector so much more. I knew that I needed to learn the business of running a company of any size and I took several best practices from that company and many others. A year later, I launch DeVeaux Agency, which is the entertainment publicity arm of the parent company. Our clients include celebrities, athletes, business executives, television studios, to name a few. As the PR landscape changed, I launch DeVeaux Media Group (DMG) in 2013 to service clients in luxury automotive, haircare, beverage, and digital/technology space. DMG provides digital communications and brand marketing services for niches audiences in the US and abroad. All three companies provide public relations strategies for different clients in various spaces—simply put, we execute with ease. I’m proud of brokering and leading the first-ever Middle Eastern goodwill tour with the US Armed Forces Entertainment and taking former NBA and current WNBA and BIG3 players to visit US troops in four countries over 14 days. This was the most rewarding opportunity during my career.

Currently, I serve as the President of Black Public Relations Society, Los Angeles and an Advisory Board member for Black Women in Technology. While my reputation for being no nonsense is well-earned as well my passion for mentorship, Black mental wellness, collaboration and great storytelling served with humor set me apart from others. I work with (and learn from) some phenomenal communicators, orators and storytellers but can’t nobody tell a story like me. I got flavor (my delivery draws you in) and favor (my anointing is mine)! I’ve learned to celebrate my breakthrough–-it allowed me to rejoice in some break-ups so I could break free and love my whole self.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Growth can be a risk. Some people are unwilling to grow or accept change. Growth stretches you and you must be willing to surrender. I don’t mind being stretched nor does surrendering scare me—I welcome it. Like clothes, you outgrow situations and people. There’s risk in being stuck but there’s no risk in outgrowing people. I work feverishly in outgrowing myself so I don’t care about outgrowing people.

A lot of people say, “I’ll do what I gotta do to put food on the table or pay bills or whatever it is to make things happen.” But do they really? Will they really work at McDonald’s? Will they tell their friends that they are struggling? My friends know I mean what I say when “I’ll take one for the team–I’ll work at Trader Joes so we can get a discount to purchase lunch for potential clients” so we didn’t have to eat at expensive restaurants. I’ve worked at companies in supporting or junior-level roles where my peers are executives or I was the more “seasoned” Coordinator because I was willing “to do what I had to do to take of my family or pour into my business.” I don’t have an ego. I didn’t care about the risk of perceived embarrassment or shame because it was a beautiful sacrifice and temporary means to an end that blessed my career journey.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@deveauxted.net
• Website: https://www.DeVeauxted.com
• Instagram: @SoDeVeauxted
• Other: https://www.BPRSLA.org

Image Credits:
Photographer (headshots): Will Sterling BET/ABFF photos: courtesy of DeVeaux Agency BIG3 in Dubai: courtesy of DeVeaux Agency