Today we’d like to introduce you to Josiah Donaldson-darkwah
Hi Josiah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My Story starts in 2017, as a 12-year-old content creator.
I remember reaching out to small but iconic brands popular in my mom’s hometown in England and for the first time receiving PR packages and thinking, I could do this forever.
However, High School was a tough time and difficult transition for me as a young performing arts student.
The opinions of others, although affecting my self-esteem, never stopped me from going after what I dreamed of and I pursued my dreams either way. And after building a solid network at the age of 17 I began to enter the world of fashion and entertainment.
Attending Fashion Week as a Junior in 2022 was never something I saw coming, but was for me, one of the key moments in what some would call my early career and was the proof I needed to continue working in all branches of the creative industry, whether that be Fashion, Content Creation, Acting and more
As we approach the end of 2024, I have worked with magazines, some of my biggest inspirations and joined the teams of some incredible events facilitators; based internationally through the work of myself, my brand KDD Media and my current role at Capsule Live.
I look forward to what is in store over the coming years for a creative such as myself, as I focus on creating a new space in the podcast community for relaxed and personable conversation.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say that my journey so far was the most smooth, but I have been ever so blessed with my support system as well as the values that those around me have instilled in me.
Growing up with separated parents, who often were working I often made entertainment for myself; acting, dancing, creating YouTube videos, and teaching myself different forms of academia.
Middle School and High School are tough for everybody, and I think I speak for all creative young people when I say, it is not the easiest to hide from your peers when you’re performing in the school musical or appearing in a summer art exhibition.
And particularly for myself, I mean posting YouTube videos in 8th grade, I would go into class terrified of what people would say.
My classmates were not always kind, but looking back I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, the resilience and motivation I have would never have grown to the strength it is today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What do you do, What are you most proud of?
So my work mainly consists of Content Management, Podcast filming as well as Events, but I’d say I am mostly known for my short-form content across TikTok and Instagram reaching an incredible audience through my relatable and lifestyle videos.
But more recently, working with Capsule Live to showcase the work of all types of artists has been incredible, as shown in the images in this article – we worked on a piece with London-based, Lottie Mac on her ‘Isn’t it Grand’ exhibition. Visiting her studio beforehand and discussing her creative process, whilst capturing the essence of her space through photography taken by myself, Christina Adane and Freddie Black.
Let me tell you, the creative industry is not for the faint of heart, but you meet some incredible people and I’d say one thing I’m most proud of is retaining authenticity and staying true to myself.
As a person of colour, it has also been incredible to witness the creations of designers such as Aarti Vijay Gupta.
Despite what I and others may feel at some times, everybody is looking for connection in this industry and I love it when I attend an event or brand activation and have the most incredibly human conversations with creatives and attendees alike.
I’d say I’m also proud of everything I have done at my stage in life, being able to say I completed High School in the same year as being invited to Fashion Week is pretty cool. All despite the conditions set before me, after moving out at 17, I mean what else is there to do but progress and improve?
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Pandemic for me, was really a time for reflection but also a time to put in the work, I used Covid-19 as an excuse to refine my other essential skills such as Video and Photo Editing, Content Growth and Business focused conversation.
I would say I speak for all of us when I say that although the pandemic was a difficult time, I don’t think any of us would have taken such focused time for our well-being as well as the well-being of others without it, showing us the importance of taking time for ourselves despite the fast-paced and often overwhelming nature of the world we live in today
Pricing:
- Brand Outreach: $65
- Social Media Consulting: $100
- Digital Assistance: $150
- Event Curation: $200 -$300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://uk.linkedin.com/company/kdd-media&ved=2ahUKEwic2d3incuJAxWKQvEDHQkcC_cQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw36npbKZ_2-dQaP4R7dOkSL
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/josiahkdonaldson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@josiahdonny
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/capsule.live/
Image Credits
Dave Benett, MJ Wave, Josiah Donaldson-Darkwah,
