Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua David.
Hi Joshua, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in South Florida, I always saw myself as someone who wanted to explore a career that would allow me to connect with others who had the true desire to follow their dreams by any means. I didn’t quite know what that looked like initially as many of us don’t, I just knew I had a story that was unfolding before my very eyes and also knew to never truly stay comfortable or complacent because the universe was just getting started on this very colorful experience called LIFE that I was finally starting to embark on after college. I graduated from Florida State University a degree in Business Administration with a specialized focus in hospitality management. I always seemed to have a knack at cultivating connections and sparking conversations with business professionals and hospitality leaders who saw something in me and thus allowed me to live in London for a period of time, achieving an externship and scholarship to work at the five star luxury hotel, Sea Containers London.
London was a cultural awakening that I will forever hold near and dear to my heart because it allowed me to realize that the world is a whole lot bigger than so many of us think, especially this first-generation Haitian American who was creating his very own blueprint called “Living The Dream” as my alma mater would say. I learned quickly from my time across the pond that I needed to think bigger, too often I would interact and trade life stories with people from around the world that would say, “You’re meant for more, keep digging deeper!” When you’re constantly finding yourself being told the same message by so many different faces, you end really having to take a moment and rediscover what you’re truly capable of… That was Summer 2015, a young inspired hospitality marketing professional who didn’t realize that the turning point of his career would take place as soon as he made it back to the United States.
After London, I transitioned my career expeditiously from hospitality marketing into digital marketing in a whirlwind that still makes my head spin at times in the best of ways. I returned to the States with a new focus and fire that would allow me to witness myself in a whole new dynamic as a business professional in the digital space. I realized quickly that I could transfer my skills from hospitality and marketing into social media by way of communications, influencer marketing, community management, brand + social strategy. From London to New York City and finally Los Angeles, the place I now call home. I was able to have a brush with many expressions of digital that ranged from assistant account executive, influencer marketing manager, digital project manager and the sweet spot of my career social media strategy that has allowed me to curate the life that I am currently embarking on in real-time.
I remember often repeating to myself after college that “All Roads will lead you to Los Angeles.” There was always this innate desire to call the “City of Angels” my home, I felt a connection, I felt like regardless of what I did in my career, I was meant to be here. I loved the music, the culture, the constant birth of talent both in front and behind the camera. I loved the diverse stories that would find a place called home on the big screen and the silver screen. As I stated, I had a burning desire to connect with that people who had a true desire to follow their dreams by any means. I have been lucky enough to serve as Social Media Director at EBONY Magazine, helping bridge this iconic brand into the digital world and engaging digital consumers into the new and improved vision of this elite brand that has solidified its place in black culture of America. I took the opportunity a step further and cultivated relationships with brands both big and small, working with the likes of The CW, Red Table Talk, The Oscars, The Grammys and so much more. I found power in using my voice and helped other creatives, actors and artists share their stories on achieving their biggest dreams and overcoming their greatest obstacles.
At 25 years young, I realized that when given the opportunity, I could make a lot of something out of nothing, I just needed to be given the right opportunity, the right platform and the right culture to make that “special sauce” that so many of us sometimes don’t have the opportunity to tap into. With the self-belief and commitment to growing my skills and getting used to being uncomfortable, I have stretched my abilities into social media production, building nimble teams & developing compelling pitches and social strategies for brands like ABC, Barbie, Robinhood, YouTube, Miss Universe, Ancestry & so much more. By far, one of the biggest impacts in my career was working as a Social Strategy Director with D’USSÉ Cognac, never in a million years did I think I would have the opportunity to serve as a brainchild for the social media brand look and feel of such an iconic trademark that was housed under the Roc Nation tentpole that we all know is birthed from the one and only Jay-Z. Imagine hearing from the client that “Jay likes the direction we’re going with this social strategy!”
Can somebody pinch me because I couldn’t believe it! I think so often we want to be seen and feel like we’re a part of something that matters, that’s bigger than what we ourselves envision within our lifetime. As creatives, we feel most empowered when we’re in the rooms, building those connections and sparking that fire within others to create something beautiful, something authentic, and something real. That was and still is my goal when I created AskJoshDavid Productions, I want to contribute to making stories for us by us, opening doors and cultivating an enriching environment for people of color to tap into their magic and do what they do best, create. I yearn to give people that look like me, people that have been through what I have been through that first chance to really garner their skills into a space where they have the freedom to make content, to write think pieces that charge society in really different ways. Finding connection through our differences, brands like MACRO, Tyler Perry Studios, COLORS Worldwide are doing just that in such diversified ways, witnessing their milestones continues to give me the energy and focus to embarking on my own journey and hope to keep experiencing more in order to bridge the new generation of creatives that make their way into the “City of Angels.”
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?
Ugh! I wish I could say the path has been sunshine and rainbows from the start but I often hear that chasing your dreams can be some of the most challenging moments in your life because the Universe/God will test you in so many different ways to see if you really want it as bad as you say you do. I’ve learned recently that many of us are learning as we’re going in real-time, that leaves margin for errors in more ways than one. I have had experiences in working in spaces with people that have challenged my professional and personal boundaries as a black creative in more ways than one. I have suffered a great loss in recent years like losing my mother to breast cancer & battling depression that came with that loss. I have had anxiety and battles of self-worth more times than I can count during the dry periods of my career when the economy was faced with recessions, job layoffs and hiring freezes. I have been through a great deal, much like so many of us and still somehow find a way back to this road I call my destiny. It’s not easy, it’s grueling at times and makes you look in the mirror and constantly run a diagnostic of self, I usually ask myself the following:
“Who Am I?”
“Am I Following My Purpose?”
“Does My Inner Child Feel Heard?”
“Am I Fully Present?”
Some days the answers flow without difficulty, others there’s a constant interruption or disruption within self. Those days I make it a priority to sit in stillness and just trying to get to the root, sometimes the obstacles and challenges are internal and not always external. I’m learning to be okay with that.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I truly have a love and passion for brand, social strategy and social production, how a brand shows up to the market in general or during digital campaigns is so important, I think too often we forget the importance of constantly finding what is going on in the world and finding a way to organically getting that brand in connection to the branding topic of conversation. I’m known to help identify the strengths of a brand and then really hone in on optimizing the places where the brand may not be successful. Oftentimes, agencies will end up getting a brand that primarily speaks to black and brown audiences and miss the mark on identifying what their consumers are looking for in order to really secure that engagement and growth. I like to go in and really investigate the missing factors that keep the brand from really finding its sweet spot and then prioritize a strategy that kind of brings new life to the brand on socials. I’m most proud of my work with EBONY Magazine, growing the social pages as aggressively as I did organically was unheard of, nearly hitting the million follower marker in under a year, driving hundreds of thousands of clicks to the website via our social pages was direct response to the work that I would put into the brand on a day to day.
I would also say the work created with D’USSÉ Cognac was another career highlight, being able to strategize new means of tapping into the market through the content ideas and social strategy I developed allowed me to realize a passion in getting really hands-on in producing the content & not just formulating the overall strategy/execution plan. I got to thrive as a creative in a whole new way and see myself as more than just a strategist, it was a new experience that I cherished and hope to continue exploring. I think what sets me apart from others is that I don’t come from the traditional background when it comes to social strategy and brand development, I mean let’s remember I originally came from hospitality marketing and really had to fight to be given the chance and opportunities to take up space within an industry that often will say that “you’re not a good fit” or “we’re just looking for something else,” having the ability to prove people wrong and still making an impact is something that I have learned from my upbringing and really don’t take it for granted.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The Alchemist, The Power of Now, A New Earth & Outliers are consistently in rotation on a yearly basis. They embody the power of mindfulness and just remind us all to just loosen the reigns on life when we start to feel like everything is falling apart. I think too often things feel like their falling apart just when the universe is trying to bring other parts of your life together in order to realign and get you on the path of serving your true purpose. Often times we don’t know what that is, so it takes a “Come to Jesus Moment” to “Let Go & Let God” and give yourself that moment to find stillness in order to know what’s next. I also adore the Blinkist app, there are so many books that are constantly being marketed to us online, and too often we end up with Amazon delivering to our homes and they just collect dust, with Blinkist, the app pulls the most crucial parts of the books and gives you anywhere from 15-20 minutes of reading time or audio to sink your teeth into the content. If the book leaves an impression, I often will go and purchase to give it the full read it deserves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://askjoshuadavid.wixsite.com/askjoshdavid/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askjoshdavid/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askjoshuadavid/
Image Credits
Image 6 & Image 7 – Kai Byrd
