Today we’d like to introduce you to Chauncea Carothers.
Chauncea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, I have been committed to leadership and creativity for as long as I can remember. I was actively involved in many activities and was the President of several clubs to include The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and our High-school’s Fashion Club so my real journey towards being a leader was officially launched during the pre-teen/adolescent season of my life.
After graduating high school, I attended Marymount University and studied Fashion and English ( I was told I was the first student to ever study those two areas together). While in college, I volunteered at shows, produced my own shows with private clients, networked and cultivated relationships where I was able to start providing advisory and creative direction services while completing school. As I was approaching graduation and due to the economic downturn, decided to pursue my own business instead of waiting for the job market to improve.
Living in the culturally diverse region of Washington, D.C. and cultivating relationships while traveling Internationally with my mother, our business quickly became a magnet for Creatives around the world. At one point, I traveled approximately 70% of the year providing services inside and outside of the country and business really grew.
In 2017, after many tedious projects and an extensive travel schedule, I made the decision to work independently by offering consulting, coaching, project-based services and essentially decided to become the Creative Director of my own brand.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One hurdle I faced when I first started my business was building a team made up of people who were loyal, operated with integrity and were willing to align themselves with the vision without compromise. Another hurdle I faced has more to do with me than others – it took me almost 4-years to embrace and be confident in my value when providing services because I was so afraid to say no or ask for more compensation fearing I might lose the opportunity. Back then, I didn’t want to lose the deal but now I am confident the projects intended for me will include what I need to provide services feasibly.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an award-winning Digital Brand Strategist and Coach who helps creatives and companies grow their brands using Marketing, Social Media and Consulting Services. I specialize in helping individuals and companies understand how to utilize social media platforms, grow their audiences and use it to monetize their businesses. Independent of my brand development services, I am an accomplished Social Influencer as I promote faith, fashion, beauty, business, lifestyle and travel brands on my personal social media platforms (@chauncea). I speak regularly at conferences, universities and various events all around the globe on digital business strategies like “How to turn your Hobby Into Your Full-Time Job”, Style Tips, My Faith Journey, Travel Strategies and so much more!
What were you like growing up?
As an only child who is the daughter of an only child, at a young age I mastered the art of entertaining myself. I had to be the leader amongst my imaginary friends. I loved playing “store” and I used all of my mother’s business supplies and laminated, designed and printed my own business cards, “we are open” signage for my “stores”, pretend meeting schedules and more. Around age 11, my mom’s offices became my after school playground as I was privileged to watch her grow a very successful business from the ground up and I enjoyed pretending to be like her. My mom worked hard on my confidence so for as long as I can remember, I talked confidence even when I wasn’t fully walking it out. Most of my peers would have to agree that I was confident, social and won awards like “most kind” and “Most Likely to be on The Apprentice”. I also loved (and still love) capturing memories. I carried disposable cameras in my purse or backpack and was always ready to capture experiences with my friends. I was involved in many projects and clubs and for over ten years I even developed a love for Jazz dance of which I took weekly classes and performed annually at a Popular Washington, D.C. area studio — simply put, I loved staying busy.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://chauncea.com
- Email: chauncea@chauncea.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chauncea/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMCHAUNCEA
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chauncea
Image Credit:
Natarsha Wright
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