Tell us about your journey
I started my career as a photographer mainly working in and around the fashion and music industry. After many years of working with some of my favourite music artists, I found that while I loved capturing photography, I found the most enjoyment in concepting and producing photo / video shoots so I decided to lean more into that area. After working within the editorial space for many years, I wanted to explore new media and get in on the ground floor of the next big entertainment movement and this led me to the wonderful world of TikTok.
What were some of the misconceptions you had concerning your field/chosen role? When you’re pursuing a creative career, I think it can be easy to silo yourself into one discipline and believe that there’s only one measure of success that all practitioners must follow. In truth, many creative skills you learn in your artistic development carry over to a myriad of different industries. It’s important to keep your options open on your creative journey and find new ways to define what success looks like to you as an individual.
What is a personal quote/mantra you uphold to help you thrive in your career?
“Always be having fun.” While some days are of course harder than others and not every task can be an exciting international shoot, it’s important that I find joy in whatever task hits my to-do list. That can be the joy in knowing that the end result will be worth all the time spent creating it, or just finding ways to inject fun into otherwise monotonous tasks.
What advice would you give to someone dealing with imposter syndrome? I think it’s important to remember that everyone is different and will need to be given the space and time to process their feelings. That being said, it would be a great disservice to your journey, accomplishments and learnings to allow yourself to be the hurdle that halts your progression.
How important is Black role model visibility within the workplace?
It’s important but sadly, for many industries, still uncommon. For young people working in workplaces where they are aspiring to be the black pioneers within their field, it’s important they find practitioners in other industries that they can draw inspiration from. While your industries, career trajectory and disciplines might vary, the glass ceiling is, unfortunately, a constant but a constant many are waiting to help you breakthrough.
Upskilling is a key component in anyone’s career, what are some of the measures you have taken to enhance your skills?
As a producer, I’m lucky to work with many areas of the business that are very different to my own. I like to take the time to learn more about the different roles and functions that run alongside my own – the added understanding helps with my role (also it’s a great way to meet new people!)
To find out more about TikTok and their career opportunities visit their Employer Profile page.
