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We had a conversation with three Black customers to learn more about their personal adventures, the mentors who led them to where they are, and their dreams and hopes to shape our future.

       Karl Ferguson Jr.  

Karl is a believer in the belief that your work should be able to fund your passion until the passion you have can finance your life. Karl has managed to do just that: through balancing work along with his passion for portrait photography. A quick scan of his website will make stunned by the sheer number of famous people he's shot in the entertainment industry. Karl's online presence has allowed present his work to a plethora of potential clients in a matter of minutes. "One among the greatest features offers is the dynamic manner in which I'm able to drop and drag images to change them in a flash of notice," Karl says.

Community has played a major role in Karl's success with photography. The sharing of ideas among other Black photographers helps him feel an underlying sense of community in an industry that can be isolated sometimes. Karl hopes to pay it forward in his own career, in order to foster an identical type of community for the newest creatives in the space. "Paying it forward means making myself accessible," Karl says. In sharing his knowledge and knowledge, Karl hopes to help more creatives be the best that they could be.

When asked what he might say to his younger self, as someone who is just beginning the photography journey, Karl's advice is this: "Don't get so intense that you lose interest in creating. Being patient and enjoying taking part in the process is perhaps one of the most essential things to do as photographer."

For more information about his work, head on his site.

        Black In Corporate  

Ambassador and social media consultant Candace Marie is the founder of Black In Corporate Black In Corporate, a community that champions Black individuals in corporate spaces. The idea for Black In Corporate was born from Candace's personal experiences navigating work environments where systemic racism makes it hard to Black employees to achieve. "While Black In Corporate was created from my personal experience," Candace says, "a important reason behind the creation of the nonprofit was that I knew that there were several Black people in my network who's experiences were comparable, if they were not exactly the same as my personal experiences."

One of the many pillars that Black In Corporate is based on is their virtual Mentorship Program, which gives Black professionals with access options, opportunities and collaboration. The website of Black In Corporate has been pivotal in promoting the program's benefits to its target public. "While the press and social media are the major drivers for website traffic, the stunning style and ease of navigation keep our visitors interested and returning," Candace says about the positive impact of their site.

The phrase "it requires the whole village" particularly rings true in the case of Candace and her journey with the creation of Black In Corporate. Her success has been bolstered with the assistance from mentors, sponsors as well as friends and family who have helped her along the way. There are many ways that Candace is now offering the same assistance to Black professionals. "This journey is hard enough for anyone on their own," she says. "Whenever I'm able to give a word of advice or sit on a panel, or even make an introduction to a contact for a friend, I'm committed to nurturing the other Black individuals in this field."

Discover more on Black In Corporate on their website.

       Elton Anderson Jr.  

For nearly 14 years, Elton Anderson Jr. worked in the photography industry as a photographer, shooting famous people and of the top brands in the world. He decided to pivot when he realized that the career he had always been enthusiastic about wasn't satisfying. Following a potentially life-threatening bout of malaria while traveling in Brazil, Elton vowed to commit his whole life in improving himself as well as the lives of those around him.

Now, Elton is doing just what every day. In addition to taking on new roles like producers, director of creative, as well as host of travel shows, Elton also launched Creators of Color, a platform that focuses on telling the stories of Black creators in various fields.

For Elton taking these adjustments is an essential part of the creative process. Elton's advice for younger Black creatives who want to switch careers is to follow their intuition. "If it's not a Hell Yes, then it's a No," Elton says. "This mantra has helped me make my career switch a lot more successful and true to my experience."

When you're a creative person like Elton, who has multiple tasks to complete, digital marketing plays a huge part in sharing his ongoing story. The goal of Elton is to be a "Master Storyteller." Both of his sites along with his social media profiles, allow him to do just this. "I treat my website as an opportunity for people to come in, take the time to sit down, and come to know who I am," Elton says. "My social media platforms are an opportunity for people to continue the journey with me live in real-time."

Learn more about Elton and his story on his website.