Stella Podcast

NOTE: This interview was conducted in September 2024. 00:18: Who is Imani Ellis these days? 1:42: Viewing feedback as a good thing 5:43: Reflecting on the early days of The Creative Collective and the value of starting the brand while also navigating a full-time job 7:33: The thought process behind leaving her full-time job 8:54: Dating your dreams—what does this mean in a business sense? 11:13: T...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in August 2024. Key moments: 1:11: The journey that led to full-time freelance writing career—and why this wasn’t her initial intention  4:16: The realities of making full-time freelancing sustainable  6:05: Setting necessary boundaries 8:52: Normalizing being vocal and transparent in media communications  12:02: Dealing with pitching burnout and editor relations...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in July 2024. Key moments: 00:46: The journey that led to founding The WritersBlok—dating all the way back to childhood 6:02: Building a “purpose portfolio” and why you shouldn’t be afraid to show your personality and share your story online  8:33: Building mental toughness and learning to accept the fact that not every client or opportunity is for you  10:47: Ef...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in May 2024. Key moments: 0:00: Building mentorship pipelines  2:25: Breaking past the fear of networking (especially lateral networking) 3:01: Korsha’s food media journey and impactful contributions thus far  5:47: Can you succeed in journalism without specialized degrees?  6:31: Forming a name and reputation in a competitive, underrepresented field  10:18: Stay...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in June 2024. Key moments: 00:11: Travel as a creative stimulator  1:59: Introducing Nana, what the EveryStylishGirl (ESG) brand is and who it's for 4:13: Nana’s professional background before launching ESG—including an early realization that she could carve out the roles she wanted in media.  6:40: The realities of nebulous media tiles—and why you’re probably mo...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in May 2024. Key moments: 00:21: The academic (Yale) and activism background that led to a thriving journalism career 5:57: The first big radicalizing moment, and the others that followed  9:51: When and how did you decide you wanted to be a writer? 14:07: How do you navigate writing in various formats: from traditional/reported journalism to op-ed writing? As an...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in May 2024. Key moments: 00:56: A walk down (award-winning) memory lane, including the road the led to Essence 4:39: Breaking down the timeline at Essence (and a lesson on the power of networking in and out of the office) 9:17: When working at Essence started to feel like pressure 12:56: The realities of print publishing, cover stories, working with talent and m...

NOTE: This interview was conducted in May 2024. Key moments: :26: How and where did you get your start in the industry? 3:24: What was the process of starting your PR agency? 6:42: Who were some of your biggest mentors and how have they supported you?  9:30: The intentional choice to be based in Trinidad and Tobago. 12:25: Advice for how current and aspiring media professionals can stay true to wh...