Alesha Brown
~ Journalist ~
Alesha Brown Interview Questions for Copa Style Magazine:
1. Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia although my heart is split between there and Jamaica/Bahamas/Virgin Islands (my favorite vacation spots).
2. What schools have you attended?
I am an HBCU graduate from Norfolk State University and my MBA is from Averett University (Danville, Virginia). I stayed true to my Virginia roots although my continued education has occurred throughout the U.S.
3. At what time did you discover you had a flair for writing?
I did not acknowledge it until my 30s when I was hired as a Managing Editor of a digital magazine just six months shy of publishing my first book, Sometimes All You Have is Happy. This serves as a life lesson that I share with my clients and public speaking audiences. As a child abuse survivor, I was an avid reader and writer, but the seeds of worthlessness planted in me from early on made me ignore my gifts until later in adulthood.
Mind you, I had won awards for my writings in middle and high school, had journaled as a child (which was my only safe space for expression), was writing sermons in my 20s, and even copywriting for small businesses and editing college students’ work during my undergraduate years. But when I started interviewing influencers, thought leaders, and celebrities across the globe, I realized that I not only had a flair for writing but a unique interview style that made people feel at ease and tell me everything. I continue to use that in my work now as a Managing Editor for two magazines, celebrity interviewer, podcaster, ghostwriter, non-profit executive, and CEO for my publishing company, Fruition Publishing Concierge Services, a division of Alesha Brown, LLC. The power of the pen can take you anywhere you want to go if you know how to use it.
4. Who are your favorite Authors?
Honestly, I would have to go back to the people that made the biggest impact on my life, starting in my youth. Maya Angelou, Stephen King, Langston Hughes, Alex Haley, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Terry McMillian, Gloria Naylor, and Ntzozake Shange.
5. When did you get interested in Social Media and in what way?
As a business owner, social media is imperative. It not only allows you to keep on the pulse of changing trends and real-time information, but it also allows you to connect with your audience and prospective clients. Certain of my social media accounts for my brands are used, of course, for the promotion of our clients, services, and events. My speaker/personal accounts give you a more behind the scenes look at my life as a CEO and all it entails. Oddly enough, my The Joy Guru platforms garner the most attention and people love to see what I’m eating, what clothes/products/makeup/or other items I’m raving about, as well as what celebrities I’m interviewing or what magazine/platform I’m being featured in.
Social media used responsibly is a powerful tool that too many are not using for their advantage. Too many people are caught up in the likes versus building relationships or engagement.
6. What encouraged you to write your first book and what was the subject material?
My survival. I knew I had to pay it forward for those who saved my life and for those who were still in the struggle, paralyzed, hurt, and suffering from the shame and pain of what was thrust upon them and not their fault.
As a child, books literally saved my life. My mother, a former early childhood school teacher, made sure I was an avid reader. The library was up the street from our house and it was my only solace from the abuse I experienced at home and the ridicule I experienced at school. It was there that I read the stories of other abuse survivors like Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou who managed to turn their lives around. I reasoned, night after night, story after story, that if I could just hang on one more night, things would get better. Eventually, they did.
I knew that the same way those brave writers exposed their darkest secrets, pain, and shame, I had to pay it forward. Survivors often feel that they are the only ones experiencing such pain, trauma, and darkness that they don’t want to talk to anyone else or get help. The unspeakable replays in their minds like a nightmare; depression runs rampant, and their cries for help continue to go unheard. Unfortunately, from youth to the elderly; from the successful entrepreneur to the celebrity; we see their demise play out via suicide, an overdose, or heart attack/stroke.
My goal was to speak to that person on the ledge and let them know there is hope and that someone understands them. I wanted to share my beginning story of recovery and life after. I wanted to lead them to the beginning work of changing their mindset while they worked on regaining their power and getting back into the driver’s seat of life. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you are in full control of your life after. If you never realize that you will live the rest of your life in a victim’s mentality which carries overpowering feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. In layman’s terms: you will simply exist versus thrive and be a member of the walking dead. That is not living, my friend, but so many we meet from day to day are doing just that.
Can you imagine living that way from five or six years old until your 60's, 70's, or later? But I meet people like that every day, especially at public speaking events. My heart hurts when I have a grandmother purchase my books for her granddaughter and daughter, holds me, and whispers in my ear her story of abuse. I am infuriated that we live in a society where child abuse and trauma are so rampant and acceptable that I repeatedly have to look survivors in the eye and say, “I am so sorry that happened to you. It wasn’t okay, but you will be.” The more survivors remain silent, the more abusers get away and future generations suffer.
7. Why is Publishing important to you and others who wish to write?
Whew, that is a loaded question. For the reasons I shared above, plus I have seen firsthand the number of pseudo publishers who rip prospective authors off, I had to expand my services to include publishing. When I started my company, we primarily offered editing services and writing coaching. When I followed up with these people, I noticed that most had not published their book. I was perplexed as to why when I had an aha moment.
They were not just looking for advice on what to do, they wanted an expert that would hold their hand and walk them through it. They needed a partner, with proven systems, to guide them through the publication process and life after. Since then, we have broadened our services to educate clients on the business side of being an author, how to garner media attention, and how to create a lucrative author platform.
I tell people, “If you want someone that just helps you to create a pretty book, I’m not your person. Pretty books collect dust on a shelf. However, if you’re looking for someone to help you create a book that positions you as an expert, that is a solution to someone’s problem and is a game-changer to your desired audience, let’s talk.”
I am proud to say that our clients come with a book concept, but execute with courses, speaking on local and global platforms, non-profit programs, and beyond. “You will never get rich off of a book, but you can get rich off of how you use your book and associated platform to position yourself as an expert.
8. Which topics interest you the most ?
I am open because I look for those that have the greatest potential to create the most impact. To illustrate: I love children’s books that have teachable lessons. It is not enough to just get their attention; how can you make an impact while you have their attention? That is honestly the question that I have for each manuscript that is submitted to our company for publication.
I also love public interest stories like abusive or complicated mother-daughter, mother-son, and father-daughter relationships. I am intrigued by writers who take a topic like being incarcerated and then peel back the layers of their lives before incarceration. A story that makes the reader realize that the stereotypes and biases we have about people that are not like us are unfounded and unrealistic. At the end of the day, at the true core of us all, we are one in the same while being uniquely different. It is when we look for those similarities that we will find a lot of the solutions to the problems of our society and have better communication with one another despite our differences. Only when we can do that as a society, will we be able to heal our land and reverse some of the plagues upon it. Properly positioned stories and books can help to do just that.
9. What does the future hold for Alesha Brown and her wonderful world of Publishing and Writing?
Expansion and scaling. I am a firm believer that the success of those I serve is largely dependent on my success and growth. My business has evolved from when I first started in late 2015 until now. The industry changes and I must stay abreast of those trends and changes as well as continue to work the gifts that are within me. I am privileged to no longer be a solo entrepreneur but have employees, which inspires me to work for a higher level of success because I financially impact the lives of others through my business and those we serve.
I’ll be honest, for a few years there, I focused so much on my clients’ success that I abandoned my author’s life. I sort of went into the ghostwriting, copywriting world for our clients and their platforms, and I stopped being an author. Yes, I enjoy the celebrity interviews, being a Managing Editor for two magazines while working on launching my own later this year, not to mention all the other things I do as a CEO and non-profit executive. But I realize that the magic is within me and my long-term followers were waiting for me to speak to them in a larger way.
To that end, I am back in the writer’s seat with multiple books launching within the next few months. I also started courses during the middle of last year and continue to do those in 2021. So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? Will have a series of books that launch for youth as well as adults and minorities. This is an extension of my non-profit program for inner-city youth, the Young Achievers Excellence Program. I extended that with a course for adults in the pandemic, Fix My Business Life. I tell you, it was amazing the number of minorities that wanted to start a business, or already were business owners, but admitted that they didn’t know about trademarks, the various required forms of business licensing, how to gain business financing, as well as how to structure their business properly and building a sound foundation.
It is very important to me that I stay true to my business’ mission and vision statements:
Other interesting facts about Alesha Brown, The Joy Guru:
1. Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia although my heart is split between there and Jamaica/Bahamas/Virgin Islands (my favorite vacation spots).
2. What schools have you attended?
I am an HBCU graduate from Norfolk State University and my MBA is from Averett University (Danville, Virginia). I stayed true to my Virginia roots although my continued education has occurred throughout the U.S.
3. At what time did you discover you had a flair for writing?
I did not acknowledge it until my 30s when I was hired as a Managing Editor of a digital magazine just six months shy of publishing my first book, Sometimes All You Have is Happy. This serves as a life lesson that I share with my clients and public speaking audiences. As a child abuse survivor, I was an avid reader and writer, but the seeds of worthlessness planted in me from early on made me ignore my gifts until later in adulthood.
Mind you, I had won awards for my writings in middle and high school, had journaled as a child (which was my only safe space for expression), was writing sermons in my 20s, and even copywriting for small businesses and editing college students’ work during my undergraduate years. But when I started interviewing influencers, thought leaders, and celebrities across the globe, I realized that I not only had a flair for writing but a unique interview style that made people feel at ease and tell me everything. I continue to use that in my work now as a Managing Editor for two magazines, celebrity interviewer, podcaster, ghostwriter, non-profit executive, and CEO for my publishing company, Fruition Publishing Concierge Services, a division of Alesha Brown, LLC. The power of the pen can take you anywhere you want to go if you know how to use it.
4. Who are your favorite Authors?
Honestly, I would have to go back to the people that made the biggest impact on my life, starting in my youth. Maya Angelou, Stephen King, Langston Hughes, Alex Haley, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Terry McMillian, Gloria Naylor, and Ntzozake Shange.
5. When did you get interested in Social Media and in what way?
As a business owner, social media is imperative. It not only allows you to keep on the pulse of changing trends and real-time information, but it also allows you to connect with your audience and prospective clients. Certain of my social media accounts for my brands are used, of course, for the promotion of our clients, services, and events. My speaker/personal accounts give you a more behind the scenes look at my life as a CEO and all it entails. Oddly enough, my The Joy Guru platforms garner the most attention and people love to see what I’m eating, what clothes/products/makeup/or other items I’m raving about, as well as what celebrities I’m interviewing or what magazine/platform I’m being featured in.
Social media used responsibly is a powerful tool that too many are not using for their advantage. Too many people are caught up in the likes versus building relationships or engagement.
6. What encouraged you to write your first book and what was the subject material?
My survival. I knew I had to pay it forward for those who saved my life and for those who were still in the struggle, paralyzed, hurt, and suffering from the shame and pain of what was thrust upon them and not their fault.
As a child, books literally saved my life. My mother, a former early childhood school teacher, made sure I was an avid reader. The library was up the street from our house and it was my only solace from the abuse I experienced at home and the ridicule I experienced at school. It was there that I read the stories of other abuse survivors like Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou who managed to turn their lives around. I reasoned, night after night, story after story, that if I could just hang on one more night, things would get better. Eventually, they did.
I knew that the same way those brave writers exposed their darkest secrets, pain, and shame, I had to pay it forward. Survivors often feel that they are the only ones experiencing such pain, trauma, and darkness that they don’t want to talk to anyone else or get help. The unspeakable replays in their minds like a nightmare; depression runs rampant, and their cries for help continue to go unheard. Unfortunately, from youth to the elderly; from the successful entrepreneur to the celebrity; we see their demise play out via suicide, an overdose, or heart attack/stroke.
My goal was to speak to that person on the ledge and let them know there is hope and that someone understands them. I wanted to share my beginning story of recovery and life after. I wanted to lead them to the beginning work of changing their mindset while they worked on regaining their power and getting back into the driver’s seat of life. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you are in full control of your life after. If you never realize that you will live the rest of your life in a victim’s mentality which carries overpowering feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. In layman’s terms: you will simply exist versus thrive and be a member of the walking dead. That is not living, my friend, but so many we meet from day to day are doing just that.
Can you imagine living that way from five or six years old until your 60's, 70's, or later? But I meet people like that every day, especially at public speaking events. My heart hurts when I have a grandmother purchase my books for her granddaughter and daughter, holds me, and whispers in my ear her story of abuse. I am infuriated that we live in a society where child abuse and trauma are so rampant and acceptable that I repeatedly have to look survivors in the eye and say, “I am so sorry that happened to you. It wasn’t okay, but you will be.” The more survivors remain silent, the more abusers get away and future generations suffer.
7. Why is Publishing important to you and others who wish to write?
Whew, that is a loaded question. For the reasons I shared above, plus I have seen firsthand the number of pseudo publishers who rip prospective authors off, I had to expand my services to include publishing. When I started my company, we primarily offered editing services and writing coaching. When I followed up with these people, I noticed that most had not published their book. I was perplexed as to why when I had an aha moment.
They were not just looking for advice on what to do, they wanted an expert that would hold their hand and walk them through it. They needed a partner, with proven systems, to guide them through the publication process and life after. Since then, we have broadened our services to educate clients on the business side of being an author, how to garner media attention, and how to create a lucrative author platform.
I tell people, “If you want someone that just helps you to create a pretty book, I’m not your person. Pretty books collect dust on a shelf. However, if you’re looking for someone to help you create a book that positions you as an expert, that is a solution to someone’s problem and is a game-changer to your desired audience, let’s talk.”
I am proud to say that our clients come with a book concept, but execute with courses, speaking on local and global platforms, non-profit programs, and beyond. “You will never get rich off of a book, but you can get rich off of how you use your book and associated platform to position yourself as an expert.
8. Which topics interest you the most ?
I am open because I look for those that have the greatest potential to create the most impact. To illustrate: I love children’s books that have teachable lessons. It is not enough to just get their attention; how can you make an impact while you have their attention? That is honestly the question that I have for each manuscript that is submitted to our company for publication.
I also love public interest stories like abusive or complicated mother-daughter, mother-son, and father-daughter relationships. I am intrigued by writers who take a topic like being incarcerated and then peel back the layers of their lives before incarceration. A story that makes the reader realize that the stereotypes and biases we have about people that are not like us are unfounded and unrealistic. At the end of the day, at the true core of us all, we are one in the same while being uniquely different. It is when we look for those similarities that we will find a lot of the solutions to the problems of our society and have better communication with one another despite our differences. Only when we can do that as a society, will we be able to heal our land and reverse some of the plagues upon it. Properly positioned stories and books can help to do just that.
9. What does the future hold for Alesha Brown and her wonderful world of Publishing and Writing?
Expansion and scaling. I am a firm believer that the success of those I serve is largely dependent on my success and growth. My business has evolved from when I first started in late 2015 until now. The industry changes and I must stay abreast of those trends and changes as well as continue to work the gifts that are within me. I am privileged to no longer be a solo entrepreneur but have employees, which inspires me to work for a higher level of success because I financially impact the lives of others through my business and those we serve.
I’ll be honest, for a few years there, I focused so much on my clients’ success that I abandoned my author’s life. I sort of went into the ghostwriting, copywriting world for our clients and their platforms, and I stopped being an author. Yes, I enjoy the celebrity interviews, being a Managing Editor for two magazines while working on launching my own later this year, not to mention all the other things I do as a CEO and non-profit executive. But I realize that the magic is within me and my long-term followers were waiting for me to speak to them in a larger way.
To that end, I am back in the writer’s seat with multiple books launching within the next few months. I also started courses during the middle of last year and continue to do those in 2021. So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? Will have a series of books that launch for youth as well as adults and minorities. This is an extension of my non-profit program for inner-city youth, the Young Achievers Excellence Program. I extended that with a course for adults in the pandemic, Fix My Business Life. I tell you, it was amazing the number of minorities that wanted to start a business, or already were business owners, but admitted that they didn’t know about trademarks, the various required forms of business licensing, how to gain business financing, as well as how to structure their business properly and building a sound foundation.
It is very important to me that I stay true to my business’ mission and vision statements:
- Mission: To help each recipient realize the power of his or her voice and connect that to his or her brand, platform, passion or mission.
- Vision: By the power of one, ignite the flame within and illustrate ways each one can reach many and be an effective, positive change agent in the world.
Other interesting facts about Alesha Brown, The Joy Guru:
- Loves ethnic food from Indian to Japanese cuisine
- Is a former Huffington Post contributor
- A former poet (see her book, But God: From Death to Life)
- Never wanted to be an entrepreneur
- Is an introvert
- Was an only child for eight years
- Loves to cook, especially keto-friendly food and desserts
- Has lost over 250 pounds (and still losing)
- Cat lover
- Loves to travel
- Loves anything lashes, skincare, and makeup (especially lipstick and tinted gloss)