Casually Creative

For as long as Anthony Robinson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-mrterrarium-robinson-2b738b112/] can remember, he's loved being outside. No, like really loved it. While other parents may have had to encourage, cajole, or even threaten their kids into outside hanging compliance, Anthony was always in the creek bed looking for animals, picking plants, and just generally exploring the natural world around him. After a series of jobs that ultimately brought him no joy, he decided to Kondo that $h!+ (our words not his) and pursued a dream to connect more people with nature. In the midst of the pandemic, Anthony launched Energy Gardens [https://www.instagram.com/energygardens/?hl=en], an Instagram page built to connect people with nature and bring more of the outside in. Followers of his page can purchase from his immaculately potted plants, learn more about custom living decor services, or be amazed at his large-scale moss installation artwork (we said what we said). Realizing that people needed more than an opportunity to bring the outside in, and wanting to create a space for people to love and be loved by plants, Anthony recently opened the Energy Gardens Plant Lounge which serves as an immersive shopping experience and topiary playground for would-be and established home horticulturalists alike. We spent some time talking about growing up dirty, talking to your plants, and setting out on a journey to get Byron the green thumb he's always wanted. Curiously Creative IG: EnergyGardens [https://www.instagram.com/energygardens] D Magazine Article [https://www.dmagazine.com/home-garden/2020/07/this-dallas-artist-creates-eclectic-home-decor-from-live-and-preserved-plants/] --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casuallycrtve/message

Keisha Whaley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keishawhaley/] got tired of waiting. A veritable wunderkind in the marketing and advertising world, Keisha looked around the room at pitch meeting after pitch meeting and knew something wasn't right. Sitting in chairs ringing the room were bright, young, eager, and talented creative professionals...who were doing nothing but taking up space. As a young and successful creative executive she realized that her path was an uncommon one...but it didn't have to be. Understanding the inherent value in investing time, resources, and yes dollars in an "unskilled" workforce of interns, Keisha tried to get the agencies where she was working to create opportunities for interns differently- but no one would bite. So, she set out and decided to do it on her own. Brass Tacks Collective [https://brasstackscollective.com/] is a mission driven creative agency that's focused on being the "embodiment of a future where diversity and inclusion are no longer boxes to be checked, but catalysts for beautifully and strategically-crafted brands." This multi-faceted agency boasts a client list that spans commerce, non profit, and some of the most iconic brands in recent history. What sets them apart, however, isn't just the quality of their work, but also the team they employ to make that work possible. As part of the BT Foundry [https://btfoundry.org/], burgeoning creative professionals are given more than just platitudes and an opportunity to make agencies seem larger than they are. Interns are trained, given new skills, and (gasp) paid for their time and their work, all while being able to substantively contribute to programs and campaigns that have an actual impact in the world. Keisha's drive to create equitable spaces everywhere started as a baby (no, really- ask her about it some time) and has continued through her work with brands and individuals to shape conversations that have substantive results. Fun fact: this episode was recorded right before Winter Storm Uri hit, and if you listen closely, you can hear the tinkling sound and hopeful naivete of three people who have no idea they're all about to lose power. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casuallycrtve/message

Imani Daniel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanidaniel/] is one of those rare and amazing creative souls who can live comfortably in many worlds. As a trained dancer and choreographer, she spent much of her young life deeply immersed in the art and culture of performance, while simultaneously falling in love with the expressions available to people through fashion and traditional art forms. Bolstered by her parent's passionate love of the arts, Imani learned to love and live in the creativity she expressed, and celebrate the creativity revealed in others. In many ways, Imani is what you think of when you think of the word "creative."  But it's her wholehearted embracing of herself as connector of dots, organizer of thoughts, and facilitator of visions that has made her an indispensable part of countless executive and creative teams over her storied several decade career. After being introduced to an internship opportunity at Goldman Sachs by billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tudor_Jones], Imani quickly realized that she had found what she was meant to do. As an executive and administrative professional, Imani has stood alongside luminaries in business, entertainment, sports, and fashion and supported and brought to life some of culture's most iconic experiences, campaigns, and memorable moments. Her ability to bring order to chaos has helped visionaries see through the murky waters of their ideas to the clarity that can only come from a well thought out plan, well-organized team, and well-executed experience. She also happens to be Damany's sister. We try not to hold that against her. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casuallycrtve/message

Tynesia Boyea-Robinson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyboyea/] is brilliant- full stop. Byron says that she's one of the top 5 smartest people he knows...and that's saying something. An alumnus of both Duke and Harvard, her ability to make intellect approachable and complex concepts understood is a small part of what has enabled her to serve as counselor, adviser, and change maker for global brands and organizations who are focused on doing more good with more of their resources. (Yes, we wrote that sentence correctly.) As the President and CEO of CapEQ [https://www.capeqimpact.com/] (that's "Cap E-Q," don't get it twisted), she has one mission- to help investors and businesses achieve superior financial returns through social impact and to change the way the world does business. Clearly, Tynesia sets no small goals. Her focus on helping enterprises do well and do good has led her to help Fortune 500 companies, International Foundations, and Universities create pathways and actionable plans to impact their world while positively impacting their bottom line. She also has a mean flex. Curiously Creative Twitter: @tyboyea [https://twitter.com/tyboyea] Just Change: How to Collaborate for Lasting Impact [https://www.amazon.com/Just-Change-Collaborate-Lasting-Impact/dp/1599327767] --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casuallycrtve/message

MacKenzie Green's [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzieagreen/] story has been many things, but boring is NOT one of them. This Ivy League-educated, would-be Olympian, Miss USA top contender, marketing maven, sports (and Marvel) aficionado, daughter to an icon, and icon in the living's story has been full of side steps and, "eh, why not" moments that have led her on an amazing journey and exposed her to a myriad of realities that have perfectly positioned her to impact the community and the world around her. The daughter of Civil Rights luminary and member of the Little Rock 9 (or just "the nine" as the cool kids call it) Ernest Green [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Green], Mackenzie has successfully found ways to consistently navigate through her varied realities in a way that brings people along for the ride and breaks down even the most complex of ideas into concepts that people can quickly, easily, and happily understand. A NATIVE of DC (please don't come for her with that Chevy Chase/DMV BS), she was introduced at an early age to the power of story and your voice's unique ability to tell it. As the Social Media Director for BET+, Mackenzie and her team are tasked with daily engaging predominantly black audiences with content from the brand that informs and entertains, but also empowers and uplifts. As a co-host of the Taylor Strecker Show [https://taylorstrecker.com/], she engages with predominantly white audiences and tries her best to encourage them to know just a little bit more about the black experience...and how to season food with more than just salt. This is a hilarious ride that spans ALL the topics ranging from socio-economic justice, to morbid hilarity in musicals, and memes as a form of protest and progress. So, sit back and enjoy this one. It's completely ok to listen to it in stints- it's probably the only way to keep your side from consistently hurting anyway. Curiously Creative IG: @missusatomba [http://instagram.com/missusatomba] Twitter: @MacKenzieAGreen [http://twitter.com/MacKenzieAGreen] Taste of Taylor Juneteenth Episode [https://traffic.libsyn.com/clean/secure/tasteoftaylor/TOT_06_19.mp3?dest-id=649007] Taste of Taylor Black is King Episode [https://traffic.libsyn.com/clean/secure/tasteoftaylor/TOT_08_14.mp3?dest-id=649007] --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casuallycrtve/message