We were lucky to catch up with Dwayne Winston Holness recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dwayne Winston, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

My biggest risk was taken by my mother when she decided to move to Canada from Jamaica. She risked her life to provide me with a better one, and that is why I became what I am today, an entrepreneur. My mother’s risk inspired me to take more risks and believe in myself, which led to my biggest and most rewarding move, which was to bet on my dreams.

Growing up, I always felt I was destined for more. I believed that I had the ability to achieve anything that I put my mind to, which led me to want to become an actor at the age of 14. From there, I got introduced to the lights, cameras, and actions of the entertainment industry. I dived into theatre, which taught me how to compose myself for the camera and stage. The lessons I’ve learned have been transferable to life and have made me realize that you must be believable when it comes to your goals. Over time, I began to fall in love with the mechanics of the camera and what it takes to tell a story. My interest in cameras grew from there, and that pushed me into wanting to tell stories for my friends in my community, Jane and Finch.

Over time, my skills in storytelling grew, and people around me took notice, wanting me to tell their stories. I felt a burning desire to pursue this long-term goal and eventually took the risk to turn it into a business. For months, I studied on YouTube and started to become more confident in my abilities. I started to develop my style based on my upbringing, which was raw and authentic.

Corex Creative was born out of desperation to be more. Seeing the risk my mother has taken pushed me to go full force into my dreams. No one could tell me different, so I continued to build my business so that I could inspire other dreamers. The fear that I’ve had has turned into faith. God has ordained my steps, and I continue to put my trust in the vision he has for me. This has been a story about trust because not working a full-time job and being able to provide for not only myself but for my family is a testament to how God is good.

For years, I went through mixed feelings and emotions that could have made me give up on my dreams, but because of my resilience, I persevered. Now, Corex Creative has provided opportunities to other creatives and has worked with household companies such as Canadian Tire, LCBO, TD Bank, The City of Toronto, and many others.

Dwayne Winston, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Dwayne Holness, and I am a creative entrepreneur. My company, Corex Creative, is a video marketing agency that specializes in crafting stories that humanize your brand. We got into the market because we love to tell stories. Growing up in Jane and Finch has provided me with an edge to story-telling. It has also given me the eye and the ears to identify if stories are being told from an authentic place.

Not only does our company craft stories that pull on the heart strings of the audience, but we also take our time to build real relationships. Our team of professionals is very diverse, which gives us an upper hand when it comes to perspectives.

Our love for authentic storytelling has gained interest from many companies near and far. Over the years, we have been able to align ourselves with brands such as Cnadian Tire, LCBO, TD Bank, Rogers Communication, and more.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I found that to build a strong reputation, you must have a strong sense of self. The easiest person to be is yourself, and when you do so, you can remain consistent. Your story matters, and when you are able to share it in an authentic place, the right people will connect with you. Over the years, my story about coming to Canada to find my passion has not only opened the doors for me but also inspired others to chase their dreams.

By remaining yourself, you give yourself permission to tap into your own beliefs and view of life. This has given me the edge I needed to build a strong brand story that our clients love.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I turned my side hustle into my main business by understanding my value. When I first dived into the world of entrepreneurship, I was passionate about becoming an actor. I had signed up for an agency that would give me the opportunity to go on sets of movies and TV shows. This was a dream come true at the time—to see actors do what they love and to see big productions. As a 14-year-old in the industry, I thought to myself, This must cost a lot of money.

My first time going on set as a background performer was for the tv show “Soul Food.”. I remember receiving a check for $46 for 8 hours of work. I thought to myself, This can’t be real. At that age, I knew that this was peanuts. I felt discouraged and was about to hang it up after my first few times on set. Then a breakthrough happened. I was on set for another American TV show that was filmed in Hamilton. As a kid, I had very high energy, and I made sure everyone saw my humour. When it was time to get on set, the director came over to me and asked me if I would be open to saying a few lines. Instantly, I was like, Yes! This was my first speaking roll on camera, and the feeling I got felt right, like I was supposed to be here. The scene was taking place outside, and local community members stood to watch me perform. After my scene was finished, I had many people come up to me wanting my autograph. They believed that it had value, so I signed it. My regular expected check of a couple dollars turned into over $800, which made me realize that adding value is what gets you the big bucks.I then became apart of the Union of Independent Actors (ACTRA) and from there, my pay rate went up!

The skills that I gained from the entertainment world had given me insight on how to run my business, which was to add value and charge a premium for it. As I grew in my video production skills and became confident in my abilities, I made sure that the price tag would match.

Many people fail to grow because they don’t understand their own value and are afraid to charge top dollar for their services. The truth is, people respect you more when you charge premium rates instead of underselling yourself.

By remaining consistent in my production, a lot of small businesses gravitated toward the value that I bring, and that gave me the opportunity to turn my side hustle into a business that can now contract other creatives to join the Corex Creative team.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.corexcreative.com
• Instagram: corexcreative
• Twitter: corexcreative