Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ruby Knight. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ruby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

When it comes to the launching of Gifted Era, if I had the ability to go back in time and do anything differently, I would pass on the opportunity to start my business any sooner or later than when I started.
I believe a lot of our experiences happen exactly when and how they are meant to, and if I were to go back and change anything, that would also mean going back and changing the unique personalized experiences that got me to this point along the journey of self, creativity, love, expertise, healing, and entrepreneurship.
I wouldn’t take the risk, as i’ve already been gaining the reward.

So much of the progress of building ‘Gifted Era’ depended on me building and tuning in to my self first because leading up to the point of launching, I was in a heavy state of mind.

For about 5 years up to the point of the idea being executed, I was caring for my declining parents, while also trying to juggle the building of a career in both Entertainment and Tech.
During this time, I was put in positions to further develop an understanding of the industry and operation, was blessed with opportunities to shadow and work alongside some of the most talented execs in their respected fields of acting, film, and fashion; learning the ins and outs of different processes, and learning more about my own influences but very slowly building forward. I wasn’t expecting the process to be fast, but I started to notice the lack of tools and resources available to artists & creatives, and wanted to leave a lasting difference.

While simultaneously noticing that I would have to make a decision as to where my focus would go, I was brought to a crossroad of having to decide whether to drop the progress that was made in the creative field up to that point, or would I neglect focusing on the care of my parents? Though I tried, I wasn’t able to do both so I chose to focus on the ones that I loved vs my love for the creative community/industry.

That period of life built me up in so many ways, but also broke me in others.
I learned lessons (some over and over again), I cultivated relationships (good and bad), and I gained knowledge regarding different aspects of self, of life, of creation, and of loss.

The refocus on the entertainment & creative industry came shortly after the passing of my parents, who departed four months apart. This phase cracked me wide open. It allowed me to feel unapologetically, gain knowledge of acceptance, learn internal and external lessons, create, and conquer one of my worst fears- all at one time.
Am I still healing? Yes; but life happens on it’s own time. Just continue to grow, learn, and apply; which is exactly what I did.

The launching of the ‘Gifted Era’ Entertainment Creative Studio Company, was my expression of my passion, my stamp, and so far my greatest work of art outside of myself.
The ability to work with so many beautiful artists and creatives toward the advancement of the entertainment & creative community, while also creating, building, and expressing in my own artistic way is the perfect balance.
Long story short:
The journery is personalized, and before building or growing anything else, it starts with yourself first. You are what’s pouring into that creation.

Ruby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As for me, I am a multidisciplinary artist/creative/storyteller and Entertainment entrepreneur. Music and the energy that flows from the authenticity is my first insiration, fashion and media follow. I’m visually inspired by “late 90’s pop-culture meets grunge” which means my visual work is as well. Sometimes light work, sometimes heavy. I’ve lived in multiple states, through multiple phases of self, and multiple lifetimes.
I started initially for myself and the recognition of my own story and creative expression in the lanes of graffiti, music (trumpet, french horn, percussion) , photographic expression, and acting; but as my passion grew, so did the realization that the vision is bigger than just me.
When I came up with the idea of Gifted Era, I was nowhere close to being ready to pursue it, but I held myself accountable for not being in the position to move in the direction that I needed to go for the vision. A lot of changes needed to be put in place, once again, starting with me.

I became even more focused, more disciplined, more organized, and worked toward building a more professional foundation to build up from.
I then shifted that focus to begin working in the direction of providing tools, services, and resources aimed to inspire and drive advancement for the entertainment and creatives communities. I started by offering assistance in the areas of my own expertise and learned skills needed to be able to provide those services, and then branched out.
Some to list include creative design, media, content creation, photography, and brand visual creation.

When it comes to accomplishments, i’m most proud of the fact that I had the courage to pursue the bigger picture and the bigger vision. A big part of growing something from the ground up is trial and error because such a large percentage of creation is editing. Trying, and retrying to find what works and build the system that generates and converts. That goes for everything from the first blueprint to the people around you.
So many people spoke down on me and the vision that I have, the way that I communicate, the choices that I made, and even the chances that I took. They spoke down on me, and did all kinds of things to tarnish my name. I was told that I was doing nothing with my life by pursuing the growth of Gifted Era all because they couldn’t see who I am or my vision. I’m still going, and that is an accomplishment in itself.
It isn’t, nor will it ever be, just about me.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’ve found social media and events to be the best strategy to grow clientele. Even just being in the right spaces and in the right rooms matter more than people think.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Though i’m still building, i’d say that a lot of what helped me build my reputation as a creative in entertainment has to do with my own experiences that promoted advancement. At times it would be “by chance”, right place right time, other times through building connections and being available when and where I was needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Gifted-era.co
• Instagram: Https://www.instagram.com/RubyJKnight
• Linkedin: Https://www.linkedin.com/in/RubyJKnight
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GiftedEra
• Other: Gifted Era Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GiftedEra