We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catori Langley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Catori, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Thus far, the most meaningful project I have worked on was the Sistahs In Business Expo (SIBE) in 2021. The SIBE opportunity is where I received some of the best professional advice I have encountered thus far from CEO Aisha Taylor Issah and award winning tv & radio host Bevy Smith. Aisha reached out to me to be the official media correspondent for her expo at a time when I was not charging very much. I had been told time and time again that either my previous interview experience was not extensive enough to ask for more or since I am not with a large media outlet I should be happy for the opportunity and work at times 10-12 hour days for as low as $100. After my conversation with Aisha I quickly realized what the voice in my head had been telling me for years, I am undervaluing myself for the great work I do and it needs to end. Aisha made it clear that not only was I qualified but that I am extremely talented and should be compensated accordingly. That conversation truly changed my life and I do not know if Aisha knows just how much. I was given the opportunity to be the correspondent and realized just how much I love hosting live events. Aisha had never met me but I could tell she cared and trusted that I would do a great job as her lead media correspondent. She trusted me so much that she allowed me to do the one-on-one interview with Bevy Smith. Aisha didn’t know this at the time but I am a huge Bevy Smith fan and because Aisha trusted me I knew I had to go above and beyond with my interview with Bevy. I introduced myself to Bevy before we did our on stage interview and she was everything I imagined she would be and more. That day Bevy gave me some advice about living my purpose and doing it in the time that’s best for me. Needless to say my interview with Bevy went so well that Bevy personally invited me to attend her very exclusive “Dining with Bevy” event the next day. I rave about this event frequently because the feeling I had and the lessons I learned are priceless. But also because it showed me that I am good at what I do and that the hard work is and will pay off with patience and consistency.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

If this is your first time reading about me I hope this isn’t your last time because I plan to continue to do more great things in my future and would love for you to come along with me on my journey. My name is Catori Langley and I am a professional journalist and media correspondent based out of the Washington D.C. area. My childhood love of storytelling and history blossomed at Howard University where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. Over my career I have interviewed countless celebrities, small business owners and community leaders who are making a difference in society. Through my web series and podcast Tori Talk with Catori Langley I have been achieving my mission of telling meaningful stories in a fun and engaging way. I achieve that by creating fun and fresh videos, as well as, engaging social media content to interest new viewers and maintain my current subscriber base. A few of my celebrity interviews were: Amin Joseph (FX’s Snowfall), Cynthia Bailey (Bravo’s Housewives of Atlanta), Birgundi Baker (Showtime’s The Chi), Bevy Smith (SiriusXM’s Bevelations Host), Karen Huger (Housewives of Potomac), Kevin Ross (Award Winning R&B Singer), Essence Atkins (Award Winning Actress), Tamika Scott (of Award Winning Group Xscape), Candiace Dillard-Bassett (Housewives of Potomac) and Rodney Foster (Lifetime’s Marrying Millions). I love meeting new people and telling their stories and hope to get to know each and every one of you better.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

It may sound a bit cliche’ but the goal that drives my journey is my family, specifically my parents. I grew up with two amazing parents that worked and continue to work very hard at everything they do. They were also parents that sacrificed and provided for my two sisters and I so that we had everything we needed and to be honest wanted. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized just how hard it must’ve been for them. With that in mind everything I do is for them. I want them to be able to kick back and grow old together knowing that everything will be okay because now I am taking care of them. They also are just a wealth of knowledge so most of the things I know I learned from them and I think that helps shape my topics and opinions for show.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://toritalkwebseries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toritalkwcatori
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toritalkwcatori/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/catori-langley
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatoriLangley
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMAxWd7_qp5SL2OMkJepmOA

Image Credits
Jeffrey Perkins