We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney O’Neal-Allen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I have taken was choosing to become an entrepreneur. When I first decided to become an entrepreneur, I not only did not have a clue about what will be needed to pursue such a dream.

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

Courted provides B2B and B2C image consultation through creative services such as personal styling, communications strategy, and creative direction. At Courted, we help businesses and individuals elevate their brands and better tell their stories. What makes our company and services unique is our approach to storytelling for our clients. When it comes to our brand approach — everything is about style. We do not provide cookie-cutter solutions for our clients, and our focus is not only on who the designer is or what’s trending. We consider our clients’ missions, lifestyles, professions, goals, and the overall brand story they aim to tell.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

My backstory includes the teachings that a number of people of color share, which is that in order to be successful, you should aim for a career in some key traditional areas such as medicine, law, or education. While that sentiment is accurate and valid for some, it is not the golden rule for success. I have had to learn that you can create your own path outside of what other people “expect” from you or think that you should do. You can be intelligent, attractive, creative, educated, savvy, and good at what you do all at once. I have found that this message has been a limited one passed down generationally for people of color, and especially to women.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non-creatives and people that tend to think more linear often do not understand that 1) style is in everything; it’s not just about what we wear, and 2) your story extends beyond what is on paper and can be best told through the representation of your brand. My journey to becoming an entrepreneur involved recognizing the intersection between my communications career and the world of business and entertainment. Everyone, every company or brand, has their own style. And your style is a messaging tool.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.courtedstyle.com
• Instagram: @Courtedstyle
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/courtedstyle
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-r-o-neal-comms/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/courted/