We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Forrest Givens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Forrest below.

Alright, Forrest thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned in school and why that lesson is important to you?

So I have a very unorthodox path when it comes to my educational journey. I’ll start with my high school experience, which was straight out of a movie. I went to Duke Ellington School of The Arts, and it was literally like “High School Musical”; people singing in the halls, musicians practicing in the stairwells, galleries, fashion shows, anything you can imagine, it was there. We had multiple departments that focused on career paths in the arts; my focus was instrumental music (trumpet). The most ironic thing about my whole experience was that I never liked playing an instrument, but it taught me how to take a craft and master it. Ellington immersed me into the world of the arts, and as a result, I learned how to welcome change and embrace sacrifice.

In 2014 I attended VCU, and my initial goal was to be a physical therapist (haha, that’s hilarious now), but I seriously thought it was a great pathway, and the salary was amazing. After my first semester, I quickly realized that the healthcare industry would never fulfill me; at that moment, I changed my major to creative advertising, which was such a joy to be a part of. Studying advertising in college was like playing with playdough as a kid; it was free-form! One day you’re learning about art direction and making fake ads for Nike, the next day, you’re analyzing super bowl commercials. This program had such an impact on my journey to becoming a creative professional because it exposed me to several creative mediums. I’ll never forget my first advertising class, our first assignment was to come up with 100 ideas in like a day. Lol, I was so stressed out, but by the end of it, I was an idea machine! My experience at VCU was all about exploration; I learned how to translate my creativity into a skillset that can be monetized! Unlocking my creative abilities has changed my life for the better, and I continue to evolve them every day.

Forrest, 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?

First of all, thanks for taking the time to read this article! My name is Forrest Givens; I’m a 27-year-old entrepreneur, media specialist, and educator. I would describe myself as a “walking fiesta!”. I radiate warm-uplifting energy in everything I do, and I take pride in infusing creativity into every part of my life.

I never intended to have a career in the media/entertainment industry; it all sort of happened by accident. During my time in college, I explored several pathways and experimented with various types of media. After discovering my love for ideation and creation, I channeled this energy into mastering several crafts, such as photography, videography, education, and design. I currently provide freelance photo, video, and consulting services through my media company, Givens Media LLC. There are millions of media companies out there, and what sets my business apart is that we don’t do transactions; we build relationships! In business, the truth is that talent can only get you so far; people want to work with someone they like and trust. I go the extra mile to ensure my clients receive the best product possible, but the priority is for them to have an outstanding customer experience. I’d like the world to know that if you work with Givens Media, you’ll always get more than you pay for, and I can guarantee it.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve been through a lot of transitions in my career. In 2021 I was working as a media instructor and professor at this high school in DC; I became a teacher at the beginning of the pandemic, which was crazy! I ended up making it through the year, and I won an award for new teacher of the year, but honestly, I was so burnt out! At the end of the year, I decided to leave teaching and quit my job; I didn’t really make a plan, and there was no backup. I literally just had to do it for my own mental health and sanity. After reality set in and I realized that I had to take life seriously, my business took over as the primary source of income. So, for about a year and 11 months, I was a full-time freelancer doing photo, video and design work. I was able to make a comfortable living from media, but the crazy part was that I didn’t do any marketing, outreach, or put any effort into getting clients; all of the money I made was purely from organic leads and referrals. Everything wasn’t always rosy though, there were plenty of months where I was struggling, and I had to improvise, and I think it really made me more resilient on a mental and spiritual level. This experience taught me that you can be great at what you do, but your success and effort will always be enhanced by your faith.

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

A lesson that I had to unlearn was that to be successful you have to follow a singular track or reach a certain status quo. Before I started my business, I was doing freelance video work on a personal level; when I officially incorporated, I felt like I had such a grand vision for what my business had to be and how it should function. I would read stories about people who founded their businesses and by their second year they were making millions of dollars; They had clients all over the world and they did all of these astronomically difficult things. I had to understand that you can be a successful entrepreneur and work a job, you don’t have to spend all of your time, money, and resources into your business. You have to define what success is to you and what you’re willing to do to achieve it. At this moment in time, I’m OK with my business being a side hustle, it works for me, and it helps me remain sane. I’m currently in the process of returning to the workforce and I plan on continuing to pick up clients every here and there. For anyone who feels like they have to achieve a certain goal to satisfy the expectations of others, you don’t need to be in business to do that. Whatever satisfies you is good enough! And when you’re ready to aspire for more, take the leap.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.givens.media
• Instagram: @givens.media
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/givens-media-llc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCowvrOSrwXseV80Wh46efww
• Other: Personal Links: https://forrestgivens.com/

Image Credits
Images by Forrest Givens