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

Assia Micheaux, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life is trusting myself, my voice and my purpose. That purpose has been a guiding light, even when I felt unsure of that purpose or when the weight of the world dimmed my light. So, when the world seemed to come to a screeching halt, I took a risk with an old creative collaborator on an idea for a podcast.

Prior to launching the podcast, we taught a drama class to teens and young adults with cognitive and physical disabilities and we knew that we wanted to do something that continued to tell stories once that class came to an end. We didn’t know what exactly at first, maybe another show or web series like her previous projects with other creatives, but nothing quite stuck.

But after telling her about the two podcasts that I was obsessed with at the time, Snap Judgment and Two Dope Queens, I “just knew” it had to be a podcast. Talking about films and the stories that make them has to be less work than teaching a 10 -week drama class, right? Ha!

It was wild getting started, but I realized that I had already learned all the skills to develop a project in my previous roles in marketing and advertising and as a certified project manager. I knew I could, at the very least plan a project from start to finish, the “deliverable” being a Podcast, by developing a visual brand and voice, content creation and strategy, developing templates and sound engineering. The last one scared me the most, because it felt so out of my comfort zone at the start and I didn’t want to produce it. But after some quick googling and the start realization that we didn’t have the money to even hire someone part-time to edit, I realized I’d already done that work with music in my “former life” as a professional singer. All I had to do was apply it to speaking.

And for the other things I didn’t know how to do? I reached out to people who had done production or graphic design to give us feedback and promised ourselves to “do it anyway” instead of waiting to start until it was “perfect.” It’s unnerving putting yourself out there as a novice, but isn’t everyone when they take their first steps?

The Reel Culture Queens, A&K Do Reviews podcast show launched in October of 2019. We were so excited to finally get it off the ground! We started getting the word out and I began telling anyone in my circle who would listen about it. Eventually, I ended up at a talk at Together Digital–A safe place for women in digital to speak about, seek out, and help change the industry, and received feedback that it was such a cool platform. A platform? Humm. I ran back to my creative partner and said, “what if this is more than a podcast? What if this is a platform for other women like us? Womxn in media who feel marginalized in traditionally male-dominated  media spaces?” She wasn’t excited about expanding the project, it seemed like more work (and in hindsight, it was), but I was convinced that this could help lift up other womxn, too. So, the podcast became more than entertainment, it became a platform for womxn in media to share their creative viewpoints and discuss how race, gender, sexuality and ability are depicted in the media we consume.

Then 2020 came. The pandemic was devastating and when I finally received word that my job in arts administration was being eliminated after months of being furloughed, I was terrified. This wasn’t normal job loss fears but the compounding collective global anxieties where all that was certain was the uncertain. No one in our lifetimes had ever experienced a global pandemic of this scale and finding a way to make a living seemed next to impossible. All the grand plans we had meeting with these amazing womxn she or I had worked with in the past in person faded away.

But luckily, we moved all our meetings to virtual ones via zoom. Lots and lots of interrupting pets and unexpected views of cat butts. We all came to creatively connect, but ended up commiserating on this weird and terrifying experience we were having with the rest of the world.

Then came the unexpected opportunity of a lifetime. There was a group on Facebook lead by Queens Village Cincinnati–an organization dedicated to amplyfing the voices of black and brown women. They posted that they were creating a co-hort class for black women with businesses to go through Mortar—a black-owned business accelerator. I wasn’t sure if a podcast could count as a business, but I decided to shoot my shot and apply—and was floored when the podcast was accepted into the program.

Lots of unexpected transitions happened during COVID as I attended classes, but the most devastating one was when my former creative partner decided to leave the project before it could even soar. It was heartbreaking at the time because she was also my best friend. But she needed to focus on her own healing and her family and I decided to let the review show go dark.

But what to do now? How could I stop now after all that was built and after investments from groups and mentors wanting to see RCQ thrive? Then I remembered the other idea that I wanted to pursue but we just didn’t have the time for— a weekly pop culture show called the RCQ Pop Culture Hour. I am a professional creative who has also been diagnosed with ADHD and I often have a million ideas that someone has to smack my hand and say, “Wait, that’s more than you can chew!” And it certainly was at the time, but nothing was standing in the way now that the other show ended.

So, I picked myself back up, called my friend, fellow queen and host of her own podcast, “What Would Dara Watch?,” Dara and asked her if she wanted to do the pop culture hour but as a weekly IG show with me. She enthusiastically agreed.

It took a while for me to find my voice again, but now RCQ (and myself) are empowered to continue to uplift the mission of RCQ. Sure, it’s still entertainment—reel talk, reel fun—but more importantly it’s still a platform that continues to grow and I’m so grateful that decided to take the risk—twice.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Prior to working in public relations, arts marketing and advertising, I was pursuing a career as an opera singer, studying voice in conservatory. Once I decided to stop singing, I used my background and skills to become a storyteller advocating for the arts. Fifteen years later it lead me to production, where I now produce several shows including my own.

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

The most effective strategy for growing my audience is being my full, authentic self and leaning into my power. I wanted to empower other womxn, so I had to start with myself first.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for new clients have been other womxn and POC business owners with similar missions to my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reelcultured.com
• Instagram:@reelcultured
• Facebook: The Reel Culture Queens
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/assia-micheaux-johnson-cta-cpm
• Youtube: The Reel Culture Queens