We recently connected with Carlisha Duffey and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Carlisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The Girl Cave Studios, by name, was inspired by super heroes. I was watching Arrow, Supergirl and plenty of other Superhero shows. One day, the name prior to GCS, no longer fit the vision that the business was evolving into.

Absentmindedly, I was thinking about Batman. I was thinking about how Bruce Wayne juggles his daytime identity and his nighttime crime fighting calling. No matter what, he always came back to his “Bat Cave”.

Given I juggle different things throughout each day and week, my core mission of helping Women in business has not changed. I wanted to create a safe creative space for creatives, but specifically one where women are the target market and priority. Our parent company is, Southern Girl Industries. I am originally from the South, and no matter what, the South is still in me. So I kept the Girl connection and added Cave, channeling the super heroes on my mind, and thus The Girl Cave Studios, was born.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Carlisha Duffey. I am the Founder and Creative Director of The Girl Cave Studios.

We are a Content Creation and Photography Studio. We create unique and engaging content for Business Professionals and Brands.

We work with a range of Clients, but our primary mission is to provide support to Female-Owned Businesses and Business Professionals.

We offer Photography and Filmmaking Services, with each session Hair, Makeup and Fashion Styling options are available.

For Brands and Professionals, who need constant and consistent content, We offer Content Creation Subscriptions, with Monthly, Quarterly and Annual payment options available.

I am an Artist and along my life’s journey, different gifts began to reveal themselves. I am a licensed cosmetologist and salon owner.

As I developed in the early days of my career, I assisted other stylists and worked events like New York and Kansas City Fashion Week.

During one NYC Fashion Week, a snow storm caused half of the team to miss the show. At the time, my fascination with Photography was present, but only as a hobby. Due to the snow storm, the members whose flights were cancelled called me and told me, “They needed me to be them.” I was thrust into position to have to not just style hair, but also be the photographer as well. As terrified as I was, I rose to the challenge.

Once the shows ended and we all returned home, everyone was now aware that I possessed additional gifts that I had been keeping to myself. I began to do more photoshoots and then expanded into filmmaking. As I worked on these various projects, I listened to the women on set. I constantly heard how they lacked support in one way or another. I also noticed that when it comes to our male counterparts, they do not struggle to find support for their needs as much as a Woman does. Listening and observing all of these things, weighed on my heart and inspired me to create The Girl Cave Studios.

What sets me apart from others is my artistic background. My experience when it comes to the Fine Arts, Hair, Makeup, Fashion Design and Business, I organically tend to think out of the box. Having all those gifts and talents, used to make me feel self-conscience and want to hide. But, over the years, I have realized they are actually my super powers. They impact my thought process and give me a unique ability of how to view everything and everyone around me.

I don’t always understand it, and I have only recently been able to explain it. There are different seasons and cycles, and one must be able to discern when it’s time to pivot. I don’t do everything at all times. But, my gifts allow me to see and feel the colors of the wind, and then my gut instincts take over.

I am most proud of the relationships We get to build with each Client. We get to equip them with the creative assets they need to operate and sustain their businesses, and help them get one step closer to achieving their goals and dreams.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I always say, I had to spell my name in the sky before I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I went to school, followed the path or the conveyor belt as I call it. Went to college, and then life said, forget all of that.

I do not come from money, and I do not come from a family that will “Give” me anything. Everything has to be earned. We were introduced to that notion at a young age.

It is very easy for me to fall into a workaholic routine. That works at times, but when life showed me I would have to build everything from scratch, I had to recognize quickly that traditional methods wouldn’t always be what was best. I worked jobs, but constantly was left feeling unfulfilled and drained. I have student loans, so the idea of taking out any additional loans for any particular reason, was a no go for me.

One random day, I had a conversation with my mom, who sometimes wears her Life Coach hat, when talking to me. I mentioned everything that I was going through, and her response was,” Oh that job is your Investor”.

That was a new concept and perspective for me, so it took a couple of minutes to understand what she meant. She explained to me the concept of working one job and using that money to fund my dream. Up until this point, I had seen business practices where people took out loans or had family resources.

Now I was presented with an alternative. I had no pressure to be like everyone else, and I moved at a pace that worked for me. I also was now able to move in silence. It was as if, Everything would stay the same, but really everything had just changed. My mindset and purpose, had shifted. I began to read more. I read about topics that I needed more knowledge on. This will be different for each person, just like going to the gym.

Now that I had a mission, even on bad days I could smile; because I knew I was working towards something bigger. Even when someone at work is getting on your nerves, smile and remember you are working on something bigger.

Now once the time comes to where you have to take the leap of faith, that part is scary. Once it was time to branch out and invest in my business, no one tells you how scared you can feel, but as long as you have done your homework and are in the right timing go forward anyway.

I often would approach a cliff sort of speak, and I would have this pressure in my chest, like a nudging and my only option would be to leap. Going back and continuing as before, would no longer be an option, so I just had to take a leap of faith. That can show up as getting fired from a job, an office space opening up or even a client opportunity.

But you have to listen and trust your instincts. Now owing my own businesses I work, save and charge my worth + plus tax, but I also trust my instincts. You will have to do the same; because your path and calling will differ.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the shaming of “Jack of All Trades”. Most people always quote, “A Jack of all trades is a master of none”… they often stop there, but the full quote is… “A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

It was only maybe five or six years ago, that I heard the full quote. I grew up with multiple interests, that I didn’t always understand. What I did understand, is anyone who had more than one gift, was often perceived as unfocused and lost. I began to hide my gifts. I neglected them and often never talked about them.

But, life didn’t let me hide. Once my gifts became visible to others, I watched people struggle to wrap their heads around my multiple gifts. I often felt self-conscience and timid. I noticed how limited people were in their thinking, but when COVID made the world come to a stop, all of us who had multiple gifts, were able to pivot a lot easier than those that only focused on one thing.

There is nothing wrong with having a singular talent and focus, but there is a problem if one suppresses another gift or talent, for the sake of not creating waves and/or trying to fit into society.

I had to learn how to stand in my truth, and stop caring about people and their limited thinking. I had to embrace what makes me unique, and learn to love all the things that make me, Me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheGirlCaveStudios.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegirlcavestudios
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegirlcavestudios
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@thegirlcavestudios
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@thegirlcavestudios

Image Credits
Photo of Carlisha Duffey Photographer: @brittanyting.photo GCS Client’s Photographer: @thegirlcavestudios