Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chanel Benjamin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chanel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The story behind my mission is to be impactful by incorporating imperative initiatives, propelling mental health awareness in the community, and assisting the youth by offering scholarships towards their College Experience. Through providing opportunities in vast areas displaying creativity in a very necessary, purposeful, and intentional way through education. The reassurance of motivation, belief, and a nudge in the right direction is something that is universal for progression. It is my way of paying it forward just as I was under the mentorship in different areas such as: Media, Basketball, Music, and Business. The key to excelling was learning from experience firsthand and networking within and outside my fields of interest.
Discovering that aspects of every field tend to interlock with similarities was a turning point in expanding my skills and marketability. Creating, sustaining, and upkeeping a business that has always encompassed everything I was passionate about has been a blessing. It has been a great test of strength, a learning curve towards pivoting overtime, and the best example of expanding a labor of love. You can make a direct difference in another person’s life not only by sharing your expertise but collaborating to make a greater impact. The mission is always to enhance the community by utilizing your resources, being forward-thinking, and being willing to advocate. The more I worked on passion projects, it became more evident that mental health had to be incorporated in the plan, as our way of life is so busy that self-care should be prioritized.
The name of my brand, THEY LOVE MY SPLASH® was a saying I formulated at a young age from recognizing my reflection was perceived. My love for fashion and sneakers was always on display with a splash of creativity followed by compliments. My motto transcended into every aspect of my lifestyle. In the beginning, SPLASH was a word I used to describe how I wanted to be represented in the world. I met every challenge by approaching it as foreseeing it as an already accomplished goal. As my splash became my autograph painting a blank canvas as I left my mark. I knew my thought process was different in approaching life due to being exposed to an advanced outlook, my versatility was highlighted by the opportunities that were presented to me. Onto my ability to eloquently speak on behalf of a cause I believed in, and making others interested or care about societal issues was a gift within itself. My natural talents and style caused intrigue as to who I was, along with being able to connect with others to invest their time and resources while expressing the importance of benefiting those who are in need, which was deemed as impressive.
‘SPLASH’ was also something I shouted after knocking down a jumpshot in college. It was the shorten version of Radtastic Splashery another coined phrased which means a lasting impression. In working towards distinguishing myself as an individual with business acumen not simply an athlete navigated my life beyond the hardwood floor. They Love My Splash® is catchy and expressive, as it became a staple that holds its own through longevity. I am always told I am ahead of my time and I believed in myself to push the envelope for the best results on my behalf. Imagine if NIL deals were available during that time. I was literally building my brand unknowingly with a business aspect in place. I love the opportunities being presented for athletes today. As it shows how much power influence holds at any level. My foundation became a brand when I applied business practices to everyday tactics and made them profitable. By simply correlating how everyone can use the saying in their life. The rest has been an elevated experience. I love the interaction it causes when people shout it. Your brand becomes synonymous with your character, integrity, and your footprint within impact.
So there we have it – my brand grew with me, and that allowed me to grow my brand organically as I worked behind the scenes to develop a signature that encompassed my being, love of helping others, and thought process to elevate what I could for those around me. Everything that I collectively learned, I added my touch to it as that became distinctive and a unique connection. The decision to formulate THEY LOVE MY SPLASH® LLC into a business emerged from the popularity of how much I noticed how catchy it was. Today, it is a trademark that incudes the acronym it became: THEY LOVE MY Successful Plan in Life Adjusting and Securing Happiness through Legacy Love Curation. Most times the things we are looking for are right in front of us, and it was already embedded in my vernacular that it made sense to continue on the oath of expansion.
Chanel, 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?
I built my business on the foundation of hard work, creativity, and vision. As a self-made entrepreneur, I understand the importance of learning through experience. The phrase was coined in 2003, officially became a business in 2019, and we are trademarked today, accomplishing the set goal of creating communication and marketing campaigns that make a splash. At They Love My Splash® LLC we’ve been helping businesses develop and define their unique voice since 2019. We are passionate about creativity and being solution-oriented. While adding our splash with an ingenious vision and creativity. Our goal is to help our clients achieve long-term success through our tailored branding, Public Relations, and digital marketing services. We manage internal and external communications that develop and support systems and strategies that enhance your business. By cultivating and maintaining relations with influential professionals to align with your brand’s mission to increase awareness and promote services.
Being solution-oriented and wanting to break through ceilings that are not as common to present a concept of availability has motivated me. Working as a Project Manager with different businesses and a non-profit on communicating their missions has strengthened my business as it enhanced skills that I already was implementing in my own business. This year, securing over $125,000 for in-kind procurement was a personal milestone, as it was an uprise from the $74,000 secured last year. As a creative agency that offers an ingenious vision through authenticity in branding, Public Relations, and digital marketing. We lead through education, mental health awareness, and community events. The belief of empowering others and allowing them to see different possibilities is something I hold dear to my heart. Working within the Harlem communities is fulfilling as you see the direct change. I love pouring back into my community that poured so much into me. Especially when there are so many funding budgets becoming obsolete.
Being involved in the Harlem community has equipped me with the tools needed to formulate a plan and to combat bullying within the school system. My love for sneakers has opened up this opportunity to extend my ideas to an unfortunate circumstance I witnessed. My initial reaction to witnessing it: I offered the sneakers off of my feet while providing encouraging words. I spoke to the principal, scheduled time to speak to the students, and that kicked off a worthwhile initiative. Since then we have provided over 1,000 pairs of footwear to local Harlem shelters, non-profits, churches, and community centers to provide essential resources and ensure smiles. The very first Annual #KickBackAgainstBullying Sneaker Drive was me donating 50 pairs of sneakers from my personal collection, and then I invited the community to assist. Our goal is to make a positive impact within the communities we serve. By collecting and donating new or gently worn footwear and socks, distributed to those in need to assist in combating bullying and isolation amongst students.
The #iSmileForAngele Legacy Scholarship for Scholars and Student Athletes was founded in 2015 to commemorate my grandmother’s legacy. By honoring her life, highlighting her beliefs, and providing financial assistance for scholars and student athletes. Those of whom balance life, studies, and extra-curricular activities on and off the court prove exceptional diligence. Initially it was self funded to assist scholars in the right direction to strive towards excellence in advancing their education. In 2022, They Love My Splash® LLC was awarded the Hennessy US x One Hundred Black Men Inc., third Round UNFINISHED BUSINESS GRANT. Since being awarded, we mapped out a strategic 3-year plan to enhance educational, inclusion, and community support. We inspire, empower, and provide essential resources to our mentees. Our goal is to prepare students for success in making a smooth transition on their journey to college.
We curate custom marketing plans that help businesses succeed. We are proud to have secured partnerships for our clients that have resulted in tangible outcomes. The needs of every business differs: we provide what needs to be done. Whether it is through event coverage, consulting, securing partnership procurement, communication marketing, or editing services. I believe my work ethic in pushing for the best end result sets me apart. Working smarter through involving components that are untapped makes my extension of care unique. Also, being proud of the expansion of events and initiatives over the years I curated has been amazing to witness them flourish and the recipients they help. Being self-motivated to get the work done gives me so much joy because it is something that comes from my heart that I share with others.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I believe the most important lesson I had to unlearn was trying to control the outcome or expectation. It created the dynamic of being prepared for everything. Also, acceptance in the sense of now that you have experienced this circumstance, you know how to navigate moving forward. It doesn’t have to be perfect; just get it done.
Unlearning this involves recognizing that sometimes the process of understanding the main goal is more important than trying to control every aspect of any situation. That shift allowed me to have a better approach to challenges with a more open mind. Releasing the constant cycle of what something should be portrayed as a sign of failure because it did not pan out as intended became a blessing in disguise. As it taught me to release perfection, the feelings of overthinking or disappointment due to other pieces of the puzzle not connecting. It puts you in the position to improvise, being present, seeing the beauty of the intention unfold regardless of a mishap, and encourages patience.
The real turning point came when I learned the value of accepting that I can’t control everything and that outcomes are often beyond my control. Once I acknowledged that, I began to focus more on the process rather than the end result. Instead of trying to guarantee success, I started embracing the idea that starting is a direction. By simply taking action, I realized I was already making progress. And even if the result wasn’t what I expected, the lessons learned along the way were invaluable.
This shift also helped me reframe failure not as something to be avoided, but as an essential part of the journey. The more I embraced the unexpected, the more adaptable and resilient I became. It allowed me to navigate challenges with a sense of curiosity and confidence rather than fear or anxiety. Now, I approach situations with less pressure to “perfect” everything and more focus on just doing what I can, taking each step as it comes, knowing that growth is unpredictable.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
The iSmileForAngele Project is an initiative in the Mental Health sector of They Love My Splash® LLC that embodies resilience, expression, and motivation in addressing trauma and grief and spreading mental health awareness in the community by promoting positivity—as many think they are alone. That is why They Love My SPLASH because I am relatable and I am open about how I was able to find joy again.
Throughout my journey, resilience has been a common thread as to continue on the path I set out for. As I continued on my journey, so many other opportunities were presented simply because I didn’t quit. Most of the opportunities were beyond anything that I could ever have planned. A milestone that is a turning stone for me personally and my company would be how I created a plan around bringing enlightenment around how I overcame hardships.
Life is about adjusting to what is at hand while choosing what works best for you within a particular point within your life. It comes with experience, and depending on where you are in life, it will have a major effect on the decisions you make. Making my mental health a priority was a reset within itself and excited the push for being my best self to be of service to others. Improving oneself by perseverance, dedication, and moving through life with love is the action of creating your SPLASH (Successful Plan in Life Adjusting to Securing Happiness).
It is a human experience to overcome; it’s a journey of growth, adaptation, and resilience in the face of difficulties. Waking up to doing what you love that is purposeful and connected to your heart is not only a luxury but a freedom that speaks to your life testimony. Resilience is depicted through achieving, not giving up on yourself despite setbacks, navigating through struggles, and new realities in life. Seeing life from a different perspective has caused me to embody the definition of self-awareness, honoring moving through my emotions, and at the end making me more focused on what is opposed to what isn’t.
It made my work more meaningful and my outreach more strategic as I practiced being more present within every waking moment. Resilience to me was about asking for help, as I was so accustomed to handling a lot on my own. It became a tolerance until I took a step back to release myself from every task. I learned breaks were necessary for peace of mind, resetting the body, and recalibrating. It meant creating new boundaries, working habits, and developing healthier habits. The journey of resilience will bring self-discovery, a new form of courage, empathy, strength, and the capacity of nurturing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theylovemysplash.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theylovemysplash
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanel-b-b1020410
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theylovemysplash?feature=shared
