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

Dewey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I started my podcast at the beginning of 2020 to create a space for people to feel heard and to know that they were not alone. “The things your friends won’t say and your main gon to lie about” was the slogan I created because I wanted to be a voice for the voiceless and provide a space where people could feel comfortable, coming as they are and speaking up for themselves. Once I found my voice, I realized that there was therapy through conversation. With three years in the podcast game, I have learned so much about myself, the importance of consistency, believing in yourself and your talents, operating a business, and curating events. With the pandemic rising at the same time I launched the podcast, the original plan of having guests in the studio and hosting live events was put on hold. I had to think of creative ways to push content and stay engaged with my followers. I started to go ‘live’ on Instagram and when I say I hated it, I HATED IT. Talking to yourself, for more than an hour publicly is a task; okay! and it was something I never felt comfortable doing. After a couple of weeks of consistently hosting the lives, it began to catch traction and people were tuning in. I hosted the lives weekly and after a few months, it became something that people looked forward to end their Thursdays. Once the lockdown lifted and people were back outside, I started recording again with guests and started hosting live events, which have become an endeavor I am so glad that I embarked on.

Dewey, 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 am 29, with a Masters in Business Administration. My professional career started in Social Services. The learning experience is for life. Early in my career I could see myself as an entertainer but didn’t really know in what space, yet. This idea came along while I was helping a friend who had her own show. I learned a few tricks and decided that I had what it takes (or so I thought) to start my own. That’s when the idea of having Prescribed with the Realest came to fruition, from my grandma’s basement- shoutout to my GIRL Miss Mary Wingfield! I currently do Marketing pieces for Startups, but I still dedicate (now more than ever) my time to PWTR.

Today, I know how different my product is from others, it is honest, raw and I base my content in personal experiences and from those close me. It doesn’t get any REALER than that.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I hate to sound cliche because I used to be annoyed when I would hear this answer but honestly, it starts with first believing that you can and doing just that, along with being consistent. As I was telling you before, I truly dedicate so much time to my podcast and my brand and without the belief or consistency, I would not be where I am today. I wanted to connect in ways other than through my episodes so I began to create small games for my audience to play and engage with through stories on Instagram and Facebook, which I call ‘The Waiting Room’ and weekly questions, referred to as ‘QOTD’ on Monday’s. Because I was consistently posting, it became a cadence that my followers looked forward to and this led to others becoming interested as well.

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 on this journey was self-doubt. Being a creator and in a space where social media is at an all-time high, it’s easy to doubt yourself and your craft, based on the response or lack of response you receive. I still have my days of course but I had to unlearn the concept of yearning for that instant gratification. I learned that some of the content that I was creating may not be what’s trending but it was authentic. Starting out, people would tell me how dope my content was, how inspired they were, how much that appreciated the transparency because there weren’t many people who were honest about what they were really going through or struggling with. With that, I stopped doubting my voice and my craft, and I used my struggle as encouragement and entertainment to let those around me know that they weren’t alone. So, if you are reading this and you know this feeling, stop doubting yourself and just believe that you CAN!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prescribeddr_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prescribedwithdr
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrescribedDR
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCicAqOKnkv4NyxniuHfoL2A

Image Credits
Erin Evans Quaylyn Nichelle