We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Malloy Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
As a company, Indigo Station LLC ‘s Mission was originally to be the best PR firm in the nation.
With my diverse background and almost 3 decades in the entertainment industry working behind the scenes of several major artists and movie studios throughout my career, I have learned every aspect of what it takes to be successful in the arts media and entertainment arena
A few years ago, Indigo station was invited to collaborate with other arts professionals and a list celebrities across the country to take part in a grant from the presidents committee on the arts and the humanities call the turnaround arts grant this grant was put in place to help low performing students across the country in elementary schools to close achievement gaps by using arts integrated learning practices so as a art professional, I have the opportunity to utilize Entertainment and education in the same space to help close achievement, gaps lower behavioral incidents, and boost morale in communities of need.
When the grant was completed, my company decided to take on this mission on our own so for the last few years in addition to Indigo station still representing celebrity clients and working on Hollywood sets, producing music and television shows we have decided to incorporate a learning institution that focuses on art integration for young people across the country Through non-traditional learning incorporating the arts with behind the scenes and stage front training, hands on participation on real television sets, movie set professional recording sessions, and the like.
We have also started to hire and train post incarcerated individuals to do our part in the fight on recidivism so we hire and train those who don’t learn traditionally and have no traditional backgrounds. We also help current businesses connect with communities in need with their resources to mutually benefit everyone involved. The reason why this is important to me is because how I started my career when I was very young. I was introduced into the entertainment industry as a child model and an amateur actress. However, there were some very difficult pitfalls as I started to maneuver through life into adulthood I made some choices that landed me in great legal trouble where I was facing almost 20 years in prison at that time, I was a young single mother with an amazing State job that I was about to lose because they would not hire a convicted felon
Now I’m faced with a challenge of raising my son supporting us with an income that is way less than what I know I deserve, and in a climate where there was very little options for convicted felons without a four-year college degree, I had to think on my feet and reach back into my roots, so I got back into the entertainment industry And I work two jobs on the side as I built my business in the entertainment industry.
So this mission is meaningful for me from a very personal perspective. That’s why not only do. I love what I do, but I am extremely passionate about being effective strategic in the execution of my work.
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?
Demanding headline attention for nearly three decades, Heather Malloy Davis delivers unparalleled service to every client and project. As a seasoned press and media expert, Heather possesses both proven and practical experience. Her expertise and talent have been in high demand since 1994. Heather’s rise through the ranks has been marked by honesty and integrity, affording her a wealth of knowledge gained through experience, exposure, dedication, and determination. She epitomizes a true entertainment industry professional.
Notably, Heather was recruited by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the National Turnaround Arts Director to deliver her exceptional community and public relations services. “It’s a major accomplishment to have received great praise and accolades from First Lady Michelle Obama in May 2016,” remarked Heather.
Dr. Surajit Khanna’s Returning Youth Initiative Selects Indigo Station LLC as its PR Agency
NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 25, 2021 — On June 23, 2021, the office of Dr. Surajit Khanna’s Post Incarceration Juvenile Justice Reformation Act Initiative, also known as Dr. Khanna’s Returning Youth Initiative, announced the selection of Indigo Station, a brand management and public relations firm, to represent the initiative.
Dr. Khanna’s Returning Youth Initiative works nationally to positively impact young adults released from government confinement. This is accomplished through programs that include restoration, education, training, and counseling. Dr. Khanna’s goal is to reinforce stability in these young adults’ lives, helping them become self-sustaining individuals by providing them with the tools they need to secure a career, explore business ownership, and reintegrate into society.
Indigo Station, led by nationally known public relations expert Heather Malloy-Davis in collaboration with TV, music producer, and talent manager James Womack, has an impressive track record. Heather has worked with top-tier individuals and companies, including Michelle Obama (who wrote a personal note of recommendation for Heather), Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Deion Sanders, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Tyler Perry, Chris Rock, and many others. Heather has also collaborated with notable companies such as HBO, OWN, Bravo, A&E, Sony Pictures, and Warner Brothers Pictures.
Indigo Station understands that every brand is unique, and it customizes each client’s publicity, media relations, brand development, brand management, and creative marketing strategies. Indigo Station also serves youth through its Indigo Arts Initiatives, which aim to close achievement gaps in learning, including nontraditional settings, and close economic gaps via workforce development, on-the-job training, paid internships, and apprenticeship opportunities.
Heather is enthusiastic about working with youth and young adults nationwide, training and mentoring them to achieve
success, regardless of their current life paths. Recently, Indigo Station partnered with television and music production partners to train and employ 14- to 24-year-olds in Newark, New Jersey, as part of the summer youth employment program. Participants learned hands-on skills in media arts, scriptwriting for television, music engineering, and production, working as production assistants for their summer jobs. Indigo Station has several community partners nationwide, including the Returning Youth Initiative.
Dr. Khanna remarked, “Working with Heather is an amazing opportunity to broaden our reach, increase our impact, and make a difference in the lives of those returning to society. Our purpose and mission are to restore the lives of post-incarcerated youth and help them reestablish their dreams.”
Speaking on behalf of Indigo Station, Heather Malloy Davis said, “We are excited to work with Dr. Khanna and the Returning Youth Initiative team. I have personal experience with post-incarcerated young adults in the African American community and have witnessed the pain and suffering experienced during re-entry. Being released from incarceration should be a time of joy with a positive expectation of the future. Indigo Station, working with Dr. Khanna and the Returning Youth Initiative, aims to deliver on this promise as it expands to all 50 states and 3,142 counties in the USA.”
About Dr. Khanna’s Returning Youth Initiative: Dr. Surajit Khanna, a youth advocate, launched the “Returning Youth” initiative to provide post-incarceration young adults with a pathway to reintegrate into society when they are released from prison, enabling them to create a self-sustaining, productive life for themselves and their families.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
When you have to manage a whole team, you have to use the supermarket owner scenario you can’t just focus on the meat section or the dairy aisle. You have to look at the entire supermarket and be careful to meet each knee for each section for the entire supermarket to flow smoothly. As crazy as that sounds, it’s a very simple concept to adapt, and it is very effective when you have to manage different personalities and not make one team member feel less value than the other while, still maintaining the mission or the goal at hand.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
One thing I think that people take for granted sometimes is the fact that being an entrepreneur requires great faith and belief. It also requires it also requires a level of compassion and humanity, which equates to patience . Basically allowing time for life to happen good or bad.
During my journey, I have experienced some pretty serious health issues for an extended period of time.
being a small business owner, I had very limited or no health benefits available at the time during this challenging health issue I had to deal with, so my care was sporadic and based on what I could afford as a result, I had two children pass away at birth. It was from a lack of access to good healthcare limited finances being an entrepreneur business doesn’t come as fast as most people think it does when you work for yourself so as a result, I had to deal with those issues in my life, which were extremely difficult at the same time. I still had to run my business and show up for work in between and during those seasons, the very significant part of the healing for me personally was the fact that my very next major project when I came back to work after medical leave and bereavement leave from burying my daughter Indigo; was a project with children who had a need for my love and support so I was able to give those children love and support that I was not able to give my own children That I lost
With God’s Grace I persevered through I am healthy now I do have a 27 year-old son, who is my pride and joy and is following in his mother‘s footsteps as a Professional Recording Artist , a licensed Barber and an entrepreneur so if I’ve learned anything during this journey about adversity And resilience, it was definitely through these life lessons along my journey
Contact Info:
- Website: https://indigostationllc.com/about
- Instagram: @indigostationllc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-malloy-davis-32645aa7?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app