We were lucky to catch up with LynnQuinEtta James recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi LynnQuinEtta, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents did right by letting me go off and pursue my dreams. I came from a small town and being able to go off to the big city of New York, really helped me be a go getter in life forever . I can remember begging my dad to let me go to NYC at the age of 16 years old. I had just been signed to a Top Ten Agency (Marilyn’s) and I was the first African American model they ever signed. I was in my backyard and I saw a shooting star. I made a wish that I could go to New York and pursue my dreams! I walked back into the house and my dad said I could go as long as I was in school too. So I went to St. John’s University and also modeled as a high fashion model in Manhattan, NY.

LynnQuinEtta, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a person who goes after every dream! If I could describe myself that’s what I would say. I started off as a fashion model at 16 in NYC. I was the first African American model signed with Marilyn’s New York & Paris. I met some of the best contacts I have ever had in NYC. Also got to travel the world because of modeling. I received my first Title in Ghana: Exquisite Face Of the Americas’ .

Then I got in to TV hosting and acting. I was involved in the my friends’ show called Run’s House and we decided to make a spin off of our own: Daddy’s Girl’s. Being a Daddy’s girl at my core it was right up my alley. We pitched the show to MTV about us all moving from NYC to LA and it was picked up! We had two seasons but was then canceled because we didn’t have negative things on our show, or not enough drama. MTV wanted us to fight each other or create a negative view on black women but we were the complete opposite of that. We are positive influences for our youth and we will always be that.
Over the years I have continued to pursue my dreams as an entertainer. I have worked on over 500 different shows and movies making cameo’s here and there. I am a recording artist Lynn Queen Etta, with music on every platform, ITunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. I am also the Fox costume “Cupcake” for the hit show “The Masked Singer.” But one my favorite things I have ever done was creating a Live show that was picked up by the YouCam Selfie Makeover App/ Beauty Circles. In 2016, I was working on “Criminal Minds” as a cast Stand-In, and after a year of work they fired me out of the blue. Sad and blue I walked off set and said it’s ok I’ll get my own show soon. Not knowing I was speaking that into existence. For seven weeks in a roll, on Thursdays, I shot a show where I featured fun free things to do in LA. By the 7th week, YouCam Makeup, contacted me and asked me to do a show for their platform. It started out as a three month deal, and turned into a 6 year deal, with me doing 5 to 6 shows a week. This earned me the title of “Digital Disruptor.” I became a Micro Influencer. I was told by my mentor, Halle Berry ‘ if there isn’t work out there for you, then make your own’ and that’s exactly what I did or do! I also have my own company called Love Always LLC where I help talent get signed to big agencies. And I am launching a new monthly basket with my own favorite picks coming out next month.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m just trying to make my mother proud.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing the youth empowered by something I did or said. To be able to give a young person confidence that they can do it too is why I do this!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mrs.lynnQueenEtta

Image Credits
Richard Roundtree Ian Kraus Brian Love Curtis Sabir Julia Peltier