We were lucky to catch up with Quincy Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Quincy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I’d say the biggest risk I’ve taken was moving over 600 miles away from home with no friends or family to lean on. This risk came in the form of an internship at Black Enterprise Magazine. During my Junior year at Adrian College, in Michigan, I’d skipped classes for the day and oddly enough, spent that time in the library. I’d gone in to research publications who were hiring for summer internships. This was pre-internet and google days, so this meant physically scanning magazines for contact and mailing information and writing out letters to send to individuals inquiring about internship opportunities. I signed, sealed and delivered nearly 20 inquiries, ranging from Vibe Magazine to Sports Illustrated. I received 13 rejection letters. Nearly giving up hope, but battling to stay positive, I was surprised by a phone call. It was Robyn Clarke, an editor at Black Enterprise at the time. She had called to interview me for the position. The first interview went well and I was asked to be available for another round of interviews. I accepted and a few days later, I had that interview. Not knowing what to expect after all of this, I waited anxiously for a reply. About two weeks later, I got a call from Robyn and was offered the internship. Now I just had to figure out how to get to New York and find somewhere to live for 12 weeks. I looked up places to stay and came across the Harlem YMCA. I called to get information and after looking at my bank account, I knew this was my only option. My sister and her husband drove me to NYC for the internship and dropped me off on 135th and Lennox in Harlem. There my journey began. For the next 12 weeks I would shower in the community bathroom with cold water before hustling to the subway to take the train down to 37th and 7th AVE every morning. During my internship, I acquired some great mentors and colleagues. I also managed to have 13 articles published in Black Enterprise during my stint as an editorial intern. What a time to be alive! It was a risk to move that far away from home, living in the pre-gentrified Harlem and no family of friends close by to rely on. However, big risks can reap generous returns. In return I made lifelong connections, got published in a National Publication and learned things about entrepreneurship that continue to make me successful to this day.

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?

As a creative, I’ve always loved to create things. Originally, I created drawings. As a youngster, I was a pretty good artist. I feel as though if those skills go unutilized though, they fade into distant memory. I can barely draw stick figures now. Then I found my love/passion for writing and creating stories. This love is what lead me to take the risk of moving to NYC for a summer to do an internship at Black Enterprise and also what lead me on the path to creating podcasts. I was hanging out group of friends and one of them suggested that we should do an internet radio show (before people started calling them podcasts) and I agreed. I looked into it and decided that we would start broadcasting a show. All of the friends who thought it was a good idea seem to disappear like my old drawing skills, so I ventured out on my own. It started out pretty terribly, honestly, but soon, one of my buddies came on as a co-host and the rest is history. We broadcast our first episode in October of 2010. Thirteen years later, we still broadcast that show, but I also produce 8 other podcasts including a bourbon review podcast which I’m certainly fond of. The skills that I have learned along the way from studying media personalities and of course learning through trial and error has separated me from other producers. I have built technical skills that allow me to edit audio/video content and direct camera angles during the production process. Because of this, clients who I produce podcasts for have quicker than average turnaround times which increases their productivity. Another unique quality that sets me apart is that I have a mobile set-up. If you’re not able to come to our studios, then I can come to you. Fully equipped with lighting, cameras and audio equipment. You’ve got a business and you’d like to highlight your place, we can set-up right there and get a quality podcast production. Making it convenient and creating beautiful content for anyone in need is what I enjoy, however, being able to share this knowledge with an up and coming podcast producer brings me the most joy. Any time I can share with an individual information that could make their paths easier, I am more than excited to do so, because I only wished I had someone ahead of me to give me that game. The podcast industry was fairly new then, so nobody knew exactly what they were doing. So with me, you’re not only getting a solid production, but I can also provide some useful knowledge that you can take to start creating your own content.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a creative, I think the most rewarding aspect is freedom. Freedom means a million different things to a million different people. However, to me, being a creative provides me with a freedom of expression. In most occupations you are expressing what the company you are working for wants to express. As a creative your boundaries are non-existent, so you can express yourself in any way that you desire. There is a refreshing sense of freedom in that.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Hardest lesson that I’ve had to unlearn is fearing failure. Most are petrified of failing and makes for a hindering existence. I battled with that for years. Trying to avoid failure is the quickest way to never achieve anything. This was the case in writing a book. I’d been writing poetry academically for a few years and decided, perhaps I could be published like Hawthorne or Hughes, but quickly my fear of failure took over and I couldn’t commit myself to writing and publishing it. Following my internship at Black Enterprise, I’d taken on a new perspective, a more entrepreneurial perspective. With this in mind, I unlearned the fear of failure that had held me stagnant for so long and decided, not only would I write the poetry book, but I would create a publishing company and publish it myself! Seven books later I have thrown caution to the wind and realized that failure is all in the perspective. The only shots you have no chance at making are the ones you don’t take. So I’m shooting my shot every chance I get and if I don’t make it, then it becomes an opportunity to change my shot until it goes in.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flipside-ink.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/q.lewis313
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Q.Lewis313
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/eblockradio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/EBlockRadioPodcastNetwork