We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Raven Chareal’ a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Raven , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Just like a lot of us, the quarantine sparked a new level of creativity that we never knew we had! With this new idea, though, I wanted it to be a solution.. something fun and refreshing for all ages. Selfie museums were becoming the new rave! I knew my hometown didn’t have an attraction like that and I wanted to be the one to bring it! Per usual, the second guessing, self-doubting, hesitancy, and not realizing WHO I WAS and what God had already equipped me to do held me back. If I’m being transparent, although I have an AMAZING support system, I still didn’t believe I could do it, afford it, or that it would’ve even been good enough if I did. All of that time wasted overthinking gave someone else time to bring to life the exact same idea in my area so back to the drawing board I went because I was discouraged and didn’t want to seem as if I was competing or overstepping. One thing I’ve learned, no matter what it is, people still need YOU. They need your version and your vision STILL. So during that time, God reminded of the vision I had years ago of opening a photography studio with different unique set ups already provided for photoshoots. When I tell y’all I had totally forgot!? So I was like okay okay let’s do this! And as I kept brainstorming, the creativity kept rolling and the purpose became more clear. It’s a solution, I’m a solution! It was becoming a space to help others launch their creativity, enhance their careers, a space for others to grow and flourish and THAT’S when I knew. The people need “The Room Studio.” Need a space to launch your modeling career? Family photoshoot? Need a lit photography studio? Let’s go! Want to start a YouTube channel, promote your business? We got you! Podcast? We got you! Want to produce a short film or record a self-tape? Cool! And the list goes on! I’m so excited to be able to create a space for creatives! The Room Studio will have 8 different unique sets including those pictured (Classroom, Trap Room, Beauty Salon, Safari) and there will be a Content Room with equipment for recording and more photos! I’m so ready for this to be available for you all and I couldn’t have done it without my phenomenal team and business consultant Jasmine Little!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Raven Chareal’, I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I’m a graduate of the University of West Alabama with a degree in nursing. I’ve been an RN for 7 years and a few years ago decided to transition into being a travel nurse. My dream is to become an actress and inspire the world, especially those with disabilities. I’m striving to continue to break that barrier in the industry for limitless opportunities! I’ve been acting for over 10 years now and figuring out the spaces that I needed to develop in my craft helped me realize what other people may need for their development as well. I want us all to win and I believe that’s what has me excited the most!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn doubting myself and just learning how to just trust what I can do. I’ve missed out on opportunities, auditions, shows, etc. just because I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I remember when I auditioned for one of my dream roles and during the audition all I did in my head was “oh she can sing” “yeah they gone get booked for this” “man I don’t sound like that!” Playing the comparison game so bad to when it was time for my audition, I literally BLEW IT. I knew I could get cast for that show, y’all and I didn’t all because I doubted what I knew I could do. I refuse to do that anymore with anything else going forward.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Let me be transparent, being a travel nurse is not a passion of mine and I salute my fellow nurses that have the biggest heart for it, you all do not get the credit you deserve! I’m so thankful for my career though, because it funds my dreams and teaches me lessons on how to be patient and caring when it comes to people. It has not only helped me fund my acting career but my business as well! The Lord knew what He was doing y’all!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theravenchareal
• Other: Follow my instagram for updates on the opening of The Room Studio!

Image Credits
Shaquala Courtland