We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Renee Watkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Renee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents and my grandparents always told me to ask questions when I don’t understand something or when I need to understand why someone is wanting me to do something. In life, there are many times where something is said or done and instead of just letting it fly, I will question it (even when it is a situation where I could just let it go). I think it has kept me out of situations that will harm me or something/someone I love. It helps sooooooooooo much in my work as a doula because there are many, many, MANY times when an OBGYN will say something to a patient that doesn’t feel right in my spirit and I will challenge the why. Most ob’s don’t like it, but the good ones will either or explain it or question it themselves.

Renee, 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?

First things first, I am a gemini who also happens to be a middle child… I don’t know how to focus on one thing but I am good at everything. That all explains why I have multiple businesses. I started off as a model with Dwight Pope of Diavontti Models and Diavontti Productions. My love for events came from all the back stage chaos of fashion shows. I started doing cyphers in my own home back in 2014. My event company Watkins Productions wasn’t born until September of 2016 though. Yoga came next. It started when my runway coach, Dwight Pope, suggested yoga or pilates to prepare for fashion show. I tried yoga because I thought it would be easy, it wasn’t. The discipline and the challenge it offered made me fall madly in love with the practice!!! I tried yoga a few times with my yoga mentor, Jamal Hutchinson, who encouraged me to go through yoga teacher training with him. My work as a yoga instructor put me in places and spaces with people who motivated me to want to do more in the community. During my journey I came across THE AMAZING Kristin Mejia who is the founder of Homeland Heart Birth and Wellness Collection and ExBreast Yourself. In one conversation and I asked her if she knew of any prenatal yoga teacher trainings so she introduced me to Jennifer Derryberry Mann of Nurture Nashville. Not long after, Kristin did the first training class for Homeland Heart and asked me if I wanted to go through the training… of course I did.

All the things I’ve ever done and ever do are preordained for me long before I even know what my first thought will be. I graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelors degree in criminal justice and psychology, I HAVE NEVER USED THAT DEGREE!!! I decided my senior year I didn’t want to do anything with law but didn’t drop out because I wanted to prove something to my family. There were so many times that I was told I wouldn’t make good money without a degree. That wasn’t true. I was told that if I tried to focus on multiple things at once, something would fall short. That wasn’t true. I was told that the community wouldn’t benefit from the services I offer. That is so not true! I feel I have done more good with the community by providing creative spaces with Watkins Productions, helping people focus on health and wellness with RW Yoga, and offering safe and favorable birthing spaces with Your Grace Birth Services.

My parents telling me to question everything helped because not only did I question the negativity surrounding what I was trying to do, I showed them where they were wrong about it! For that, I am EXTREMELY proud!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Staying consistent, doing the work myself, actually wanting to help people, and being damn good at what I do has helped me build my reputation.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert T. Kiyosaki Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
Control Your Mind and Mast Your Feelings – Eric Roberston
Dare to Lead – Brene Brown
Millionaire Mindset – Paul J. Stanley
Heart and Hustle – Patricia Bright
The Power of Broke – Daymond John
The Smartest Person in the Room – Christian Espinosa
Your Next Five Moves – Patrick Bet-David
Hood Feminism – Mikki Kendall
are all in my personal library and I swear by them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yourgracebirthservices.com
• Instagram: @iAmReneeWatkins @SimplyReneeWatkins @YourGraceBirths
• Facebook: Facebook.com/yourgracebirths Facebook.com/iamreneewatkins
• Other: The SimplyReneeWatkins page
  Business page: YourGraceBirthServices

Image Credits
black and white picture shot by @shooting_with_cheryl pic with yogi and guitarist by @Spencer_Charles linktr.ee/spencercharles featuring @king_jamesxxvii linker.ee/KingMfnDaddi in gold pant shot by audience participant at Moving Art Atlanta with @dorvilier.art hoo.be/dorvilier Birth of Andi the Beautiful shot by me, Renee Watkins. Mom Ashley White, Dad William White