We were lucky to catch up with Robyn HIggs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Robyn, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Yes! We are VERY happy owning our own business. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it! However, there was a time that we second-guessed our decision.

My husband and I started Sapphire Youth Development Center in November 2019. We began establishing firm relationships with Gwinnett County Schools and Parks and Recreations and were moving forward with our first after-school program. Two months later the COVID epidemic surfaced and everything shut down! Our hearts sank! We weren’t sure if this would be the end for Sapphire YDC!

It was two years before we could continue talks and another 6 months before our first program was up and running. The one thing that kept us focused on the vision was preparing for our first annual Christmas production in December of 2021, A play entitled “Letters to Santa”, which I both wrote and produced was set to open in a renowned theatre located in Down Town Lawrenceville, GA. We were engulfed in the whole process of putting on our very first show! The Auditions, securing a date at a well-known theatre, rehearsals, costumes, etc… keep the dream alive.

Robyn, 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?

I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Long Island, NY. At the age of 14, I found myself falling into a deep suicidal depression. Discovering my gift for dance created a reason to wake each morning and a reason to press through the darkness. I began formal training in dance with the Venettes Cultural Workshop (VCW), a performing arts outreach program, in Wyandanch, NY. It wasn’t long before I realized that I possessed a natural talent for dance. At the age of 16, I was accepted into the Long Island (B.O.C.E.S) High School program for the performing arts.

Upon graduation from High School, I was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s, “Ailey School”. The Ailey school shaped and molded me in ways I could never imagine. In my3rd year of training, I was personally selected to perform under the direction of Kelvin Rotardier, one of the original Alvin Ailey principal dancers and master choreographers,

After leaving Alvin Ailey, I landed a principal position with “Dance Brazil!”, traveling the US and Europe, portraying and dancing the role of Mira in the stage version of the renowned movie Black Orpheus. Outside of concert dance, I was a background dancer for several recording artists in the late 80s and a Runway Model. I graced many NYC runways, including the very first New York Fashion Week, sharing the runway with fashion diva, Naomi Campell.

In 1994 I relocated to Georgia and shifted my focus to dance education. Throughout my 30-year career, I held the title of director and lead choreographer, at several Dance Studios and programs. I continue to serve as an invited speaker, facilitator, and choreographer at conferences for the Performing Arts.

I continue to hold leadership positions within the dance community and am signed with a prominent modeling agency as a print/commercial model.

I consider myself a passionate leader in the dance community who loves working with youth and sharing my love for the performing arts. I believe that I bring a wealth of professionalism and leadership.

My desire through Sapphire YDC is to provide a place for youth to explore their passion and giftings at a level of excellence while affording them the opportunity to feel safe in a disciplined and structured environment. I understand that finding your ‘Gift’ is what makes you tick, and can ultimately save your life!

http://www.sapphireyouthdevelopmentcenter.org/about.html

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Here is an interview that explains some of the issues I overcame to get to the creation of Sapphire YDC. http://www.sapphireyouthdevelopmentcenter.org/bodRobynHiggs.html

How’d you meet your business partner?

Well, that’s the easiest question yet! He is my husband. We met in 2008 as members of the same church. He asked me out to lunch to discuss an opportunity in church ministry and 3 months later we were married! June 19th will mark 15 years.

Derek is a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Jamaica, Queens. His life took a turn for the worse when he entered high school. He began following the wrong crowd, hanging out in the hallways, and skipping school. To avoid consequences both at home and at school he decided to run away. At age 14 he was living on the streets of NY. That did not last long and after returning home Derek was sent to a juvenile detention home.

Through the support of his family and the vision Derek had for his life, he was able to turn things around. After leaving juvenile detention he attended a high school where he began playing basketball and earned a full scholarship to Bryant University. While there Derek was a tutor and teaching assistant. He was also awarded a paid internship on Wall Street. While on the basketball team, he made the 1,000-point club and graduated as the 11th leading scorer in school history.

Derek had a very successful career in corporate America and armed with his belief that we should step outside of our comfort zone and live a life of purpose, he left corporate America and founded Higgs Leadership Development and DerekHiggs.com where his focus is helping business leaders & organizations positively impact their bottom line by showing them how to increase employee engagement and overall individual performance.

Derek has coached youth sports for over 30 years and has served as the director of various youth mentoring programs and once organized a partnership with the Gwinnett County North Metro Program, which serves students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD).

His life experiences helped fuel his passion for working with youth and that passion led us to start the Sapphire Youth Development Center where their vision is to create a place where kids can be inspired to dream and gain a vision for their lives. Through in-house built curriculums and strategic partnerships, Sapphire provides tutoring services, leadership and mentoring programs, and theater and arts programs which include dance, acting, voice lessons, and music.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.sapphireyouthdevelopmentcenter.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sapphireydc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SapphireYDC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapphireydc/?viewAsMember=true