We were lucky to catch up with Simone’ Skyye recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Simone’, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

This question touches a soft spot within me. My hero, my she-ro, is my paternal grandmother, the late great Nina B. Redd, affectionately known as “Mama”. Nina B has undoubtedly been the most influential human in my life! I would often call her my spicy shawty. We had a special bond. For starters, she gave birth to my best friend in the world, who is my daddy, raised me as if I were hers, and helped save my life. Let me quickly explain. As a three-month-old preemie, I was diagnosed with double pneumonia and given a grave prognosis. The doctors tried to count me out, but she declared that wouldn’t be the case for me. She visited me daily and nursed me back to health.

I went from being a baby that could fit in one of my father’s hands to this cute, plump butterball. Her steadfast faith in God and strong will live within me. I’m proud to say I get many of my attributes from my beloved Mama. She taught me to love God, stick up for myself, love by action, servitude, respect for others (especially my elders), entrepreneurship, courage, principles, and much more. She possessed such a kind and giving heart, but do not get it twisted hunny; she didn’t play games nor bite her tongue for anyone. I loved and respected that she never shut my biological mother out of my life and encouraged her to have a strong relationship with me, which we do to this day. I could never thank Mama enough and will remain forever grateful that God blessed me with her. To this day, I still thank her. I know she can hear me in the spiritual plane because I often feel her presence. She was my biggest supporter. My spicy shawty nurtured my entrepreneurial spirit and was the first to teach me about profit, supply, and demand, leading to my first business at the age of eight. The knowledge and wisdom this woman held with only a sixth-grade education was just a marvel to me. Nina B. was a staple in my community, a huge advocate of education, and firmly believed in equipping yourself with all levels of knowledge, including books, life, self, and spirituality. She would always say how no one could take knowledge from you. I had a loving and strict upbringing that I am thankful for. I would not change any of it because it shaped me!

Simone’, 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 own a wellness company, Refresh and Renew Wellness Studio – Baltimore, and a media/entertainment enterprise – Simone’ Skyye Enterprises LLC. As a wellness professional, specifically a licensed esthetician and massage therapist, I’m passionate about self-care. My appreciation for wellness dates back to childhood when I would massage my grandmother Nina’s scalp and feet. I noticed that it would bring relief to her, but I was unaware of the scientific and medical reasons backing the outcome. When I began engaging in sports as an adolescent, massage would assist in relieving my quadricep cramps. Moving into adulthood and upon entering the United States Air Force (USAF), I began to realize and appreciate the mental benefits of massage. Eventually, I started to explore the beauty side of wellness and became a big fan. Once I started transitioning from being in the AF, I decided to enter the wellness world. It has been life-changing. Now for my Simone’ Skyye persona. Broadcasting and entertainment have been within me since childhood. I was involved in many things as a youth in church and school. I was a drama club member, wrote poems, plays, and stories, danced, sang, wrote in the newspapers and yearbooks, and did the announcements. I’m sure I left out a few things, but you get the point. I was still putting on productions, writing scripts, and more when I got older. I chose not to pursue the industry when I was younger because I was not ready for the responsibility it encompassed. My closest friends thought I was crazy because of the opportunities I turned down to pursue the USAF. I knew I didn’t want to live under a microscope like my industry friends, and it would find me when it was the right time. Destiny came for me, and I welcomed it with open arms. I’m the executive producer of the “We Great Ova Here” radio show, formerly known as the “We Good Ova Here” radio show, which I curated in the spring of 2021. This show celebrates the wins that we don’t hear about. It is a positive and uplifting show representing being “great” ova here. We educate, empower, and inspire.

The perfect part of the show is we have fun while doing those things. I’m proud of my show as it received several “Rippy” award nominations from Ripped Radio Network. Nominations include New Show of the Year and Show of the Year, leading to consecutive Female Personality nominations, capturing that honor in 2022. “We Great Ova Here” radio show has been featured on several broadcasting networks such as Ripped Radio, Beltway Radio, and Beyond, and more recently, Radio One – WOLB/Baltimore. Since the launch of my show, many doors have opened for me, like acting, hosting, modeling, and more. I have done multiple movies, music videos, and a few drama series to date. I am constantly pinching myself because every day is a new adventure.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to make a few pivots—one right before COVID and after. In July 2018, my oldest daughter and I were involved in a multi-vehicle accident. All things were thriving during this time. When the accident occurred, my vehicle was totaled, and bodily injuries prevented me from working. I just opened my event space, completed renovations on my wellness studio, and won a contract award with a well-known communication company. Before the ink could dry, tragedy struck. At this point, things were taking a turn for the worse; about six to seven months later, I experienced a severe medical emergency, leaving me for an extended hospital stay, and four months after that, my youngest brother was murdered. I went into a deep depression and didn’t know if I was coming or going. Because of my heavy faith in God and the love of my support system, I was able to come out of that. I had to develop a recovery strategy, which included downsizing. I gained peace at downsizing because I understood the stakes. I was soon back in the game and happy about it. My clientele in Southern Maryland grew exponentially, so I opened another location there. It was a smaller location, but it was manageable. Things were back and steady. Once business began to take another upswing…COVID! Whew, chile!

I won’t lie… I almost gave up, but God spoke to me. It was placed on my heart to close that location and regroup. What I learned was life will present things to make you pivot. If you remember the purpose of your “why” in pursuing your goals, it will give you the second wind needed to come out on the other end. If you arrive at a point where you are no longer enjoying what you do, it may be time to pivot in a different direction or move on completely. You will know because your decision will come with a sense of peace and calmness.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My authenticity, love, passion for my craft, and client relationships helped build my reputation in each market. I take the time to get to know my clients for better customization. I am very professional but down to earth. I’m also candid with my clients. Some things are outside your control, so I try to detect those potential challenges early on to find alternative solutions. I pride myself on providing experiences because those are memorable. Those pleasant memories are the ones people share, fortifying your client retention rates, stimulating lead generation that could convert to new clients, and exposure to fresh opportunities. I practice the belief that not all money is good money. If you don’t watch it, you may compromise your principles and sell your soul to make extra money. I am relationship-driven, so I believe in building relationships. Relationships are a lifeline in business and instrumental in building a solid, reputable name. Taking care of people and conducting respectful business are things I stand on. I go above and beyond to provide high-quality service. If that falls short despite every effort to avoid any issues, I learn from it to minimize or prevent reoccurrence.  

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamsimoneskyye.com
  www.refreshnrenew4u.com
• Instagram: main Page @rskyye81 Acting page @simoneskyyexo Radio Show @wegreat_ovahere @R_Rwellnesspgc @R_Rwellnessbmore

Image Credits
Dino The Content Complex Big Lew Photography D.Chap Photography