We caught up with the brilliant and insightful TaKea “TK DaCyph” Marshall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
TaKea “TK DaCyph”, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One deeply underappreciated facet of being a service provider is the kind of crazy stuff that happens from time to time. It could be anything from a disgruntled client attacking an employee or waking up to find out a celebrity gave you a shoutout on TikTok – the sudden, unexpected hits (both positive and negative) make the profession both exhilarating and exhausting. Can you share one of your craziest stories?
Being a woman of Stature, Color, strong education background and under the Lgbtqia spectrum can be quite daunting. It’s not easy to fit into rooms most would think I should fit in based on my outward appearance. I put the work in everyday and choose to rise above any box anybody sets to put me in. For example, no one expected me to become an owner of my own cannabis shop, canna podcast and consulting firm. It started with my podcast. I had been interviewed and vetted for the position long before I had sought out for the gig. A buddy of mine, @dabbedoutdubz aka Corey put me on to it. He was stepping down. It wasn’t expected that I’d end up being a fan favorite. I was eventually told I was supposed to be a “filler” if you will and “go with the flow “. My ideas were too original and unique for small minds. I want this global I said. The rest is kind of history. I Ended up buying the trademark, getting a major sponsorship for the show and owning my own shop in addition to managing one and learning real estate investment strategies. All at the same time.
TaKea “TK DaCyph”, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
For those that don’t know me, I am TaKea. A lot of people Know me by TK. @TKDaCyph ,Because I’ve done a lot of snows, music and production from Maryland to The Midwest and also along the East coast.
I’ve been Researching cannabis for over 19 years and decided to create my own company in order to provide the masses more Information on things they ingest into their bodies and how it can benefit them in more proficient ways. https://www.gethighereducated.com/
I became a brand ambassador for one check away the clothing Brand @ocathebrand on 2018. Fast forward to 2023 and now I’m the Co-Owner. I Started fashion at a very young age. My parents/ family are fortunate and I’ve had the option of custom attire since then. It’s really a full circle moment for me.
Having work with such a dope team of devs, teachers and influencers alike, https://hiphop.game/ and http://joinco.in/ is the Crypto community I belong to,
Teach with and learn from. We have been active in the crypto and metaverse space since early 2018/19.
I began my media journey with Hungry boulevard and the team when I became a solo artist in 2016. https://www.hungryblvd.com/ @hungry
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
A few things. 1. Being consistent. As you grow, your goals will change but the path that you choose, if proven fruitful, stay the course.
2. Being able to adapt, as the world changes, so does the demand and you have to be innovative enough to move with the changes while still being true to your core values of your brand.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn wanting to be like-able. The world as it is, won’t congratulate your success sometimes simply because it’s you. Wanting to be liked is a benevolent trait. Success is being able to grit and bare the No’s and the hard truths while elevating yourself in the process.
The reason I became the person I am today is because of the many No’s and direct criticism I’ve received as a young entrepreneur.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hyperfollow.com/tkdacyph
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tkdacyph?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tk-marshall-a34a561b3
- Twitter: @TKDaCyph
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tkdacyph3961