We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Valese Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Valese below.
Alright, Valese thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I honestly could write a book about all the things my parents did right but, the most important thing they did was let me be me. And when I say that, I mean all of me, the good, the bad and the ugly. Instead of trying to make me into who they thought I should be they invested in who I already was so that I’d grow up to be the best version of myself possible. I have two memories that come to mind while answering this question. I was in the fourth grade and my teacher entered me into a writing competition against my will. I tried to be slick and not tell my parents about it so I could just turn something in and move on. Well my teacher, Mrs. Daniels called my mom and that woman made me rewrite that paper 6 times before she let me turn it in. She just kept saying “I think you can do better than that”. Of course I hated her in the moment but thanks to my mom’s refusal to accept mediocrity from me I won the competition and actually got to read the paper on PBS. I still can hear her saying “I think you can do better than that” anytime I’m about to settle for less from myself. Both of my parents built my confidence but my dad believes my brother and I are capable of anything and he takes so much pride in being our dad, that I can’t help to think I’m going to be one of the greatest people to ever live. He’s always supported me beyond measure, not just in words but in action. When I decided I was going to become a freelance publicist he made sure I had all the technology I needed. There isn’t a moment in life that he hasn’t been there for me. He’s one of the most dependable people I know and I inherited that trait from him. My mom and dad take their jobs as parents very seriously and I wouldn’t be who I am today without their love, kindness, care, support and sacrifice. If you’re reading this (which I know you are), I love you more than words could ever properly express and am eternally grateful that I was blessed to be your daughter.
Valese, 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 am a graduate of the University of Alabama, and hold a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Masters in Marketing and Management from Adelphi University. My passion for media and marketing was cultivated at an early age when my parents required me to spend my summers in enrichment camps, learning video editing and public speaking. From there I began to create highlight tapes for local athletes, family members, and events. I believed that this would just be a pastime, however, after my first semester as an undergraduate student I recognized that I should pursue a career in media.
During my undergraduate tenure I was able to acquire several internships for reputable companies, such as Cumulus Media and Alabama Public Radio. I also served as the Vice President and Event Coordinator of the Capstone Association of Black Journalists, a branch of the National Association of Black Journalists. While working my internship at Townsquare Media, I discovered my passion for public relations and marketing, as my job was to assist the Promotions and Marketing Director. This led her to me pursuing public relations and marketing jobs after graduation. After three years of working in Dallas, TX, I was able to hone my skills and recognize that small business owners and brands lack education to market their businesses and tell their brand story effectively. I started Sincerely Nicole Media in 2019 and have worked with everybody from entertainers, to athletes, to small business owners.
I believe what sets my public relations and branding services apart is my custom approach for clients due to my knowledge beyond traditional PR and marketing. I get to know all my clients on an intimate level which makes creating strategies that I know they will stick too, much easier. I have a couple different moments that I am really proud of as a publicist but my top 2 are brokering a partnership with REI for my client Outdoorsy Black Women first major event Wine & Waterfalls, which sold out. My 2nd one is assisting with the creation of the Civilized Concert & Conversation with ShySpeaks. By all logic these two women shouldn’t even be in the conversation for those type of things to happen but with consistency and perseverance we’ve pulled it off.
In addition to being a publicist, I co-founded The Queendom with my best friend of almost 20 years, Bridgette Jones (no we are not related). Due to Covid19 we lost our investor and have yet to be able to replace them. Support from the community and self funding is the reason we have been able to keep this business going and growing. The Queendom is not only building a full service mobile salon and spa, we offer consumers the opportunity to support other small Black and Brown Women Led Beauty Brands all over the world, via purchasing The Queendom Beauty Box. In addition, a portion of the proceeds are used to donate self care kits to sexual assault survivors. We created this company out of pure frustration from beauty services not being more accessible. We are our customers, so we understand firsthand how much The Queendom will impact their lives. If you want to support us you can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-queendom-beauty-bus?qid=32520b2b7ade36f5c81eb33cb866b078. You can also sign up for our email list on our website thequeendombbtx.com and following us on social media @thequeendombbtx.
To sum this all up, strategizing and beautifying are my areas of expertise. I love what I do even when the going gets tough. So come work with me when second best isn’t good enough.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn is hustling and grinding. There is nothing healthy about it. Hustling and grinding impacted my health, my relationships and my spirit. I’ve learned to reject the notion that I am only worthy of rest when I’ve been productive. There isn’t some crazy backstory. I realized I was unhappy with the fact that I wasn’t enjoying any of the things I accomplished because I was too busy thinking about the next move. Now I listen to my body and prioritize truly resting. Rest isn’t a reward, it is a necessity for me to show up as the best version of myself consistently.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Bridgette and I met in middle school because the teacher sat us in alphabetical order. I thought she was too quiet and she thought I did the most but our love for Usher overcame those initial apprehensions and we’ve been partners in crime ever since. I know everybody says not to go in to business with friends but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made thus far. I couldn’t imagine being on this entrepreneurial journey with anybody else. We do a great job of balancing our roles as business partners and our sisterhood. Nothing will ever be more important than the love and bond we share. We would let the business go before we ever let each other go because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sincerelynicole.net/, https://thequeendombbtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincerelynicolemedia/,https://www.instagram.com/thequeendombbtx/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valese-jones-721202b1/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/snicolemedia ,https://twitter.com/thequeendombbtx
Image Credits
The Plug ATL, XOcreativemedia