We were lucky to catch up with Velisa Woods recently and have shared our conversation below.

Velisa , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

My life has been all about risks being taken. Most of the things that I have done throughout my life came with sacrifice and leaps of faith. I earned 3 degrees with two children and always had a side hustle. I’ll give you one story of a big risk that was taken in 2019. After leaving the South and living in Las Vegas for over a year with my teenage son, I got to a point where I no longer had a teaching job, my unemployment was running out, and I had 2 months left on my lease. I could either return to Memphis or try to make it to Oakland, CA where I wanted to be. I moved to Las Vegas because it was cheaper than Oakland, CA. I settled for Vegas in October 2018 when I was never suppose to be there. I tell people all the time that Vegas is not a kind place for African Americans but that’s another story. So we made it to December 2019, spent Christmas in Vegas, and had to move out December 26th. When I tell you I had nothing but lint in my pockets, it would be an understatement. What I did have was a promise of a job in Oakland, CA. With no money, I was determined to make it to Oakland. There was no returning to Memphis or any part of the South. Plus, I had my 17 year old son with me and I was determined to provide a health environment for him, something I could never have in the South. My daughter was 21 years old and staying with us in Vegas. She bought us a one way bus ticket to Los Angeles. I left my vehicle with her. The plan for her was to finish up at her job and join us eventually in Oakland. From Los Angeles, we would make our way to Oakland. I asked for donations from friends, even inbox my Facebook friends and asked for $20 to help get to Oakland. I had a hotel hook up but needed the money to check in. Donations paid for our rooms and food. We were able to make it to Oakland, CA December 28th. I wanted to start the New Year in the place I would call home. The job didn’t official start for me until February. I “volunteered” on the job the month of January until I was onboarded. A stranger handed me $1,000 to help us on this journey. We lived in hotels for over 30 days until I was able to secure housing. Finding affordable housing in the Bay is not easy. I made many calls in search of housing but no one returned any of them. I returned to Las Vegas to pick up my vehicle. While there, I receive a phone call about someone who had a 3 bedroom/ 1.5 bath in Oakland for $3500. Now, that is the going rate for a 3 bedroom in Oakland but it was more than I had ever paid in my life. I was once a home owner and my mortgage was never that. I contemplated about the rent but knew I had no other choice but to take it. I guess my Principal put in a good word for me but it was still a matter of “where is the deposit and rent going to come from”? I did not have that money but I looked at the property anyway. The young black man who showed it to me really wanted to rent to me but I kept saying to myself, “where is this money coming from? and I don’t know what my first check will look like”. After running out of money again in February 2020 and no where to go, I made a phone call to the person who showed me the house and told him the situation. He was gracious enough to allow my son and I to stay. The lights were already on. He would later just require me to pay half of the deposit and pro rated rent when I got it. My daughter ended up joining us in Oakland shortly after. I’m an educator in Oakland Unified School District. I’ve lived in Oakland for 3.5 years until my recent move to Berkeley, CA. I am the happiest I’ve ever been.

Velisa , 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?

I currently have a consultancy business under the name V. Woods Media. Due to my many experiences throughout my life, I have become a business. I am able to consult artists on their music careers, educators on wellness techniques along with providing holistic medicine education. I’ve spent the last ten years in the entertainment industry managing artists and curating shows and events. I’ve also been an educator for over 14 years. I’ve been educating myself through college courses and conferences on the medicinal use of cannabis. I was awarded scholarships and earned a brief internship with a cannabis business. V. Woods Media provides consultancy services and creates blog posts that includes interviews of musical artists and cannabis business owners. Eventually, I write a book about my life experiences. I am a promoter of wellness and peace. I am very proud of my interview with hip hop artist and Legend, Devin the Dude after a show in Atlanta. Recently, I was in Mexico City, MX for a jazz festival where I was able to ask Grammy Award winner Robert Glasper a couple of questions about an upcoming festival in Napa where he provided me with “not yet announced” (at the time) information. I enjoy interviewing artists.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

In 2013, after teaching for 7 years, I decided to resign from my teaching job and became a full time promoter and event curator. Being in education had taken a toll on my mental health. I decided to make a go of what I enjoyed doing which at the time putting on a live band events was it for me. As a put on more events, I met more musical artists and creatives. I ended up managing artists, booking shows, co directing music videos, and hosting open mics and showcases. Throughout the years, I booked bands and artists for shows, family reunions, community events, and so much more. I even booked singers and musicians for a Micheal Jackson Tribute in a public library. This year, I plan on booking a show in Playa del Carmen, MX.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Building a relationship is the key to managing a team and maintaining high morale. Once people feel like you care about their well being and who they are as an individual, trust develops. Be good to people and they will be good to you.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vwoodsmedia.com
• Instagram: vwoodsmedia
• Facebook: RBS Ent Rebuild
• Linkedin: Velisa Woods
• Twitter: @V_WoodsofRBS