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We sat down with three Black customers to talk about their individual experiences, their mentors who helped them get to the place they are today, and their dreams and hopes of the future for all of us.

       Karl Ferguson Jr.  

Karl follows the artist idea that work should fund your passion, until the passion you have can finance your life. Karl has done just that: through balancing work with his passion for portrait photography. One glance at his site will make stunned by the sheer number of stars he's captured in the entertainment industry. Karl's digital presence has helped him showcase his work to a plethora of clients with ease. "One among the greatest features offers is the dynamic manner in which I'm able to move and drop pictures and change them in a flash of need," Karl says.

Community has played a big part in the success of Karl's photography. Bouncing ideas off of other Black photographers gives him an underlying sense of community in this field which can feel isolating sometimes. Karl hopes to pass on the love within his professional life, in order to foster an identical sort of community for the new photographers in the field. "Paying it forward involves being accessible to others," Karl says. By openly sharing his experience and expertise, Karl hopes to help more creatives be the best possible they can be.

If asked to what advice he would say to his younger self as someone who is just beginning the photography journey Karl's suggestion is: "Don't get so intense that you stop yourself from taking pictures. Relaxing and having fun with taking part in the process is perhaps the most important thing you can do as a photographer."

To learn more about the work of Karl, go over his website. his site.

        The Black Corporate  

Ambassador and social media consultant Candace Marie is the founder of Black In Corporate Black In Corporate, a community who champions Black people working in the corporate world. The concept behind Black In Corporate was born through her personal experience of navigating work environments where systemic racism is making it challenging for Black employees to be successful. "While Black In Corporate was born out of my own personal experience," Candace says, "a major reason I decided to start the organization was that I knew that there were several Black members of my community who's experiences were comparable, if not identical to my personal experiences."

One of the many foundations Black In Corporate stands on is the virtual Mentorship Program, which offers Black professionals access to options, opportunities and collaboration. The Black In Corporate website is a key tool in helping spread the word about the program to their target group of customers. "While news media and social media are the major drivers for traffic, the beautiful style and ease of navigation ensures that our customers are interested and returning," Candace says about the impact of their website.

The expression "it takes a village" especially rings true for Candace and her experience the launch of Black In Corporate. It has grown immensely by the help of mentors, sponsors as well as friends and family who have helped her along her journey. In so many ways, Candace offers that same support to Black professionals. "This journey is hard enough doing it alone," she says. "Whenever I'm able to offer an advice or suggestion or even take part in a panel discussion, or even make an introduction to a potential colleague--I'm really intentional about nurturing others Black individuals in this field."

Learn more about Black In Corporate on their site.

       Elton Anderson Jr.  

For nearly 14 years Elton Anderson Jr. worked in the photography industry, shooting celebrities and some of the most popular brands. But, he made the decision to pivot when he realized that the career he had once been so committed to was not satisfying. After experiencing a life-threatening case of malaria on a trip to Brazil, Elton vowed to devote his entire life towards improving his own life and the lives of others.

In the present, Elton is doing just what each day: In addition to seeking out new positions such as producers, director of creative, and host of a travel show, Elton also launched Creators of Color, a platform dedicated to telling the tales of Black creators across various industries.

For Elton, making these changes is a crucial aspect of creative processes. The advice Elton gives younger Black creatives seeking to make a change in their career is to trust their instincts. "If there's no way to say Yes and it's not a No," Elton says. "This mantra has helped me make my career switch much more effective and true to my experience."

For a creator like Elton, who has numerous projects on his plate digital marketing plays an important role in telling the ongoing story. The goal of Elton is to be a "Master Storyteller." Both of his websites and his social media presence let him do just this. "I use my website as an opportunity for people to enter, have a seat, and get to know who I am," Elton says. "My social media is where people can continue my journey in real time."

You can learn more details about Elton and his life through his website.