Today we’d like to introduce you to Felice Kimbrew.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Felice. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
It all started when I was in the 7th grade. I was brought into the auditorium to attend a lecture about the music industry. At the time, I was heavily influenced by music. My father was a lover of Chicago house music, and my mother was an old school jazz R&B soul lover. I was born jamming to Prince, Whitney Houston En Vogue, SWV, Xscape and Michael Jackson. I received my first set of Michael Jackson albums for my birthday before high school and to this day, I can never forget dancing in front of the dining room mirror and singing along to the songs. I studied and respected the artists that came before me, even though they were before my time.
I had a hidden passion in high school, I loved to sing. My father was an amazing singer; and my grandfather, Nathaniel Pendleton, was a member of The Dontells; a Chicago group managed and distributed by the legendary Beltone label. So, it ran in the family for years so I always knew was that I was created to move people with my talents as well. At the time, I just knew it would be because of my voice, but that particular dream soon came to an end.
Going back to the lecture where this all started, I remember having absolutely no idea what the lecture would be about beforehand. However, afterward, I remember going home very disappointed about what I heard. The man spoke of artists I had looked up to in the industry that were selling gimmicks, and how the media was invented to persuade our way of thinking, and manipulate our decisions. I was very distraught and even cried to my mother about it as well. However, afterward, I was convinced I wanted to change that.
Fast forward to college, this lead to my decision to major in Media Studies, with a concentration in Industry Production at Governors State University. I was among the first set of residents to move into the first dormitory halls for the University, and the first Prairie Place Hall Council President on campus. I worked diligently with the Black Student Union, Student Senate, Program Council, Global Citizenship Committee, and other organizations to promote the wellness and social life on the campus. My first on campus job was working as a Production Assistant with the Digital Learning & Media Design Department.
Working with the Digital Media Learning Department at GSU, I obtained a multitude of skills. The semester after my start, I was asked to join the sports media program and work as the Assistant Editor and Assistant Cinematographer for the bi-weekly segment. Working with the sports host and camera operator five days a week, I quickly gained knowledge of the sports production world. I even helped create a sports promo, along with team members, for the first ever sports program at GSU. After my first year working with the sports team, I was promoted to work as the co-producer of the GSUcampus news show, T.W.A.G (This Week At GSU).
During my last few semesters of college, I was nominated for two Awards, “Rising Star” and “Scholarly Student” for GSU’s Black Women Rock Awards Ceremony; an annual award show at Governors State University designed to celebrate, empower and uplift women. I was later inducted into both Tau Sigma and Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society and received four Student Leadership awards for the school year. I was appointed Vice President of the Delta Delta Chapter of Tau Sigma Honors and also assisted in initiating the creation of the first ever GSU Media Society Club Organization in my very last year as an undergraduate.
I was honored to not only walk across the stage with honors finishing strong with a 3.0 GPA, but also by singing the National Anthem in front of my colleagues and peers. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to give back while graduating from Governors State University.
That summer, I interned with the Village of Hazel Crest cable station, under the supervision of Ms. Carla Gamble, the cable coordinator at the time; and Ms. Carolyn Carter, the Director of Community Relations. I’m just a couple of years times, I was promoted to Cable Coordinator/Producer for the station, which is still my role currently. My duties include producing segments and pieces to assist with publicizing community events and alerts residents to important news and information.
I additionally have been honored to work with Mayor Vernard Alsberry Jr, who is currently the Mayor of the Village of Hazel Crest, Democratic Committeeman of Bremen Township, President of the Mayors and Managers of the South Suburban area and President of the Southland Regional Black Mayoral Caucus. I’ve assisted in major productions and produced for political campaigns in the last two years.
Since graduating from college and working full time in my field, I’ve assisted other media organizations with creating material to promote their message. This was until I decided to start my own. In my free time, I dedicate myself to highlighting positive images in our Chicagoland areas that the media refuse to outline. I spend time working with small companies, organizations, freelancers, and entrepreneurs that need help with their digital marketing and social media management.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve always considered the road to success is a bumpy one. Never straight forward, never easy, and never predictable. After my first year of college at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois; I was expelled. I lost my $10,000 scholarship that I gained in high school directly after my first year in college. My first semester into my freshmen year I found out I was pregnant, at the same time I found out I was having a miscarriage. It was such an emotional experience. The semester directly after that, I lost a close friend of mine due to a heart disease.
Shortly after I was attempting to get reinstated into the university all while dealing with an abusive relationship, my parents divorcing, drugs, alcohol and other peer pressures caused by being surrounded by the wrong group of people. The spur of events eventually resulted in me losing my scholarship, being expelled from the school, and getting evicted out of my apartment.
I then moved back to Chicago and continued earning my associate’s degree while working three part-time jobs, all while maintaining good grades with the goal of getting accepted into another university, which I, of course, accomplished with my acceptance into GSU.
I think a lot about what I went through in my previous years and I couldn’t be more thankful to have endured the hardships that I did. It truly shaped me into becoming the woman I am today. Through all of my trials and tribulations, I could never cry about having too much on my plate if my goal was to eat! My advice to young women along their journey is to never ever stop pushing. I’ve had people twice my age and well established in their careers tell me that I was involved in too much and I would never exceed. I’ve had advisors attempt to silence me because I was extremely outspoken. I’ve had professors look me in my face and tell me my goals were too high. I’ve had a counselor tell me that she would not assist me in my endeavors because I didn’t live up to her standards.
Never be afraid to fight through all the challenges no matter what life throws at you.
The key is believing in yourself and all that you are. Knowing that there is something inside of you that is greater than ANY obstacle. These obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for. The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow and if you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead much to anywhere.
Get involved ladies. Find a mentor, someone you look up to, inherit a mentee of your own, join a women’s group, attend a workshop, get involved in your community, find other women that have the same similar interests and are career oriented like yourself. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and share your story! Make yourself known, create business cards, develop a social media platform and presence that welcomes everyone to share with you. These are all the things that helped me get to where I am today.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about FMK Media – what should we know?
I’m a Digital Media Specialist. I write, produce, film, and edit content for all platforms. I curate content for small business entrepreneurs and produce digital media content for online marketing. I’ve produced content accumulating over 100,000 views across all streams and I specialize in branding those that are in need of help creating an online presence.
For a while I was known as “the video girl”… and now, I assist in all areas of digital media.
I enjoy highlighting those who feel as though they don’t have a voice. Sometimes the best exposure is just that, exposure. There is a lot of pressure placed on our women entrepreneurs to be so much better than the next or previous person. I don’t necessarily believe in that philosophy. I believe that sharing your wealth, sharing your knowledge and creating a platform for those to share their story is just as important. If we focus too much on becoming better than the “next” person, we’ll never focus on ourselves. If we stop competing with others, we start competing with ourselves. If we commit to becoming the best person we need to be, we start falling in love with ourselves, and learning how to let go of toxic relationships, we start learning how to invest in ourselves financially, we start learning how to flourish in our careers.
I’m passionate about bringing back positive images into all media platforms and working with non-profit organizations and other professionals to ensure that these images revert back into our streams. I volunteer to assist young entrepreneurs in branding and serve as a mentor to a few high school students and college-bound seniors. I am 100% positive that this is my calling.
I’ve performed in festivals, lectured to high school seniors over the past few years, been interviewed on the radio, and highlighted for my community service. I am beyond blessed and honored to do what I love!
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Get involved ladies. Find a mentor, someone you look up to, inherit a mentee of your own, join a women’s group, attend a workshop, get involved in your community, find other women that have the same similar interests and are career oriented like yourself. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and share your story! Make yourself known, create business cards, develop a social media platform and presence that welcomes everyone to share with you. These are all the things that helped me get to where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.felicemkimbrew.com
- Phone: 708-227-2190
- Email: felicemkimbrew@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicemonet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicemkimbrew/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicekimbrew/
Image Credit:
Felice M. Kimbrew, Chela Cervantes Photography, Jasemine Denise Photography, Freddie BLACK Photography
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