Culture, Calling, And Becoming

Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Host Crystal Renee Hazlett sits down with Imani Ellis, the founder of CultureCon, to discuss her journey from a corporate vice president at NBC

Key takeaways

• Imani Ellis founded CultureCon in 2016 as a small gathering in her apartment for ten friends.
• Ellis balanced a high-level corporate role at NBC while simultaneously scaling CultureCon for five years.

Main topics

• Entrepreneurial scaling
• Burnout and recovery

Notable quotes

The pressure is a privilege.

Conclusion

The episode serves as an inspiring blueprint for creators on how to sc

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Lisa, tell them about our new show. We have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie to Me. I'm Lexi Iwano. We're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa DiGiulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions. And at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. Now in my 30s, being the founder of New Shoes, good taste is my business. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 4 (0:35) I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcast. The true crime comedy podcast all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week I bring on an amazing guest. Speaker 5 (0:47) Ooh, I scammed him. What? I could talk to you for an hour. Speaker 4 (0:50) You're a generational yapper, like me. That's why I had to make yapping a job. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube. Start listening to Scam Goddess on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 3 (1:05) Hi, this is Kylie Brakeman, Angela Speaker 4 (1:07) Geratana, Jeremy Colhane, Patrick McDonald, Speaker 5 (1:10) and Speaker 3 (1:10) we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists podcast, the Speaker 5 (1:14) improvised character comedy podcast, where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. Speaker 3 (1:22) And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. Speaker 5 (1:28) He gets right up next to the microphone. Speaker 3 (1:30) I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes hit each other. Speaker 5 (1:33) You've never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Speaker 3 (1:38) Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 4 (1:46) So like by age 11 or so, at least 70 % have a phone. Speaker 6 (1:50) I'm Dr. Joy, and this is Therapy for Black Girls. We spend our surviving middle school run getting into what's happening inside your kid's brain, the group chats, and their friendships, and what you can do about it. Speaker 5 (2:01) Your child is not doing this on purpose. Speaker 6 (2:04) That's the kind of perspective we've been pulling from the psychologists and psychiatrists who study this for a living. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (2:15) Self-care September is your reminder to slow down, check in with yourself, get off your phone, and maybe ask, why am I like this? I'm Gemma Speck, host of the Psychology of Your 20s podcast, and this month we're helping you make sense of the person that you are becoming, from setting boundaries and navigating friendships, to understanding anxiety, confidence, relationships, and attachment. Sometimes our biggest decisions, without us even realizing it, aren't driven by what we truly want, but by what will prevent us from feeling lonely or being alone. Listen to The Psychology of Your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 1 (2:58) Hey, everybody, it's me, W. Kamau Bell. This season on my podcast, Who's With Me, I speak with Bruce Lee's daughter, Brandon Lee's sister, and my friend, Shannon Lee. Speaker 6 (3:07) Back to your initial point of stewarding my father's legacy and giving my energy to that. You're lending your life to stewarding somebody else's life. Speaker 1 (3:19) Listen to Who's With Me with W. Kamau Bell on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 5 (3:27) You broke me. You do Speaker 1 (3:29) not Speaker 5 (3:30) deserve happiness. Speaker 3 (3:31) I'm Andrea Gunning. On this season of Betrayal, Carl thought he was living a normal, drama-free life until the messages started. Speaker 5 (3:40) Someone's not going to make it out of this alive. Speaker 3 (3:42) Every piece of evidence pointed to the wrong guy. Speaker 5 (3:46) He was not going to stop unless we stopped him. Speaker 3 (3:50) Listen to Betrayal Season 6 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 2 (4:22) Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Sometimes the thing God gives you starts as an idea, but over time it becomes responsibility. And when what you build starts impacting thousands of people, the question becomes bigger than how do I make this successful? Today's conversation is about culture, leadership, and faith. Season 13 is here, baby. Today's guest, I'm sitting down with Amani Ellis, founder of CultureCon and someone who has created one of the most important spaces for black and brown creators to connect and learn. But today, I want to talk about the woman behind all of that. We're getting into leadership, the faith that grounds her, and what it really takes to build something this big without allowing it to become your entire identity. Kia Stanley, please give a very warm welcome to my sister, Imani Ellis. Imani! Hi, Speaker 8 (5:22) friend. You are here. I'm so excited. Oh, Speaker 2 (5:25) my gosh. I was Speaker 8 (5:26) waiting. I was like, when does it make the most sense? Now. Now. Speaker 2 (5:29) Now. And you are kicking off season 13 of Keep It Positive, sweetie. Honey, we are kicking off with a bang. So proud of you and everything that you have accomplished. I have been a fan of yours before I even knew you. And I was just like, you're just one of those people that you see and it's like, man, she's doing it. And then to see how it's grown over the years. I'm just honored to call you a friend and to have actually been a friend. part of what you have done for our culture Speaker 8 (5:54) which is Speaker 2 (5:55) culture con if you've been under rock but Speaker 8 (5:57) the feeling is so mutual and I know I tell you this all the time I'm just like your ambition matched with like your values and your kindness like that combination is just it's unique and it's rare and so I'm just so honored to be here and to be your friend Speaker 2 (6:13) Thank you so much. I love that it's mutual. Before we get started, because I want to talk to you about a lot of things, I want to play a game with you. It's called Frame It or Trash It. So you have spent so much time thinking about and cultivating the culture for us. I want to do a little culture audit. I'm going to ask you a few things. And I want you to take this gold frame if you feel like it is something that we should hold on to. Okay. And then if it's something we should trash, you're going to pick up the trash. Oh, Speaker 4 (6:44) this is so Speaker 2 (6:44) cute. Right? Shout out Shelly for these cute games. Shelly. I am loving it. All right. So the first thing is, do we keep this? Are we going to frame it? Are we going to trash it? The first one is, can I pick your brain without absolutely any context? We are going to trash it. Yes. I Speaker 8 (7:02) get so triggered by pick your brain. Even like the phrase, I think I believe in mentorship. I believe in community and opening the door, but you've got to do a little bit of research first. I think the number one question I get is why did you start culture con? And I'm always like, if you really get in front of someone. You shouldn't ask the like most generic question. Right. Speaker 2 (7:23) You Speaker 8 (7:23) got to trash that. Speaker 2 (7:24) Trash it. I love it. I'm the same way. All right. The next one is gatekeeping information because nobody helped you when you were coming up. Speaker 8 (7:31) Oh, we got to trash that. Speaker 2 (7:32) You got to trash it. I Speaker 8 (7:34) think for me, the whole point is that it should get easier with every generation. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't work for things. You shouldn't get things. But like gatekeeping for the sake of I had to suffer, you have to suffer too. No. Speaker 2 (7:45) Yeah, I hate that. I'm with you on that one. Working for exposure when everyone else is on projects and getting paid. Speaker 8 (7:54) Okay, now this one's a little controversial, Speaker 2 (7:56) but Speaker 8 (7:56) I'm going to frame it. Yes. I'm going to frame it because I think we've gotten to a place where we really think that money is the only currency. Now, money is important, but I did so many opportunities for... I just need to learn. I need to become an expert. I need to get into the room. I need to see what's possible. And I think about how many things if I said no to them, I wouldn't have gotten that experience. And so I think you've got to ask yourself, okay, it might not be paying me, but what else is it paying me in? Education, communication, relationships. I'm gonna frame that one. Speaker 2 (8:30) I'm with you on that, sis. That's good. All right. The last one is feeling like you have to be in every room because you were invited. Oh, Speaker 8 (8:39) we got to trash Speaker 2 (8:40) it. Now, you know. Speaker 8 (8:43) I'm a girl of seasonality. Yes. I really believe in. on seasons and off seasons. And you should experience everything once, even if it means you know that you don't want to experience it again. But don't let it be you just want to be in the room to be in the room. What's the purpose? Speaker 2 (9:00) What is the purpose? I love that. And I want to know one thing happening in the creative culture right now that you feel that we should absolutely frame and protect. If there was something you could point out. Speaker 8 (9:13) You know what? I want to frame and protect Alandria. Speaker 2 (9:18) I want to Speaker 8 (9:19) frame and protect her. I'm also, I used to live in Alabama. I love that she's from Alabama. I just love how we are all putting our arms around her and just rooting for her. And I love that she's so unapologetically herself. Speaker 2 (9:34) It's just so Speaker 8 (9:34) refreshing. I feel like in every room she's consistent. I'm rooting for her. I Speaker 2 (9:40) love it. I love it. Thank you for playing. Oh, that was so Speaker 8 (9:42) cute. Speaker 2 (9:42) And did you notice that picture in the frame? Now, listen, Speaker 8 (9:45) I Speaker 2 (9:45) was like, Speaker 8 (9:45) you guys, it's a little, it's me and Chris at Culture Con. I was so excited to have you there last year. Oh, my Speaker 2 (9:52) goodness. You. You Speaker 8 (9:54) had just, remember you were filming a movie? Speaker 2 (9:56) Yes, literally, yeah. And Speaker 8 (9:57) you came in, I said. How do you have time to sleep? Speaker 2 (10:01) You did. You were like, how? How? Speaker 8 (10:02) And I remember you saying, Imani, I'm so grateful for this life. I remember my why. And that stuck with me because I was really tired that day. Oh, Speaker 2 (10:11) I can imagine. But Speaker 8 (10:12) after talking to you, I said, well, I know she's on a show. She's on a movie. She's got a podcast. And I think it reminded me that the pressure is a privilege. So I love this picture. Can I keep this? Speaker 2 (10:22) Absolutely. It's my gift to you. So cute. Amazing. I love that. That was such a good touch. Such a good picture. Right? You had some good photographers there. Okay. Amazing. So let's get into it. You are known for Culture Con. incredible platform that you have built for us by us. So proud of you. It started in 2016 in your apartment with 10 friends. Yes. Take us back to that evening. I want to just put me back in that moment. Speaker 8 (10:54) It's so interesting because you don't even know that there are moments until you look back. I was just like, I want to bring my friends from different swim lanes together. So I had a really good friend that was like a talent booker and I had a really good friend that was like a lawyer and a really good friend that was an artist. and all the networking events I was going to were very like siloed. It was for publicists. It was for this. It was for that. And every single room was, what do you do? Where do you live? Speaker 2 (11:24) Which Speaker 8 (11:24) if you think about it, those are such like snapshot questions Speaker 2 (11:26) because Speaker 8 (11:27) what I do and where I live could be changing all Speaker 2 (11:29) the Speaker 8 (11:30) time. So you don't really get to know me. And so I invited these friends to my living room. And the only rule was that you had to bring someone that you could vouch for because it was my living room. Yes. And I needed to know just like, who are these people? And so the prompt of the night was, what are you working on? And it can't Speaker 2 (11:49) be Speaker 8 (11:49) work. Speaker 2 (11:50) Oh, I love that. It can't Speaker 8 (11:52) be Speaker 2 (11:52) work. Speaker 8 (11:52) I made tacos. I made, you know, little seven-layer dip. You got Speaker 2 (11:57) to Speaker 8 (11:57) try my seven-layer dip. Speaker 2 (11:57) Ooh. Speaker 8 (11:58) Invite me over. I will, girl, because it's pretty good. And I was so surprised because people went around the circle, and they were talking about... I'm working on imposter syndrome. I'm working on my relationship with my mom. And these are people who have never met each other. Like I'm friends with them individually, but they were just so vulnerable. And so that ends and everyone's leaving. And my friend, Michael, he goes, when's the next one? I was like, I have a full-time job at NBC. Like this was just a, I did it go forth. Speaker 2 (12:27) But Speaker 8 (12:28) I said, you know what? I'll do another one. Speaker 2 (12:30) And Speaker 8 (12:31) that was the origin of CultureCon. And so it really started with this idea that you could bring together all these different people, not for the sake of what can you give me, but for the sake of like, let's share our stories and just build community. Speaker 2 (12:45) I love that. I love that. So you said you had a full-time job at NBC. At what moment did you know, wait a minute, this thing that started in my living room has gotten to a point where I can't do this anymore? Speaker 8 (12:59) Crystal, I was in such denial. Like, I wanted to be a corporate girly in my corporate office. I had a corner office. I was a black vice president. I loved my job. Like, I was a publicist wearing black behind the scenes. And so it never crossed my mind in the early days, not once, not once to be an entrepreneur. I really thought, oh, like. I'll do this on the side and it'll be how I give back to my community. But this will be my corporate job at NBC. Speaker 2 (13:29) And Speaker 8 (13:30) I was doing them both at the same time for like five years. Speaker 2 (13:33) Wow. And Speaker 8 (13:34) then one day it got to a point where my boss was like, Imani, you're going to lead comms on BravoCon. Speaker 2 (13:40) And Speaker 8 (13:41) I was like, I'm so excited. But BravoCon and CultureCon were a week apart. Oh, wow. Girl, I was fighting for my life. I can't imagine. Because BravoCon was 30,000 people. And then a week later, CultureCon was 10,000 people. And I was still a vice president. I was still managing like 12 people, managing the internship project. And I was doing both jobs like really well. Like I had been promoted during CultureCon. So it wasn't even like I was like not doing my day job. Girl, I was delirious. I was so exhausted. And it was almost like the rubber band had to break. And I heard a whisper and it was like, it's time. Like you I had asked God can I be a vice president by 30, please just a very personal dream Yeah, Speaker 5 (14:29) I Speaker 8 (14:29) had that and it almost felt like God was like Imani I gave you what you asked for. Speaker 2 (14:35) Mm-hmm Speaker 8 (14:36) Are you gonna be now? Are you gonna be obedient because I'm calling you to something else? Speaker 2 (14:41) Yeah, and I Speaker 8 (14:42) really had to spend a lot of time because so much of my identity was I'm a vice president. Yes, I'm I'm ashamed of how intertwined it was. But I realized in that moment, if I don't try this, if I don't go for it, I'm going to regret it. And my mom said, Imani, you can always find a job. Speaker 2 (15:03) Yes. And Speaker 8 (15:04) that kind of surprised me because I don't know. I thought my parents were like, what do you mean you're quitting? Right. Speaker 2 (15:09) Most parents are like, wait a minute now. She Speaker 8 (15:10) was like, you can always find another job. And that little whisper, I was like, it's time to be. Shout out to mom. Girl. Wow. The day that I quit my job, I signed our biggest client that exact same day. And it was just a little God nod that was like, you don't have to live in scarcity. You can go from something to something. Come on. Speaker 4 (15:35) Something. Something Speaker 8 (15:36) to Speaker 4 (15:36) something. Speaker 8 (15:36) Is that a blessing? It doesn't have to be. You're going into the valley and you have to be desperate now. And it was so, I think that's why God is so, he has a sense of humor. He does. It's so subtle. Because I'm like, you're telling me the day that I put in my notice. And I put in my notice a year before I left. Speaker 2 (15:51) Wow. I Speaker 8 (15:52) gave them a year notice. Wow. Which people are like. But I loved my boss. It wasn't like a girl. Speaker 2 (15:59) And Speaker 8 (15:59) so I gave her a year notice. I reminded her every month. Now you know. Nine more. Eight more months. Six more months. Get Speaker 2 (16:05) ready. Speaker 8 (16:06) Because it's coming. It's coming. And then to that day when it was time to leave, that's when I closed my biggest brand deal Speaker 2 (16:13) that I'd ever Speaker 8 (16:14) closed. Speaker 2 (16:15) That is incredible. Wow. So many different things. Speaker 2 (16:22) I want to know, like, that moment where you heard that whisper and God was like, it's time, Imani, let's go. And you finally got to the point, okay, I'm going to surrender this. What was it like? Because a lot of times people hear about what it feels like to go from hearing it to actually doing it. What was that time period where you finally told your boss this is what it was? And, like, how did you feel in that moment of going through that? Speaker 8 (16:43) Well, when I first heard it, I ignored it because I hadn't been a vice president yet. I was a director. Got Speaker 2 (16:49) it. Speaker 8 (16:49) And so I heard it's time to leave. And I was like, I said, I'm not a vice president yet. And so I kind of pushed it away like, please. Speaker 2 (17:02) But Speaker 8 (17:02) it just was, you know, almost kind of like when you just keep coming back to a thought. Speaker 2 (17:06) It Speaker 8 (17:06) just was there. And then my boss said, Imani, we're promoting you to vice president. So then I was like, oh, we're getting OK. So I got what I asked for. And then it came back. OK, now I've given you what you've asked for. Are you going to be obedient? And my dad, you know, he gave really good advice. He was like, Imani, why don't you put some fundamental things in place so that it's not so scary? You start saving up for that for to leave. Start acting like you're going to leave and you need to put a date on the calendar. And so I put a date on that calendar. I put it on my actual calendar. It was called D-Day. I'm not, it was called, it was called D-Day. It was on my calendar. And it was basically, I was like, you know what? I'm going to do a successful BravoCon. Speaker 2 (17:54) I'm Speaker 8 (17:54) going to do a successful CultureCon. And then a month later, I'm going to give them a year notice. That I'm gonna leave. And so I put it on the calendar right after my birthday and the day came I'm having a great day in the office. I walk into my boss's office. I'm so I walk in she's not there I'm like, I guess I can't do it. Yeah. Oh See can't do it. Right. She was she just gonna get some coffee. Ah, I go into her office I say, oh, can we talk Jen? She goes come in. I sit down I shut the door and I just look at her and she goes no Speaker 2 (18:29) She already knew that woman's intuition. She's like, I know what you have to do. No. She goes, Speaker 8 (18:33) who's taking you? Who? Speaker 2 (18:36) You're like, I am. I said, Speaker 8 (18:37) Jin, I'm moving to Atlanta. And I'm going to go be full time at Culture Con. Speaker 2 (18:43) Wow. And Speaker 8 (18:45) it was the most beautiful. It was one of those things where I had started off as her assistant. Yeah. Speaker 2 (18:51) I had been with Speaker 8 (18:53) her for 10 years.