BABE #343: DANIELLE GRAY - CEO, DG Marketing Co.
Danielle’s hustles keep her constantly on-the-go, typically on the road, and often in front of a crowd—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Based in Atlanta, she’s the CEO and Content Marketing Strategist of DG Marketing Company, the co-founder of UNOIA, and the co-founder of The 4211 Experience. While her roles differ, the end result is the same: foster genuine human connections through storytelling, quality product and unique experiences. Danielle believes in living boldly in our truths and operating outside of what we’re told we’re “supposed” to do—values we can certainly get behind here at BWH.
The Basics:
Hometown: Stone Mountain, Georgia
Current city: Atlanta, Georgia
Alma mater: Jacksonville University
Degree: B.S., Business Administration - Concentration: Marketing; MBA
Very first job: Finishline (The shoe store in the mall!)
Hustle: CEO, DG Marketing Co.; Co-Founder, UNOIA; Co-Founder, 4211 Experience
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
Oprah. She literally came from nothing and kept pushing through every obstacle to create an empire. She constantly works to inspire others to experience the pure happiness that no amount of money can buy. She also gives back generously to others in need.
How do you spend your free time?
Hiking, meditating, and going to the spa
Favorite fictional female character? Why?
My favorite is Shuri, from “Black Panther”; she’s Black Panther’s younger sister. She is literally the first character I saw on a big screen who represents me. It was really cool!
Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
French 75; I call it the evening mimosa.
What would you eat for your very last meal?
If it’s my last, then I clearly don’t care about carbs! Pasta.
What’s something you want to learn or master?
I’d like to master stillness. I move around and mind racing everyday with ideas. I’ve learned when you are just still, those ideas come much more effortlessly.
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Issa Rae. I’d want to sit with her to learn how she motivated herself before her career took off. She’s also hilarious and very authentic.
What’s something most don’t know about you?
I love boxing.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I have a few titles and roles. The first is content marketing strategist and CEO of DG Marketing Company. In this role, I mostly travel around the country and teach marketers about how they can create genuine content marketing in a super fake world. Secondly, I am the cofounder of UNOIA (meaning “beautiful thinking”), which is a CBD company my partner and I started in Atlanta last year. We sell CBD-infused honey and agave products. My role is marketing and overall strategy. Thirdly, I am the cofounder of The 4211 Experience. We provide vulnerable experiences for people to network. I help with the marketing and the experience creation with brands like Goorin Brothers, Decatur Boxing, and local restaurant Feedel Bistro.
What does your typical workday look like?
Literally, every day is different. It ranges from traveling and speaking in front of 80 people to going to an entertainment networking event here in Atlanta. I wear many hats, because honestly, I’d get crazy-bored if I only had one to wear. Have you seen my hat collection?!
Have you always had a passion for storytelling?
My dad is a speaker too, and he’s always taught me things in story form. I definitely got it from him! I’ve learned that storytelling is one of the most memorable ways to provide information. I started speaking professionally because I needed to educate the people around me so that I could do my job better. It was definitely a necessity that grew into a passion.
What tools do you use at work?
Balance is something I struggle with, because every one of my businesses is a part of my overall mission: reminding people of genuine connection. The one task management tool I’ve been using is making a to-do, doing, done list. This allows me to track what needs to be done, what I’m in the process of doing, and what I’ve accomplished. I also use Trello to send myself reminders so that I can remain on track. I’m definitely a work in progress.
What’s been your biggest career milestone?
The biggest milestone was a presentation I had at a regional conference in Asheville. It was called “Four and Half Steps to Ignite and Sustain Passion.” This was the first time I didn’t speak about content marketing. It was one of the most vulnerable moments of my life and from that point, I no longer have a “business me” and “personal me,” I have merged them into one. It’s the first time I’ve felt so unapologetic.
How has being an LGBTQ+ woman of color affected your professional experience?
Oddly, being a tall (6’0) LGBTQ woman of color in an industry that lacks much diversity helps me stand out. Standing out makes you memorable; that can be good and bad. Overall, I approach life as a person and speak about it as such. I’ve found we are much more alike than different, because we all face the same human issues like acceptance, failure, and love. Overall, it’s not quite realistic to create spaces just for my demographic. The best thing we can do as people is truly listen to the perspectives of people who aren’t like us. I found it alarming that so many women in my audience could not even relate (or even knew) that as a black woman, I am often followed around stores in fear I will steal. It’s just being more aware that we all have very different experiences. I am far too many “diversity checks” to care about finding a place just for people like me. I love people. It would just be nice for them to understand differing perspectives.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
As a speaker, I look up to Ann Handley. She was the first speaker I saw and knew I wanted to do the exact same thing. She’s an author as well, which is something I’d like to pursue.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
For life: be yourself. There is literally no one like you; act like it. As far as marketing: listen and solve, not tell and share. Every person we interact with has emotion; we need to listen to what’s being said and what’s not and find a solution that speaks directly to their issues.
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