Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey E. Johnson.
Hi Lindsey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a true Florida girl, originally from Orlando, trained in Tallahassee and paid in Miami. I’m a graduate of the number one HBCU, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University where I studied Public Relations. Throughout college I was super involved in student activities including hosting various campus events, FAMU’s first college marketing ambassador for Victoria’s Secret Pink, Images Modeling Troupe, PRodigy, our student-run PR firm, and joined the ORIGINAL Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. My civic and social experiences throughout college shaped my desire to work in communications. After school I was determined to get to a bigger city. Atlanta, New York and LA were on the table but Miami called first and about seven years ago I arrived in Miami Beach to begin my career in Public Relations.
Today I am an independent Publicity and Events Manager. My professional introduction to PR was through an agency in Miami Beach where I worked with executives to amplify the brand of hotels and restaurants in South Beach and Coconut Grove. This is where I honed my skills of interacting with media and planning events. I was also introduced to the hospitality culture where I learned about restaurant protocol, concept, menus and so on. This sparked my love for the diverse hospitality and entertainment culture Miami has. Over the years I’ve discovered South Florida through work and on my own time but I noticed one thing… when out and about at Miami’s most popular destinations, I seldom encounter other local Black folks.
Now there’s a bit of a reason for this; I’ve learned of Miami’s complicated race relations and decline of Black neighborhoods in past years which has been a deterrent. Plus the physical distance of areas where Black residents choose to settle in relation to entertainment districts is also a factor. But with so much re-development happening across counties there are more activities to discover. BUT the accessibility is not yet there. In 2018 this inspired me to create www.BlackMiamiLifestyle.com. BML is a resource for leisure and entertainment places to go and things to do. Fast forward to now, I’ve just announced the Black Miami Lifestyle Diner’s Club. The club will introduce Black residents to some of the best restaurants and lounge locations South Florida has to offer. My hope is that my community uses this activity as a way to become familiar in and around Miami and comfortable with trying new things.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Let me just give you a resounding NO! Once I decided to step away from working within an agency things got a little rough. I am a full-time contractor in my field and a part-time lifestyle enthusiast. This basically means I work for myself in a capacity that is solely reliant on me. I’ve been blessed to work with companies and events like Miami Film Festival, Miami Open, BET, NFL and other business clients but staying hired was not always easy. As a consultant and contractor rejection is a part of the game even when your skills are needed for the job. At times this has weighed on my confidence. Adding a lifestyle brand into the mix with BML requires that I put myself out there a lot so to speak and self promotion is one of my least favorite things! I’ve found that connecting and collaborating with like-minded individuals and continuously seeking personal and professional development that strengthens my ability to promote my business acumen keeps me in the game. Let’s not forget GOD! Shoutout to Him for everything he’s doing in private.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Black Miami Lifestyle?
Black Miami Lifestyle provides accessibility to South Florida’s culture and entertainment. However, its larger mission, with my communications background is to leverage the visibility and merge inclusion of black businesses and creatives in South Florida’s mainstream tourism, culinary and entertainment happenings. BML is building to cultivate diversity in all spaces and at the same time make residents aware of the rich cultural landscape we have at our fingertips. At this time, I’m most excited about the January 2021 launch of the Black Miami Lifestyle Diner’s Club. To know Miami is to know its restaurants and we will explore them all. I’m proud to be in collaboration with colleagues who are experts in the culinary field as well as social contributors known in Miami. Together we are bringing something totally new and unique designed for our people to enjoy.
How do you define success?
I believe success is ever-evolving. To me it’s not just one big accomplishment high in the sky. It changes as we change and we all are successful in increments. I used to have lofty ideas about it but now I know that becoming more of myself and staying true to the things I want and how I do that is my success. Now more than ever I know I’m on the right ladder.
Contact Info:
- Email: blackmiamilifestyle@gmail.com
- Website: www.blackmiamilifestyle.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackmiamilifestyle
Image Credits
Cover photo and second photo (brown blazer) – Alexander Ad Agency Third photo (red blazer/look) – Lady E Photography
