Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Douglas.
Hi Monique, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My husband and I have always had a love for community and family. Through our life journey, we have had the privilege of mentoring individuals of all ages, helping them to grow from good to great! During the pandemic, we had what we call a “collision” with the owner of the Brooklyn Collective in Charlotte, Jason Wolf, while searching for a photography studio for my husband’s business. Little did we know it would turn into so much more!
A synergy of like minds colliding led to our understanding the actual vision Jason had for a place of inclusivity that honored history and served as a location that promotes & supports entrepreneurship and a celebration of the arts. We realized that this location we had selected held so much more value than a place for us to make money with our branding and consulting firm; it would become a hub in uptown Charlotte for the intersection of History, Humanity & Artistry as our tag line indicates. We utilized our location during the pandemic to fill in the gaps we began to see. Studios & venues throughout Charlotte were closing, and creatives had no place to shoot their projects or to perform. So we opened our doors to many local photographers, artists & musicians at no charge to allow them to utilize our infinity wall to continue their crafts to make money to survive. Musicians could live stream at no cost from our location even when they couldn’t have an audience so that they could have a more professional atmosphere than their living room or garage. As a result, even when the pandemic restrictions lifted, many wanted to continue performing, and little did we know we would become a place known for quality Jazz & R&B for a maturer crowd in the city. We are a favorite because we are known for our standard of excellence and dignity, reflective of the founders of the very block in which we reside. We sit nestled between two historic buildings within the Queen’s City of Charlotte on what was known as the black wall street of a thriving black community known as Brooklyn.
Our goal is to continue to raise the bar for our community. We want to be the location in Charlotte unique for not dummying down the rich history of our block; a location that honors it by speaking about it and demonstrating that we are a model of what it looks like when individuals from diverse backgrounds can come together for the betterment of our community. We want to be known as the hub in Charlotte that provides a space for social interactions that generate meaningful conversations and collaborations that may not have happened had it not been for a “collision” at South Brevard and Third Street at Studio 229 on Brevard at the Brooklyn Collective.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has certainly been a challenging road, as all entrepreneurs can attest. Jason Wolf frequently says, “Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart.” We can start with the fact that we opened our brick and mortar 6 weeks before COVID-19. Imagine our shock when we were told we had to “shelter in place.” Although like many, we had to pause & pivot, we continued to develop ways to morphe our business. As each phase of restrictions was lifted, we had to shift again and create new products and services to keep us afloat. Creativity was a must. We are grateful to be “still standing” and thriving in a time when many businesses did not survive. It’s quite humbling.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Here is the fun part! Because we run a Branding & Consulting Firm, many need to understand that we are successful because both my husband and I have backgrounds as creatives. It is what makes our firm unique. We offer the professionalism and stellar service that keeps us standing out, and we understand the creative side of branding for our clients because we both bring creative energy to everything we do.
My husband’s art is his photography. He is known as CapturedbyKevin and is one of Charlotte’s favorites for quality and dynamic imagery. He loves what he does, and you can see it in his work for high profiles including Charlotte’s own Hugh McColl and Oprah. My art is the written & spoken word. As an author of 5 books and a poet & spoken word artist, it’s a joy to help our clients strategize and formulate effective ways to articulate their brand message in the marketplace dynamically.
What sets us apart is that after getting married during the pandemic, we merged our brands and are able, due to our skill sets as creatives, to offer clients a 360-degree experience as we assist them in their branding needs. Of course, having fun with our clients and building meaningful relationships as we help them reach levels of success is the most rewarding part of what we do.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Our commitment to the community is deep. The community can support the meaningful work we are engaged in through monetary donations or by volunteering for our nonprofit Grooming Greatness Foundation. Visit www.GroomingGreatness.org to learn more. Our mission is to teach grooming to our youth ages 9-16 and to do so through exposure to the visual & performing arts. I would be remiss if I did not, as the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Collective, mention that this is also the nonprofit that sustains the historical buildings of our block and provides resources and support to the small businesses, nonprofits and artists in residence within their walls. Support for this organization can be found at www.brooklyncollectiveclt.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cbkbrandingandconsulting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniquedouglas/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquestubbshall/
Image Credits
Kevin Douglas Devon Green Chloe Holliday
