Today we’d like to introduce you to LaWana Firyali Richmond.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was an undergraduate pursuing a degree in business administration and operations management, I participated in the gig economy, long before the phrase had been coined. I supplemented my limited fixed income by serving in a variety of independent contractor roles. I helped organize special events. I sold advertising, exhibitor spaces and sponsorships. I cold called voters to raise money for candidates. I developed infrastructure and processes for small businesses and nonprofit organizations, I built websites. I provided general administrative and technical support to individuals and organizations. I vacuumed the halls.
At the time I didn’t realize I was doing anything special because I was a single mother and full-time student just trying to make ends meet. When I thought I had finished school, I entered the workforce full time and left my independent projects behind, for a while. Academically, I have a bachelors degree in business administration with an emphasis on operations management, a masters degree in information systems, and a doctorate of education in educational leadership. My current certifications are Project Management Professional, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Social Media Management, and Prosci Change Management.
Professionally, I have worked for small businesses, global retail enterprises, national textile services corporations, and private non-profit social services. I have also worked as a research associate for a private action research firm. I have engaged in the direct supervision of teams ranging in size from 3 to 35. My most recent professional experience has been working in higher education in roles ranging from financial administration to technical project management with the most recent change being to manage organizational development with an emphasis on strategy implementation and process improvement.
My business is tied to my desire to leverage my professional knowledge and skills in support of community development and social justice. I believe I am able to provide a very specialized and unique perspective towards positive outcomes. It is my fervent desire for people to realize and actuate the power to make their own dreams come true. Firyali means extraordinary and I would like people to imagine extraordinary results in their own lives and be equipped with the knowledge to make those dreams reality.
Recently, I began with writing and speaking gigs and have now found myself curating special events and unique experiences. Before, it was about earning and learning. Now, it is about curating niched content and bringing people together for the experience. My recent focus has been on creating space for people to dream of the future they’d like to see and then reverse engineer the steps to make those dreams come true.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the greatest challenges is finding creative ways to finance my efforts. The events I create are a bit on the abstract/esoteric side, so they tend to be the less obvious choice.
At the same time, Also, because this is a labor of love, I struggle with making sure to take time to recharge. and replenish.
Firyali Visions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am currently most known for my passion for and expertise in the realm of Afrofuturism.
Beyond that, I have a history of providing structure and process to drive business outcomes. A long time ago, they used to call people like me efficiency experts. We look at a situation and provide recommendations for improved efficiency and effectiveness.
These days, it is a much more collaborative process that includes organizational development to reinforce change to make it sustainable and effective. Couple this with strong interests in futurism, social justice, and public service and it becomes interesting.
My work involves public speaking, discussion facilitation, workshops, presentations, and creating entertaining educational opportunities. In many ways, my focus is on bring my visions as well as the visions of others to fruition. My business, as well as my vision for it, is currently evolving as I explore different configurations and methodology.
At the heart of it all, I remain a researcher and educator with a particular skill set.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define success as meeting or exceeding my or your wildest dreams. In some cases, success can be defined by the number of people impacted exceeding my imagination such as was the case with the recent Afrofuturism Lounge.
We were hoping to attract a hundred or so people and ended up with 700 RSVPs. It didn’t go beyond 700 because we capped the number of tickets available online. We were expecting some attrition, but if there was any, it was offset by walk-ins. It was a robust couple of days. Success is also reflected in the audience response, such as the time I went to San Diego City College to speak with students about one of my books and experiences I hoped they could learn from and they hugged me and thanked me for sharing parts of my journey from San Diego City College to being Dr. LaWana Richmond.
Success is implementing one of the visions that came out of the Afrofuturism Dream Tank in June by organizing Marcus Garvey Black Family Unity Day at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 5401 Skyline Drive, San Diego, CA on 8/19/18 from 10 am – 5 pm.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.firyali.com
- Phone: 619-796-3479
- Email: info@firyali.com
- Instagram: firyvisions
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/firyvisions
- Twitter: @firyvisions
- Yelp: Firyali Visions
- Other: Firyali Visions
Image Credit:
Angela Nixon, Keithan Jones
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
