For some, change can immobilize.
For Carla G., change is the thread that sews her story together. Born in Texas to an Army-Dad, Carla has lived in Georgia, Tacoma, and Virginia. So, change and realignment is nothing out of the ordinary for her. As a matter of fact, "change" seems to have fused itself into a form of vibranium to her. Come on, you know that special material from the Black Panther that was able to absorb sound waves, vibrations and kinetic energy. It was found to be incredibly durable, powerful, versatile and strong. Carla G. in a nutshell.
After graduating from Hampton University in Virginia, she decided to move to New York City to pursue her career in Communications. This is where my personal story with Carla began.
During Carla's tenure at the Food Network, she worked in the Marketing department. This is the chapter on her journey where certain realities started to hit home.
Fast forward to 2018, Carla is headlining her own multi-city tour as an independent artist.
During this interview you will learn about the challenges she faced being a recent college graduate working in a corporate environment, facing the music when things don't work out the way she thought it would have, the people who invested in her, and how each challenge encountered on the road to her dream has kept her humble.
INTERVIEW WITH CARLA G.
The Journey to Self-Discovery
TGK: What is the advice you would give to your 18-year-old self?
CARLA: Continue to be true to who you are. A lot of my childhood up through college, I was trying to be like everyone else. There were certain things that I stopped doing because I didn’t think it was cool. One of the things, that stuck out to me after reading Becoming Michelle Obama was the chapter, she spoke about her cousins asking her, why she spoke so white. That hit me because that was the double life I lived. I lost a little bit of my self-identity having to defend my authentic self. My advice is to continue to be yourself and revel in the things that you genuinely like. If you like something you like it. Continue your road to self-discovery. That’s where you lose yourself.
Also, you must pay attention and you must work hard. Usually, when people think they are working hard they are not. They’re just being busy. Busy and unproductive. It’s important to learn the difference early on. Make your time count.
The Process
TGK: Tell us about the challenge’s times at your corporate job.
CARLA: The beautiful thing about this interview, is that you were there to see that struggle. You get it. I remember there were days I was so excited running over to you and AB, like hey girls let’s go to lunch and you ladies looking at me like, “Carla, shouldn’t you be working” or “Carla, why didn’t you print that email for that event?”. Then there were moments where I was like, my boss hates me. I don’t know how to manage my email.
TGK: What does it mean to you to be an Influencer? Not just creating good content, but how are you committed to being an influencer on your journey.
CARLA: Being myself. It’s all about authenticity. When I talk to people, I’m telling them the truth. People ask me all the time, “how did you just up and leave your job?” I correct them and let them know…no I was fired. Let’s be clear. The real influence comes when you can be honest about your story. Talk about the failures. Like every serving job I’ve had, I got fired. Either I wasn’t walking fast enough, or I may have been having too many conversations with customers, or whatever.
You must acknowledge your truth. As my former boss at the Food Network, I can now look back and understand what she was saying and apply the things she tried to teach me to my life now. Sorry that I didn’t then... (laughter)
TGK: This story is so genuine because that boss really played a key role in you realize what you should be going after.
CARLA: To this day she is glad that I am living in my purpose.
The Bougie Black Girl
TGK: Tell us about your new song “Bougie Black Girl”. Who is the Bougie Black Girl and how did you come up with that title for your current single?
CARLA: The Bougie Black Girl is US. Like, let’s be honest. I sat in an interview a couple weeks ago and I explained how I had to make fun of myself. Because the reason I wrote this song, was because I was sitting at Columbus Circle in Manhattan and it takes 20 minutes to get uptown to my house, but I decided to take an Uber, just because I didn’t feel like dealing with the public commute. I just didn’t feel like it. You know, we like nice things. We do not accept mediocrity in anything. We see when that guy takes you to a certain restaurant vs. another because you thought that was what I would settle for… but no, I’m a Bougie Black Girl. There is a certain thing that we accept and certain things we won’t.
TGK: That second line ‘I’m a Bougie Black Girl, living in a systematic world, I don’t give a damn about how your feelin’ Got my peace of mind and now I’m chillin’. Tell us about the meaning behind this part of the chorus.
CARLA: That line is to speak to the girl that wants to go out and get a latte every day or wants to take an Uber 4 times a week, the girl that wants to have tea time at the Plaza Hotel just because! But then she must deal with the system and society telling her that she should live her life a certain way. You must have money, you must have a real job. like what is a real job?! So, just dealing with those things and having to have this to do that. But, this year I said, I am going to live my life the way I want to. Forget those societal standards. I have my peace of mind.
The Tour
TGK: How did you decide to start your tour? When did you realize the time was right?
CARLA: As an independent artist, you must get used to planning everything on your own. I am starting to get comfortable with the music scene in New York. It’s almost like I did the circuit, not the full circuit but, I’ve hit a lot of spots. Praise the Lord! I can’t believe it. Just after a year of going hard with my music.
TGK: Really, has it only been a year?
CARLA: Well, I left the Food Network in 2016 and I was working the scene and getting to know people. Then this year I came out with my song “Bougie Black Girl” and now we are in it. Things are picking up. It’s getting real. But back to your original question, I said to myself. it’s time to take a step out. I thought to myself who can I reach out to? Who do I know in a different city? Who can I perform with? That’s where it really starts, people don’t talk about that part so much. It’s really about who you know.
TGK: And who is willing to help you. Someone who is willing to say come along for the ride.
CARLA: Right!! My new and dear friend Harvey Cummings who is really on the scene here in Charlotte. He is hardworking, playing for major acts or up and coming artists. He is the MD (music director) for a lot of stuff around here. We met at a friend’s wedding last year and we clicked automatically. I noticed that he had a session upcoming at the Imperial here in Charlotte, so I reached out and asked him to be a part. Not only did he say come on down, he also put me on to three other events in the same weekend!
TGK: Wow, the moment you had to say yes without knowing exactly how it will all come together.
CARLA: Exactly, that was a moment I had to call my mom to ask for those frequent flyer miles. Because I believe, her miles are my miles. You know like how you have shared family phone minutes! Ha-ha.
TGK: Carla is funny! But seriously it is amazing to hear the importance of connection in your story and how not being selfish is so necessary to your own growth and the growth of those around you.
CARLA: Absolutely. The second leg of my tour will be in my hometown, Seattle, WA.
TGK: That’s amazing. Think about this for a moment, almost two years after you left the Food Network, you are about to begin the second leg of your tour as an independent artist. How does that feel?
CARLA: You know what, I learned that no opportunity is too big or too small. So, whatever you do, take that and celebrate it, maximize on it and keep going. Keep striving to be the where ever you envision yourself. Soon I want to open for an artist and that’s going to be amazing. Eventually, it will be my show at the Howard Theater, or the Fillmore, or the Highline Ballroom.
I look at my friend Aria Nadege. She performs and when she performs, she is always DRESSED! I mean she is so fly in her designer ensembles. I love that every time she’s on stage she makes it a full show. I remember there was a point on my career, when I was like, oh this place is not so big, I’m not really going to get super fancy. The lesson here is that you should treat every venue like it’s your Madison Square Garden.
The Support
TGK: Who are your biggest supporters since you decided to chase your dream wholeheartedly?
CARLA: My parents. I need to acknowledge them. I appreciate them supporting me blindly. There are a lot of talks (laughter), a lot of questions, a lot of “Carla, how are you getting there and back?” type conversations. But they help me out when I’m at my lowest. I appreciate that they continue to invest in me and not everyone has that.
At the end of the day, each entrepreneur, each independent artist has someone that is investing in them, whether it is monetarily or emotionally. My advice to anyone wanting to step out is to keep people around that continuously and genuinely invest in you and your craft. Sometimes those people will drive you crazy, but that’s only because they are pushing you to be better.
Fun Facts About Carla G.
Coffee or Tea? Herbal Tea
Red or White Wine? Red
Morning Person or Night Owl? Night Owl
NYC or the South? NYC (for now)
Favorite self-care pastime: Binging on Netflix and getting the most expensive pedicure at the salon.
Female Artist Inspiration: Faith Evans, Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, Sade, and Mariah Carey to name a few.
You can find everything about this Bougie Black Girl on her website carlagmusic.com
In true influencer fashion, Carla has given us some perks for purchasing her merchandise. Here is a direct link to her online store http://doperebellion.com/the-bougie-black-girl-collection/use the code 'BougieBlackGirl' for free shipping & 25% your entire purchase!
