One On One with Kareem the Dream

I felt truly honored to conduct this latest interview.  Last week I sat down with Kareem Taylor, a voice actor out of Brooklyn, NY.

Kareem's amazing talent can be heard on CNN and many national promotions and commericals.  

He also is a radio personality and writer.  The popular radio show, Pillow Talk, which started as a road-trip conversation has transcended into a phenonemenon with a strong and loyal following.

In my one on one Kareem spoke about the importance of entrepeneurship, going after your dreams, interning, and embracing your passion.  

Every now and then you meet individuals who you know are going very far.  I can truly say I believe Kareem is one of these people.  His amicable personality, immaculate level of passion, and consistent work ethic is demonstrated through his success and body of work.  

Check out some of his words of wisdom below

Also make sure you follow him at @KareemTaylor

and follow me @askKirbyCarroll for more Updates 

For the full interview, click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpdZF78sT4

One on One with FEVERR

Earlier this week, I headed across the water to Norfolk, Virginia to sit down with the new sensation sweeping the Hampton Roads area.
His name is Akiem Jones, but the music world refers to him as FeveRR.  He's been performing for around ten years and has truly grown as an artist.

FeveRR shows his dedication to his craft by spending long hours in the studio and constantly practicing his craft.
His newest project is a mixtape entitled "the Resume."  Through the Resume FeveRR gives you his "objectives" as to why he is the most qualified MC around.

In addition to being a street conscious artist, FeveRR is extremely knowledgable and adept in social issues. 

 He is a graduate of Old Dominion University and a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.  He believes in the power of the mind and is an advocate for education. 

Check out our exclusive Interview below and give me  your thoughts!
Oh and don't forget to check him out on twitter/IG

@F3v3RR 
and Youtube @TheRRidge757
AND JOIN THE MOVEMENT AND DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE  http://www.hulkshare.com/2k8ryirf8a9s

Liz and Bee Boutique

First of all, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Deanna Smith (@DeannaLuvsU) and I am a recent graduate of Clark Atlanta University. I’ve known Kirby since the days of being Mass Media Arts students; you know, classes together, working together in group assignments (Fab5), etc., and after reading different posts on askKirbyCarroll, I wanted to hop on board.  So now, I am a guest writer, and I too, will be making posts from time to time about fashion, entertainment, etc. Ok, so enough about me; I’m just gonna jump right into the interview.

Last weekend I spent my Saturday talking about fashion, new styles, and the power of entrepreneurship. Liz and Bee is an online boutique owned by Bianca and Bridgette Tatum.  Hailing from LaGrange, Georgia, they currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia as college students at Clark Atlanta University. I recently had a phone interview with Miss Bianca Tatum, and we just simply talked about the boutique, the future of the boutique, and just overall fashion.

(Q&A below)

So, tell me a little bit about you and your sister, and how you guys came up with the idea of your online boutique, Liz and Bee.
Well, me and my sister are twins; we’re like ‘day and night’. Um, she’s more on the business side of things and I’m a fashion major, so I do all the buying of the clothing and she does the marketing. I have always made jewelry and I’ve always had a website, and I wanted to sell clothing as well, but I didn’t want to do it by myself, so we decided to do it together.

So can you tell me a little bit about your jewelry?
I started making jewelry when I was 13; my cousin had a boutique called “Paper Dolls Boutique” and this lady made jewelry for her.  So I was like, ‘hey, I can make jewelry!’ So, I went and bought some beads and I’ve been making jewelry ever since, and I know how to make everything: necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.

What is the look of Liz and Bee, and what is the inspiration behind it?
The look is like chic, but classic and trendy pieces, but trendy pieces that you can’t find everywhere.  It’s inspired by college students; like, all the things that a college student would want to wear, but at a decent price.  We try to target girls at the age of 18 to women in her 30s.

I’m sure you guys have long-term goals for the boutique, but as far as short-term goals, have you achieved what you’ve wanted to achieve so far? Like as far as marketing and getting the name out there. How are people responding to it?
Well, it’s easy to find people to retweet you on Twitter or to repost a picture on Instagram, but it’s hard to get customers to actually buy things. So, right now we’re working on getting an ad in Kontrol Magazine so we can market through them to their audience versus just people in Atlanta, family, or people from school.  So as far as short-term goals, to hold an ad in Kontrol Magazine and also to just try to do well with our people who are buying things; make our customers, repeat customers.

Are you guys looking to expand one day? Like have your own stand-alone store or a franchise of stores?
Yes, I do want to have a boutique one day, possibly in the next year or two because I graduate in May, so we’ll see how online goes and how marketing goes for that, and then we wanna move towards opening up our own store.

FUN QUESTIONS
If you could name 3 stores where you think your clothing and accessories could be found in, which 3 would it be?
Ummm, Zara, Urban Outfitters, and maybe Anthropologie.

In your opinion, who is the best-dressed celebrity and why?
Oh goodness, um, I don’t want to say Kim Kardashian because everybody will say Kim Kardashian. So, I’m gonna say…I don’t know! Everybody who has style is creative. Like everybody does it, but does it in their own way. So, I guess I’ll say Kim Kardashian.  I feel like her style is innovative and different, and it’s always something new and fresh.

Do you have any advice for anyone who is looking to start their own clothing line or entrepreneur businesses?
I would just say to always keep your dreams in front of you and don’t let people discourage you. I will also say until you get your business started and off the ground, keep your plans to yourself because it’ll be a lot of people who can come by and just tell you, ‘well, don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do that’.  Stay focused and motivated towards whatever you wanna do, and just always stay true to yourself and your passion.   
 
Well there you have it guys; my very first interview for askKirbyCarroll!! I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I also want to thank Miss Bianca Tatum again for taking time out of her day to be interviewed by me, and thanks to Kirby for allowing me to join her team of writers. 

To shop at Liz and Bee, you can just simply go to the website (www.lizandbeeboutique.com) and make your purchases there.  Also, go ahead and follow them on twitter (@LizandBee) for updates and exclusives!

One on One With Model: LeAndrea Portis

Hello Everybody!

First of all let me start off by saying I missed you guys so much!  I'm in the process of relocating and it has been close to impossible to keep updating.  However, as promised we are back up and running and I am so excited for you all to see the interviews I have lined up!

The most recent interview was conducted a few weeks ago  with Model/Socialite LeAndrea Portis of Atlanta, Georgia.  Leandrea hails from my hometown Hampton, Virginia and has been modeling for the past four years.  Miss Portis has appeared in numerous fashion shows, grammy nominated music videos, and hosted events all over the east coast.  

I believe what sets LeAndrea apart from many other "models" is her passion for the art.  She studies her craft, always has her portforlio present, and can name top designers at the drop of a hat.  

LeAndrea plans on competing for the next season of Americas Next Top Model in a few weeks and judging by her portfolio and strong following I believe we will be seeing her on TV very soon!

The goal of askKirbyCarroll: First to the Stars is to get to know the stars before they are stars.  I believe Leandrea may be a prime example of this.  On a personal level she is an amazing friend and on a buisness level she is extreemly professional and easy to work with.  

You can find her in D. Woods upcoming video, To the Bottom, 11Alive.com, and Kontrol Magazine's Masquerade Fashion Show video.  

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ANTM as I hope you all will as well.

Check out our one on one video BELOW

@askKirbyCarroll 

@LittleMzPortis

One on One With 14 Year Old Superstar Michaela

Yesterday I sat down with the beautiful and talented Michaela Thurlow.  Michaela is a 14 year old singer, songwriter, pianist, producer, and dancer.  She is absoultely gorgeous and has a very strong and powerful voice that captivates everyone as soon as they hear her sing.  

During our interview Michaela explained how she's had a desire to sing since she was five years old.  I find it amazing that many people spend their entire life looking for their passion and she was blessed enough to find hers before she entered grade school!  She has become a YouTube phenomenon performing popular covers such as We Found Love and Thinking about You.  However, what really has everyone talking is her new single Show Me, now available on iTunes.

Though, Michaela loves singing she also is very dedicated to positivity and cares a lot about her generation.  Currently, she is on a school tour along with a few other teen sensations to promote a campaign against bullying.  She also took time to passionately explain to me the difference between true inner beauty and outer beauty and how important it is to stay humble and true to yourself.

To hear more about Michaela follow her on twitter, IG, Facebook and Youtube at

@MichaelasMusic

Take a listen to the full interview to hear us talk about our love for Beyonce and Drake, guys needing to show and prove, finding your passion and Michaela gives us a taste of her singing ability! Its all in the Video! ENJOY!! 

Also don't forget her single is available on iTunes NOW it's entitled Show Me and is getting more and more play everyday!

To stay in the loop about the latest interviews follow me @askKirbyCarroll or on FB Kirby Wright 

Update: Presidential Debates

Presidential Debates Recap

I'm going to be honest, I dont know how I felt about this one.  Romney put on a good show and one can tell he was very prepared. 

However, I personally feel like a lot of his views changed during the debate.  Maybe he's trying to get that "47% percent" comment eliminated. 

Presidential Debates: Round 2

The first round upset me a little bit.  However, my president flipped it the second time around! Social media has spoken Obama won the second  round of debates!  Obama spoke with his passion and conviction that Americans love.  However, what made him stand out from his opponent is his FACT.  Obama spoke with precision, passion, and POWER. 

Please make sure you guys VOTE.   Every single  V O T E Counts!!

#ObamaNation

@askKirbyCarroll  

One on One with New RnB Sensation Renegade

Earlier this week I traveled to my alma mater of Clark Atlanta University to conduct another exclusive One on One interview with new RnB artist, Renegade.  Renegade is a native of Stone Mountain GA, and is making his mark on music with his upcoming EP "the Arrival." 

Renegade has had a humble and extraordinary start in the music world.  He has been singing since he was young in the church choir and has definately put in the work to be where he is.  

However, one thing that sets him apart from many others is his upbrining.  His mentor is the legendary Troy Taylor, who many of you may recall as Trey Songz manager.  Renegade's upcoming EP  also includes many other features by individuals who are no stranger to the music industry.  

When asked how he does it, he simply explains  his love and passion for timeless music and internal drive to suceed.

 Renegade was a nice person to talk to and the interview was very relaxed and comfortable.  It didnt much for him to explain his go-getter mentality, love for the ladies and lust for the beautiful Christina Milian.

Renegade's new single "Come on the Bed" hits itunes October 9th and has already been played on a few radio stations.  For more information follow him on twitter and like his fb page! 

@Renegade_TLE
facebook.com/Renegade 

@askKirbyCarroll

For the full interview, see below.