CYLS 124: From Strife to STEM - How to Use the Past To Brand Yourself with Janeya Griffin

2018-06-29

Episode Summary Janeya recounts her childhood and its impact on her personal development. She offers valuable insight, describing the importance of understanding one’s past and how it influences your life. Having taken an introspective look at herself, Janeya explains how she took advantage of opportunities that motivated her. Vincent, her co-founder of ConCre8tes, discusses the origins of ConCre8tes. He explains how the agency empowers incarcerated and formally incarcerated people return to work. Kevin Y. Brown Kevin Y. Brown is a ...

Episode Summary

Janeya recounts her childhood and its impact on her personal development. She offers valuable insight, describing the importance of understanding one’s past and how it influences your life. Having taken an introspective look at herself, Janeya explains how she took advantage of opportunities that motivated her. Vincent, her co-founder of ConCre8tes, discusses the origins of ConCre8tes. He explains how the agency empowers incarcerated and formally incarcerated people return to work.

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Janeya Griffin

At the age of 16 years, Janeya Griffin faced significant hardship when her parents were incarcerated and she raised herself and her 6 year old brother. Since that time, she has dedicated herself and her career towards entrepreneurship, advocating for technology and social justice, and examining generational wealth, specifically within underserved communities. Having gained experience serving as a contractor for federal labs and organizations across the country, including the National Aeronautic Space Agency (NASA), Janeya recently founded a consulting start-up called The Commercializer, a strategic firm that actualizes independent inventors, intellectual assets, and monetizes entrepreneurs’ ideas. In addition, she co-founded the creative agency ConCre8tes which focuses on helping men, women, and children behind bars and beyond by changing how society views people with criminal histories.

Vincent Bragg

Vincent Bragg, co-founder of ConCre8tes, spent 121 months in federal prison. During that time, he studied law, wrote books, and organized think-tanks. The difficulties he experienced working in prison, including the low pay and forced labor, highlighted the need for a fair method to help incarcerated people.

Insights From the Episode

Strategies for using your passion to find your purpose.
How intentionality helped Janeya identify her career path.
How to move forward and use the lessons encountered along the way.
Why personal branding is important.
Keys to turning adversity into an opportunity for growth and finding your direction.
Vincent’s experience while incarcerated helped him discover a way to help others who were previously or are currently incarcerated.
The importance of ownership of ideas and property rights.

Quotes From the Show

“Until I started, like, questioning, ‘Like, okay. Why am I the way that I am? Good and bad?’ Right? ‘Um, what makes me tick? What instances or situations have happened in my life that have, kind of transformed, like my journey and things like that, and brought me to this place that I’m at right now?’” – Janeya Griffin, Create Your Life Series, #124
“I decided that I wanted to go into my 30s with forgiveness and healing.” - Janeya Griffin, Create Your Life Series, #124
“So, to me, you know, you remind me of the ladies from ‘Hidden Figures.’ You know what I mean? Who were doing their thing? Just the importance and the representation, I think is just so dynamic.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #124
“Being humble enough to ask for help. And then being wise enough to listen when people are talking to you and helping you find your way.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #124
“I’ve learned to listen in the midst of chaos.” - Janeya Griffin, Create Your Life Series, #124
“When you allow this many people to be intentional about an outcome of something, we’re able to manifest that.” – Vincent Bragg, Create Your Life Series, #124