BInfluenced Media Entity Commemorates Influential Individuals Across all Spans Including Business

Celebrities and the hottest stars are always getting commemorated every day; however, there are a countless number of others in the community who are just as influential and that are doing exceedingly amazing things within their community. BInfluenced was launched to showcase those individuals.

BInfluenced celebrated our Black Influencers of today, yesterday and tomorrow during their talk show which can be seen not only on their YoutTube channel, but on VH2 Networks in Atlanta, Georgia.

I recently caught up with the CEO and c0-founder, Dee Cephas, where she discussed the inspiration behind the prospering and cultivating movement. Check out the interview below:

Can you tell myself and the readers a little about yourself?

My name is Dee Cephas, CEO and Co-Founder of BInfluenced Mass Media Entertainment and Consulting, LLC, along with my co-founder Moise Michel. Originally from the Jersey, Philly, Delaware tristate are,  I now call Atlanta, Georgia home.

I’m also the President and CEO of Blackbutterfly Enterprises, Inc., a not for profit youth organization that I started in 2009, in which I’m in the process of reinstating.

Growing up and still to this day who inspires you? How did they impact your life?

Growing up, I was a daddy’s girl and a typical ’70’s/’80’s kid who just wanted to play, but there was always something about Maya Angelou. I believe I was in the 7th or 8th grade when we read, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”. However,  it wasn’t until my twenties that I really became inspired to be who I am today.

Dr. Malachi York set the spark. My husband at the time was given a cassette tape of one of his classes and the enlightenment made me hungry for more, which lead me to Iyanlya Vanzant. I believe as much as I admire Maya Angelou for her wisdom, Oprah for her drive, it was Iyanlya that inspired me the most. She healed so much of my inner spirit and open me up to our culture.

What influenced you to start BInfluenced?

After moving to Atlanta, I put my platform (Blackbutterfly) on the backburner and focused on building a good friend’s  platform who I had partnered with on many projects while in Delaware. I became the Director of Operations for his online Black Business and media platform; however, living in Atlanta the entertainment and media industry rules the city and we began being more of a media outlet than business directory.

I began attending a lot of events throughout the city and needed interns to assist, but my heart is in advocacy and outreach and I needed to do more for my interns than just drag them to event after event and giving them pressing deadlines to meet. So, I decided to step down as Director of Operations to create an “Intern to Entrepreneur Initiative Program” whose mission is to place our interns in internship with companies that will give them hands on experience in their professions, not just simply busy work, teach them all the tools they need to run a success business (like Oprah has said know your business and sign every check) and then after successfully completing the program reward them with the start-up funding they need for their business. In turn having them host a new intern.

“Each one teach one.”

Can you tell us what BInfluenced is and what it does specifically?

BInfluenced is a Mass Media Entertainment and Consulting Company focused on building, strengthening and celebrating the Black community, influencers and our achievements. We host a weekly radio show on Hot Noize Radio and are in the process of filming our first season of shows for VH2 Networks on Roku.

Our radio show BInfluenced Live, spotlights Black entrepreneurs/professional and achievers, up and coming indie artist in all genre of music; it’s a fun and entertaining platform. Our VH2 Networks programs will on BInfluenced TV on our channel of the same name is a talk show celebrating everyday Black influencers and also segments on finance, fitness, food, business branding and more all the tools we need in life and in business to succeed.

We are also working on BInfluenced MenTalk and Sports, BInfluenced Homes and maybe one or two other programs for the BInfluenced TV Channel.    We also do small business consulting, advertising, commercial video production for small businesses and events. We host events, red carpets and do public speaking engagements/panels. Not to mention our Intern to Entrepreneur Initiative Program expected to launch later this year.

We are always looking for content, music videos, advertiser/sponsors and Black Influencers to celebrate and spotlight. If you are out here grinding, impacting the community, then you are an influence. It has nothing at all to do with what society has deemed an “influencer” we are not concerned with how many social media followers you do or do not have. We are concerned with your real-life influence.

What upcoming events can we look forward to hearing and seeing from you?

None. There are no upcoming events. We have entirely too much to focus on now. Maybe next year we will begin our annual events, but nothing anytime soon except for our T.V. shows which will take us into over 65 million homes and growing via VH2 on Roku.

How did you select the staff that works so closely together?

Wow, I really have to say the universe sends me the people I need at the time and/or purpose I need them. But I have in the past placed classified ads on internship websites. The best connection has come by way of simply people who reached out to us on social media or email. We have met so many great people just networking and striking up conversation. So, if you see me, Moise or any of our team just say hello.

What great advice and words of wisdom can you offer us fellow millennials?

Follow your gut; that’s your soul speaking to you.  Build relationships. Building relationships will take you so much further than always seeking an opportunity for financial gain from every new encounter.

You will lose, we will fall, you will doubt yourself but it’s what you speak and how you speak it into the universe that will generate and ignite in you the strength you need, along with the direction and people to assist. No one does it alone, seek help if you have to. Remember the 5 P’s “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.”

And two of the biggest I still struggle with, take your time everything does not have to be done right NOW! You will burn yourself out physically and mentally. Secondly, you cannot save everybody. And lastly, I created this affirmation for my oldest granddaughter Uriyah Marie when she was 2, she’s now 8.

“I AM GREAT, I AM GREATER THAN YESTERDAY, I AM THE GREATEST ME I CAN BE” -DC

“Be your ultimate best, Be the greatest you, you were created to be not a replica of some else”. ~DC