1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

As a Dreamer, large ideas have always popped a multi-colorful spectrum in my mind. Very often I find myself laughing at myself. Having a great understanding of where I came from, who I am & where I plan to arrive & how I plan to achieve. I’ve always carried a sense of childhood greatness, which has matured into an adult-child-like sensibility & production which explains the nature of my award-winning brand called BAYE & signature stick figured designs called ColorSwarm. I would organically say that meeting pop-up opportunities with deadlines have always decorated my expectations. However, as a CEO of a large colorful designed company that’s attached to a powerful team, it’s become challenging to share some of those pop-up opportunities due to the freedom of becoming a bit more prioritized with the thoughts of other opinions because a new team has formulated & the agreement is to remain on the same path and wavelength versus me taking the plunge of risk-taking alone.


2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

One evening I was sitting in a circle amongst HipHop celebrity friends in my Brooklyn, New York studio in 1997. We all were deeply in-tuned into our own creativity including changing our birth names to Swahili names. I organically began drawing unique stick-figured designs and combined them with vibrant colors and motivational messages. In fact, during that moment I adopted BAYE. In Swahili, it means strength within the soul. The name ColorSwarm was given to me by one of the celebrities. I loved painting so I initiated developing paintings from the designs and I knew as they looked upon me that I had developed something extremely unique. So I joined the designs and the name into a brand. Afterward, I realized the designs have significant meanings that could be applied on multiple products while having people to assist me, and then the rest was history.


3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I have had and still have sleepless nights. I conduct what’s important in the direction my spirit moves me. So, if I need to stay awake to complete a project, I will. Of course, my son's care comes first and I make sure I have designed something strong for him to live life with.


4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Having knowledge of who I am, and no matter what negative circumstances appear in my life that may attempt to force itself to remain the strings that decide to pull me downward, I must remember, I am made for resisting everything that’s not of the Almighty Creator, and therefore, I will continue to walk in faith and not by sight. As many have watched my failures, and success, they too have learned what to do, and what not to do. Many times I feel I have paved the way for many by making things easier for them while I struggled. Even though some may not admit it, however, they will never forget where they came from, therefore in many words, I have helped create their success rather than business or marriage.


5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

While I was living in Brooklyn, New York, I studied with celebrities who were like-minded, and very engulfed in culture & protection. At age 18, I was introduced to the Art of War written by Sun Tzu by one of the celebrities who thought I was a perfect fit for the book, so I decided to read it. It was an interesting experience. I immediately combined my youth education with the doctrine within Sun Tzu’s iconic philosophy. The Art of War book impacted my life by enlightening my supreme leadership strategies including how to create ways around unexpected routes in life, and how to attack them. It’s tremendous how his strategy still functions centuries later. I can imagine what the Ancient Egyptians wrote being that they were the first writers and storytellers.


6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

I’ve learned so many strategies surrounding worldly people. I have developed my leadership capacity through my natural gifts by inspiring others, solving their problems, continuing to learn new things, becoming a discerning listener, and doing things I’ve never done before.


7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

One of the meaningful stories to me is that, even during my hardest times in life as a single mother, I was still capable of inspiring so many people around the world including those who had no idea of owning their own purpose in life.