If you’re a content creator, you are a CEO. You are the head of sales, marketing, and product development for the most important brand you’ll ever represent: yourself. And just like any Fortune 500 CEO, you need a trusted advisor to navigate crises, manage reputation, and craft a narrative that protects and enhances your value.

This isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. And there is no starker, more surreal example of this than the unfolded courtroom drama of Akira Montague vs. Brenay Kennard in North Carolina.

As a publicist who has watched this case from its earliest ripples on social media, it’s a masterclass in what not to do. Brenay Kennard, a content creator, represented herself pro se in an Alienation of Affection lawsuit. The very same platform that built her brand—social media—has become the primary source of evidence stacked against her. It’s a stark reminder: in the digital age, the court of public opinion and the court of law are often reading from the same transcript.

Let’s be clear: this is not about kicking someone when they’re down. This is a critical, professional analysis of a reputational meltdown that was entirely preventable. Brenay didn’t need a better social media strategy; she needed a publicist whispering in her ear, “Stop. Put the phone down.”

The Creator’s Fatal Flaw: Believing Your Own Narrative is Enough

At the heart of this case is a fundamental misunderstanding of how narratives work. Creators are storytellers. We build communities by sharing our truths, our struggles, and our triumphs. The danger arises when we believe our curated narrative will hold up in a legal setting, where facts, evidence, and procedure reign supreme.

Brenay documented her side of the story extensively online. She posted videos, shared details, and attempted to control the story by presenting her truth to her audience. In the world of PR, we call this “trying to win the headline.” But without a strategic filter, this instinctual move backfired catastrophically.

A publicist’s primary role in a crisis is to act as a buffer and a strategist. We stand between the client and the microphone. We assess every statement for not just its public perception, but its legal implications. We understand that what plays well for your followers can be a gift-wrapped piece of evidence for opposing counsel.

Had Brenay retained a publicist the moment she anticipated legal trouble, the first step would have been a digital lockdown and a strategic silence. Instead, she created a public, digital diary of the entire affair, which now serves as a treasure trove for the plaintiff’s legal team.

The Evidence is in the Feed: A Publicist’s Nightmare

Let’s break down the specific missteps from a PR perspective:

1. Creating a Discoverable Archive: Every story, every tweet, every “since you asked...” video is a discoverable document. A publicist would have advised archiving all existing content for legal review and implementing a strict moratorium on any new public posts about the situation. The goal is to stop adding fuel to the fire.

2. Muddying the Message: In trying to defend her character to her audience, Brenay likely made statements that could be contradicted by timelines, messages, or other facts. Inconsistencies, even perceived ones, are lethal to both a legal case and a public reputation. A publicist crafts a single, clear, and legally-vetted holding statement, if one is needed at all.

3. Failing to Read the Room (The Actual Room): The “room” in this context isn’t your comment section; it’s a courtroom. The tactics that generate support from a loyal audience—emotional appeals, personal attacks, detailed personal stories—are often the very things that undermine credibility before a judge. A publicist understands the different audiences and tailors the message accordingly.

4. Going Pro Se: The Ultimate PR Mistake: Representing yourself in a complex lawsuit is the professional equivalent of performing your own root canal. It signals a profound failure to understand the gravity of the situation. From a reputational standpoint, it looks chaotic and unprofessional. A publicist would have strongly advised against this, emphasizing that a strong legal team is the first and most important line of defense, which in turn protects your public reputation.

Etiquette is Strategy: A Creator’s Guide to Digital Self-Preservation

So, what should you do? How do you protect the brand you’ve worked so hard to build?

1. Pause Before You Post: In any emotionally charged situation, institute a 24-hour rule. Sleep on it. Then, ask yourself: “How could this be used against me in six months?” Assume everything you post is permanent and public.

2. Your DMs are Not Your Diary: Private messages are just as discoverable as public posts. Never put anything in a DM, text, or email that you wouldn’t want read aloud in a courtroom or printed on the front page of a newspaper.

3. Secure Your Counsels: Before a crisis hits, have your team in place. This means:

• A Lawyer: For contractual and legal protection.

• A Publicist: For reputational strategy and crisis management.

Your publicist and lawyer should be able to work in tandem. The publicist ensures your public actions don’t hurt your legal case, and the lawyer ensures the legal strategy supports your long-term brand health.

4. When in Crisis, Get Quiet and Get Counsel: The moment you sense a situation escalating, your first call should be to your publicist and lawyer—not your followers. The instinct to explain is natural, but it is often professionally suicidal. Let your advisors guide you on when, how, and if you should speak.

5. Understand the Difference Between Sympathy and Strategy: Your audience can offer sympathy, which feels good in the moment. Your advisors offer strategy, which protects your future. Always prioritize strategy over the temporary comfort of public validation.

The Unraveling of a Brand in Realtime

Watching Brenay Kennard’s journey has been, as I said, surreal. It’s a slow-motion case study of a personal brand unraveling because the creator believed she was the best person to manage her own crisis. She trusted her narrative over professional strategy.

The result? A seemingly endless stream of negative evidence, a failed legal defense, and a reputation that will be incredibly difficult to rehabilitate.

For creators, your reputation is your currency. A publicist is not an expense; it’s an insurance policy on that currency. We are the objective voice that tells you the hard truths you don’t want to hear. We are the architects of your comeback when things go wrong. And most importantly, we are the strategists who ensure you never have to face a courtroom—or the court of public opinion—without a plan.

Let Brenay’s story be the ultimate cautionary tale. Build your brand, but protect it with the same professionalism you used to create it. Your future self will thank you.

Stiletto Step-Back:

• Your narrative is powerful, but it is not a legal defense.

• Strategy will always outperform emotion in a crisis.

• Your publicist is the guardian of your reputation, the one who tells you to put the phone down when you need to hear it most.

The content of this article is based on public records and observable social media activity and is presented as professional commentary and analysis, not as legal advice.

The "Prize Pet" Phase: A Parade of Inclusion

When she first joined the all-white senior leadership team—indeed, as the only Black employee in the entire company—the initial reception was overwhelmingly positive, to the point of being performative. Her immediate supervisor, a white woman, became her most vocal champion. She was paraded around to clients, investors, and other departments not just for her expertise, but as a living, breathing testament to the company's "commitment to diversity."

Her ideas were celebrated, her presence was highlighted in newspapers, and her every minor success was amplified. For the first 90 days, she existed in a golden haze of being the "right" kind of different. She was agreeable, talented, and, most importantly, she made her leaders feel good about their hiring decision. She was their proof against accusations of homogeneity. In this phase, she was not a colleague; she was a trophy, a pet whose value was in her visibility and her silence.

Her 90-day review was immaculate. The feedback was glowing, praising her seamless integration and valuable contributions. It confirmed what she already felt: she belonged, she was excelling, and her future was bright.

The Shift: The Cost of Speaking Up

The turning point came not from a failure in performance, but from an assertion of personhood. It was the moment she moved from being a passive symbol to an active voice.

She challenged an idea that overlooked a diverse customer base. She pointed out a subtly biased comment in a meeting. Or she simply stopped smiling at a joke that wasn't funny and asserted her own professional opinion with the same confidence as her white peers. She ceased to be just a symbol and started being a full, complex human being with agency and perspective.

The reaction was swift and chilling. The very supervisor who had once been her biggest cheerleader now became her most exacting critic. The tone of feedback shifted from praise to pervasive suspicion. Work that was once "innovative" was now "not quite aligning with expectations." Contributions that were previously "invaluable" were suddenly "satisfactory but needing improvement." The goalposts had not just moved; they became invisible.

The Coordinated Exit: Whispered Meetings and the PIP

What followed was a masterclass in passive-aggressive corporate warfare. The white women in leadership, who had previously presented a unified front of support, began meeting behind closed doors. Conversations would halt when she entered the room. The once-open door to her supervisor’s office was now frequently closed for "private meetings."

The strategy was not one of loud confrontation or clear, documented failure. It was a death by a thousand paper cuts: being left off crucial email chains, having credit for ideas subtly reassigned, and being subjected to a sudden, intense scrutiny of her work that her peers were spared.

The culmination of this campaign was the PIP—the Performance Improvement Plan. Presented under the guise of "support" and "helping her succeed," the PIP was a document filled with vague, unachievable, and constantly shifting goals. It was a bureaucratic weapon, designed not for improvement, but for termination. It provided the necessary paper trail to justify letting go of the very person they had once hailed as a perfect fit.

The Larger Pattern: Tokenism and Power

This story is not about one bad manager or one dysfunctional company. It is about the pervasive toxicity of tokenism and the fragility of performative allyship.

• Tokenism: Tokenism occurs when an organization hires a small number of people from underrepresented groups to give the appearance of equality. The token is valued for their identity, not their humanity, and is expected to be grateful and silent.

• The Threat of Agency: The moment the token employee asserts themselves, they break the unwritten contract. They are no longer a symbol to be used; they are an individual with power, challenging the established status quo. This is often perceived as a threat, triggering a defensive response from the majority group.

• Weaponized Feminism: This story highlights a specific betrayal: that of white women in leadership. Often benefiting from diversity efforts themselves, they can sometimes become gatekeepers, protecting their own precarious positions by enforcing the very systems that oppress other women. Their solidarity fractures along racial lines when their power is challenged.

Conclusion: Beyond Performance

The journey from "pet to PIP" is a traumatic one that has nothing to do with actual performance and everything to do with power, identity, and the failure of true inclusivity. Companies must move beyond the hollow act of hiring for color and toward the harder work of building cultures of belonging.

True inclusion means creating space for diverse voices to speak, be heard, and disagree without fear of reprisal. It means valuing employees for their whole selves, not just their symbolic value. Until then, the PIP will remain not a tool of improvement, but a stark monument to the price of speaking while Black in a workplace that only wants you to be seen, not heard.

For many of us, the journey from our first act to our next isn’t just about business models; it’s about answering a divine call. It’s about understanding that the skills we’ve honed, the businesses we’ve built, and the freedom we’ve fought for are not our own. They are tools. They are an anointing. And they are meant for service.

So, pull up a stool, pour yourself a “Prophetic Purpose” Mocktail (or your drink of choice), and let’s talk about how a single verse can illuminate the path from what you’ve built to what you’re called to do.

The Seed: A Word in Due Season

The journey often starts with a planter. Someone faithful who sows a word of truth into the fertile, but fallow, ground of your life.

Apostle Michelle Harding of Church of the King in Easton, Maryland, was one such planter for me. Years ago, at a time when I was navigating the wilderness of false teachings and poor leadership, Michelle Harding spoke a powerful truth into my life. She saw past the immediate struggle and prophesied the calling. She planted a seed of purpose that spoke of a future where my gifts would not be confined or misdirected but would be used in freedom and power for God’s kingdom.

That seed, nurtured by time and faith, has now broken open. It is the very foundation of SheRize Media, Inc., co-founded by me. This isn’t just another venture; it is the physical manifestation of a prophetic word, a direct response to a divine call.

The Water: The Isaiah 61 Anointing

Every seed needs water to grow. For SheRize Media, this living water flows directly from the well of Isaiah 61:1, 3:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

This is the DNA of the mission. Abba has anointed me as a creative “freedom writer and creator.” This isn’t a casual title; it’s a job description from heaven. The calling is to use media—the powerful mediums of writing, storytelling, and creation—not for vanity, but for liberation. To proclaim good news, to bind up wounds, and to proclaim freedom to those still held captive by the very chains I once broke free from.

The Growth: Embracing Your Role in the Harvest

This is where the journey transforms from a personal ambition to a surrendered purpose. It’s the moment you see your business not as your own, but as His.

The scripture that now defines this season is 1 Corinthians 3:6:

Michelle Harding planted the seed. The experiences, the trials, and the refining of gifts watered it. But God—God has been making it grow. This verse is a profound reminder of our role. We are planters and waterers, faithful in our assignments. But the growth? The increase? The miraculous harvest? That belongs entirely to God.

The evolution into this calling is marked by a shift:

• From Founder to Vessel: Your company is no longer a personal asset; it is a ministry tool. You are a steward of the anointing placed upon it.

• From Strategy to Surrender: While excellence is required, the outcomes are released into God’s hands. Your strategy sessions are punctuated with prayer; your business plans are aligned with scripture.

• From Audience to Congregation: Those you serve are not just clients or customers; they are souls you are called to reach, encourage, and set free with the message God has given you.

The Harvest: Walking in Your Anointed Purpose

To walk in this calling is to embrace the freedom of your divine identity. It is to understand that your past struggles were not in vain—they were the training ground for your compassion. The false teachings you endured gave you discernment. The poor leadership you witnessed taught you how to lead with humility and grace.

SheRize Media, Inc. is a testament to that journey. It is the harvest from a seed planted long ago. It is the answer to the question, “What’s next?” when “what’s next” is dictated by the Holy Spirit.

So, if you find yourself in a season of quiet stirring, remember the planters in your life. Remember the seeds of prophecy. Water them with prayer and obedience. Then, get ready. For God is faithful to bring the growth, and your calling is to rise and build.

What about you?

Has a prophetic word shaped your journey?

How are you using your skills to answer a divine call?

Share your story in the comments—we are all here to bear witness to each other’s harvest.

Cheers,

Sapphire Kharyzma

Qocktail Recipe: The "Prophetic Purpose" Mocktail

1. Sparkling Pomegranate Juice (for the richness of purpose and harvest)

2. A splash of Fresh Lime (for the sharp clarity of a prophetic word)

3. A sprig of Fresh Mint (for the refreshing breath of the Spirit)

Method: Pour over ice, stir gently, and garnish with the mint. As you drink, reflect on the seeds planted in your life and the growth yet to come.

You take a long, deserved breath… and then, a strange silence descends.

For a few weeks or months, you revel in freedom. You finally have time for hobbies, family, and that ever-growing list of books. But soon, a familiar itch returns. It’s not a desire for money or even acclaim. It’s a quiet, persistent hum in the back of your mind that whispers: “What’s next?”

This is the moment the entrepreneur transforms. This is the beginning of the journey to becoming a serial entrepreneur.

It’s not just about starting multiple businesses. It’s a fundamental shift in identity, mindset, and approach. It’s the evolution from being a person who built a company to a person who builds companies.

So, pull up a stool, pour yourself your drink of choice (a Second Spark” Spritz, perhaps?), and let’s explore what this transformation truly entails.

The First Love vs. The Second Act

Your first company is like a first love. It’s all-consuming, emotionally raw, and you learn everything the hard way. You are the product, the salesperson, the strategist, and the janitor. Your identity is fused with the business. Every setback feels personal, every victory, existential.

The serial entrepreneur approaches their next venture differently. They’ve been tempered by fire. They carry scars and, more importantly, the playbooks.

The shift is profound:

From Operator to Architect: You've graduated from working in the business to working *on* new businesses. Your focus shifts from day-to-day tasks to designing blueprints for success from day one.

From Attachment to Detachment: You learn to fall in love with the problem and the process of building, not just the specific solution. This allows for ruthless pragmatism. You can pivot without an identity crisis and test ideas without betting on the farm.

From "How?" to "Who? and How?": The first-time founder asks, “How do I do this?” The serial entrepreneur asks, “Who is the best person to do this, and what system can I create to make it seamless?” Your focus shifts from being the sole hero to building teams and processes that create heroes.

From Intuition to Pattern Recognition: You’ve seen the movie before. You recognize the early signs of product-market fit, you can smell operational inefficiency, and you’ve navigated the terrifying “trough of sorrow.” This pattern recognition is your greatest superpower. It allows you to move faster and with more confidence.

The Defining Characteristics of a Serial Founder

So, what sets these builders apart? It’s not just experience; it’s a specific set of cultivated traits:

1. An Insatiable Curiosity: They are endlessly fascinated by how things work, why industries are broken, and how technology or new models can create value. They are perpetual students of the market.

2. Comfort with Calculated Risk: They aren’t reckless, but their tolerance for risk is recalibrated. They know that a well-calculated bet, based on experience and data, is the engine of outsized returns. They’ve survived failure and knew it’s not fatal.

3. The Systems Mindset: They think in workflows, automation, and scalable processes from the very beginning. Their goal isn't just to create a job for themselves, but to build a functional asset.

4. A Focus on Leverage: They understand their time is the ultimate scarce resource. They leverage their network for hiring and partnerships. They leverage their reputation for credibility. They leverage systems and processes to scale their impact far beyond their individual effort.

5. Resilience as a Default Setting: The pain of the first journey doesn’t disappear, but it loses its sting. Setbacks are seen as data points, not disasters. This resilience isn’t about being unbreakable; it’s about knowing how to put yourself back together faster.

The Personal Journey: The Freedom to Build Again

This evolution isn’t a linear, glamorous ascent. It’s a personal journey fraught with its own challenges.

You might struggle with the duality of your role—both a steward of your existing business and a hungry founder of a new one. You might battle impatience, expecting your new venture to mature at the speed of your seasoned experience. And most profoundly, you must learn to find joy in the pure act of building itself, all over again.

The greatest reward of this journey is freedom. The freedom to explore innovative ideas without abandoning your first creation. The freedom to choose your problems and your partners. The freedom to build something meaningful, systematize it, and do it again. It’s the ultimate creative act.

So, if you’re in that newfound space of automation, listening to that hum of “what’s next,” know this: you’re not just starting another company. You are stepping into an updated version of yourself—the architect, the pattern-recognizer, the builder.

And that is a journey worth raising a glass to.

What do you think? Are you building your first venture or orchestrating your next act? What defining lessons have you carried forward? Share your stories in the comments—the best insights always come from conversation.

Cheers,

Sapphire Kharyzma | SheRize Media

Qocktail Recipe: The "Second Spark" Spritz

• 2 oz Gin (for a clean, botanical base)

• ¾ oz St-Germain (Elderflower liqueur for a sweet, new bloom)

• ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice (for a sharp, learned lesson)

• Top with Prosecco (for celebration and bubbles)

Method: Add gin, St-Germain, and lime juice to a glass with ice. Top with prosecco. Garnish with a mint sprig and a single raspberry (representing the seed of a new idea).

Welcome to your first dose of faith-filled strategies, designed to empower you to walk boldly in your entrepreneurial journey. Let’s blend faith, strategy, and style to create a life of abundance.

Faith-Based Strategy: Commit Your Plans to God

Today’s inspiration comes from Revelation 3:11:

"I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown”

Practical Application:

Before starting your week, carve out time to reflect, pray, and align your goals with your purpose. Write down:

1. Your top three priorities for the week.

2. One action step that moves you closer to your vision.

3. A scripture or affirmation to meditate on each day.

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Spotlight on Success: Dr. Leah Barlow

This week, we’re highlighting Dr. Leah Barlow, founder of HillmanTok University. Her journey of combining faith and strategy has led her to build a virtual HBCU on TikTok, celebrating Black culture and creativity. Re-imagine Hillman College, the fictional HBCU from A Different World sitcom.

Her success tip:

As she receives her flowers from all over the internet—of appreciation for this innovative movement, Dr. Barlow is asking us to celebrate Rhiannon Giddens—dynamic performer, artist, intellectual; eight-time grammy award winning, Pulitzer Prize winner…who, with her partner, created an opera based on Omar Ibn Said—a Fula Muslim scholar from Futa Toro in present-day Senegal, was enslaved and brought to the United States in 1807. Although he formally converted to Christianity in 1821, his Presbyterian pastor and later scholars believe he remained committed to his Muslim faith throughout his life, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Look into Rhiannon Giddens’ work as an inspirational beacon to the amazing accolades that are birthed through Black women.

Resource of the Week: Exclusive Entrepreneurial Channel

Strategies in Stilettos is more than just a channel—it’s a movement designed to empower, educate, and equip multicultural women to build powerful, purpose-driven brands. Launching as the go-to space for ambitious women who want to merge faith with strategy, this platform blends biblical wisdom with the timeless principles of The Art of War to help you navigate business, leadership, and life like a true warrior—gracefully and strategically. Here, we break down battle-tested tactics for brand building, wealth creation, and legacy-making, all while staying rooted in faith and femininity. Whether you’re launching a business, scaling your empire, or refining your purpose, Stilettos gives you the blueprint to move with confidence, clarity, and divine strategy. Because sis, success isn’t about challenging work—it’s about knowing when to move, how to pivot, and trusting God in every step. Ready to build, conquer, and thrive? Let’s go! 👠✨

Learn how to blend faith, strategy, and luxury to elevate your brand. Don’t miss this transformational session!

You’re walking in faith, elegance, and power. Keep shining, keep striving, and know that success is in your stilettos.

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Blessings,

Strategies in Stilettos Team

Beloveds,

Have you ever found yourself in a room where you’re the only person who looks like you? Where every glance, comment, or question reminds you that you’re different?

If you’ve been there, you know it’s more than just awkward moments, it’s a mental, emotional, and even physical weight. In this edition of Qocktails & Qonversations, let’s sip and unpack what it’s like to navigate workspaces where you’re “the only one.”

Feeling Alone in a Full Room

Let’s be real, walking into a workplace where no one shares your background, or culture can leave you feeling isolated!

You start noticing the petty things:

— The inside jokes or cultural references that don’t include you.

— The moments where your voice feels unheard, or worse, like it doesn’t even matter.

— That constant battle between staying true to yourself and trying to fit into the mold.

It’s not just lonely, it’s draining.

The Unpaid Role of Cultural Ambassador

Ever been asked something like: Why does your community do this? or What’s your take on this issue?

While these questions might seem innocent, they can be exhausting. Instead of just focusing on your job, you’re now expected to represent your entire culture. It’s as if your identity comes with a second, unpaid job description: Educator-in-Chief for Diversity 101.

When Micro-aggressions Add Up

Let’s not sugarcoat it, micro-aggressions hurt.

From comments like “You’re so articulate” to invasive questions about your hair, they’re constant reminders that people see you differently. These “small” moments might not seem important to others, but for you? They pile up, creating an environment that’s anything but welcoming.

Stress Is Real. And It’s Physical

It’s not just your mind that carries the burden. Chronic stress from being “the only one” can show up as:

— Sleepless nights

— Fatigue

— Headaches

— Even high blood pressure

This isn’t about tough days at work, it’s about protecting your peace and your health.

So, What’s the Move?

For You:

— Build Your Tribe: Whether it’s a mentor, a friend, or a community like Qocktails & Qonversations, find people who get it.

— Set Boundaries: Not every question needs an answer, and not every teachable moment is yours to handle. Protect your energy.

— Prioritize Self-Care: Pour into yourself. Whether it’s therapy, journaling, or dancing in your kitchen, do what refuels you.

For Allies in the Room:

— Listen without defensiveness.

— Speak up when you see bias, and don’t leave it all on the shoulders of the person of color in the room.

— Advocate for real change in hiring, promotions, and workplace culture.

Let’s Keep the Qonversation Going

Ladies, this isn’t just a work issue, it’s a life issue. Navigating these spaces takes strength, resilience, and community. And that’s why Qocktails & Qonversations exists, to create a safe space where we can talk, vent, laugh, and heal.

Next time we meet, let’s raise a glass to being unapologetically ourselves, even in spaces that weren’t built with us in mind.

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Cheers to that,

Qocktails & Qonversations Team