Today we’d like to introduce you to Imani Black.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started in Fayetteville, NC, where I was raised. My family moved from Arlington, TX and relocated there when I was two years old due to my father being in the military. Growing up, I watched a lot of TVs and surfed the Internet a lot. I like to jokingly say that MTV raised me. I know this may sound bad, but it’s true and has definitely contributed to who I am today. My first video creations were made in my hometown which were music videos I made using Windows Movie Maker and gifs I found on Tumblr. I made videos for Electric Feel by MGMT, Pyramids by Frank Ocean and Bound 2 by Kanye West to name a few.
Although I lived in North Carolina, my family visited the DFW area often due to us having many family members in the area. After graduating from high school, I moved back to Texas to attend college at the University of North Texas.
I had always wanted to start a YouTube channel during college and received a nice camera as a gift from my mother to start one the fall semester of my senior year. I eventually published my first-and-ongoing photography project, #blackseries, so I could build my photography portfolio and create an ode to my good friends before graduating.
In the summer of 2017, I became very active on YouTube and talked about fitness, food and having fun on my channel. I eventually stopped because I got my first “big girl” job at a major advertising agency in Dallas.
In early 2018, I had the idea to showcase my life because it’s very interesting and I thought it would be fun to share online. My friend Jorge, a videographer/photographer, was apart of this idea and helped me film the first scene at my house. I realized I didn’t like being on camera anymore and the idea was tabled.
A few months later, the idea was revitalized and rebooted as Day with Dallas, a docu-series focused on young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs/creatives in the city. I know a lot of people who are working hard and with entertaining lives. When I shared my idea with Jorge, I explained it as “MTV cribs, but for your life.” In July, we hammered out the details of the show, officially began filming in September 2018 and debuted our first episode on February 2019.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a journey that I would not change. Everything that has happened in my life, needed to happen because I’ve only become stronger, smarter and more unrelenting with my goals, vision, and future. My struggles have been with building Day with Dallas as a business/brand, production, brand and also doing most of the groundwork with filming, directing, editing and everything you can think of that goes behind a production. I’m also still actively trying to mold the show into my ideal vision which is very exciting because there’s been a lot of evolving and learning along the way. I’ve had troubles with mastering my camera. I’m still not a pro, but my friend has Jorge provided me with a lot of guidance
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Day with Dallas – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m most proud of how my initial idea of showcasing my life has sprouted into having the opportunity to be trusted by other people to document and share their lives with the world. I’m also proud of the fact that I was able to host my photography in a gallery this year highlighting my favorite neighborhood in Dallas, Deep Ellum, with it only being my third year into my #blackseries project.
What makes my endeavors unique is all of my projects are curated with love, genuineness, and respect. Day with Dallas and #blackseries have originated from love – my love of Dallas and my friends.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’ll be debuting the final two episodes of the first season of the show and hosting a wrap-up celebration at Trinity Cider on October 1st. It’s going to be awesome and I’m so excited to present my evolved vision of the show to the public. Stay tuned on the DWD Instagram for updates!
Contact Info:
- Website: imaniblackonline.com
- Email: daywithdallas@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/daywithdallas
- Facebook: facebook.com/daywithdallas
- Other: instagram.com/imaniblack_
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