Meet Iesha Hayes

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Iesha Hayes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Iesha below.

Hi Iesha, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

My whole life, I dreamed of being someone bigger, someone who the world would always remember. Some would say this idealistic view was wrong. I was around so many people who thought small. As a young girl, around the age of nine, I began writing music. My development of public speaking had grown and what I wanted to do was not my reality. I ended up growing out of music and started writing poetry. As I grew older, around the age of 16, my life took turns, I made mistakes, and I simply was a screwed up intellectual teenager. Months would pass by and I would think to myself about that little girl who dreamed of herself being more than what the world knew her to be. Once I graduated high-school, I had already started piloting my own nonprofit, I was a freelance actress, and I was working on writing short stories. Although life seemed to look more pleasing than it felt, I went through a change that would not only change my life, but every individual who would have ever met me. One day, as I am laying in my dorm, I get a call. “Iesha!! Have you watched the news? Coach Ross daughter passed. She committed suicide.” Instantly, I was in shock. I could not speak. I was heartbroken, yes. More so, I was deeply disappointed. I was disappointed in myself that as a youth advocate I did not do enough. I didn’t reach out to those people who felt like they had no one when I was the one who was supposed to be there for the young people who were out casted. When this happened, I knew I had to step up and do something. I didn’t know what God would instruct me to do, but I knew it would be risky and scary. I started a podcast. My mission was to engage, educate, and entertain. I developed my platform to create a safe space for adolescents and middle-aged adults to connect with each other and myself through conversations and express themselves in a positive and meaningful way. When I first got started, I didn’t know what I was doing. So many times I wanted to give up for lack of support. My biggest concern was my lack of commitment. I wanted to lie to myself and say when I first got started, I was a hundred percent confident that I would be successful. If I said this, this would indeed be a lie. I didn’t think I would make it. I doubted myself because I felt like I didn’t have enough money, I was a 19 year old girl recording videos in her home from her phone. Life was kicking me left and right, even to the point where I was almost homeless. No matter what though, I never gave up. Once I did get the support I desired, the commitment to keep going even during hard times was my biggest priority. It was frightening to see how resilient I had to be. I was enraged sometimes because I felt too I needed to be doing more than what I would show for. I didn’t have a camera still after so many years. I didn’t have a nice backdrop or working microphones. I took a risk to be great only by using what god gave me, my voice. I developed myself by myself. I taught myself to be a better listener, a better communicator. I watched podcast interviews and listened to marketing strategies all night after long days of work. I struggled to get rest because I knew that my purpose in this platform was bigger than me. It was bigger than Jackson, Mississippi. Today, I am proud to say that the risk of never giving up has not only saved my life, but it has curated verity. Iesha Speaks Real Podcast has grown so much. I have grown so much. I am not only a podcast host but a business woman, a youth activist, an actress, an author, a poet, a public speaker and so much more. “The risk I was scared to face, is the opportunity that saved today.”

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Iesha Hayes is an aspiring community leader, and social injustice activist, who strives to create a level playing field for the next generation of our youth. She currently works for Teen Health Mississippi as their Youth Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator. She enjoys reading, spoken word, podcasting, acting and spending quality time with family and friends. Most importantly, she supports others in their mental and emotional challenges to help individuals create balance in their personal life and career. Iesha is a Business Consultant, film producer & director, actress, podcaster, writer and poet. Iesha plans to continue her education fall 2025 at Jackson State University where she will major in Psychology and minor in Film and Television or Mass Communications. Iesha envisions to one day begin her own practice in counseling and have her production studios. Iesha desires to take her piloting non-profit SPEAK from the ground and make it national, seeking to touch lives all across the world. She plans to use her knowledge of policy, mental health awareness, and public health education for young people and middle-aged people to express their creative gifts through a multifaceted lens of advocacy.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three skills and/or qualities that most impacted my life was self-discipline, effective communication, and spirituality. My advice for anyone wanting to seek out growth in these areas is to first be transparent with yourself about first WHO you are and second WHO you want to be. The narrative we tell ourselves daily is the perspective of what others can view us from, even in their own mirrors. It’s important you self reflect and you learn to take constructive criticism.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am definitely looking for people to network with. I felt like this was spot on because out of everything I could answer, me putting myself out there would be the most beneficial to me business wise. I am looking for serious people who want to be apart of a growing organization, specifically my nonprofit. I need a group of board members and also a stable team. I need volunteers and youth support to participate in the program and activities I will have and plan out for the upcoming year. In addition to that, I will be looking for a small film crew for my film production company and also for my podcast show. I am currently only looking for individuals who can be contractors and I’m only hiring for a personal assistant and media assistant/content manager. In the long run, other roles such as but not limited to will be needed like a camera operator(s), reporter, producer, sound engineer, etc. For more information on hiring and interests, please contact me @iamieshaspeaks@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ieshahayes.setmore.com/ieshahayes
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ieshathegoddess/profilecard/?igsh=MWtmODdqOThwbmQ0ZA==
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ieshaspeaksreal

Image Credits

Nico Hopkins
Iesha Hayes
Alexis Cee