Meet Lacie Doll

We recently connected with Lacie Doll and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lacie, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Being the only person in the room who looks like you can be difficult. Being of African American ancestry one of the core ideals my parents instilled in me is to always be the smartest one. Learn the material early, immerse yourself in the topic so well you know it like the back of
Your hand. Most people will already assume I don’t belong in the room I fought tooth and nail to get into because I’m a black woman, never prove them right by showing up unprepared.
While in the military I was often either the only woman or the only black person in the room. I was responsible for handling legal cases and also knowing all of the ins and outs about military administrative requirements or changes to entirety. I often worked with men who had served a lot longer than me and outranked me by far. Most of whom served before women were able to have jobs that active service members had at the time. They were ignorant to progression and had no respect for the young black girl explaining the UCMJ to them but I had to stand my ground. I had to trust myself and my knowledge but more than that I had to make sure I had all of the facts. There was no room for error for me.
I’ve been out of the military for 4 years now but I still carry the lessons instilled in me by my parents and the skill I learned navigating rooms I wasn’t welcomed in from my time as a service member. Make sure you’re always prepared, know the material, studied the topics and are confident about what you’re saying & make sure what you say adds to the conversation.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Normally, when I do an interview I speak about my production company Unclassified Media or my businesses. Today I want to talk about a couple of specifics and that’s the reality show I’ve been working for a while called Real Femmes of Atlanta and my Audio Book production and distribution company under unclassified media. Both of which are at the center of my current focus.
Being a feminine black lesbian, I have notices there isn’t much representation of what we look or live like in media. Every so often we’ll be granted a black lesbian in a show of a movie. Normally that character is masculine presenting. Other times, she’s androgynous or finding herself. For me I find it almost insulting that being a feminine lesbian has come down to just a part of a woman’s journey of self discovery instead of just a woman. So, I decided to film a reality show centered around the black feminine lesbian experience. The show follows five very different black lesbians in Atlanta as they navigate their individual worlds and when they need to, lean on each other.
During my experience as a black feminine lesbian who loves to listen to audiobooks, I have found that there aren’t many stories out there for us or at least in my five years of listening to audiobooks on a regular basis, I haven’t found them. That is the catalyst for Unclassified Media’s audio book production and distribution company. I want to bring black lesbian stories to life and carve out a space for them in an industry where that space hasn’t really existed. My goal is to be the premier go to for black lesbian stories or stories written by black lesbian women. I want black lesbians to be able to find their stories on audible and other audio sources.

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?

I think three qualities that have been impactful on my journey are persistence, focus and honesty. I genuinely feel like I’m business you’re going to have good months and you’re going to have bad months. No matter what season you’re in you have to stay true to the goal and keep the ball going. You can slow down. You can even take a break but don’t give up. I also believe that while you shouldn’t give up it only works if you’re focused. You can believe in yourself all you want but if you won’t sacrifice, wake up everyday and remind yourself of the goal or resist temptation to stray away it won’t matter. You have to combine your persistence with focus. Living in Atlanta, I have come across a lot of entrepreneurs or business owners but not a lot of honest ones. Having the reputation of being dishonest, scamming or just overall not being a fair person can ruin not just your reputation but also your business so I genuinely believe in being honest.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I think it’s better to do both. Do proper planning and research before diving into anything. Once you’ve done that go all in. Bet completely on yourself but understand life is a journey. Give yourself reasonable space to make mistakes and make it a point to improve in areas that require improvement. That’s the only way you’ll be able to sustain a successful business. If you think you’re going to dive into anything in life that won’t require some improvement over time you’ll be doing yourself a disservice.
I’ve had consultations and have met tons of business owners who refused to make necessary improvements or grow in areas they weren’t strong in and their businesses failed. I watched someone close the doors to their brick and mortar because they kept hoping business would pick up instead of focusing their energy to insuring business picked up. They thought, “I had the support in the beginning so it’ll come back.” That was their business model. When it failed and they had to close their doors the thought back to the past year and replayed all of the things they could have or should’ve but weren’t willing to do to truly succeed. At the end of the day that’s the reality for those who only go all in but don’t improve in areas they’re weak in or invest in someone who can help.