An Inspired Chat with Miss. Maxine Oglesby of North Philadelphia

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Miss. Maxine Oglesby. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Maxine, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
What I’m most proud of building is the part of my life no one ever applauds — my foundation.
The discipline, the healing, the faith, the strategy, the internal structure that keeps everything else standing.

People see my businesses, my projects, my creativity, my work in the community… but they don’t see the years I spent rebuilding myself from scratch. They don’t see the nights I stayed up studying, praying, learning, crying, and forcing myself to grow through situations I could’ve easily collapsed under. They don’t see the boundaries I had to learn to enforce, the trauma I had to release, the self-worth I had to reclaim, or the old versions of myself I had to bury so the woman I am today could exist.

Behind every business I’m launching, every step forward, every win I’m earning right now — there is an invisible blueprint of patience, discipline, and spiritual commitment. I built that by myself, quietly, without applause, while still showing up for others.

That inner foundation is the thing no one sees, but it’s the reason everything I touch now is starting to grow. And honestly, it’s the achievement I’m most proud of.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Maxine Oglesby, and I’m a multi-disciplinary creative and founder whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, empowerment, education, and community transformation.
I build brands, experiences, and programs that center Black youth, Black women, and people who come from environments like mine — where talent is abundant, but support is rare.

One of my core projects is Pretty Girls Empowerment, a youth-centered initiative that uses fashion, creativity, and life-skills mentorship to uplift young girls who lack community and structural support. I’m currently developing a full CRM, curriculum, and animation system that tracks youth progress, builds community partnerships, and uses media to empower the next generation.

I’m also the creator of KiKi Kouture, a 3D Pixar-style animated series featuring a young Black girl in the foster-care system who uses creativity and magic to transform her world. The series blends fashion, empowerment, cultural representation, and storytelling — and it’s grown into a full IP ecosystem with voice acting, visuals, storyline arcs, and expanding character development.

Beyond that, I’m involved in literacy advocacy, assisting organizations that spotlight Black and diverse authors, bringing book fairs and author visits directly to schools in communities that need them most. My focus is always the same: representation, access, and empowerment.

What makes my work unique is that I’m not building from theory — I’m building from lived experience. I know what it means to fight through adversity, to self-teach, to create opportunities out of thin air, and to transform pain into systems that uplift others. Everything I do is grounded in purpose, faith, creativity, and a commitment to leaving my community better than I found it.

Right now I’m in a season of expansion:
launching new collaborations, strengthening my media and production pathways, and preparing for the public release of several major projects. My goal is to continue making work that is impactful, culturally rooted, and spiritually aligned — because that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Jeannie didn’t just mentor me — she recognized me. She saw my leadership, my strength, my ability to create, organize, uplift, and transform before I even had the language for it. She looked past my circumstances and straight into my potential.

Where most people saw a girl trying to survive, Jeannie saw a woman being shaped.
Where others saw chaos, Jeannie saw calling.
Where I saw obstacles, she saw preparation.

Jeannie has this rare ability to speak to who you are becoming, not who you’ve been. She affirmed talents and qualities in me that I hadn’t yet grown into — confidence, discipline, purpose, and a level of resilience that would eventually fuel my businesses, my creativity, and the legacy work I’m building today.

She guided me without controlling me.
She corrected me without breaking me.
And most importantly, she believed in me without conditions.

Jeannie taught me that leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about integrity, courage, and service. She led by example, and that example raised my standard.

Before I could see the designer, the entrepreneur, the creative director, the builder, the future mogul — she saw it, and she nurtured it.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely — more than once.

There were seasons where everything seemed to collapse at the same time:
legal battles, school deadlines, financial pressure, being a mother, running a business, managing life alone, and healing from trauma. I’ve been in situations where the weight felt bigger than the resources I had, bigger than the support around me, and sometimes bigger than me.

There were moments I was exhausted — not physically, but spiritually.
Moments when I questioned whether all the work, all the sacrifice, all the late nights would ever show fruit. I’ve cried in silence, prayed through frustration, and pushed through days when I felt completely depleted.

One moment that stands out was when I had to fight for my home by myself, representing myself in court with no one to lean on. I was preparing legal documents, running my businesses, being a mother, and still trying to hold myself together mentally and emotionally. That period tested every part of me. I truly felt like giving up — not my life, but the fight, the dreams, the effort.

But something in me refused to let go.

Every single time I reached that breaking point, Allah opened a door, sent a sign, or gave me strength I didn’t know I had. Giving up stopped being an option because I realized I’m not working for just me — I’m working for my son, my legacy, and the women I’m destined to lift through my work.

So yes, I’ve come close — but every “almost giving up” moment became the fuel for the next chapter. And now I understand that none of it was meant to break me… it was meant to build me.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
The cultural value I protect at all costs is integrity rooted in compassion — especially within Black and Brown communities.

I come from a background where survival can easily overshadow softness, and where people often learn to hide their gifts, mute their emotions, or shrink themselves to fit into systems not made for them. So for me, integrity isn’t just about honesty — it’s about showing up in truth, with heart, and refusing to let the world harden you.

I protect the value of moving with character, accountability, and care, even when life gets chaotic. I protect the value of giving people dignity, even when they’re struggling. I protect the value of helping others elevate without losing ourselves. And above everything, I protect the value of community-centered excellence — doing the work in a way that uplifts those around me instead of stepping on them.

In my work — whether it’s youth empowerment, creative projects, business, or collaboration — I never compromise on compassion, authenticity, or how I treat people. To me, this is the culture: we rise, but we rise with integrity.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, my roles, my titles, and every possession I’ve worked for — what would remain is my soul, my sincerity, and my service.

What would remain is the part of me that cannot be touched by money, followers, accomplishments, or identity — the inner core that’s guided every transformation I’ve ever gone through.

Under everything, I am:

A servant of God.
A nurturer by nature.
A protector.
A creator.
A woman who refuses to stay small.
A force for healing, order, and vision.

Stripped of everything external, what stays is my heart — the part that rises every time life tries to break me, the part that still believes in purpose when circumstances look impossible, the part that keeps showing up for people who need guidance, structure, and love.

What remains is the strength that has carried me through trauma, motherhood, homelessness, courtrooms, reinvention, and rebirth.

What remains is the mission, not the aesthetics:
• the mission to empower young girls
• the mission to restore what’s broken
• the mission to uplift my community
• the mission to turn pain into blueprint
• the mission to build legacy

Because none of that depends on a name or a title — it’s who I am without trying.

At my foundation, I am a woman with an assignment.

And even if you took everything from me, that assignment would still pulse in my chest.

That’s the part of me that remains.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://modelcleaningservices.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms.maxxiee?igsh=ZTZiNGEwZ2RtNnUx&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AEvGout8L/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@littleglowmaker?si=Pa0w9AVAIaJFvMm4