DaVonna May on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with DaVonna May and have shared our conversation below.

DaVonna, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Trusting their creative vision.

Creative bullying is real.

It’s not just rejection or lack of support – it’s the emotional assault that erodes a sacred, powerful gift meant to improve the world.

And it doesn’t only happen in the early stages, when the vision is still forming. It shows up even when you’re building, experimenting, launching, evolving.

They’ll criticize you for having the nerve to try.
For being the first.
For being too bold. Too confident. Too loud.

People don’t just reject what they don’t understand, they reject what they can’t control.

They’ll try to diminish your dream because it doesn’t fit their blueprint for your life. Whether that’s rooted in jealousy, fear, or misplaced concern masked as “love”, creative bullying is an assault on your sacred assignment.

It can make you question your magic before it’s even mature enough to bloom.

I’ve lived this. I’ve had people try to shrink my vision to fit the limits of their comfort zone.

They said, “Don’t do that,” then turned around and did the exact same thing.

I’ve had people come to me in private for creative direction, only to present my ideas as their own in public, denying the influence, inspiration, and guidance they received from me.

Some didn’t just doubt me, they organized against me. Held secret meetings. Formed alliances. All designed to block my growth within certain circles and opportunities.

I’ve experienced a myriad creative assaults, subtle and strategic, designed to make me question my worth.

Not because I was doing anything wrong.
But because I dared to move first.
Because I had the courage to try without permission.

For 15 years, I held on to my vision and kept manifesting my ideas – even when I was lonely, misunderstood, and mocked.

And that belief? It carried me from modeling on the runways of Italy to teaching AI and law at universities in Indonesia.

Simply put – my vision sparked global impact. It rewrote what was possible across borders and became a catalyst for connection and transformation worldwide.

So many silently battle the fear of becoming targets – of being mocked, criticized, ridiculed. And because they lack support, they shrink. They abandon their vision just to fit in, even as their soul aches to express its purpose.

Don’t let that happen. Your job is to protect it. Guard it. Let it evolve.

Because someone, somewhere, is waiting for what you’re carrying.

I am living proof that dreams become reality.

And every time I walk through an airport and get a new stamp in my passport –
backed by a vision they tried to steal – I think:

What if I had listened?

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is DaVonna May, creator of It Girl GPT – Your Global Branding Bestie – helping visionaries build influential brands, income, and impact across continents.

I bring over a decade of experience in global branding, AI education, and business strategy to entrepreneurs and creatives ready to scale their brilliance.

From the U.S. to Africa to Asia, I’ve worked across cultures and industries to help rising leaders turn their creativity into scalable, borderless income.

Over the past 3 months, I’ve been immersed in international travel and global partnerships. My mission? Helping young professionals – especially those from underrepresented and multicultural backgrounds – build world-class brands that are culturally intelligent, tech-empowered, and globally positioned. I’ve infused all of my experiences into It Girl GPT – a virtual assistant designed to help you unlock international opportunities, elevate your brand, and expand across continents.

I am your go-to AI branding bestie, business mentor, and lifestyle coach sharing everything I know about global intelligence and cultural strategy, and brand development.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Dr. Tahesha Way, my first-year English professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

She was everything I had never seen before in real life – a beautiful, brilliant, sharply dressed Black woman. Both an attorney and a college professor. Young. Poised. Powerful. The kind of woman who carried herself with so much intelligence, dignity, and presence that I couldn’t help but admire her.

I came to class every day riveted – sitting up straight, ready to absorb everything she had to offer. I remember gaining a love for the dictionary because of her vocabulary lessons. To this day, carrying a dictionary has been a habit of mine ever since.

One day, mid-semester, she pulled me aside after class and asked: “Have you ever considered attending law school?”

Until that moment, I hadn’t. Coming from the neighborhood I did, I had never conceived of that kind of future.

But the fact that she saw that in me shifted everything. That one question rerouted my entire life.

Everything I did from that day forward was in pursuit of becoming the woman she saw in me. I became a standout student and athlete, graduated on the Dean’s List, and went on to attend law school. The rest is history.

Dr. Way was living proof that someone from my background – with my shade of skin – could take up space in rooms of prestige and power.

She didn’t just teach me English. She modeled excellence.

She gave me a mirror. And in her reflection, I saw the possibility of becoming more.

Because she became who she was meant to be, she inspired me – and countless others – to do the same.

Now, years later, as an attorney, entrepreneur, and global brand mentor, I carry her legacy with me.

I strive to be the same kind of representation she was for me: A reminder that a girl from the roughest part of town can rise, thrive, and lead with brilliance.

Thank you Dr. Way.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I moved to Southeast Asia.

I left everything behind – the makeup, the clothes, the adornments that helped me fit into polite society.

I packed one bag and boarded a 35-hour flight to Thailand with nothing but my faith, brilliance, and a deep knowing that I was about to show up raw, pure, and powerful.

No longer polished. No longer pretending.

This was the start of me, starting over – not as the fashion-icon that the world was used to seeing online, but as a woman on a soul mission. A woman who had nothing left to hide behind.

Because the truth is… I couldn’t hold the mask anymore.

My life was never perfect or polished. I never had the conveniences or stability so many of my peers enjoyed.

I grew up in poverty – sharing clothes with my siblings, bullied throughout my formative years, and constantly feeling like I wasn’t enough. Yes, I was smart, creative, and deeply valuable… but I was also insecure, because I never felt like I had it all together. I never really fit in.

That move to Southeast Asia? It was the moment I took off the mask. I stopped performing and started healing. This is where I started trusting that I alone was good enough.

I showed the world that it’s possible to step into greatness without all the frills. That your value isn’t about what’s on you – it’s about what’s in you.

And here’s what I learned: It wasn’t the latest outfit or perfectly styled hair that landed me teaching opportunities in Malaysia and Indonesia. It was the depth of my work. The years of commitment. The energy I bring into every room.

Now I can afford the things I used to dream about. But the real flex? Is what’s in my heart. What’s in my brain. What I bring to humanity. My compassion. My vision. My service.

I released the pretense. I stood raw and real before an audience who was used to seeing me polished and perfect –
and I let them see everything I used to hide.

And in that humility… I became more powerful than ever.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Respect. Dignity. Humility. Deference. Those are non-negotiables no matter where I am in the world.

Many people travel to foreign lands “as they are”, but I’ve learned to live like a local.

To respect the land you inhabit. To move with cultural fluency, not arrogance or blissful ignorance.

Every interaction should be intentionally respectful – even when it’s uncomfortable or unreciprocated. Why?

Because respect is not a transaction. It’s a personal charter. A core value that doesn’t shift when your environment or comfort zone does, but instead it flexes to expand your capacity to understand, serve, and connect.

This mindset prevents so much unnecessary harm. And honestly? It’s at the core of true leadership.

You can’t connect with what you refuse to understand.

Living in South East Asia’s non-tourist neighborhoods taught me that real life – real needs – real people’s experiences – can’t be Googled. You can’t understand an entire culture, religion, or community through a highlight reel. You need to hear the inflection in their voice, see the expression on their face, and feel their stories.

Don’t run from the truth just because it’s unfiltered. Don’t fear the unfamiliar. And never show up with the energy to dominate or colonize.

Show up to learn. Show up to coexist. Show up to respect.

Building cross cultural trust is a human responsibility, and yes, it can be arduous. But the moment you remember we’re all seeking the same rewards… and fearing the same consequences… is the moment your global perspective shifts.

Just be friendly. Be curious. Be warm. Smile. Ask questions. Sit with the uncomfortable. And always lead with compassion, respect, and dignity.

That’s how you build true global reputation.
That’s how you build bonds.
That’s how you represent something greater than yourself – for people who look like you, and for generations who will remember how you moved.

Because when you move with humility and honor, you leave a positive legacy that outlives you.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I’m planting trees whose shade I may never sit under by pouring into the next generation of future leaders.

I’m teaching college students in Indonesia and Malaysia everything I know, not just about business, law, and entrepreneurship, but about life.

I’m making my mind an open source, offering insights across borders, whether in:

virtual conferences where global leaders exchange ideas,

university classrooms where students quietly record the nuances of my experience,

private rooms with academics and professors exploring innovation across law, ethics, policy, entrepreneurship, AI, and global relations,

and through It Girl GPT, where I’ve transformed my expertise into technology that advances society – making global brand strategy, AI fluency, and legacy thinking more accessible to the very people often excluded from those conversations.

I’m saying yes to research projects.
Yes to teaching opportunities.
Yes to learning.
Yes to sharing.

I’m letting my lived experience become curriculum.
I’m being transparent about the risks and the rewards.
I’m allowing multicultural curiosities to be fully seen and explored through my story, my choices, my lens.

This may not “pay off” today. But in 7 to 10 years, I know the seeds I’m planting in these classrooms, conversations, and case studies, will bloom into leaders, innovators, advocates, and world-changers.

Because that’s the real return: Legacy. Impact. Access. Representation.

Not for me – but for people I may never meet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-51IAf0hTY-it-girl-gpt-2-0?model=gpt-4o
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davonnamay/