Meet Chay Lee

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chay Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chay, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?

Mannnnn…. Let me tell you. I’m not going to say the name of the company but they laid me off the day before I left for my wedding in Mexico. What I thought was a check in before I left, turned into “you no longer work here and we gave you a month severance even though we know you are about to be off for two weeks”. I did my best not to let them ruin the biggest weekend of my life. Shout out to my wife who reminded me of the beauty of two incomes and reminded me that my job was not my identity. I love reading about successful people and they always have stories of setbacks so I told myself this was just part of the journey…and I have already had a heck of a journey. I came back from my wedding and honeymoon refreshed and ready to get to it. I focused on what I wanted for my next role: writing and making funny things. About 6 weeks later, I started as creative producer with Ryan Reynolds agency, Maximum Effort.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Right now, I’m really into my YouTube channel, Black Joy Club. I used to be all about TikTok—I even got into their creators program and started monetizing there. My background’s in TV news reporting, and I also do stand-up, so I’d give my take on the news with a few jokes thrown in. But when Trump got into office, I realized reporting the news all the time was just going to stress me out. That’s when I shifted gears and launched Black Joy Club on YouTube to focus on celebrating Black Joy and Black Excellence. These days, I mostly do two types of videos: sharing lesser-known stories from Black history, and profiling people who, in my view, really embody Black excellence. I love it because it lets me flex my journalism skills while telling stories in my own unique voice.

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’d say the top three qualities that have really helped me on my journey are faith, curiosity, and self-reflection. Faith, because I genuinely believe you need to trust in something bigger than yourself; for me, that’s Jesus. His example of how to live and treat people has shaped both my personal and professional relationships in a big way. Curiosity keeps me always learning, whether it’s about people’s successes and failures, human psychology, history or even just picking up new tech or skills. And then there’s self-reflection. Every quarter, I grade myself in seven key areas: health, career, finances, relationships, personal growth, hobbies, and spirituality. I try to be as real as possible with myself—even when it’s tough—because that honesty is what really pushes me to grow.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

My favorite book is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. I love how it breaks down practical steps for figuring out your personal mission statement—something I think everyone should have, so you can focus your energy on what truly matters. The book is packed with hands-on exercises that guide you through setting your goals and staying on track, making your journey to success feel a lot more achievable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thechaylee.com
• Instagram: @newsguychay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chay-lee-creative/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackjoyclub
• Other: Tik Tok: @newsguychay