Meet Jazzmyn Red

We were lucky to catch up with Jazzmyn Red recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jazzmyn, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Well let me first say, I’m an only child with two parents who poured a lot of love into me so I often tell people I inherently feel like I’m the best thing since dresses with pockets! But all jokes aside and despite my parent’s willingness to break generational curses so many of us know, there have been numerous times in my life I’ve struggled with confidence and imposter syndrome. It was instilled in me at an early age that I was great, I was special, and that I can do great things so I give a lot of credit to the people that raised me for teaching me my power before I even knew how important that was. But I would also say I’ve developed my confidence and self-esteem in a few ways. One of which is setting goals and making sure that I attain them. Working hard towards the things that I want in my life and then having the satisfaction of accomplishing them continues to show me time after time that I can do anything that I want if I put my heart and my mind to it. I would also say much of my confidence and self-esteem has come from the people that I surround myself with these days. “Empowered women empower women” is no joke. I have the honor and privilege of having a tribe of women around me who speak life into me in the moments that I need it the most and remind me of who I am. and I do the same for them. It’s tough out here, and to have sisterhood with other women who are go-getters, goal setters, accomplished in their own avenues, and full of light is a cheat code to any woman looking to be successful in anything she does.

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

I’m an artist, educator, DEIB leader, and U.S. Ambassador of Hip Hop and Cultural Exchange for the U.S. State Department. Over the years, I’ve built a career that intersects my passion for Hip Hop, education, cultural exchange, and social justice. Through these roles, I’ve worked relentlessly to champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across both corporate and nonprofit sectors, educational institutions, and the artistic community.

My passion lies in telling bold, heartfelt stories about our communities, families, relationships, and society as a whole—stories that come from my own life experiences. I love blending different sounds and genres to create a unique musical experience that reflects my journey. My work is all about sparking emotion and encouraging people to think deeply about the world around us.

In my role as an Ambassador for the U.S. State Department’s Next Level Program, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to teach Hip Hop workshops at Berklee College of Music in Abu Dhabi and perform at Expo Dubai 2020. I’ve also mentored MCs from all over the world, including Mongolia, Ghana, Barbados, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, and Ecuador.

I’ve had the privilege of performing on over 200 stages, both nationally and internationally, and I’ve been featured in The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, NPR, and NBC. I’m also the creator of The Hip Hop Experience, a workshop series that dives into Black music’s ties to social justice movements, with a special focus on how Hip Hop emerged from the Civil Rights Movement and continues to drive cultural change today. My workshops have been hosted around the world, including at places like Harvard University.

In addition to my work as an artist educator and DEIB practitioner, I curate experiences rooted in education, professional development, creative expression, culture and community building. I am committed to creating equitable and joyful experiences that are representative of the creatively rich and diverse individuals that make our world beautiful.

I’m always learning, always growing, and I continue to share my knowledge through both my music and my teaching. I’m driven by a deep desire to inspire, educate, and contribute to a more connected, conscious world and I’d love to get connected with folks so please always feel free to reach out to me!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say the three things that were most impactful on my journey were resilience, discernment, and tenacity. I had to learn that if I wanted anything in this world it was on me. it was up to me to get out and get it. If I wanted to travel, if I wanted that job, if I wanted to own my own business, or whether I wanted to reinvent myself cause I didn’t like who I was looking at in the mirror, it was all up to me. Resilience in the sense of continuing to push myself forward even after setbacks. during those times where it was easy to give up or when things weren’t happening as fast as I wanted them to or I didn’t have the resources but I needed to accomplish my goals being able to bounce back from anything that thought it was going to set me back was crucial. The ability to say “okay maybe this is happening right now & it is hard but it is not my end result”. Discernment was also important in the sense that I trusted myself and my intuition to know who should be around me and who shouldn’t or what opportunities were right for me and which weren’t. And lastly tenacity, that determination to want more just never left me. I have always thought to myself “okay what’s next?”. I set my goal, accomplish it, rest, set another one, and go get it again. Those three things combined I believe have been the most helpful on this journey. But all that is nothing without having the belief that anything is possible for you. Above all I think that is the biggest piece of knowledge that has inspired my journey, anything is possible.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I’m feeling overwhelmed I rest, and that is my biggest piece of advice to anybody. In order to go hard at attaining your goals at being successful in anything that you do you have to factor in that you will need a break at some point and often. Usually my rest will consist of time with my family and friends to just enjoy life, binge watching a show that’s easy to watch or having a Harry Potter marathon with snacks (I’m a huge fan), and just taking some time to unwind, unplug, and get connected to the things and people that bring me joy. We have to make time for rest and joy in our lives otherwise what’s it all for?

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