Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Celebrity Stylist /CEO Raquel Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation; we’ve shared it below.
Raquel, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Wholeheartedly, I truly found my purpose through my pursuit of a fashion internship that resulted in what most would identify as a success story that stemmed from self-determination, tenacity, and persistence.
My college degree attainment included an internship requirement, and I could not find a desirable in Georgia. So, I headed to New York and embarked on remarkable opportunities with two major fashion giants – Nautica and the House of Dereon. Nautica was the first which opened the door to many experiences. My favorite department was the PR department where I gained experience allowing me to master styling and shop for the company’s fashion shows. This level of exposure inspired me to return to the classroom but this time at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
Upon completing the program, another phase of my journey jump started. I found myself in pursuit of a second internship. I landed the internship of my dreams with the House of Dereon, which was Beyoncé’s and her mother, Mrs. Tina Knowles’ fashion company. Mrs. Tina Knowles became my fashion mentor. She taught me fashion techniques, how to select fabrics and so much more to help me elevate my styling career.
For an abbreviated time, I remained employed at Nautica but accepted a full-time internship resulting in a simultaneous dual commitment to Nautica and the House of Dereon. Soon thereafter, I chose to prioritize my dream and fully commit to only the House of Dereon as an unpaid intern. It was my belief the opportunity and experience were more important than the pay. Confirmation came one day when Beyoncé and Mrs. Tina Knowles walked through the door, introduced themselves and asked if they could speak with me in their office. The meeting purpose was to provide me feedback about my work ethic, their observation of my professionalism, specifically minding my own business while demonstrating the capacity to go above and beyond when asked to do a task without any complaints. In that moment, they offered me an opportunity to join Beyoncé’s styling team as a styling assistant and from that day, my passion and purpose collided resulting in a progressive career path with the company – from intern to styling assistant, from styling assistant to her personal stylist, alongside Ty Hunter who was her lead stylist.
Another way I discovered my purpose is when I gave birth to my pride and joy, my son who is 8 years of age now. I didn’t find this purpose, it found me. I had no idea what the motherhood experience would contribute to my amazing journey. After I was informed by my gynecologist that I would not be able to have any children, the birth itself was a miracle. As the parenting opportunity came to me unexpectedly, I embraced it and I am doing everything I can to nurture him, teach him, protect him, and empower him so that he too can find his purpose.
I believe my purpose remains fluid – whether styling someone or designing something, it is always to bring something beautiful into existence, while always trusting God for the next steps. This requires a willingness to always seek meaning and direction , and to act on it at the right time.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My story is the story of an ordinary person with dreams and ambition. I describe myself as a determined and persistent go getter who traveled north to launch her career in fashion and, by the grace of God, landed a job with Beyoncé’, one of the most iconic entertainers of all time. But that’s not the whole story of course. It’s also the story of a single mom committed to providing for her young son and creating a worthwhile legacy that he will carry forward, namely KidRaq, my luxury eyewear company.
KidRaq is unique in a few ways. We offer high-quality fashion eyewear for families, not just individuals and not just adults. Our mommy-and-me/daddy-and-me line enables parents and children to have matching eyewear. Kids love it! And parents love that their kids have choices when searching for look-a-like sunglasses options. The brand also features an engraved affirmation on the inside of the temple arm as a daily reminder to the wearer that they are worthy and deserving. We are small but mighty and look forward to continuing to contribute to and creating a unique space in the eyewear industry.
I love being creative… doing creative things… being around creative people. I spent many years traveling the world with Beyoncé and now my other greatest joy comes from being a mom and enjoying my son’s modeling and football journey traveling to auditions, events, and camps. I enjoy engaging with the NFL players, other celebrities, and other parents at these events to network and learn how to guide his career interests to the next level.
I like tasty food and one of my favorite dishes is Penne Bolognese, but nothing beats my mother’s cooking. In addition, I enjoy spa treatments and beach vacays to relax my mind, body, and soul to unwind from my busy schedule.
I continue to focus on expanding my KidRaq Luxury Eyewear brand and business with my son. KidRaq has been flaunted internationally with kid influencers like Farouk James in London and the TolliverBoyz in the Netherlands. The collection is now available through a luxury retailer collaboration – Nordstrom.com. This is a legacy that I am proud to pass on to my son.
I remain humble through each experience and stay true to myself. My hard work, determination, and persistence has led to my career longevity.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that are 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?
Looking back, I would say that the three qualities that have been most impactful on my journey are humility, tenacity, and curiosity. I think that having a modest and unpretentious attitude, without arrogance or conceit, is a solid foundation to successfully build both professional and personal relations on. It involves having awareness of industry trends, one’s own limitations and seeking support, while valuing the contributions of others. It fosters a sense of openness, empathy, and gratitude.
Having tenacity empowers you to persist when faced with adversity, obstacles, or setbacks and never give up. Being curious means that you openly seek knowledge and understanding by asking questions and exploring innovative ideas. It inspires creativity, innovation, personal growth, and certain risk taking to invest and realize your dreams. I also think curiosity is important for adaptability and problem-solving.
As for advice, I would simply say be humble, tenacious, authentic, determined, persistent, stay true to yourself, stay eager to learn, seek a mentor, think outside the box, mind your business and always bet on yourself.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The challenge that KidRaq is currently facing is breaking through the clutter and noise of social marketing to have our message heard, in addition to being one of the small businesses still recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
But we are undaunted. We keep plugging away at it, by being relevant and resilient.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kidraq.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialkidraq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialkidraq
