We were lucky to catch up with Stefan Amali recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stefan , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I’ve always been a lonely soul who incidentally bares the gift of charisma. My entire life I’ve felt like a misfit and I understood very early what it meant to be alienated.
I think there is great power in solitude and though dangerous, isolation can be an integral part of how we conquer our identity politics as individuals.
So much of my confidence comes from the fact that I spend a lot of time alone , so I have really good gauge on my strengths and weaknesses holistically.
I don’t care to be “the smartest in the room” but I’m fully aware that I have a unique mind and falling in love with your own mind is a superpower!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
2025 is an exciting year for both our marketing agency Hi Esteem Agency and our art agency Worlds Collide. We have a plethora of impactful projects that we will be rolling out next year in the Caribbean and North America.
Having just celebrated our 5 year anniversary of and the 3 year anniversary of Worlds Collide, I felt that it was time to challenge myself in a new way as a leader hence my decision to pursue an LLB (Hons) Law at Arden University in London.
In July 2024 Arden University was named the 16th best university in the UK for student satisfaction, with strong tradition in course flexibility for online students.
Running two companies while being in law school will have its challenges but I’m confident that my support system will help me through.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self reliance is the first one! I’m always very weary of some cliche statements we grow up hearing and the true psychological agenda behind why they’ve become such a core part of our language. One such cliche is the statement “No Man is an Island”.
I think the statement should be “No man is a continent” but there are people whose level of self -investment , intrinsic motivation and creative output warrants them being perceived as “an island”. Self reliance is not saying you can do it all on your own, but instead it’s seeing yourself in a limitless way.
Self love is the second one. When you work in the creative field, you will always be susceptible to backlash and criticism. Though sometimes justified, some of it will be rooted in jealousy. To withstand that , requires a strong sense of self.
Having a philosophy is the third one. From Bob Marley , to Plato , to Socrates ; there was no impactful writer in world history, that was unanimously agreed with on all their work. In fact , Plato and Socrates who were deemed as the founding fathers of Western philosophy were sentenced to death for spoiling the minds of the youth in their time.
In today’s paradigm of writing , social media backlash is presumably the new death sentence but intellectual vandalism is not unique to this era of our existence.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
So many people at so many times in my life but I have to shoutout my Vice President the beautiful Miss Shena Gurley! She has been a tremendous blessing to my life and the company since coming on board.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hiesteemagency.com
- Instagram: @stefanamali
Image Credits
Shannon Britto
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
