Evaughn High

I attribute my success to my spiritual foundation and the guidance I received from my mother. She introduced me to Jesus as a girl and always shared Proverbs 3:5-6 with me: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not into your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your path.' That was pretty much the only scripture I knew for a long time, but it became my compass. There's an innate drive inside of me to pursue greatness all the time, to dream beyond what I see others desire and do. I'll go for things that look impossible, but if I thought of it, I believe I could accomplish it because where did the thought come from? I don't think independently. The thought came from somewhere. Whatever idea I get, I acknowledge Him. Is this you? Should I pursue this? That's what's kept me grounded in this industry. My mom also taught me to be a decision maker. She would say 'that's your little red wagon, you can pull it or drag it' and 'if I were you, and I'm not you, but if I were you, I wouldn't do that.' She never forced anything, always allowed me to make my own choices. She also told me 'if you don't use it, you'll lose it' about my talent, which pushed me to keep singing even when I was introverted and didn't want to perform. The wound that we are birthed through shapes who we are more than we probably admit. I have a great ear for music because I heard those sounds in the womb from my mom, who was a singer. It's a part of my fabric.

The best advice came from my mother who told me 'if you don't use it, you'll lose it' when I was young and didn't want to sing. She pushed me to use my gift, to sing in the choir as a young kid. She also taught me something that has opened many doors for me: 'you only know where you've been, you don't know where you're going. So if you want to go to these places, build a trail of people that you would need along the way, or at the end of whatever your destiny is looking like for you. Build these relationships. Be nice. Be kind.' She would always say to me, even when I wanted to be aggressive or not kind, 'Yvonne, be nice.' I'd say 'but they're not nice' and she'd respond 'I didn't ask you if they were nice. You be nice.' Being nice has opened many doors for me. I met Steven Fisher in film school and sat in his class humble, kind, and nice. He didn't know anything about me, that I had been a paid actress with an agent and all that. Years later during COVID, I reached back out to him and he was so excited. He recently became one of my keynote speakers for my Hollywood Vibe Creative Content Symposium. I didn't know at the time that I was nurturing that relationship that he would potentially be one of the speakers or a partner and collaborator with something I was creating.

First and foremost, seek mentorship. I've had many mentors starting with my first grade teacher Ms. Lever, who was gentle, sweet, and kind. Be nice, even when it's not convenient. Being nice has opened many doors for me. People will gravitate toward you when you're nice. Practice where you are, but practice for where you're going. Be nice today, because you only know where you've been, you don't know where you're going. Build a trail of people that you would need along the way. Be kind and nice to people who you don't necessarily need now, but you may need later. Don't just reach out to people when you need them, but maintain those valuable relationships. Don't be afraid to knock on unknown doors that you don't know what's behind them. I didn't know at the time that I met Steven that I would create a symposium and that he would be one of the speakers. If you're challenged financially or challenged with getting those doors open that you want open, don't be afraid of being rejected. Challenge those things that challenge you. Don't be afraid of being rejected. Be okay with who you are, how God designed you, and all the skill sets that you bring to the table because everyone is valuable. You have inside of you what you need to get the door open. It may be challenging, but challenge the status quo. Challenge it. It is difficult to be a female, but challenge the male dominance with femininity. We belong here, so own it. Don't lose your identity or become hard because it's a male-dominated field. Use your softness to nurture that thing in men that they lack. Men lack the softer side of femininity. I'm not afraid to be a damsel in distress. I'm not afraid to be needy. Bring your softer side. Be okay with who you are and speak your truth with respect, but don't back down just because of who someone is. We still have a voice.

The challenge for women in this industry is not losing your identity and not becoming hard because it's a male-dominated field. But women have a great advantage because we're the softer side of everything. The opportunity is to use your softness to nurture that thing in men that they lack. Men lack that softer side of femininity. I'm not afraid to be a damsel in distress. I'm not afraid to be needy. I don't have a need to be hard. Men already do that. Bring your femininity, bring your softer side. The challenge is to remain authentic and not be afraid to address things that are difficult to talk about, because in most cases, that's content that you could create. Use it as a stepping stone for hard conversation. We're not afraid to talk about race and color either. Don't be afraid to address things that are difficult to talk about. Use it. Challenge the male dominance with femininity. It is difficult to be a female, but we belong here. We're here, so own it. The opportunity is that we can be influencers. Be the softer side but say it with confidence. Everyone brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, and you have inside of you what you need to get the door open.

The most important value to me is trusting in God and leaning not into my own understanding. In all of my ways, I acknowledge Him. Whatever idea I get, I acknowledge Him and ask, 'Is this you? Should I pursue this?' That's what's kept me grounded in this industry that sometimes goes awry. I always chose to give God my gift and put Him first. I could have gone down the path of doing R&B or singing in jazz clubs, but I always chose to give God my gift. Authenticity is also crucial to me. I lead with authentic testimony in everything I do. I'm okay with who I am and speaking my truth with respect. I'm not afraid to be authentic. Being nice and kind is fundamental, even when it's not convenient. My mother instilled this in me. I practice being nice because when you're nice, people will gravitate toward you. I also value maintaining relationships and not just reaching out to people when I need them. I value discipline in my work and personal life. I grew up on a farm and was in the military, so I work within natural patterns. My body knows when it wants to sleep, and I let it do it. I don't push myself beyond my natural propensity. I've been up since 3 this morning and will probably be asleep between 5 and 6. I also value everyone's contribution because everyone is valuable and brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.