Zayna Allen

I attribute my success to God. My faith is what has carried me through this journey and continues to guide me in everything I do. When Sandra asked me what the key to my success has been, the first thing that came to mind was God. That's my foundation, and it's what keeps me grounded and moving forward, especially during the challenging times in this industry.

The best advice I ever received was that money will come and go, so don't stress about it. My college advisor told me this when I was panicking about a scholarship not coming through on time and I was afraid I'd get kicked out of school. She just told me, 'Girl, it's okay. You're okay, everything's okay.' That advice has stuck with me because money can be hard in this industry, but if you're continuously giving through the cycle of money and not stressing about it, you will always receive money. The bills will get paid. You just have to hang in there and follow your dream, and if you work hard, it will all work out.

You need an anchor. I like to call it your anchor, but it's really your why. Why are you doing this? What's the reason behind it? What's the passion behind it? Because there will be times when you're not getting paid, or opportunities aren't coming your way the way you expected them to. In those moments, you have to ask yourself: are you going to give up, or is there something that's going to hold you down and keep you going through these tough moments? Life is a ride, life is up and down. Nothing is linear, and that includes this industry and the growth in this industry. So you need to know your why so that when times are rough, you can sustain your business and keep moving forward.

The biggest challenge facing young women entering this field is the facade that it's easy, because it's not. Social media portrays journalism, storytelling, and content creation as this fun, easy thing. I think a lot of people in college take these classes thinking it's going to be an easy A. But it's not as easy if you want to do meaningful work. Sure, it can be easy if you do low-level things and put out low-level, low-energy products, but it's difficult if you really want your work to be hard-hitting and impactful. The industry can be fun, but it's not a walk in the park, and that's something people need to understand.

The values that are most important to me, both professionally and personally, are integrity and authenticity. These two principles guide everything I do. I believe in being genuine and honest in my work and in my relationships, and I think that's what allows me to create meaningful content and build real connections with the people I work with. Integrity and authenticity aren't just professional values for me, they're personal ones too, and they're at the core of who I am and how I operate in this industry.