Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Wade.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nikki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born & raised in Seattle, Washington, where I started my development as a performer in theater, classical ballet, and music. I had fallen in love with the entertainment very early on and from the time I was four years old, I’d already begun performing on stage. Hoping to expand my path in music, I moved to Atlanta in 1996, in pursuit of a serious singing career and was introduced to Atlanta’s underground art scene, through the now infamous Yin Yang turned Apache Café. After I began performing as a spoken word artist and a host, I found there were not enough avenues, for independent artists like myself, to showcase their talents to the general public. That’s when I decided to create my own platform, where I’d produce my own shows and book my own artists while ensuring that the entertainment was of the highest quality. Hence the birth of Divadom Entertainment Group. Since then, I’ve nationally & internationally, opened for major r&b/soul artists, wrote/produced/directed & starred in a successful stage play, produced & hosted a popular internet radio show and most recently, wrote, co-produced & cast an award-winning independent feature film.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Have I had challenges? Absolutely! Years ago, when I first began building my brand, I hosted & co-produced one of the first weekly events in this city, that fused spoken word with live soul music acts, from around the country. When I was initially asked to be a part of this event, it was intended to be a collaboration project between myself and another popular spoken word duo, at that time. Apparently, one half of this “duo” wasn’t pleased with my being a part of this new show and they both decided to pull out of the project. However, the executive producers had already begun marketing the show, publicizing “the duo”; but instead of “the duo” addressing the executive producers, one of the members decided to intimidate me with threats against my life. Of course, I was beyond upset and somewhat scared, but instead of being deterred and quitting the show, I pressed forward. I filed for a restraining order and went on to help cultivate one of the hottest shows in the city. At the time, it was unbelievable to me, that someone could be so daunted by my talents, that they’d resort to bullying, terroristic threats and attempted black-balling. Afterward, a friend told me that I was gifted, diligent & tenacious and that I must be doing something right, for them to try and stop me like that. That’s when I decided to let that situation and any adverse trial or tribulation after that, be my fuel and I developed an “I’ll show you” attitude. No matter what somebody says about me or what someone tries to do to me, I will turn that negative into a positive. It’s like a light switch and I’m a machine in “GO” mode because I believe I can show you better than I can tell you.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Divadom Entertainment Group – what should we know?
Initially started in September 2003 and officially founded in 2007, Divadom Entertainment Group was a company created to expose independent music artists to mainstream audiences and accommodate the need for quality Soul; Hip-Hop; Spoken Word and Alternative acts, throughout the southeast and northwest regions. Since then, the company has evolved beyond just the creation and production of musical events and has gone on to produce projects for stage, film, and television.
Divadom Entertainment Group has booked, cast consulted and represented some of the top talent and media personalities, across the country. Such as: “Stranger Things” Actress Priah Ferguson; “The Hate U Give” Actress Kai Turé; Tyler Perry’s “SISTA’S” & “The Payne’s” Actor Anthony Dalton; R&B/Soul singer Avery Sunshine; Radio Personality Warren Ballentine Esq.; Tony Award-Winning Poet Tamika “Georgia M.E.” Harper; Maroon 5 Musical Director & Singer PJ Morton & Soul Singer Goapele, just to name a few. Divadom has also produced the critically acclaimed stage play “Little Black Girl’s Blues” and co-produced the award-winning indie feature film “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie”. In addition to these events, our company offers a band of services, that include but are not limited to: Consultation; Development; Mentorship; Publicity; Marketing and Event Production. However, what we’re most proud of is that we donate a portion of our event proceeds to charity as well as, being the governing body for the “Christine Marie Hunter Cancer Fund for African American Senior Citizens.*
Divadom Entertainment Group takes an extremely personal approach with each new business venture and we value every client relationship. One can be sure that any experience with our company, will be the most exciting and enjoyable experience ever engaged in!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
INTEGRITY!! Although, I was in a recent situation where a disgruntled business associate, questioned that quality in me. I have always been the same in my business practices and work ethic, by staying transparent and keeping honesty at the forefront, of what I do. I don’t believe in being a braggart, I try hard not to be arrogant and do my best to keep my ego in check. I believe anyone who’s ever worked with me, can attest to that and I have always stood firm, that my work will speak for itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.divadoment.com
- Phone: 6789397864
- Email: ceo@divadoment.com
- Instagram: @divadoment
- Facebook: facebook.com/
divanikki - Twitter: @divadoment
Image Credit:
Nikki Wade, Tracy Lamont, D. Evans, D. Carlyle
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