Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlita Duran.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Being from the small town of Toledo, Ohio— my dream since I was a young girl was to grow up and move to a big city in order to pursue a career in the Entertainment Industry. I’ve always had a special interest in sports and acting in particular. As a kid, my father would frequently take me to my older brother’s basketball games, and to see the passion, bond, and brotherhood that was created on the court was such a beautiful experience for me. And only the beginning of my ever-growing love for sports.
My broadcast journalism journey began my sophomore year of high school at Central Catholic, when I began covering our live-streamed Morning News Network. It started off as something that I did for fun but, in hindsight, turned out being something that I would later pursue as a career. After graduating high school, my sister, Bashonti, and I decided to move to Gainesville, Florida for more career opportunities and a non-traditional college experience. While living in Florida, I attended Santa Fe College where I studied journalism and worked as a Financial Counselor for the University of Florida Health Physicians. While I loved Gainesville and working in the Medical Industry, I knew that this was only the beginning of my path and God still had a lot more in stored for me. So I decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia in the summer of 2017 to pursue a career in the Sports and Entertainment Industry.
Soon after I moved to Atlanta, I began working for Mercedes Benz Stadium as a Live Events Associate. At Mercedes Benz Stadium, I am apart of an amazing team— who makes game day operations for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United look like a BREEZE! There are so many logistics that goes into NFL and MLS game days that the average sports fan— heck that I— had no idea about! Game days take a lot of planning, hard work, and preparation but it is one of the most exuberant environments that I’ve ever had the opportunity to be apart of.
Not long after I began working with Mercedes Benz Stadium, I received with the opportunity to work for a non-profit organization called Wellspring Living. Wellspring Living is an organization that was founded by Mary Frances Bowley in 2001, that specializes in transforming the lives those at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation. I work at Wellspring Living as a Development Project Manager, where I manage Information Technology Operations and produce photography content. The work that I’ve done with Wellspring Living has been fulfilling— to say the least! Working at Wellspring Living has been a very humbling experience for me. To hear some of the testimonies from former participants makes me believe in HOPE for this world. Hope for transformation. Hope for brighter futures. And hope– that one day human trafficking can be eradicated and people will realize that slavery in any form is NEVER OK. Period!
In addition to working for Mercedes Benz Stadium and Wellspring Living, I am also a co-host and photographer for Chicks into Sports. Chicks into Sports is a sports blog and podcast– founded by Yakari Thomas in 2009, that gives women a platform to cover the World of Sports from a Woman’s Perspective. Working for Chicks into Sports has been one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had in my professional career thus far. I’ve had the opportunity to interview some amazing sports legends such as: Former NFL and MLB player- Brian Jordan, Former Atlanta Hawk- Mike “Stinger” Glen, UFC fighter- Tyron Woodley, and coach of the Atlanta Dream- Coach Nicki Collen. I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about some of our favorite sports legends but I’ve learned even more about myself. When I first began working for Chicks into Sports, I was really nervous as I had never done any radio gigs or live interviews before. But over time— being on a podcast with such an amazing group of women has taught me to just let go and be myself, at all times! Everything flows so much better when you just go after what you want while shamelessly being yourself.
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not. I love everything I do but as you can imagine, carrying three jobs and being thousands of miles away from home is not always a piece of cake. There have been moments throughout my career where I have felt extremely overwhelmed and wanted to break down and give up. But then, I remembered why I do everything I do. I remembered that the mission I’m on is much bigger than just me and I have people counting on me and rooting for me to succeed.
I am very blessed and fortunate to have an amazing support system of friends and family who keep me going. My mother and father have always been very instrumental in my life and are a huge part of why I’ve made it to where I am today. And for that, I owe them not to give up, but to keep going until I make it to the top.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Aside from the work that I do at Mercedez Benz Stadium, Wellspring Living, and Chicks into Sports, I also have a photography business called Photos by Lita and a Mental Health/Peace advocacy brand called Peace for You.
Photos by Lita is where I feature some of my favorite photography from around the world. The theme of my photography is ever-changing. I try to keep my photos as original as possible and produce feel-good and creative content. Peace for You is a brand that I created to help bring awareness to the importance of mental health while uplifting people with Peace and Positivity.
I began Photos by Lita and Peace for You as something that I just wanted to do to for fun, but in turn– these brands have been very therapeutic and rewarding for me. The goal for my brands is to inspire, provide knowledge, and make meaningful connections with people from all around the world.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Atlanta is a great location for anyone starting a business or looking to elevate in their career field. There are plenty of opportunities and resources here, you just have to put yourself out there to find them. I think that it’s very important to network and to take as many *meaningful* opportunities as you can. I’ve definitely had to step outside of my comfort zone to really start excelling at what I do. I’ve grown to understand that the only thing that can stop you from being where you are at to getting where you want be is your comfort zone. Which beings with YOU! It is all about your thoughts, habits, faith, and ambition– and when you get those aspects of your life aligned, you can excel at anything– no matter where you are living.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://chicksintosports.com/
- Instagram: @litawins, @photosbylita, @peaceforyouofficial
- Twitter: @carlitawins
Image Credit:
Carlita Duran, @photosbylita
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