Meet Amber Reese (OG Miss Lady)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Reese.

Amber, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always embodied the spirit of an entrepreneur. It was not until I became older that I realized this natural quality about myself. It was my Sophomore year at Spelman when I was introduced to the innovation lab, and let me tell you. You could not keep me out of there to the point where I asked to become an innovation lab assistant, giving me exposure to creative tools and sparking my ideas.

People always ask me who is OG Miss Lady, Well I’m OG Miss Lady. In high school, my good friend from Vietnam always helped me set up for my DJ gigs (I’m a DJ too, that’s the original hustle, but perhaps another article for later), and he would say, “Amber, you’re an OG, you know that.” I figured he may have watched boys in the hood one too many times, but I knew this was meant with endearment. Hence I was an OG but did not redefine my nickname until coming to Atlanta. This is where “Miss Lady” was born. I had never been called this until being in Atlanta. Everywhere I went it was, “how are you miss lady?”. At this point, it just stuck. I am now OG Miss Lady. The nickname all just came together, and this is who I go by besides Amber.

As for the start of “OG” Original Genius, It was important to me to be able to establish a lifestyle brand reflective of creativity and community. Original Genius does just that by celebrating the individuality of creatives making an impact.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As the Brand is fairly new, I can say that if anything, it has been a learning journey each and everyday. Whether it’s finding new material to write, individuals to interview, pushing OG on Social Media Platforms, or working with manufactures to produce goods, it has ultimately challenged and pushed me to grow as an individual and brand. I think if anything, the challenging part was getting started, as Original Genius was thought for months until I finally sat down and reflected on my vision for the brand and brought it to life.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Original Genius is most known for being a brand that welcomes and celebrates the uniqueness and talents of creatives who are making a community difference and or social impact. An Original Genius is “An individual who defines their originality through entrepreneurship, music, art and other creative mediums that bring about impactful change to the world. Our slogan is “I am, You’re, We’re Original Genius,” a call to all those who identify with being a creative of impact. I am most proud of the Original Genius blog page, as the stories shared speak to the brand’s focus of community and impact through creativity. My favorite piece I wrote while in Chicago is about the Preservation of Emmett Till’s Home. https://www.originalgenius.net/post/preserving-history-emmet-till-s-chicago-home

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
A funny thing about luck that has always stuck with me: I remember my College Freshman advisor saying, “There is no such thing as luck,” and while taken back when I first heard this, I always circled back around to her words throughout most of the collegiate journey and still do. While there may be no such thing as “luck,” I truly believe that we can create our own “luck.” But that does not come without hard work, hitting the pavement a few times and getting back up and learning from that experience. Ironically the Original Genius logo is a ladybug traditionally “symbolic of luck.” The idea of “luck” or my belief in making your own “luck” is a large part of my personal journey and is why I decided to implement a ladybug into the logo of my brand.

Pricing:

• OG Hat in White, as seen in one of photos $30 up on my site. https://www.originalgenius.net/product-page/original-genius-baseball-cap

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.originalgenius.net/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/originalgeniusblog/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ogmisslady
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/ogmisslady/

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.