Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Young.
Hi Erica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started working at Nike, Inc. as a Community Ambassador in 2011. This position leads me to work with various athletes such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Sam Bradford and other professional athletes. I was able to work on various projects and started focusing on branding and marketing within the company at times. I completed my degree in Communication with emphasis in Public Relations, Advertising, Broadcasting, & Strategic Marketing.
I then started my PR company in 2017 working with high-profile brands and athletes. I quickly became a celebrity publicist, marketer, and motivational speaker. I also became a Co-Founder of an urban vertical farming operator in 2018.
In 2019, my life was turned upside down with the loss of my mother who was battling cancer. My mother, “Missie” as she was called by those who loved her, doctor recommended cannabis into her regimen. Soon after various types of products were introduced to her daily routine, My mother was able to stop taking her pain, nausea and other medicines; she started to experience positive side effects and eventually made a much more comfortable transition.
In 2020, I started Missie’s Roots, a hemp & cannabis brand focusing on helping minorities come into the industry, also to honor my mother.
“It was important to me that I created a brand that would educate people about the benefits of cannabis for medicinal purposes. My brand has my mother’s spirit and tells her life story but also her testimony regarding cannabis.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth ride. Leaving a brand like Nike to start my own company was scary. It took a while before I could convince people to pay me for my work. I did a lot of pro bono work to display my experience. I was shy and not the best at social media at that time. I was willing to prove myself for new clients. I partnered with people and shadowed people with that I even had more work experience then. It was about networking and building relationships. Eventually, networking paid off.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Collectively E is my personal brand because I am a serial entrepreneur, so it’s me as a collective. I own a travel agency, PR firm, Missie’s Roots. I specialize in marketing strategy and helping start-up brands. I independently started working with celebrities and planning events.
I think I am known for being relatable. I work with various high-profile brands or individuals; I instantly become close with my clients and become friends/family with a lot of them. I think because being from the inner city, I never forget my background and I speak with people humbly regardless of their status.
I am proud of Missie’s Roots. My medicinal cannabis and hemp brand. In states cannabis is illegal, I teach people about what hemp is and the importance of hemp. I am an advocate for prison reform and decriminalizing cannabis. There is only 2% of minorities in the cannabis industry and about 7% in the hemp industry. I am in both and vertically integrated with all the licenses in Oklahoma, a manufacturing facility where I help people white label CBD products, and I help create and expand cannabis & CBD brands in other states.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Send me an email at erica@collectivelye.com. I love helping minorities that want to grow their brand or help create a brand. I am always here to chat, there is no consulting fee, I just do it for the love of people! Follow my pages and you will get tips on steps to take.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.collectivelye.com
- Instagram: collectivelye
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/collectivelye
- Other: www.missiesroots.com
