Life & Work with Desirae Garner of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desirae Garner.

Hi Desirae, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’d be glad to! Since my childhood, I’ve always been connected to creativity in some form, and throughout my childhood, that showed up in bodily movement. From enjoying dance and memorizing dance routines from the top artists of the early 2000s, such as Ciara, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, to Mindless Behavior and the OMG Girlz. A lot of people are surprised to learn that I am the face of African Pride’s – Olive Miracle’s DreamKids perm box. So, in a way, I entered the beauty and media world very early, without realizing how much that experience would shape my relationship with identity, image, and storytelling later in life.

As I got older, I started becoming more intentional about creativity instead of just participating in it. Over time, that evolved into content creation, visual storytelling, branding, and exploring how digital spaces influence the way people see themselves and connect with others. I was full of joy to know that I was a part of so many black girls’ lives from all over the world (approximately 5 million and counting on TikTok) when I posted a video to a trendy song by Ice Spice. To know that I’m a core memory for so many girls is amazing and mind-boggling. It’s like an indirect sisterhood (lol). And with content, I became really interested in the authenticity and emotional side of showing up online, not just what looks good aesthetically, but what actually feels honest, memorable, and human.

Right now, I’m building a creative brand called ClairExCo™️, which helps people communicate who they are more clearly online, and in the real world. Focusing on honing in on the systems and structure needed to follow through with digital storytelling, intentional branding, and to eliminate what I call the Spiral caused by procrastination, lack of clarity, and/or action. A lot of my work sits at the intersection of personal (and brand) identity, self-expression, and strategy. I’m especially drawn to creating things that feel emotionally resonant rather than just trend-driven.

At the same time, I’m still very much in a building season personally and professionally. I’m learning in real time, balancing work, life, content creation, and entrepreneurship while figuring out what kind of impact I truly want to have long term. I think that’s part of what makes this chapter meaningful to me, and other people who are in a season of building. It’s less about pretending to have everything figured out and more about documenting the process of becoming.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As much as I’d like to say, “Yes.” That would be dismissing everything I’ve done and been through to get to where I am now. I’m truly grateful and blessed to have lived 22 years and counting.

Without going too much into detail, some struggles I faced along the way have been losing my aunt due to an illness. I feel like, due to me being so young at the time of her passing, I never got a chance to know her for who she is and was. In addition to, my parents divorcing at a young age and for some people that would ruin the parental dynamic that is encouraged, however, I’ve always been very bright and “ahead of the curve,” so my outlook on their divorce was moreso being able to learn my parents outside of their relationship, and having the ability to watch them grow and sprout in their own form of individuality. It’s a great thing to witness.

I try to have an optimistic outlook on life as I truly believe that your thoughts, feelings, and actions assist in the trajectory of your life and how you show up in the world.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, my work mainly revolves around building the foundation of my business through social media. Through my brand, ClairExCo™️, I focus on helping founders, creatives, and brands communicate themselves more intentionally instead of just chasing visibility and trends for the sake of it.

Upon some introspection and checking in with friends and family, I found that what I specialize in most is creating space for people to get in tune with themselves, and creating emotionally resonant content and brand experiences, things that don’t just look aesthetically pleasing, but actually make people feel connected, understood, or curious. I’m very interested in the psychology behind people’s thinking, their processes, and why certain visuals, messaging, or experiences stay with people while others are instantly forgotten. I pay attention to the details most people overlook: emotional tone, body language, atmosphere, perception, audience behavior, visual cohesion, and how someone’s identity translates both in person and digitally.

I think what sets me apart is that I don’t approach branding and appearing online as “just content.” To me, showing up initiates an emotional communication. It’s about clarity, trust, memory, and helping people express themselves in a way that feels aligned with who they actually are instead of who the internet (and the world) tells/told them to be.

I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve continued building even during uncertain seasons of my life. A lot of people only talk about entrepreneurship or their successes once they’ve “made it,” but I’ve learned a lot by creating while still figuring things out in real time. That process has made me more self-aware, adaptable, and intentional about the kind of work and impact I want to make.

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters to me most is making a positive impact on people. Leaving a “good taste” in people’s mouths, and although I can’t control how I’m perceived by everyone, just making sure I remain true to myself is more than good enough for me. This matters to me because in the midst of pursuing my passions, I want to be of service to others. I feel that doing so aligns me with my purpose in life. Anyone can say they made X amount of money, have X amount of cars, but what’s the X amount of people’s lives you helped improve?

Pricing:

• • Clarity Sessions starting at $97 for 45 minutes
• • Brand and content consulting starting at $500 depending on scope.
• • Retainers / Partnerships available upon inquiry.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeliserae/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theeliserae