Life and Work with Kera Dupree

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kera Dupree.

Kera, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am from Sumner, GA which is very rural. I actually grew up in the country down a dirt road and my uncle had a farm right next to my home. I learned the value of hard work at a very young age. I was always very determined and strong-willed. My mom and grandmother would always say, You are a star, you’re going to do something great, you’re so smart and talented!” From hearing this so much, I instilled it into my head and I put my focus on becoming the person that they expected me to be. When I was in grade school, I would write poetry and always start these mini-businesses. Literally, I was the child that was selling snacks, doing nails, charging to help with homework and even picking peas from my uncles garden and reselling the veggies to my family members. So, in other words, I have always been about my business. I also had a big interest in wanting to work with people and help them run their businesses and the most important of all make money!

When it came to helping others, strategizing for businesses that were my thing. Over the years, I learned more and more about entrepreneurship and how important it was to always help others. My mom was an entrepreneur who owned her own beauty salon and now, that she’s retired from being a salon owner she now owns her own catering company. Seeing how she was always able to travel, be selective about the clients she chose and of course make money doing what she loved, I wanted the same flexibility. My mom was always able to sustain her business ventures through her personality she was very personable and always client oriented. Basically, everyone like her, so as I navigated through high school, I made my path as being a personable and highly respected person. No, everyone didn’t like me, but I surely didn’t make any enemies. I was the Vice President of FCA, The captain of the Dance-line, I played tennis for a brief season, I was a member of the yearbook staff, FCCLA and I was nominated for prom court and homecoming court and voted worst driver by my peers, lol. It’s safe to say, I never had an issue with people liking me. I actually was the type of person who had never met a stranger and this carried on from high-school into college. I attended Valdosta State University for my freshman year and later transferred to Albany State University where I obtained my degree in Criminal Justice and my minor in Marketing. SO, I’m sure by now you are wondering how I went from criminal justice to owning my own marketing and branding company and hosting a podcast that helps people obtain balance and peace in their life.

Well, I realized I was on the wrong path and I no longer wanted to attend law school, I moved to Atlanta on a whim, I met a lady that literally started me on this journey named, April Love and I flourished, I started interning for April when I moved to Atlanta and I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, she gave me a project that included managing social media for one of her many celebrity clients and the rest is history. I did amazing on the account and started to actually know what I was doing. I got better every day and eventually, my internship turned into a job. I always give credit to April for realizing the potential I never saw in myself for this industry and giving me the opportunity to thrive. Til this day, I am forever grateful that I wake up and do what I love and I learned it from her. April is one of the hardest working people I know and very influential in PR, Production and everything else from Atlanta to LA. Without a small opportunity and the ability to also help me learn about personal wellness, I would have never known the love I had for social media marketing and branding or how to perfect it.

After working several jobs and thinking I wanted to do something different, I worked for a sports marketing company, I marketed and sold luxury mattresses, I did spa management marketing and my last stop was I the non-profit world. I am grateful for every opportunity I have ever been given. Whether it was cleaning a company bathroom, designing collateral for an amazing project, or hitting million dollar financial increases I have done it all. I used my time with all of these companies to grow and learn all that I could from the CEO’s which I worked closely with the CEO of every job I’ve ever had. I took all of the good things they did and I was able to use it as a foundation for my own company that is perfect for me.

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?
In October of 2018, I became sick, I quit my job, my apartment flooded and my car died. I was in a stage of transition and that’s when I grew. Thanks to my amazing family, the best boyfriend I could ask for and my friends I was encouraged enough to trust God’s plan for my life. I started my own Marketing Company and Began podcasting consistently to help people who were going through things know that they weren’t alone. The road hasn’t been smooth at all and while an easier journey may seem ideal I am thankful for the bumps in the road. When I lose everything, I learned that what I owned wasn’t who I was and now I am in a great place. So, to anyone who is going through something know that in order for you to grow you must go! This also means outgrowing things and people. Do not be afraid of uncertainty and don’t go for a second think if God will give you something good, he can’t give you something better. If you are just starting your journey, I would recommend listening to my podcast about uncertainty on iTunes and Spotify under The PeacePrint. It will literally help you learn how to overcome the fear and prepare yourself mentally for all of the unknown things that are coming and last, but not least, believe in yourself and your dreams enough to make up for the lack of support you may receive from others and you’ll be fine.

Please tell us about your work.
I am a Social Media Marketing and Branding Specialist who also hosts an amazing podcast that helps others protect their peace, find their purpose and become the best version of themselves that they can be. I am mostly known for helping people build their social media following and market their self and businesses to masses while getting them the visibility they need and the money they want. I pride myself on being someone who doesn’t do what I do to get rich, I do it because I love it and I love the relationships I am able to build with my clients. I love what I do and I am a person who is blessed enough to create lasting impressions with all of my clients. The same goes for my podcast, it’s not like anyone else podcast because I’m the host of it. I’m not someone giving false hope to people or unrealistic advice thats they can’t relate to. I am a person just like the listeners in my tribe and I too was once where they are, so my only goal is to help people and be a blessing to others as so many have been to me in all of my businesses.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I definitely feel there are many opportunities that are specifically positioned for women. I think the most powerful opportunities for women right now in this day and time are political offices. Women are some of the most powerful people in the world and that often goes unnoticed. Our country is in a place of self-destruction and if we have any plans for saving it the answer without a doubt will be women. I am a huge supporter of Michelle Obama, Stacy Abrams, Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton, Lauren Underwood, Ayanna Pressley, Lucy McBath and some other amazing women who are making differences in our government which is severely suffering right now. This is something we need and once that is understood we will begin the healing our country so desperately needs. The time is over where people think women should only cook, clean and have families. In the words of Beyonce, Who runs the world? Girls! This is why I started my non-profit Girls Love Glam and make sure I am helping young girls are being prepared for the opportunities that lie ahead of them.

Contact Info:

• Website: therealkerajai.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealkerajai_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keradupree
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealkerajai
• Other: https://anchor.fm/thepeaceprint

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.