We had the good fortune of connecting with Chester Lucas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chester, what is the most important factor behind your success?
God. Point blank period. I would be nothing without him in my life. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own image we forget to give the glory to the original creator. After I give God his praises I look at the man in the mirror and tell myself “Good Job Chess, you worked hard and you deserve this moment.”
I have to give credit to my parents, specifically my mother. She has been there for me my entire life and always supported no matter what I got myself into. Whether it be good times or not so good time I could always count on my mother to be there.
Some key characteristics in myself that I am thankful for is my ambition and my “prove them wrong attitude”.
I’m always striving for the next thing to work on, the next thing to accomplish. Often when you hear so many times about you can’t do or what may be out of my reach I look at it as adversity. Like all adversity it must be conquered and proven wrong because my destiny is already written for me to do great things in this life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Aside from news journalism I am an aspiring big and tall model and fashion content creator.
The very first time I even had an idea about modeling my dad volunteered us for a Christmas church program and in it was a winter fashion show. My dad came up with an idea on how we would walk, we added theatrics and we had a standing ovation. I’ve always been more fashion inclined and appreciated dressing well. In college I tried different styles, experimented with the trends, and learned my body to see what fits me best. In my adult life I’ve grown a lot in my tv career and it transitioned well to walking the runway for different designers. The biggest thing that helped me progress across so many different areas of work is networking. Do the internal work and diversify your skill set. Once you do that get to know people in different fields of work or areas that’s interest you. Some of the challenges I’ve faced include being the only big guy in a model call or lineup. It’s can be nerve wrecking because designers already have a look they want to achieve and that doesn’t always mean that have a spot for the big guy. I told myself to always be confident whether it’s on tv, social media or public. You never know when the right opportunity will come and sometimes your confidence will make you a spot at a table you never knew you could sit at.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Okay this will be fun. Here is my perfect weekend in the DFW area. Sometimes it’s hard finding jeans in my size so I’m grabbing a smoothie for breakfast and then I’m going to Big T Plaza to find some jeans and maybe a shirt for the night. I’ll even grab a slice of pizza too. Afterwards let’s meet at Las Palmas for happy. Once we are full we relax and get ready for the night. Let’s go to a Dallas Stars game. The fans are amazing and American Airlines Center is a wonderful sports environment. The Stars are no slouch of a team so you’ll be ready to see a great game. The night isn’t over we have to go bar hopping in Deep Ellum, specifically have to hit Off The Cuff for good vibes. Once we recover in the morning let’s get brunch back in Deep Ellum at at Nowhere. I recommend the shrimp and grits and add a piece of catfish.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family deserves the biggest shoutout. They were the first people to allow me to be myself and gave me the confidence to be who I am.
My cousin April Simpson is a well known News Anchor, most notable for her time spent in St. Louis. When I was teen she gave me a bracelet and all it said was “Impact”. She tied it on my wrist and told me calmly, “I don’t know what you’re going to do in life but I know you’re going to make a big impact in this life”.
Ever since then I been striving to make a lasting impact on this life.
I followed in her footsteps and majored in Journalism, worked for ESPN, and afterwards I landed my dream job in being a news journalist and sports reporter. She always reminds to keep
God first and everything meant for me will come my way.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monroelucas3?igsh=M2JtaHZ2eTJ6MW5q&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chester-lucas-9343212ab?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Other: TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@monroelucas3?_t=ZT-8umGTNZ1KxC&_r=1

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