Meet Misheal Simpson: Creative Entrepreneur, Events, Public Relations & Unicorn Executive Assistant

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

Hi Misheal, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
It sounds crazy and maybe a bit cliché now, however, based on my personal and professional experience the most important lesson has been failure. The good ole falling flat on your face can be one of the most valuable tools entrepreneurs can learn and gain perspective from. It gave me the chance to analyze what’s not working and do something about it. However learning to be open to failure and not having the fear to fail was challenging. But I for one am a risk taker and know it’s part of the process. Failing has given me the potential to become more resilient and more persistent. One of my favorite saying is “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas A. Edison and as Jeff Bezos says “Trying and failing are far better than not trying at all.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a career Executive Assistant working for some major industry disruptors, I always felt like it was my higher “education”. I knew I eventually wanted to start my own business and had plenty of “side-hustles”. I just didn’t exactly know what my business would be, but due to my unique career and the opportunities that opened up for me, it led me to tap into one of my passions, in organizing, managing and producing events. In 2019 I had the opportunity to grow that passion and go full-time entrepreneur, leaving my career as an Executive Assistant to Glenn Beck, and launching Tenacity Events Agency. tenacityEA provides a range of full service event production and management, from creation, planning to the execution of the event. Assisting in live shows, tours, conferences, summits and creative launches. As well as creating and producing our own original series of events in fashion, music and most proudly our art events. My main mission of tenacityEA, through events was to bring about creativity and community. In 2018, my team and I launched Art Battle Dallas, (prior to me even birthing tenacityEA). Art Battle was already an international event that Vice Magazine compared its likeness to a “rap battle” but instead its visual artist, going head to head in live painting. Live painting isn’t anything new to the art world, but Art Battle was not an event the Dallas art scene had seen or heard of. So introducing this concept to an already tight but growing art scene had it’s challenges in the beginning. But those challenges and early mistakes were valuable lessons for us to know how to elevate Art Battle Dallas as well as REALLY help artist grow and connect within. In 2019 we had the amazing opportunity to find a new home in one of Dallas’ staples in the art world, the Deep Ellum Arts Co. a match made in art heaven (shoutout to John & Amber)! Our events were growing, selling out, artist that have never done anything remotely close were connecting and building tangible connections, growing their audiences and even selling their first pieces, just by being apart of our events. In the midst of the excitement of growing Art Battle Dallas (and restructuring my business), I received an opportunity to work for the creator and founder of Poo-pourri, Suzy Batiz. This was scary and exciting all at the same time. I knew my passion for events and growing my business was important but the career path that I had grown to love as career EA, was also fulfilling and I always looked at “work” as my own education to grow and learn from the top. How could I not work for one of Forbes self-made millionaires. So I did both. As an entrepreneur, I knew I still had so much growing, learning and in the fast pace, every changing world of events, along with a full-time demanding job, how could I manage it all? With a team. It took me a few hard lessons to learn this, but I couldn’t do everything myself. Without the support of a trusted, dependable team, you cannot reach your full potential or become truly successful. Even though we were small and nimble the growth and success credit has to go to my team, Rapheal Crump, Jessica Sanchez, Highnote, Deejay Mike B, Amber Fisher, Nina Trevino and Rigo Madrigal. As well as my kids, Eric, Shania and Victor. In both my business and career, 2020 was in line to be an amazing year. Suzy kept me busy as she was growing her personal brand beyond Poo-Pourri and Art Battle was growing and planning to head to Tokyo for our World Championship event in October 2020. As we all know, March 2020, the world literally stopped. The novel coronavirus forced strategic business pivots and the immediate invention of new ways to survive in both big and small business when much of the economy shut down. When you work so hard to build something and it’s taken away, beyond your control, its the most devastating feeling ever. I am optimistic that the world will come back to some type of “norm” and the event industry will revive and Art Battle Dallas will resume and continue to be a reputable, respected, creative an artistic avenue and outlet event for local artist to grow and have fun. As for my journey now, I’m back to full-time entrepreneur. I have pivoted tenacity events agency to expand beyond events and focusing on utilizing the valuable tools, skillsets and career experiences to add and elevate the tenacity brand into other creative outlets (tenacityEA, tenacityPR and tenacityMADE). The mission continues to creatively connect community, so with a pandemic that detrimentally affected small business, I shifted gears and my focus on helping small business, driven entrepreneurs, that are mission based, with focused serviced public relations. tenacityPR’s focused-driven approach helps purpose-driven, thought leaders within our very own community, the opportunity to get featured in local and national well known and major publications. In the world of “connecting” consumers are becoming more interested in the person behind brands and business’. What their stories and secret sauce is versus the brand itself, then they can be sold on what you offer. I’m encouraging entrepreneurs to get outside their comfort zones and share their stories to inspire others. So it’s another scary yet exciting journey for me that has led to a wealth of growth continued resilience and of course tenacity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite hands down spot is of course Deep Ellum! But I am definitely digging the new growth in West Dallas, Trinity Groves. It is developing it’s own artistic flair and the new small business’ popping up are key to the continued growth there. It has a unique variety of restaurants and shops all in one spot, super relaxed atmosphere, great patios, and of course being able to walk right across the street to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to see the amazing views of downtown is a major plus. For someone like me who doesn’t have an office to go to, tired of working from home and loves a good coffee shop spot to work from (with a dope jazzy vibe), the new Soirée Coffee Bar is a must go. And for my fellow sweet tooth, dessert fans, the Cake Bar is always worth the long line and wait. And kudos to the creative idea of having a cake bar vending machine for those late night snack attacks. And of course as a lover and supporter of art, I was super excited to come across the hidden gem in Trinity Groves, the Tin District. It’s the city’s oldest immigrant neighborhood and historic cement district, and has an eclectic mix of art studio spaces and galleries that are revitalizing West Dallas. Over 30 of Dallas’ top artists have studios in the Tin District and murals all throughout. The Tin District is located off of Singleton Avenue between N. Beckley Avenue and Sylvan Avenue.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve always been a believer in faith , things happen for a reason and our mindset dictates our lives. In late 2019, I had an amazing opportunity to work for one of Forbe’s richest self-made women entrepreneur’s, creator of Poo-Pourri, Suzy Batiz. Her story of transformation alone inspires many and working for her, the energy, creative drive, resilience, raw realness will definitely rub off on you. Even her “non-traditional” avenues on how to not just run and operate her successful empire but the importance of positive mindset, self-care and authenticity added value to not just my professional but personal wellbeing. And I am not talking about surface level “girl power”, women empowerment, hoorah stuff. It was heavy, in-depth, transformative, inner work, learning to tap into our “alive ideas,” having meaningful energetic resonance that aligns with your purpose. Her valuable insight, thought provoking, mentorship and style, definitely inspired me in many impactful ways. I incorporate and strive to focus on goals differently and lean into focusing on the positive energies of what drives me to the “aliveness “in my growing business and personal aspirations. She along with all the amazing bosses that gave me a chance, and I have had the pleasure of supporting deserve a shoutout to my story.

Website: www.tenacityea.com
Instagram: mictvicmisheal
Linkedin: mishealsimpson
Twitter: mictivicmisheal

Image Credits
Amber Fisher, Frame Life Photography