Meet Latoya Hamilton | Founder, Wider Lane

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

Hi Latoya, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think “risk” can sometimes be thought of as a scary endeavor in our lives, but I see it as a much-welcomed challenge and opportunity to evolve as a person, and to live my live to the fullest extent, whether that comes in the smallest to the largest form, both personally and professionally. One of my many mottos that I’ve embraced over the past years has been, “living life fearlessly”. I first started using that phrase as I was being pushed on a swing over a rice field between coconut trees, high atop a hill in Bali, Indonesia. The thought of this swing breaking and landing at the bottom of this rice field crossed my mind, but I thought, “how many times will I ever have the opportunity to experience this moment?”. Each time I’ve decided to pursue a new career opportunity was a risk, but I was determined to keep pushing forward and use it as a stepping-stone to the next level. The thought of quitting my full-time job and starting my own business in a pandemic was one of the biggest risks I could ever imagine, but my question to myself was, “what’s the worst thing that could happen?”, I can always fall back on my education and work experience to take on another full-time role. I’ve also relied on this quote during these difficult risk-taking moments, “You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great.” My thought on taking risk is that it can be an opportunity to define your capabilities and figure out how great you can be in whatever endeavor you decide to pursue.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wider Lane is an innovative one-stop creative shop that offers outsourcing for project management and creative development support to companies of all sizes, from single person enterprises, small businesses and nonprofits to large corporations and Fortune 500s. We offer a convenient way to outsource project management and creative development needs effortlessly by leveraging access to a wide range of highly experienced, diverse and skilled talents in the creative and marketing field that will create, develop and execute ideas, bringing them to life. With many years of experience in marketing and creative, I’ve recognized some of the frustration points in certain areas of the corporate creative space–from the lack of clarity, limited creative processes, inadequate resources to the inept inconsistent communication. As much as I’ve enjoyed and thrived in my corporate careers, I’ve also recognized Wider Lane can solve many of these challenges and help remove some of the roadblocks that prevent us from working more effectively. With those pain points in mind, I created Wider Lane to provide more thorough project management to help ease the burden of managing multiple projects simultaneously; bringing in outside resources when needed to gain fresh perspective and support current talent; reducing overhead and managing costs more efficiently. And, combining the art of creative with the skill of project management to more seamlessly execute a project to successful completion. Clients also get a one-on-one project lead who’s responsible for connecting with proven professionals to work on any creative projects, from project management, video production and editing, graphic design, content writing and more. We make it more convenient to source, project manage and design work through some of the best professionals. Clients can spend less time searching freelancers’ sites, managing timelines and the tedious day-to-day tasks, while spending more time expanding their overall brand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live for trying new restaurants, bars and lounges and exploring neighborhoods in New York City, specifically in Brooklyn. There isn’t a short of entertainment from attractions, Broadway, dining, museums, nightlife, shopping, sports and even city tours. From overlooking lower Manhattan in Brooklyn Heights, walking the Brooklyn Bridge to enjoying the scenery and activities in Prospect Park, there is no shortage of festivities. I would definitely look to share my favorite restaurants from Korean in K-Town, Caribbean hotspots in Crown Heights & Flatbush, Thai food in Williamsburg, along with some of the best New York-style pizza.

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 recognized that some of the important factors behind my overall success have been focusing on gratitude, determination, commitment and hard work. However, if I didn’t have those values instilled by my family from a very young age, then I wouldn’t be where I am today. My grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins have all contributed and are an extension of who I’ve become. Friends have also become family; it helps to surround yourself with people who gives sound advice, celebrate you and your successes. I am even more appreciative of the mentors I’ve had in my life—from high school, college and even into my adult life. I’ve continue to appreciate the value each and every one of them have brought to my life in their own unique way.

Website: widerlane.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/widerlanecreative/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/widerlane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/widerlanecreativeshop