Meet Yaminah Cummings | CEO, Digital Creator & Marketing Specialist of Design360 & Co.

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

Hi Yaminah, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
The moment that I began being intentional with each project that I committed to, each client I worked with and every new event or workshop I planned and I was intentional with my purpose, success was divine and I had to do minimal effort to attract the desired clientele because I was intentional from the start. Leading with intention and a desire to serve others is one of the things that I’m proud to do in my business.

I don’t lead with the intention of making money, because the money will come, my passion for everything that I do drives me to wake up at 7 am almost everyday. My love for this industry has me working 7 days a week and I wouldn’t trade any part of this journey for anything in the world.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is called Design360 & Co. It is a creative design agency that helps small businesses with their needs related to web design, marketing, social media management, business consulting and photography.

I was recently accepted into a film academy where I will be studying to become a film producer. I think what sets me apart from others is that I’m always looking for new ways to invest in my business so that I can invest back into others. I’m constantly looking for new ways to enhance my skill set and my education in this industry so that I can add more value to my clients.

While photography was a niche of mines and was second nature to me growing up from age 12 until now, film has always been a desirable interest. In grade school, I wasn’t exposed to photography in a professional sense, so while I had such a great love for that industry, I didn’t realize that you could be a full time photographer and be successful. So I believed the myth of only lawyers, doctors, scientists etc. made the big bucks. While there was social media presence, people weren’t sharing their success journeys as often as we do now. While studying at The University of Central Arkansas where I obtained my Bachelors Degree, I spent the early part of my college career believing that I was going to become a lawyer, I learned quickly that was not the path for me and I was later introduced to Public Relations. I love how this particular area of study allowed me to be creative and innovative and learn more about communicating.

I entered the corporate world and took jobs in Event Management, Marketing, Project Management and so forth. While I enjoyed all of these roles, I knew that I was still missing something. So I went back to school to get my Masters Degree in Media Design. I did this while working my full time international position, it was challenge after challenge but by the grace of God and the prayer warriors in my family I made it through. Being the first in my immediate family to obtain my Masters was a huge milestone for me and it’s one of my greatest achievements that I’m extremely proud of. But one that trumps that, is going back chase my true dreams of being a film producer.

I was originally accepted to the New York Film Academy in 2017 when I graduated from UCA and I was devastated when my plans to go there were delayed due to some financial challenges. That was 5 years ago and while my dreams were delayed they were NOT denied, and I’ve had a pretty sweet life in between so I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and what is destined for you is surely to always come.

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 would go to:

Relax:
Spa Castle
Rent a boat and go out on the lake

Brunch/Breakfast:
Brunchaholics
The Haywire
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
The Henry
Margarita Hut
Public School 214

Dinner:
Triniti – Tower Club
The French Room
YardHouse
The melting pot
Invasion

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout would definitely have to go to my fiance and my family they are all at the center of my heart.

My fiance encouraged me to start my business on our 2 day road trip from California to Arkansas.

Before the pandemic I was working in the corporate world as I had done for most of my career. My passport is not shy, due to some of the amazing jobs I’ve had in the last couple of years I’ve been able to travel all over the world. One year I traveled to almost 10 countries within 365 days. So needless to say I’m a bit of a busy body, I love being on the go and traveling around the world, seeing the beauty of this world.

Before I left the corporate world, I was living in Los Angeles where I worked for a company called SHEIN in Event Marketing. The pandemic hit and I made a transition to move back home to Arkansas to be closer to my fiance and my family but I had kept the job for a while and I was just working remote. But it was on the drive home that encouraged me to start my business. We shared so many different stories with one another, one in particular that I believe changed my life. I was going on and on about how I had all of these big goals and dreams to take my skillset to another level, and how I wanted to get into film and production, creative direction and photography and at the end of my rant, my fiance looked at me and said… “I hear you talk a lot about what you want to do, but I haven’t seen you do anything about it.” OUCH right!!! It did sting a bit when he said it, but I realized that if I wanted those things in my life they weren’t going to just happen for me. Contrary to what some may believe, nothing ever just happened for me, like everything else I’d been granted in life, I’d have to WORK for it.

So from that day forward I made steps to create my own journey to success and not on the brim of someone else’s company, but something I could call my own, make my own. I’m now a full-time entrepreneur and now I’m coming up on my 2 year anniversary of starting my business and I wouldn’t have changed anything about my journey to get here. It’s been hard, it’s been fun and like a flower it is still growing.

I’m thankful that my family and my fiance have supported me along the way from every event that I’ve held they are all right there, when I need assistance they are there and when I just need someone to talk to they are there. & I’m grateful for my village.

Website: https://www.design360lens.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/design360co/

Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/yammthecreator/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Design360Lens

Other: https://www.thecolorfulbooks.com/

Image Credits
Professional photography by Famous Photography 501