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

Hi Casandra, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My entire life is a risk. I like to live my life on the edge because it has proven to work out in my favor too many times. I’m a firm believer that you have to have faith and step out on that limb to take those risks because you never know what will happen. We only have one life and I think everyone should live it to the fullest. I started my entrepreneur life on a whim. I quit all three of my jobs and started pushing my freelance media/marketing company first. I had been freelancing since I graduated college so I knew I had enough clientele to get rolling and everything took off from there. Now, don’t get me wrong. Taking risks has its ups and downs, but you will never know if you don’t try. My life motto is “scared money don’t make no money.” and that applies to more than money.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own three businesses. CLHMediaWorks (serving businesses in all things media), Kashmere Model MGMT & Talent Agency (where I host events and manage talent), and Kashmere Beauty (where I sell beauty products). I am also a board members of a non profit called The Musician’s Sanctuary, a non profit organization that hires musicians, and I am Vice President of Go Figure Enterprises, a major marketing and event organization in the DFW.

My businesses started because I put myself out there in various ways. My biggest thing in the beginning was networking. The DFW entertainment industry is known for not showing much support unless they know who you are. In 2016, I dropped all my 9-5s and I started attending events and taking event photos. I would post them on my business pages and tag the events or businesses involved. People started recognizing my face and talking to me, then business started rolling from there. Nothing amazing comes to you easily. I’ve always been a hard worker. Even before I quit my 9-5s, I was traveling back and forth from Denton to Dallas 5 days a week to work and attend events. Even when I got discouraged, I kept going. Even when I was broke, I did what I could with what I had, but no matter what I kept going. Life has tested me a lot. From being arrested to having a miscarriage to evictions and sleeping out of my car, I want people to see that you can’t let things like that get you down. I want people to recognize that everything is not going to be perfect. A train will never see the light at the end of the tunnel if it stops in the darkness. My work ethic and my personality are what have gotten me this far and the reason why I was able to bounce back from taking a long break successfully. Research, studying, practicing, etc. You have to do these things and that’s what I did. Thats why my businesses are where they are and why they will continue to get better
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.
The DFW has so many beautiful places! I would take my best friend to some of my favorite places to eat in the DFW. Like Sevy’s, Crab Station, Chocolate Secrets, Sankofa, Itso Vegan, and Best Thai Signature. and of course I would throw a couple hood classics in there like Kooly’s BBQ, Good Luck, or Southside Steaks & Cakes. I would take them to the Fort Worth Stockyards, Dallas Botanical Garden, some of the Dallas museums, and important places of interest like Fair Park or JFK. For the nightlife, we would bounce around Uptown or Deep Ellum. Dallas has so many different things to experience!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I can not do this without shouting out my partner in crime Jason B Horton. He is my advisor, confidant, and friend. He guides me through life more than he knows. I also wanna shout out my hustling best friends Marley and Ray. They have contributed to the elevation of my mental and my business habits greatly over the last couple years more than anyone has in my life and for that I am grateful.

Website: www.gofiguremg.com

Instagram: @KashmereMGMT, @KingSanz, @KashmereBeauty1

Facebook: Casandra Haynes

Image Credits
Jason B Horton

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