Rooted in Vision: Alexis Smith’s Journey to Mentorship and Creativity

Published on December 13, 2024 in Introduction by Khary Frazier

“Cultivating Queens of Creativity”: In this enlightening episode of Detroit is Different, host Khary Frazier welcomes Alexis Smith, whose radiant passion for nurturing young Black girls’ artistry beams as bright as a mural on a summer day in the city. Smith, shaped by the rich history and legacy of Malcolm X Academy and guided by the vision of Dr. Watson, reflects on being among the first female students and one of Nefertari’s mentees to carry forward this spirit of empowerment. With vivid recollections of singing in choirs, honing her culinary artistry, and exploring a world of visual expression, Alexis shares how these early experiences inspired her to pay it forward. Today, she’s creating a girls’ program that braids together the cultural threads of African-centered mentorship with a deep appreciation for culinary, visual, and performing arts, weaving a supportive tapestry that honors the past while uplifting the next generation of creative Black girls in Detroit.

What began as a journey engaging hip-hop audiences, has grown into a career as a marketing consultant. As business people have seen my work, I was propositioned many times to provide graphic design, photography, videography, event planning, website development, and social media campaigning. These initial business contracts inspired me to build Creative Differences Marketing. I’ve balanced my entrepreneurial experience with formal education from Walsh College of Business and Accountancy. My degree in Marketing serves me well in understanding many of the formal, universal, and theoretical marketing approaches used in corporate environments.Formulating this business model has been anchored by the success of my BLOG ‘Detroit is Different.’ I create all content for Detroit is Different. This serves as a prototype of the ways I can design events, websites, graphics, music, podcasts, social media campaigns, and e-mail campaigns. ‘Detroit is Different’ focuses on the people and places of Detroit that add to the culture. Through these people and places, themes are driven. These themes will partner with, sponsor, and advertise for businesses and organizations using this innovative multilevel marketing approach.