From Pain to Prime Time: Carmen Simmons’ Unscripted Journey
Carmen Simmons turned heartbreak into headlines. From losing her parents as a teen to producing her own hit series, her journey is anything but scripted — and it’s only just beginning.
To get our readers familiar with you, tell us a little about yourself and the path that led you to becoming a thriving entrepreneur in your industry.
I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. I moved to Atlanta as a Freshman at Clark Atlanta University and majored in Radio/ Television/ Film Production. After graduation I started producing a lifestyle and entertainment news talk show called Urban Runway on Comcast community television in Fulton and Dekalb County. This eventually evolved to rebranding online as nstyleatlanta.com. After years of working with many different media personalities and celebrities I created a reality tv occuseries about the world behind the red carpet and the lives of the media outlet. We are currently in our second season on Fox Soul and we are available on Prime Video.
My life has been forever changed by losing my parents to AIDS as a teenager. The experience of being parentless and the trauma I experienced was the inspiration for my first book; a historical fiction novel named “Gloria”. Gloria is a powerful coming-of-age novel set in 1990s Brooklyn, following a teenage girl’s journey through love, loss, and resilience after losing her parents to addiction and AIDS. As Gloria navigates the struggles of adolescence—family conflict, identity, and survival—she finds solace in music, friendships, and the vibrant yet unforgiving streets of Crown Heights. Inspired by real-life experiences, Gloria is a deeply moving story of perseverance, self-discovery, and the strength it takes to rise from tragedy.
As a creative, what has been your greatest inspiration for your work? How do you remain authentic in your creativity?
My greatest inspiration for my work began with marveling over women in media like Oprah and Wendy Williams. They were both at the peak of their careers while I was in school and I wanted to produce women like them. They reminded me of the beauty, confidence, and charisma my mother possessed and I often lost myself in day time tv and talk radio as a distraction from the pain I was experiencing. Today I offer opportunities to other women through my platform and help them use their voices to share stories and celebrate people on their journey to change the world.
Monetizing your creativity is no easy task. Was the journey to making this happen difficult for you? What were some of the highs and lows?
Being an independent producer and creating platforms without the backing of a major network has been a major challenge and a learning experience every time technology advances and there’s a shift in the algorithm. As a team we had to learn how to pivot from community television where you can not advertise to online where advertising is king. The biggest challenge was learning how to use your voice and understanding your audience to go viral organically while understanding you have to make an investment in marketing to reach eyes that can not see you otherwise.
Tia James sharing her wisdom while speaking at an event with black people in tech.
Our platform is filled with thousands of women who are looking to connect with others who are capable of making a significant impact on their lives, careers, and well-being. How does your creative work impact women as a collective?
As a collective we celebrate women, entrepreneurs, entertainment, and philanthropy. We don’t lead with gossip we seek out the core people involved in the stories we share and always ask to share their experience from them directly. We want to elevate our voices in the most authentic way possible.
Creatives can get super busy and often neglect their health and wellness in the process. What do you do to stay balanced through it all?
I pray. I thank God daily, and I try to walk at least 10k steps a day to give myself time with my thoughts. I haven’t eaten meat since the pandemic but I treat myself to a piece of candy or something I enjoy periodically to make myself happy.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to make a full-time career out of their creativity?
The motto of my Alma-Mater is “I’ll Find A Way or Make One”. You will… every time I’m struggling through a challenge I have to remind myself I’ve had challenges before and I made it out. Stay focused on your goals and don’t get discouraged by the detours… you’ll find a way.