Meet the Team: Erika Kelley

We are so excited to have you join our team at Humble Oak. Can you speak about your work background?

Prior to Humble Oak, I was a reality TV producer for HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation. I am currently a writer and I have worked as support staff on a number of Hillman Grad TV series, spearheaded by Lena Waithe. Production as a whole is important to me, both writing and producing. And because I worked on a design series, I fell in love with interior design. It’s something I do on the side when I am not working on productions. My company is called Written by Design. The name ties in my background as a writer and my belief that every space should tell a story. Spaces should be warm and welcoming, they can invite you to become a part of them by the way they are arranged.

So you’re an entrepreneur in your own right! 

I am. Here’s a powder room I did in LA. I went in and transformed this whole empty condo. We bought furniture and started from scratch. That’s what I do on the side. Sometimes, I feel like I need to hone in on my skills, but calling this work Written by Design helped me unify the themes of storytelling and design in my life.

Film production, design and DEI consulting can seem quite different on the surface. What do you see as the overlap in these fields?

All of them have elements of creating safe spaces. Being able to create spaces that are relatable and emotionally compelling for people from the moment they walk into the room, or enter the conversation. These fields are diverse in their own right, sure, but they all feel like expressions of my personality and values. I like to welcome people, I’m all about embracing people into my life to learn from them, to connect, and to support each other.  All of these roles allow me to do that and speak to who I am at my core. Being fair– I’m a Libra, so I’m all about being balanced– creating spaces where people feel welcomed and confident in the fact that I will treat them justly. 

One of the things I’m most excited for is that from the very beginning of the interview process, I felt that Humble Oak was a place where having these unique strengths would be valued.  I feel at home with Humble Oak because our culture asks, “Who are you really?” and “Now that we know that, how can we work together to be of greatest service?” I feel like all aspects of myself are welcomed here, and my skills– writing, designing– have already been put to use in our company.

Can you talk about the ways you are using your diverse skills at Humble Oak? 

I am really attracted to the social media part of my role because there are billions of people who can connect with you if you offer something that is accessible and inspiring. I want to offer our message visually, and explore ways that the arts can serve as a portal for people to access our message, whether that’s pushing Lucretia to create video content as well as long form blogs or designing a workshop for healing through art.  Art, writing, storytelling– these are all healing methods. 

Another part of my work is leading training for our clients. When I prepare myself to facilitate a session, I ask, “How can I as a consultant work with companies to bridge the gap between art and finding our true selves?” Even though this hasn’t always been welcomed as something you should do at work, I believe that when we are the healthiest version of ourselves that vibrancy comes through in the way we contribute to our teams. 

I was really attracted to a moment in a session Lucretia led when she showed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a model developed after psychologist Abraham Maslow observed the Blackfood Nation.  The pyramid shows that before attaining self-actualization we need our basic needs met, and the idea with sharing it in our training is to express that we all need grace sometimes. I feel like by acknowledging the connections between our “personal” and “professional” humanity, this model gives us a way to invite more of ourselves into the dialogue about DEI. I want to use my skills as an artist to bring people into this work. And I want to benefit from being deeply understood by my colleagues, starting right here at Humble Oak. 

You helped create an independent film titled Prepared. Can you tell us a bit about your work as the writer, director and producer on this project?

Ah! It was a labor of love. I crowdfunded to make this film right around the holidays. I raised $10k in one month, I exceeded my goal, which was crazy because no one gives away money around the holidays!  People told me I wouldn’t make it, but I felt even more inspired by that. 

I worked with friends on the project, and I hired women of color to work with me. I wanted to see women thriving in roles traditionally held by men on my project.  We had a woman who was director of photography and a woman who did the lighting. I wanted to show that Black women could shine in roles typically held by men in the industry, and they were incredible collaborators!  

Filming was a fun weekend, but it was hard too. Kobe Bryant died on the day that we had to film some of our hardest scenes in one location. We were located in LA so it was a heavy day for all of us because we felt so connected to Kobe. But, because we believed in this project, we kept doing it. 

Prepared went to seven festivals, and it won an award at one of those festivals. It’s still a project I feel so tied to. It speaks to my value for intersectionality. A plus-sized-Black woman trying to find herself and love herself–and that’s honestly me. Thank God Prepared happened because I couldn’t have finished the film without lots of prayer, and those who wanted to be a part of the project. 
I want people of every space to watch Prepared, to laugh, to be grossed out by her icky-gel fingers in one scene where she is styling the hair of her love interest, and relate to the “fake it till you make it” spirit. “Fake it till you make it” is something I heard all the time when I was living in LA. But faking it, at a certain point, eventually comes to a road block because that thing you’re reaching for is not for you if you have to fake it to attain it. Being authentic is so important because you are going to attract what is for you. If you’re lying to yourself and denying what is waiting for you, you’re ultimately just depriving yourself. 

What’s the impact you see Humble Oak having and how do you specifically want to contribute to that? 

From being in LA, I recognize that the need for diversity is sometimes forced. Hollywood is trying to make sure that they get everything right, but some things get missed, and ultimately, the learning is missed. 

When I read about Humble Oak during the interview process, I felt like Humble Oak could really change the entertainment industry. I thought, “So many writers’ rooms could benefit from Humble Oak’s approach to fostering dialogue, to human connection.” Whether it’s respecting one another in a writers’ room when personal experiences are being shared, or creating a safe space for your assistant, I could imagine Humble Oak’s approach helping places I’ve worked with to become even better work spaces.  I see this company as being able to change the entertainment industry, and I know if it could have such a profound impact in a world I care about and envision myself someday, that it’s a project I’d like to support and advance. 

Things you can expect from me in the future? I love to write, so I’m working on a class called Healing through Art for Humble Oak clients. I love to design, so I’m working on a resource for cultivating a welcoming and collaborative office space. And I love connecting with people and discovering new ways my talents can make a difference in things I care about. So I’m excited to have landed in a place that’s all about learning and growth, and to see where this chapter takes me.