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Rakia Reynolds, A Waymaker Operating & Building Authentically in Her Season with Skai Blue Media
- XBlazeMagazine
- Aug 30
- 17 min read
Rakia Reynolds is a woman whose personal and professional brands overlap. A woman whose energy shakes rooms, sets the tone, and makes way for her. An authentic spirit that can be felt intensely despite the barriers of a screen and webcam. A woman of power who speaks with authority and passion. A woman of truth and authenticity who is true to this and not new to this
The name Rakia Reynolds is synonymous to the words "steadfast" and "waymaker." Where some hear this name and see a successful and flourishing entrepreneur, we see a woman who had so much faith that she could fly that she actually did! We see a woman, wife, and mother who has been trusting the process and reaping the rewards. When you see the name Rakia Reynolds, we want you to envision an unapologetically authentic and bold woman who’s been using a gift of creativity and tenacity to build, drive, and bolster the progression of the “oddballs” of the world who’ve also been chosen to add vibrancy to this world through their creativity and innovation!
When we see greatness unfold or individuals excel, we often forget to appreciate those who work behind the scenes to make these wins possible for us to witness. Rakia Reynolds, the founder and executive officer of Skai Blue Media, a well-respected strategic communications and creative marketing agency, is one of the many hidden gems that have contributed to the growth of many of today's favorites, icons, and household brands.
Rakia: The Root & Origin
Rakia allowed us to delve into the origins of Skai Blue Media as she began to recall how much thought she placed into naming and crafting her agency. To the Garden State native, blue is a color that holds great importance to her and has been a staple within her life. The media maven has resonated with the color for years and recollects wearing the color regularly since the fourth grade. “I didn’t know why, but there’s like a spiritual connection with it—but from a color psychology point, marketers believe that blue is the color of trust, honesty, and sincerity.” This explains why many feel a sense of integrity, safety, and comfort when they sight the color. “We’ve uniquely placed ourselves in this world of storytelling, strategic communications, and public relations as the truth serum to a lot of these things.”
As the growing agency strives to uphold the spirit associated with the color blue, they also steer clear of individuals, partners, and clients that may not align with their values. Ultimately, weeding out dishonesty and inauthenticity, “We like to be able to take people on who have really great stories to tell, and then we can help to format and tell those stories.”
When asked to describe herself, Rakia answered, “Always at heart [...] A person with high integrity, being honest as much as I can—because I know the world sometimes doesn’t even allow us to be like that. But high integrity, entrepreneurial, risk-taker, creative human.”
At about eleven or twelve years old, Rakia began tapping deeper into her gift of storytelling. Activities like reading and writing creative pieces, stories, and skits brought her joy. Soon after, she learned that she had a superpower that allowed her the ability to ingest the dialogue of those who shared their stories with her, pinpoint the marketable lines and sculpt those words in a way that amplified the message being conveyed! “So for me, personally…that’s really who I am at the Nucleus, and at the core, I’m a natural-born storyteller.” Rakia further expressed that she’d go on to apply this knack as a Girl Scout and even as a Kid-entrepreneur in seventh grade.
Rakia's parents, who have since retired, worked blue-collar jobs. She recalls her mother, a former secretary, and father, a former longshoreman, having very strong work ethic and alignment with their work; thus, it was difficult for her parents to grasp Rakia’s desires of being a writer. Hence, they had no idea where to start when it came to steering a young creative in the right direction. “I didn’t really have any mentorship or guidance in that regard growing up […] not even in college. I think whenever I told people I want to do this or this, it was unheard of.” Making it virtually impossible for Rakia to get connected to a mentor or community that could show her the ropes. However, Rakia did not let this stop her from her pursuit. She simply learned the ropes as she progressed with her career and turned her aspirations into attainment, attributing her integrity and work ethic to her parents, who showed her what it truly meant to work hard to earn an honest dollar.
She also recalls living on a budget that did not “allow for a lot of things,” so she utilized her expressive nature to find ways to save so she could get the things she wanted. A mentality that led her to dabble in the art of cooking at a young age. “I was always like, ‘If I want it, I’m going to have to go and get it, and if I want chocolate brownies and we don’t have chocolate brownie mix, I’m gonna find the Nestle Quik mix in the cabinet, I’m gonna find some sugar, I'm gonna find some eggs, and I’m gonna make sure this happens.’” Elucidating further in retrospect that the root of her creativity came from spaces of lack when she was younger. This led her to having a headstrong mentality for getting and creating exactly what she wanted!
Initial Intentions & Life in Television Space
Early on, Rakia had a great sense of drive. Expressing that she’d been “wanting to work, wanting to have my own money, wanting to have my own job” since the age of twelve. Still, Reynolds never saw herself aspiring to follow in the footsteps of her parents to pursue a blue-collar, corporate career. Rakia says her imagination was just way too vast. The possibilities for her were endless, and she had already set her mind on other things, one of which being the aspiration to become a mermaid at some point! “I never knew what like, a communications professional was. I never knew what a marketer was, or strategic comms, or—I didn’t have any of that around me, even when I became an adult.”
Rakia recalls finishing college and telling people about her professional desires and being encouraged to connect with a Caucasian woman who many believed could help guide her towards the right door. “It’s funny, cause now my company has outgrown her company and probably done laps around it—but I remember her saying to me like, ‘No, this really isn't for you.’ [...] I tried so hard [...]. I was like, maybe I’ll do a little bit of what she does and a little of what a TV producer does.” Yet, Rakia was unable to secure a mentor who could guide her—drawing back to the importance of representation. Fortunately, many of the opportunities that came to her during her earlier years were the result of happenstance and an inquisitive nature, as she used her tenacity and curiosity to drive connections and network with individuals who could pour into her. Now, just because she did not envision it for herself doesn’t mean the media maven did not dabble in a corporate company environment in a past life.
“I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t come from a Fortune 100 or Fortune 500 type of arena. My first trajectory into what I would deem corporate is… you know—working for Temple University and working in the space of higher education… Temple was my first [...] real job after college, and I was taking graduate school courses, pursuing a graduate degree rather.”
After five years at Temple University, Rakia tapped into the landscape of television as a television producer for The Learning Channel, popularly known to many as TLC. A sector that she recalls being one that requires an abundance of autonomy. Further elaborating that it does not mirror traditional corporate environments typically portrayed in mainstream media. Though one could find oneself seated in an office setting to get work done, Rakia explained that one is often tasked with building and creating material from scratch.
During her tenure in TV, she contributed to the television production of networks and channels that focused heavily on real-world portrayal with a “learning element to it.” Hence, she’d have to work with information given to create angles, select cast, secure partnerships, and essentially make the best creation she possibly can with the stories and packages that the network wants highlighted. Often taking the reins on her tasks since no one would oversee or be there to direct her. Rakia would later go on to translate some of the skills she’d accumulated when it came time for her to take the leap and create her own company.
Holding on to Her Identity
In tenth grade Rakia decided to commit to wearing her hair naturally. She recalls thinking that she did not want a perm and did not want to look like everyone else around her at that time in her life. She didn’t realize that she was setting herself apart from societal standards and expectations until boys began asking her questions like “Why are you wearing your hair like that?” or “Why don’t you get your hair done like the other girls?” When faced with these questions, Rakia expressed that she’d find herself questioning the root meaning of these questions because her answer was always the same, which was that she was wearing her hair the way she wanted to wear her hair. Years later while in college, she’d get questioned about her fashion sense with comments from peers and strangers that sounded like “Why do you dress like that?” further adding, “You dress like you’re [...] the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Rakia explained that these comments did not bother her for the most part because she would often look at these individuals as if they were the weird ones themselves, so their comments and opinions did not really hold weight to her. “For me it was like—but why do you look like that? Why do you look the same as everyone else?” However, she did have brief moments when she’d reflect on these comments and wonder if she needed to conform. “Maybe I should look like all the other girls and wear tight jeans and Timberlands and shearling coats.” a typical outfit combo for the fashion scene during that time, but this was not Rakia’s steez. “Listen—chile, I had like dog collars I was wearing with plaid bell-bottom pants,” describing a very bold and individualistic look that she would still deem cool and admirable today if she were to see her younger self walking down the street. A sense of style so coded to Rakia herself that it would be praised and admired by other fashionistas of this time.
The Birth & Growth of Skai Blue
Rakia explained that the business aspect of running a business is much more vital than she had assumed initially. Being that Rakia took a leap of faith on herself and her creativity, she did not have all of the resources and tools she needed from the beginning of her journey to “be a fully functioning, viable business.” She believes that if she had been more strategic, her outcomes and progress may have taken a different trajectory. “When we take leaps of faith… it is that. It’s a leap. It’s not like a step, then a skip, then a run; it’s literally a leap. So, [...] you sometimes miss out on the important steps that need to be taken.” which further supports her ability to look back and say she would have been more methodical in the creation of her business if she had the opportunity to do it over.
When we take leaps of faith… it is that. It’s a leap. It’s not like a step, then a skip, then a run; it’s literally a leap.
Despite these thoughts of reflection, Rakia believes in the "slow cooker" approach to everything, so in the first three years of Skai Blue, she knew that the business would not be an overnight success. “If you put something in the slow cooker versus putting something in the microwave, you know the slow cooker is gonna taste a lot better.” Consequently, she’s always felt that this tactic was best, in addition to her belief in the power of the universe and divine alignment. Thus, during her period of what, to the naked eye, seemed to be stagnancy, she was thinking it was a moment of stillness to evaluate her environment and meditate on what steps she needed to take to get Skai Blue to the destinations she’d envisioned for herself and the agency, moving forward. Some years later, Rakia’s faith in the process led her to work with an athletic legend!
Pitch Apparel to Landing Serena
It’s important to have mentors and allies who advocate for you in rooms that you are not in or may not have access to. At the time Rakia was trying to establish an apparel line. A mentor of hers connected her to the Chief Executive Officer of the Home Shopping Network (HSN) by encouraging Rakia to pitch to the CEO. Rakia obliged and pitched to a panel of judges in a hotel suite about her line. She recalled facing the CEO, Chief Content Officer, and four other executives. Though the network passed on her idea because Rakia’s products would have been in direct competition with another brand under the company, the panel fell in love with the storytelling approach Rakia took when it came to pitching her line to them. Absolutely awe-stricken by the media maven’s storytelling skills, the panel offered her an opportunity to use her superpower to amplify the brand of one of the celebrities that they have with products. Rakia recalled accepting the offer with a shocked “Oh wow, okay.”
A week after pitching, she received a call to her office requesting permission to forward her contact details to the team of former American tennis-playing legend Serena Williams! One call led to another, and Rakia was asked to fly out that same weekend, which was Father's Day weekend. “For me, Father’s Day is very, very important. I wanted to be with my dad [...]. My sisters and I always take him to brunch, and I was like, ‘mmm, I'm sorry, I actually can’t,’ like it’s Father’s Day weekend.” Following Rakai’s discussion with Serena's team, she called her husband to tell him what had happened. Her husband immediately told her to take the opportunity and call Serena’s team back. Assuring her that her dad will be alright and she could still take him out the following week to continue their annual brunch tradition. He was able to give her a shift in perspective that she did not consider prior. So, she went ahead and gave the team a call back, flew out Saturday, and met at Serena's residence on Sunday. Two weeks later Reynolds was working with Serena. Something that reinforced the law of divine timing.
Staying True & Optimistic
The journey to success is never easy and oftentimes consists of a lot of discouraging, resculpting, and eye-opening experiences. It’s not unheard of to meet successful men and women who have lost themselves along the way and have resorted to robotized muscle memory. However, this is not the case with this award-winning media professional! The east coast native believes there is a science or neuro-physical answer about how she’s been able to remain so optimistic, and she feels there’s a good scientist that specializes in that nature of study that could properly answer the question, but she personally believes that her optimism was at its highest level when she was in her 30s and Skai Blue was undergoing its most difficult times as a young company… Then it began to have its peaks and valleys. Even at 40 she was still optimistic, but now as someone who is “seasoned in [her] forties,” she candidly expressed that some of that optimism has worn off due to the constant cascade of crises that have risen over the last five years.
It's easy to say that the world is against you or you were treated unfairly or unjust and all of those things. I think it's a lot harder to weather storms and still come out with a little bit of a twinkle in your eye.
Yet, she’s been able to maintain her attitude because she’s realized that she’s in control and responsible for her own well-being and destiny as well as perspective and output, as we all are. Therefore, if one can mold their energy to be what they’d like to receive from others and the universe, it’s important to embody and consistently transmit it daily. Rakia explained that it is “easy to sulk, it’s easy to complain, it's so easy to do all of those things. It's easy to say that the world is against you or you were treated unfairly or unjust and all of those things. I think it's a lot harder to weather storms and still come out with a little bit of a twinkle in your eye.” Hence, for Rakia, she prioritizes balancing peace and authenticity in order to still be able to come out at the end with a twinkle in her eyes! Still, she ultimately credits the majority of her optimism and positive attitude over the years to God, religion, higher powers, the universe, and affiliated divine natures.
Balancing Motherhood, Family & Entrepreneurship Duties
Rakia Reynolds is also a wife and mother of three. Entrepreneurial journeys are often coined as challenging, but so can the duties that accompany motherhood and building a family. "Work-life balance" is a phrase that’s heard often and has begun to be a more regular topic of discussion. However, we often don’t get to hear the perspective of women who are juggling these hats and making it look flawless! For Rakia, understanding when she is running on E has been a skill that’s aided her in effectively balancing all of her responsibilities with grace. She also incorporates mental and physical exercises to stay along with keeping her mind clear and inspired. She finds that listening to podcasts and sermons in the morning helps her maintain her balance through the day and helps fuel her hunger as a constant learner who enjoys reading and absorbing. Feeling like she’s consumed a great amount of knowledge empowers and fuels her. She also grounds herself by walking barefoot outdoors to connect deeply with nature. She also expresses gratitude while connecting with nature through literal communication and feeling present.
This keeps her from feeling deep exhaustion or complaining because she is able to place herself in a repetitive state of gratitude for her blessings. She knows it is not everyone that gets to have their own business, be a wife, and have kids or a great family. Thus, she sees it as an overflow of abundant blessings that she just can’t get tired of. However, don’t get things twisted. When Rakia is tired, she also enjoys lying on the couch and letting her mind go while watching TV. She highlighted that she finds time to incorporate mindless activities that do not require her to mentally work herself. Spending “a lot of time with family really keeps me—it keeps me balanced and…it keeps me from feeling that fatigue.”
She’s enjoyed learning about her kids and observing the differences between the humans she has been blessed with the opportunity to co-create. When she notes the differences between her kids, it makes her think of the nature vs. nurture theory and even common idioms and sayings like “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” As a person who likes to observe and study people, Rakia says that it is very fascinating to her to acknowledge these differences and ponder on what has contributed to her kids’ individual identities over the years.
She also greatly enjoys the ability to love someone else much more deeply than herself. “When people talked about this in books and [I] saw it in movies, you know, I’m like, ‘Please, I’m always going to love myself.’” Rakia stated with a few giggles, recollecting her past thoughts, “But you know, now being able to live in it, it’s like, ‘Oh wow, that actually is true.’”
Rakia hopes that through the observation of her own growth and evolution over the years, her kids are able to take away lessons like the power of making great choices that will later directly impact them in the best ways. She’d also like them to be intuitive and protect their energy, which is something she believes they already have and will be able to continue building on as they grow. She also wants them to be able to understand what is and what is not for them. She also wants them to be resilient.
The Ten Commandments, Plus More Advice
A decade ago, TEDx Talks shared Rakia’s talk at the Athena Center at Barnard College. She spoke on her journey to success as an entrepreneur, and Rakia shared ten rules she lives by, which she calls the Ten Small Business Commandments. A decade later, in the face of increased technological breakthroughs, the evolution of the creative industry, and a pandemic, we were curious to know if Rakia still lived by these edicts, and she was able to confirm that she still does. To our surprise, Rakia was actually thinking back to that speech a few days prior to our conversation.
One of her points specifically rang through her recollection. This was the point she made about being careful about complaining because every conversation or greeting is not an opportunity to vent. “That still rings true to me—the authenticity piece, the, you know, non-linear approach to things are a piece, trusting in the timing is still a piece. So, I still live by that. Like those are all things that are very authentic and true to me.” Rakia confirmed.
To all those enduring an extended period of stillness similar to the five-year period Rakia endured with Skai Blue, she’d like you to know that this moment is necessary and crucial to growth because everything works out as it is meant to in the end, even if it’s not the way you expected, hoped, or planned. “Sometimes the timing is the timing because it’s supposed to be like that. So, whether it's a year or whether it's five months, you know some people only go through five months because they learn their lessons and they've done the things they're supposed to do. They learn them in their time.” For Skai Blue and Rakia, her season lasted five years, and she candidly divulged that there have been a few more similar seasons, but that is how life is. There are ebbs and flows; however, there is a reason and season for everything. Therefore, do not be discouraged or doubt your future because what is destined for you will meet you exactly on time. Even if your definition of on-time doesn’t align with that of the universe.
...I’ve been swimming upstream for so long that I’ve developed
muscles that you can’t see.
When it came to addressing topics like balance, mental health, and burnout, the founder said it’s critical to know your capacity and protect your health rather than overextending. “Some of it is that… you should not go against the grain so much. I always tell my team, you know—I’ve been swimming upstream for so long that I’ve developed muscles that you can’t see.” Rakia says that upstream swimming is not a route that suits everyone; therefore, it is important to recognize your physical and mental capacity in order to appropriately protect yourself. Reynolds further elaborated that your well-being is worth more than the damage that can accompany the forceful pursuit of something that may not be in alignment with you. Rakia further expressed that “at the end of the day this is all temporary, and you should be doing things that fuel you and serve you while you’re here, not something that’s gonna, you know, potentially risk your health, so that while you’re doing the great things that you love, you might not be in the happiest [...] space in your life.” Rakia went on to candidly share a hard truth that many like to ignore, which was that entrepreneurship is not for all. “Even for me, this is not a forever thing. It’s just the season that I’m in, in this moment in time.”
A Toast to Those Who First Believed
When asked what she’d like to say to all the clients who first took a chance on Skai Blue when Rakia leaped with nothing but faith to guide her, Rakia shared that she thinks of them with a heart full of gratitude. She often refers to those folks as the ones that she rocks with and appreciates for taking chances on the vision and potential she had rather than quenching her fire with doubt. She sees them as innovative future thinkers who play a crucial role in sustaining the creative industry even today! From artists to designers and sociologists. She expressed that she thinks back and thinks, “Wow, they believed in me before I even believed in myself,” essentially taking that leap with her. She also often thanks her team for swimming upstream with her over the many years.
Source: Rakia Reynolds via Instagram
It’s important to remind you that Skai Blue Media is a company that is true to this, not new to this! Harnessing more than a decade and a half of impact, influence, storytelling, and creative solutions, there are a few clients and supporters that Rakia thought of highlighting and appreciating before closing out our conversation. She mentioned her appreciation for Dr. Janice Jones, who is the mother of Gen Z author, activist, and Harvard student Marley Dias, who helped recruit amazing clients. Ashley Graham, the model and body positivity advocate, whom she appreciates for taking a chance on Skai Blue to build her career in the beginning. Also, Serena Williams, whom she said didn’t know her from a can of paint but still took a chance on Rakia to bring her vision to life and elevate her trajectory.
Reynolds is a walking testament to the true spirit of grit and determination! It goes without saying that only the best can be anticipated of this superwoman and her future endeavors. Though Rakia has shown and told us that there will always be a reason and season for everything. We can fore see many more decades of Blue Skai in the media space thanks to the foundational work of Rakia and similar boundary pushers around the world!
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Written by Torera of XBlaze Magazine
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