Meet Georgia McClintock

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Georgia McClintock a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Georgia, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Every day I woke up and looked in the mirror to see a dark-skinned (chocolate) plus-size woman battling polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) who dreamed of being a radio entertainer. My confidence and self-esteem did not develop overnight. I experienced bullying growing up. I grew up between three small towns in South Carolina: Moore, Reidville, and Sugar Tit. Sugar Tit is a small community in Greer (Spartanburg County). Sugar Tit is known for its great moonshine. I did not have the “black voice”. I spoke very proper English. I got picked on for being plus-size and talking like a white girl.

I have always been a faith-driven woman. In college, while studying radio broadcasting, there were two female jockeys I looked up to: Bonita Griffin and Artie The One Woman Party. I was blessed that Bonita Griffin was my mentor. She is deceased now. Artie The One Woman Party is my diamond. She has become my mentor as an adult. Studying these ladies in the industry helped me build my confidence, self-esteem, and brand. These ladies looked like me and they had personalities that could fill up the room.

There are a couple of things I learned from these two women. God made me this way. My image was God’s masterpiece. It is my desire to maintain my temple, so people can see who God is. I thank God that he chose me to be plus size with PCOS. I don’t know why, but I give thanks. Being different is popular and needed in today’s society. I am the example that young girls can look up to. It is important to remain authentic as a business owner in this industry.

Today, I wake up to see a warrior who has won many battles. I am beautiful. My confidence is one of a kind. My self-esteem is priceless. No one can evaluate your worth. Always speak positive affirmations to yourself. No one else will. All the creative work we do shows confidence.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
The Sophya D Network and the Sophya D Radio Show is a brand and lifestyle. The brand consists of displaying creativity, artistry, and confidence. Our quality of work shows being bold and confident. My husband and I are the co-founders. The Sophya D Network specializes in photography and videography. Our discipline is live event photography. You can put us in a live concert and we capture breathtaking photos. We are passionate about capturing moments that will last a lifetime.

The Sophya D Radio Show interviews business owners and artists, primarily in the Upstate of South Carolina. Our guests can use their interviews as another marketing tool for their brand. We enjoy the increased diversity that the Upstate region is experiencing. We have met some incredible people as our guests on the show.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The Sophya D Brand has been successful for the last 13 years because of its consistency, persistence, and determination. The Sophya D Network does not advertise on social media. Our advertisement is by word of mouth. I like this type of marketing because I am not supposed to be everyone’s photographer or videographer. I understand that there are many live event photographers in the Upstate area, but my brand provides superb services. Photography and videography is always changing because technology is always changing. I enjoy studying my next client to capture the moments they are not thinking of. It is something about seeing my client’s big smile and tears. It brings joy to my heart.

Sophya D Radio does not have 1,000 followers on YouTube. Actually, we have close to 350 YouTube subscribers. I aim to grow the show to 1,000 subscribers, but I cannot force anyone to hit the subscribe button. I can only control the things I can control. We are consistent with our content. I am amazed at the number of podcasts or radio shows that end because their following is not increasing. I do not worry about the numbers. My focus is always consistency. Our content is changing lives and expanding businesses. I get tickled when I am stopped in a store and someone tells me they watched one of the interviews. Into the conversation, they will say I do not even follow your show. There is a lesson in this. The people that are not connected to you are watching you. Many times, there are difficulties being persistent as an independent female radio entertainer. I feel like I am doing this alone. I do not have a corporation that funds my business. I have to fund my show with my own income, t-shirt sales, and advertisement sales. I will always remain a student. I am always learning. There are a lot of things I do not know about radio, but I am always willing to learn.

The three things to remember in this industry: stay consistent, persistent, and always remain studious. You will be successful.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
You gotta love those weaknesses. I like to say they are areas of improvement. We all have things we are bad at, but they can always be improved and possibly turn into a strength. I was diagnosed with a Reading Comprehension Disability in the 10th grade. The test also revealed that I was spelling and writing on a 3rd-grade level. That was not good. I cannot tell you how many people thought I was not going to graduate from high school. I say all this, to say that, I graduated with a Master of Science in Informatics from the University of South Carolina Upstate on August 15, 2023. I had some wonderful mentors, Ms. Caulder, Ms. Moore, Mrs. Calhoun, Mr. Jimm Cox, and my husband who kept me accountable for my reading and writing.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Sophya D Network and TS Creations

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