Meet the Founder | Ayanna T. Harris
At the helm of every innovative business idea is a dedicated founder. At The Regal Deviance Company℠, Ayanna T. Harris is the revered professional behind the vision. She brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work at Regal Deviance℠ with years of experiences spanning creative disciplines, academic studies, and real-world business applications.
Rooted in Creative Expression
A young Ayanna entered the creative world with a fearless attitude. Performing before audiences at the ripe age of 3, she knew this was an environment she could stand by. She thoroughly enjoyed the freedom she felt expressing different forms of movement, which is where it all began. Over the years, Ayanna delved deeper into personal expression with formal training in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz, Hip-hop, and African dance.
Not far behind was the introduction of music. Ayanna trained as a classical flutist with composer and flutist, Kenneth M. Harris Sr. for over ten years, from the age of 8 to 21. Recognized as a first chair performer, Ayanna graced various musical ensembles including high-school level concert and marching bands, as well as a collegiate level orchestra. She went on to be featured at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tulley Hall as a professional flutist.
In the mix was also writing. Ayanna has been journaling and writing poetry for as long as she could write, which fueled her passion for telling the stories of many. As a child, she would wake up early to practice her cursive penmanship and spent time interviewing family members to learn about her cultural roots. All of these things came together to serve her later in the role of professional ghostwriter and reputation specialist. Art and design was also a part of the journey all along. Covering the spectrum from drawing pencil portraits to abstract multimedia collages to graphic design and photography, Ayanna’s involvement in the creative disciplines consists of formal lessons and self-taught projects.
Academic Achievement
With the influence of two esteemed parents that started their careers as first-generation college graduates turned school teachers, education was always paramount. WIth focus and a determination to succeed, Ayanna excelled in academic environments. In secondary school, Ayanna was a regular on the Honor Roll completing her high school studies at the top 4% of her 500+ person class. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, and was featured as student of the month for the local Rotary Club.
Ayanna went on to join the Penn State community as an undergraduate student at the highly regarded University Park Main Campus. Within her four years on campus, she received a medal of recognition for achieving Dean’s List status for academic excellence and was separately inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Ayanna graduated with a strong GPA and went on to pursue a professional career with her B.A. degree in Advertising/Public Relations and a Minor in Spanish.
Real-World Business Excellence
Upon graduation, Ayanna jumped into the real world with a focus on white glove client service. Starting with an initial career step in hospitality, Ayanna garnered what she could about helping others and translated that into a strong client-first marketing approach and focus. For two years, Ayanna worked for Shark Tank featured NYC startup and reputation management firm, Brandyourself.com. As a Reputation Specialist and eventual VIP Brand Strategist, she helped build and maintain over 50 client portfolios. These ranged from professionals and businesses across various industries such as Education, Technology, Venture Capital, Healthcare, Social Services, Entertainment and more. A few years later, she was provided the opportunity to join the District of Columbia Public Schools at their Central Office as a Coordinator of School Leader Recruitment. This furthered her foundation in marketing and put it to use by developing plans for attracting and retaining this urban school district's distinguished leadership community of principals and assistant principals.
Time moved on for Ayanna where entrepreneurship truly became a passion of hers. She began as a freelancer in the social media marketing space. During this time, Ayanna wanted to expand her traditional learning about the field and pursued tactical certifications. She became Hubspot Academy certified in Inbound Marketing and Social Media. With additional courses on LinkedIn Learning, Ayanna one-upped her freelance career and began the digital marketing agency, The Regal Deviance Company℠. Intertwined with other professional experiences with businesses such as ANMP, a creative consultancy and Monica Motivates, a learning and development firm, Regal Deviance℠ prepared to run the long race to sustainability. After two fruitful foundational years, her self-founded agency is in full swing and accepting clientele after completing the notable Strategic Operations Coaching Program with Davis and Davis Companies.
This year in 2022, Ayanna completed the Adobe Creator Camp certification which trains individuals on Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional-level video editing software. She even embarked upon a new lane of study in UX Design through the Google Professional Certificate Program. With main priorities in the areas of business and continued education, there is no limit to where The Regal Deviance Company℠ can go. Onward and upward.
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The Regal Deviance Company℠ helps creatives thrive online. We foster excellence in expression by providing transformational digital services for visionary entrepreneurs and executives. Follow the journey on Instagram and LinkedIn or visit us on the web at www.regaldeviance.com to schedule an introductory call.