Farissa Knox is the founder and CEO of RLM Media, a black-owned holding and advertising agency in Chicago, the founder and creator of WhatRUWearing Productions, which is the production company of the Amazon Series PRGIRL, which follows the lives and careers of three women in the fashion, beauty and public relations industry. Farissa Knox is also an author of “Love, Sex, and Friendship: In No Particular Order”, which is a memoir based on her twenties. Farissa is no stranger to navigating the world of being and executive. As a black CEO, Farissa has had to overcome adversity many times.
Q: How did you get into the world of media?
I have had the privilege from a very early age to know what I like and what I want to do next. It was as simple (for me) as picking the right major (Communications) and picking the right classes in Advertising that led me to learn about media and the opportunities out there. From the start, it felt like it was exactly where I am supposed to be.
Q: Have you always dreamed of being the owner of a production company if not, how did you get here?
What I always dreamed of is being successful at doing something I love. So instead of concentrating on money or the specifics, I have always concentrated on knowing myself, my hopes, my dreams, and what will make me happy- and then go make money doing that. Ten years ago it was advertising, now, it’s producing great series and films.
Q: Was it hard finding people that look like you in this industry?
Of course! But, I never let that stop me in any space I am in. It’s not a barrier, it’s a hardship. If you keep going, no matter the task or plan, you find your tribe- and that is starting to happen for me.
Q: Do you feel that the entertainment industry and media industry are white cis male industries? If so, what words of encouragement do you have for young women and people of color that want to have successful careers in media and production?
Almost all industries are dominated by white men- that’s the system we live in that we are trying to shake up now so that equity and equality become real for those who it has never existed for. I always tell folks to keep going in spite of the hardships that exist for us that don’t exist for others. They only look like brick walls, but the first one you choose to believe you can walkthrough, you can.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
Nothing really. I have matured enough to understand that any problem you didn’t solve today, will be there tomorrow, or it won’t. But because I am a ‘details person’ sometimes it is hard to turn my mind off from all the moving details I have in there in order to deliver the high quality I strive for. For that, wine is helpful.
Q: Hindsight is 2020. What would you tell your younger self?
Learn, grow, explore, take the blinders off that were out there from parents, school, church, etc. and go learn what they purposefully never taught you.
Q: Do you face any challenges, as a woman executive, milestones, or obstacles that male executives don’t face?
Ummm… you mean what are they? Ha! Try running a multimillion-dollar advertising agency while having a human being growing and moving inside you and trying to keep your wits about you all day. Maternity leave. Pumping breast milk in between meetings and on toilets in airports. But even if you are not a mother, this society is not designed for women to do whatever the F we want. So no matter what we do, we have to take it instead of asking for permission.
Q: What is a project that you are most proud of and why?
My children. Period.
Q: What is one goal you have set for yourself, that you have not yet obtained?
I aim to be the best version of myself and show up in that energy every day. This takes years of self-exploration and healing. That’s what I’m working on in my free time.
To learn more about Farissa Knox visit www.farissaknox.com.
