Da-Venya Armstrong — A Passion for Community

Truly an inspirational community advocate, Da-Venya Armstrong has always allowed her passion for the collective to guide her. This Carol City (now Miami Gardens) native loves the city she was born in, and from early on knew she would always live and work among her people, “proudly serving this community in which I was born and raised,” she declared.

It is this core spirit that led this trailblazer to start her Miami-based business, Armstrong Creative Consulting, Inc (ACC), more than 20 years ago. Honouring the strong affinity she had to the Church and non-profit organizations, Armstrong saw a need and answered the call on a path that seemed tailor made for her.

FRUITION

Articulate and outgoing, Armstrong’s early desire was to go into broadcasting, which came to fruition for her straight out of the University of Miami’s broadcast journalism program.

“I had the dream job right out of college, and that was not only working at a radio station, but helping to start one. I was working hand in hand with a huge community activist, the NAACP president and pastor of one of the largest black churches, Bishop Victor Curry. He stepped out on faith and being the community activist that he is, said we need a voice to tell our stories, we need to stake a claim,” Armstrong explained in a conversation with Caribbean Today.

Bishop Curry purchased radio station WMBM AM1490 through his entity New Birth Broadcasting Corporation. That was 1995. Armstrong became his right hand person, wearing many hats including News Director, Public Service Director, and importantly Co-Host on the station’s morning show ‘Morning Glory with Bishop and Da-Venya’. She found her voice and her calling.

But, four years later life circumstances nudged her to create her own path. Her mother’s cancer diagnosis and the disease’s worsening progression meant focusing more on family and caregiving. She also wanted more quality time with her young daughter. The birth of Armstrong Creative Consulting, gave her more personal time, but still focused on community building.

“It was being there at that station that I saw a void. No one was really doing church marketing… I had this wonderful opportunity to work at this gospel formatted radio station. I also wanted to have the freedom and the flexibility to be there for my daughter who was young at the time, and I want to be able to serve this community. So it was all of that coming together. It was the perfect mix for me.”

FASTEST GROWING

From a faith-based outreach and marketing agency, ACC grew client by client and today boasts clientele across industries including Fortune 500 companies, government and social service organisations, non-profits, political campaigns, professional athletes, and of course churches. Considered one of the fastest growing, minority-owned and operated businesses in South Florida, Armstrong Creative Consulting is a full service communications firm unapologetically committed to the Miami Gardens community in which it operates.

“I think, from the very beginning, having my actions and my words line up, I wanted to make sure my clients knew they could depend on me. They could count on me for the work that I outlined for them, for the things that I said I was going to do…. It’s about going back to that place of purposefully and passionately serving this community,” said Armstrong.

This communications firm provides creative marketing, public relations, community outreach as a large part of its strategy. As well, ACC offers expertise in corporate event planning and management. The communications professional also noted that since the pandemic, the company has been doing more and more business around brand ambassadors or street teams. For example, Western Union, an ACC client, is a long-time sponsor of South Florida’s Jamaican Jerk Festival. So, instead of the company’s corporate employees flying in to the festival, Armstrong and her team will represent this client at booths, games, and engagement on the ground getting their messages and product info out to the community.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

“I want ACC to do more street team and brand ambassador work that will allow me to hire more people. And that economic development piece for me is near and dear. I can hire more people, I can pour into their families, I can pour into their households. I can help put the gas in their tank and food on the table,” explained an impassioned Armstrong.

The company also helped “give birth” to new businesses during the pandemic with logo designs, website creation, brochures, custom signage, T-shirts. And in fact, some already established enterprises that were negatively affected by the lockdown period have sought creative advice from ACC to help repair the damage. Armstrong explained that her company is currently working with The Early Learning Coalition, a non-profit organization delivering pre-kindergarten and after school care for young children. Since the pandemic, their enrolment has fallen off. So, ACC is working to get their message, collateral, and literature out to the community.

Armstrong could never do anything else. From an early age she has always known that her mission in life was to educate, inform, and empower others. Inspired by her Mom, a nurse and the architect of her own successful Mary Kay skincare business, the communications executive learned the value of hard work, creativity, and giving back. Her involvement in mentoring new business owners is an example of her commitment to building and maintaining a stable and strong community.

“I've seen this community after a hurricane. I've seen this community during COVID. I've seen this community before COVID. I know these people, I know their experiences, they respond to me. I know how to communicate with them. I’ve stayed focused on wanting to be someone of service to this community.”