By Jasmine Duff
For the Birmingham Times
Devin Wyatt could have latched on to the first job she was offered after graduating from college in December 2012, but she decided to focus on jobs that matched her skill set and offered opportunities to learn. The move paid off.
Wyatt is the visual brand director at the Modern Mold Agency, which specializes in public relations services, image consulting, and visual branding. After just one year of business, the firm has already attracted the attention of clients across the nation.
“As the visual brand director, I love creating visuals that help my clients tell a story that truly resonates with their target audience,” said Wyatt. “I want to help people control their own narrative as it relates to their professional or personal brand. Public relations is so important because, in a world where stories can get misconstrued, you want to make sure the correct information is going out.
“It’s easy to build a brand, but building a sustainable brand takes hard work and a great public relations team.”
“Perfect Partnership”
Wyatt, a Birmingham native, is part of a team that includes Modern Mold Agency Public Creations Director Brittany Sharp and Image Consulting Director Arielle Clay.
“My partners are the best,” Wyatt said. “They both possess qualities I don’t have. It’s like the perfect partnership. It’s imperative for women to be unified in today’s society. … We possess so much power, and it can be disheartening to see us not truly recognize the [magnitude of] power we would have if we could come together.”
Wyatt first met Sharp and Clay in 2011, when she was an intern at WBRC-TV Fox 6 News.
“After working for some of my friend’s events, [Sharp] came to me with the idea of starting our own public relations firm,” Wyatt said. “I’d always wanted to have a business of my own, but I figured I would wait until I was in my 30s. … When I thought on it, I was like, ‘Why not now? Why not at the age of 27? I don’t have to wait.’ Since that day, Modern Mold Agency has been on go. It’s amazing to me how you can know what God wants you to do because it comes so naturally.”
The team at Modern Mold Agency, which opened in September 2017, wants to help people shape their brands.
“When you’re in a maze, you can’t see the entire picture. It’s the same [concept] with your brand,” Wyatt said. “Sometimes you can get so focused on the day-to-day operations of your company that it’s hard to see how your company’s brand is perceived in the public. That’s where we come in. We help you see what others see. We help you see beyond the maze and create a brand that stands the test of time.”
Family Hustle
Wyatt attended Ramsay High School, where she worked closely with the Student Government Association and was a cheerleader. She is the oldest of three children—she has a sister, Dkota, and a brother, Carrington—all of whom have continued a family tradition of attending the University of Alabama.
“[As an older sibling], I’ve always been used to making decisions, and … I already see the impact my hustle has had on my brother and sister,” Wyatt said. “My sister [plans to] start her own pediatric office after she graduates from medical school, and my brother is already working on a sneaker app at the age of 18.
“They make me so proud. I’m always encouraging them, but they keep me going more than they know.”
Wyatt credits her entrepreneurial aspirations to her parents, Doug and Likita, who own and operate International Concepts, a commercial cleaning and floor-care company. The couple has always encouraged their children to work with a sense of ambition.
“My parents have always shared nuggets of wisdom with me as it pertains to business, some of which I’ve learned by simply observing them,” Wyatt said. One thing they have always told me: ‘The hardest thing is starting.’
“So many people desire to start their own businesses, and so many needs go unfulfilled because of their fear of simply starting. My advice to anyone would be the same thing: Just do it. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid of something not working. Once you start, you never know what will become of it.”
Creating a Legacy
At the University of Alabama, Wyatt gained experience with the Radio Television Digital News Association, National Public Radio, and other organizations. After graduating, she interviewed with and received offers from several notable companies across the
nation, but she decided to settle back at home with her parents in Birmingham to build relationships and save money. She also prepared for her own business by working as a marketing communications specialist, photojournalist, and multimedia specialist.
“For so long, African-Americans have been taught to attain a job that will create comfortable lives for themselves and those they love,” Wyatt said. “As millennials, we have learned there’s more [to life]. You can create a legacy for yourself no matter what your background is or where you come from. Being a millennial means not being afraid to fail. I heard [pastor, author, and filmmaker] T.D. Jakes say, ‘If you fail, it only leads you [closer] to the thing that will work.’”
Wyatt works to ensure that she can make a difference: “I want to leave a legacy of servanthood. I want people to remember me for the impact I’m trying to make on society through current and future endeavors.”
“It’s not enough for me to be successful,” she said. “I really want people to see that I worked hard in everything I did.”
Another key for Wyatt in her life and career: faith—it’s her foundation.
“With God, He gives me one piece at a time, and I’m always able to say, ‘OK, God, I see what you’re doing.’ I would tell anyone that without faith it’s impossible to really succeed,” Wyatt said. “Without faith, you’re doing everything in your own strength. With faith, your source is truly God. My faith keeps me going because I know God’s purpose in all this is bigger than me.”
