Adrian Davis

" To live in their truth. The more you live in your truth the easier it is to free other people that are ashamed to truthfully express themselves. "

Q. Tell Us who you are and what you do?

A. I am the owner of a branding, marketing, and creative agency by the name of, The Commas Agency. This Agency challenges you to keep in mind that we have the right to be more than what people might have known you to be. “The more you lean into every comma that God has created you to be, the more commas you will visibly see in your bank account”. This is a quote I live by as I also coach and mentor my mentees to live out as well.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

A. I’m still a pastor to a certain extent, just not in the context of leading a church within the four walls. In 2020 while living in Huntsville, Alabama I decided to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue my dreams of being entranced and involved in the entertainment industry. Currently I am working on a docuseries entitled Brilliant Black Boy that displays the picture of systematic racism within the field of education for black and brown boys. During this transition I was exposed to so much information about the entertainment industry and the voice that is needed to represent black men. I realized this voice is needed for most black men that have a level of creativity to showcase that has overcame growing up in terrible environments, whether that be at home or at school.

Q. Let’s talk about your business, The Commas Agency, and the motivation behind it?

A. Well, I think the biggest motivation behind The Commas Agency is teaching people not to fall into the stigma of having to always remain the same. People will remember you from their first impression and box you in. The agency’s tagline, “the proper punctuation, gives you the right to be more” reminds you that you can be multi-faceted; it’s our birth rite. The Commas Agency is here to walk you through the discovery of self to get you branded and packaged to present you to the world!

Q. As a male leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

A. I honestly believe the most significant barrier in my career has been struggling with the automatic perceptions and expectations we have of people. As a male leader, there’s a level of expectation that comes with being man and a black man as well. Most people do not realize there is a high expectation that is placed on black men. We expect black men to be a certain type of way, and if they’re not then they are demonized and talked about. For example, if a black man cries then they are labeled as weak. If they show emotion, then he is labeled as being like a girl or is inappropriately labeled as something else. There are stigmas for men and there are stigmas for black men as well. Working through those stigmas and trying to walk into my identity has been one of the biggest barriers in my life. I had to understand that showing emotion does not equal weakness. I am not a weak person because I choose to express my frustrations or live in my truth of being hurt. The problem is that we are taught in mass to hide our emotions. I believe that we have the perfect opportunity to show, express, and exhibit our emotions on the front street of everything we put out.

Q. What are you most grateful for?

A. What I’m most grateful for, is still have a sound mind. Over the past three years I’ve experienced a lot of challenges. These past three to four years have been extreme hell for me. It just seems like it’s always an attack, a death in the family, or constant grief I had to deal with. Once again, I am most grateful for a sound mind that I have not lost yet.

Q. What advice do you give to the next generation of male leaders?

A. For the next male leader, I would simply tell them to live in their truth. The more you live in your truth the easier it is to free other people that are ashamed to truthfully express themselves. I would also tell these group of leaders that they have the right to feel what you feel. You’re not crazy, you are not less than, and you’re not weak. You’re not acting like a girl; you’re not doing any of those listed because you simply express how you feel. Live in your truth because that’s what real leadership is about. Leadership is being able to lead people where they are afraid to go. Most males are afraid to go into a thing called truth because of their emotions.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events?

A. I am always working. Right now, we are in production for “The Brilliant Boy”, a docu-series highlighting the effects of systemic racism. Our docu-series is what’s drawing my attention right now outside of working for my clients with The Commas Agency and outside of mentoring hundreds of individuals. My primary focus in what I’m building is the docuseries and helping these young black boys get their story out while trying to change the world in a way of touching a culture and a generation that a lot of people are afraid to touch.

Q. How do you define your purpose in life?

A. I think I define my purpose in life by doing and fulfilling what I’m called to do while utilizing what I believe God has placed on the inside of me. Everyone’s purpose is different. A lot of times we have been taught to seek out one purpose. What happens if you are designed with more than just one purpose? I believe that I am an individual that was designed with more than just one thing. We’ve taught people to seek and find your purpose while searching for only one. However, we have so many other facets to us that ignites us, makes us happy, and leaves us feeling fulfilled. So many of us are taught to just stick to one thing and disown everything else you desire to do. I believe that God is so many things. So, if I was made in the likeness the image of him, then why am I settling for one thing when he mastered many. My purpose is to live out everything that has been put on the inside of me.

Q. If you could change place with one person for one day, who would it be?

A. That is a great question. I would change places with Jay Z for one day and mainly just because of Beyonce... But no, really, I want to experience that level of freedom to come and go and do whatever you please. At any waking moment to get up and say, “oh, I want to go eat dinner in Paris tonight” or “Let’s gas up the jet and let’s go”. So, I have four people. I’m just going to list out my four. You can pick whichever one you want to pick. Jay Z, Kevin Hart, because I love Kevin Hart and he’s a hard worker. I would love to see his work ethic for a day and see all he does within a day. Barack Obama, because he’s Barack Obama. And Denzel Washington, just because I would love to learn his work ethic when it comes to acting and his methods as it pertains to how he prepares for what he’s going to do next.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Adrian Davis now, pretty much everywhere. Instagram: @adriandavisnow. Website, adriandavisnow.com

I would love to connect, so make sure you guys follow me.