founders letter
Toward the end of each year, many of us try to process the various feelings and emotions we’ve experienced over 12 months. Wins and losses, layoffs and promotions, breakups and proposals, familial passings, and precious births. Countless sentiments that, as we navigate our distinct journeys, are often forgotten. The practice of taking vital moments to analyze the state of our hearts, souls, and minds gets lost or placed in the background of our busy lives. Life, as Gen Z-ers say, unexpectedly does start life-ing.
In 2023, we learned a thing or two about this. Starting a creative company isn’t for the weak, as some of you know. The grit, courage, tenacity, and discipline it took to get here, writing our very first Founders Letter to you; our treasured “day one” community - is a blessing. We’re infinitely grateful to the people who helped us get here. Our clients, who trusted us to craft their stories and build their brands, and our small but mighty team (we love you, Vanessa!) for bringing narrative to life. It’s time to pull back the curtains, and let you all in on our vision.
As Black & Brown people, we know that storytelling keeps our culture alive. A strong narrative can connect us, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire positive change. But, whose story is being told? It isn’t until a creator, entrepreneur, or any striving professional “make it” that their stories are amplified. Sometimes, by looking too far ahead, we miss the opportunity to learn from, collaborate with, and celebrate our peers, at times when they need the most support. What if we stopped waiting for the recipe from those who “made it” and learned from each other in real time? What if we vowed to take this journey together?
With this in mind, we’re extending the utmost gratitude to you, our community. It is because of this that we vow to do our absolute best when it comes to curating, cultivating, documenting, and highlighting our people, our stories, and our endless contributions to this vast, very complicated, and often-frightening-but-at-other-times-exceptionally-beautiful world. Here at narrative is where you will find some of the most inspiring stories involving Black & Brown art, history, sports, politics, media, and entrepreneurship - and most of all, where you’ll find space and sanctuary to share your story, too.
As we turn our attention to 2024 - we’ve got so much to look forward to. We recently began production on Ordinary Thoughts, a narrative podcast and newsletter. (If you’re not subscribed yet, WYD?) Plus, we’ll be publishing sensational poetry, fiction, and essays by way of narrative’s Literary Journal, a hub for the most creative, innovative, and influential artistic voices in our world. And this is just the beginning.
Thank you all in advance, and on behalf of our team, we wish you all an extremely blessed, peaceful, loving, and fulfilling holiday season. Please be safe, try not to drink all the coquíto, and hug your loved ones extra tight at midnight when the ball drops. 2024 will be filled with phenomenal health, affluent opportunities, countless blessings, and sterling love. We hope you’ll continue to follow us on this journey, and see what more we have in store for you.
Abrazos,
Isaiah & Cybele
Co-founders