SAMPLE MEDIA PROFILE : TYESE STYLES

Tyese Styles on set with actor Danny Glover. (T. Styles)

Originally from Queens, NY., Tyese Styles was working for the FBI when the CEO of the Heritage Network offered her a job as his assistant. After a quick debate, she took the job. She worked for him for 5 years learning how to produce a show and things like advertising and marketing. After leaving the heritage network, she worked at the source all-access show and later the weekend vibes show. There she was a talent executive which means she booked celebrity talent and interviews.

When I asked her what she loves most about her profession she said, “I love to tell stories. I love having an idea and being able to create it through shooting, editing, and producing it. It really is the most satisfying feeling in the world telling your story.”

Styles favorite place to work was hands down the weekend vibes show. The reason was that she got to work with other black creators and storytellers which was rare and really fun for her. Another one of her favorite places to work was Arise 360 because she got to tell in-depth stories not just stories about celebrities. One of the shows she worked on for Arise 360 won an Emmy. Styles also said she really enjoyed working Power Confidential. Power Confidential was a talk show that came on after Power for its final season. During the show, they would interview the cast and crew and give behind the scene footage of making the series.

Some of the highlights of Styles career are interviewing Denzel Washington which she said was amazing. Another highlight of her career was working on projects with Reverend Al Sharpton. Lastly, a highlight in her career was creating and producing her and her husband Samson Style’s documentary Killing Beef. The documentary is about Samson’s life after his near-fatal shooting and his journey after to find peace in his life and with his shooter. Styles licensed the documentary to Revolt TV, a cable network owned by Sean Combs. I recently saw the documentary Killing Beef and I highly recommend it.

Styles gives this advice to anyone looking to get into the media industry, “Don’t come in thinking everything happens right away. It takes time. Don’t just work in front of the camera, learn how to work behind the camera too because that’s where all the power lies. And be diligent in learning and absorbing information. Also, you have to really love it because you're gonna hear a lot of no’s and meet a lot of not so nice people but don’t give up”.