Today we’d like to introduce you to Reanna Griffin.
Hi Reanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born on the South Side of Chicago and raised primarily in Detroit, but I’ve spent my entire life going back and forth between the two cities. Both feel like home to me in different ways, and I take a lot of pride in being shaped by cities with such rich culture, history, creativity, and influence. Chicago gave me my roots, while Detroit played a huge role in raising me and shaping the woman I’ve become.
I recognized very early that I was multifaceted. I could do anything I put my mind to, whether it was excelling in academics, playing sports, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, I even had an eye for fashion and interior decorating, and it was becoming noteworthy amongst my peers. However, as I grew older, the pride I once took in being good at so many things began to make me feel lost. I’ve done hair, cleaned schools, worked in healthcare and human services, I’ve worked in operations, etc. but at each stage I always felt like I was hiding in the shadows, scared to apply pressure and be greater. There I was being the Pisces that I am, daydreaming and milling about, no settling on anything or making any solid decisions (no shade to my fellow Pisceans but I meannn, lol). Escapism is what they call it right? As the years passed, I started to get this overwhelming feeling that I needed to start taking life a bit more seriously, I knew it was okay to have many talents, but it was time to start making some choices and standing on them.
So, I started with my name, my moniker that is. I’d previously been through different screen names online, but I was at a point where I wanted a name that truly reflected who I am as a person and a name I could build an ecosystem around. I thought, “hmm, what is something that people know me for?” the first thing that came to mind is that many people in my life reach out to me for guidance. They value my opinion, they know that I will speak from an unbiased place, they trust me, and they view me as a safe space to speak freely. So I thought maybe I’ll name myself “The Guru”, but that didn’t quite fit so I thought “The Sensei” would work better.. but something was still missing. Then it hit me: THE PINK SENSEI! Not only do I view myself as a guide, but I also attached pink because it added that extra piece of representation. It reflects so many things that I feel relate to me such as: friendship, love, unbias, nurture, and femininity. And the rest was history; I knew in that moment that I wanted to be The Pink Sensei forever, and from that name bloomed an author, content creator, entrepreneur, and property owner!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can’t lie, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road *insert deep sigh* lol. Throughout the years, I’ve had many experiences: some good, some great, some horrendous (oh the details we could go into, but I’ll save that for my future memoir!).
One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to balance ambition with capacity. I love to push myself and explore new things, but there are only so many hours in a day. I’ve built much of what I have while also working multiple jobs at once, so I’ve had to learn how to pace myself and find healthy ways to combat burnout.
Another challenge has been entering spaces where I didn’t necessarily have a blueprint. Publishing independently, monetizing content, building businesses, purchasing property, and becoming an Airbnb host have all required me to learn as I go. There have been mistakes, unexpected expenses, ideas that didn’t work the way I thought they would, and plenty of moments where I’ve questioned whether I was making the right decision.
Through it all, I knew that there was a spark in me that couldn’t be put out! One of the biggest realizations I’ve come to is that there will NEVER be a point where challenges no longer come, and I’ve become much more confident in my ability to figure things out when they do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My content expands across mindset, lifestyle, travel, DIY projects, home decor, entertainment, and documenting the experiences that make life interesting to me. I don’t want my content to present some perfectly curated version of life. I want people to see someone actively figuring things out, trying new things, evolving, and hopefully giving them a little inspiration to do the same. Over time, I started taking social media more seriously and realized that something I genuinely enjoyed could also become a business, and it has! This realization also ushered me into independently publishing my first book, The Pink Sensei’s Positive Deposits. What started as me putting my thoughts and perspective onto paper grew into many copies sold and showed me that people genuinely connect with my voice.
Livestreaming has become an important part of my journey as well. I’ve been able to build a community of people, “The Samurai”, who consistently come back simply to talk, laugh, share perspectives, and just vibe to be honest. It has shown me that there is real value in community and that my personality, perspective, and ability to connect with people could be part of what I build, not something I needed to separate from business. With that said, livestreaming has become a legitimate additional stream of income for me.
But I’d have to say I’m most proud of purchasing my first property! However, I didn’t want home ownership to be the finish line. I wanted to figure out how I could turn the property into a true asset and another source of income. That eventually led me to transform it into my first Airbnb, affectionately known to my family and I as “The Dojo”. Within my first few months, I earned Airbnb Superhost status, which was incredibly rewarding because it felt like confirmation that I could step into an unfamiliar space, learn it, and not only make it work but excel in it.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to be myself no matter what. I am Reanna Griffin through and through. I lead with my heart and operate in authenticity: no masks, no code switching, no people pleasing. When I walk into rooms my back is straight and my head is held high because I know that God has rooted so much power deep inside of me. Most importantly, I know that I am a vessel here on this Earth being used to spread love, joy, and any knowledge that I can.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Funny enough, I just had a conversation about luck and my exact words were, “We have to get in the way of it!”
By that I mean: We are much more likely to get “lucky” by making sure luck knows exactly where to find us, and the only way to ensure this is by operating in our gift(s). By doing the WORK (because faith without works is dead) and putting ourselves in the appropriate metaphorical algorithm of life, we almost guarantee that we’ll be in the right place, at the right time, for a blessing!
Whether people call it luck, blessings, manifestation, fate, etc., it has played a significant role in my life and business; but mainly because I’ve worked my butt off to put myself in the way of it. Ultimately, my goal is to become a serial entrepreneur and continue building a network that reflects the different sides of who I am. I don’t have a dream job, I have a dream LIFE, and I’m building the businesses, income streams, and experiences that will allow me to live it.
Pricing:
- “The Mindset Shift” Guided Journal: $25
- “Positive Deposits” Book: $25
- “Heal So You Can Hear” T-Shirt: $30
- “Heal So You Can Hear Hoodie”: $60
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thepinksensei.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepinksensei/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1F8WpF5UfW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC6Wrp0JAtFQIFF7Bwc2YSPw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepinksensei?_t=8hYDAmYHHgc&_r=1
