Growing a Business While Working in Corporate America (with Yolanda Williams)

In this episode of How I Got Here, Dreena welcomes Yolanda Williams, CEO and Co-founder of the natural skincare line, Cream Blends, and Owner and Chief Content Officer of DISTINCT Life Creative Agency. Yolanda is killin’ the game as an entrepreneur, mother, fitness influencer, and creative director, so let’s learn how she got here.

Ever since she was a little girl, Yolanda has been painting a colorful vision for her future. From dreaming of being a writer and hosting poetry open mic nights in high school, to self-publishing a memoir, Yolanda has always been driven to express herself, create, and innovate. Listen in as she sheds light on her journey of transitioning from corporate America to full-time entrepreneurship with her husband, Rick, while raising and homeschooling two kids.

“I built my business on the back of corporate America and having that stability... I literally used every lunch break to help build my business so by the end of the day when I got home, there were deliverables and things that I needed to work on from what I built on my lunch break.”-  Yolanda Williams

You’ll gain insight into Yolanda’s creative process for developing business ideas and products, how she and Rick grew their brands and scaled their businesses on their own, and her advice for starting and growing a business while working a full-time job. Plus, she tells the story of how she got her skincare products into Whole Foods, the powerful lessons she learned from that experience, and why she doesn’t want to do wholesale anymore.

“We grow slower trying to go the route that I’m trying to go, but I’m okay with that because we have multiple streams of income and multiple businesses to where I’m not pressed.”-  Yolanda Williams

Connect with Yolanda:

Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/yolandawlms 

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-williams-a49a2525 

Resources Mentioned:

Cream Blends: www.creamblends.com 

Follow Cream Blends on Instagram: www.instagram.com/creamblends 

DISTINCT Life: www.distinctlife.com 

Follow DISTINCT Life on Instagram: www.instagram.com/distinctlife 

Outschool: www.outschool.com 

Kumon: www.kumon.com

About the Host:

Dreena Whitfield has a proven ability to create tangible outcomes that helps clients exceed expectations. Her diverse career has led her to spearhead the communications and marketing efforts for leaders in the nonprofit, corporate and political sectors, as well as small businesses internationally.

With more than a decade of experience, Dreena and the WhitPR team have a proven ability to spot opportunities for our clients to grow their brand recognition in saturated markets that are in alignment with their overall objectives.

The Huffington Post listed Dreena as one of their “Top 25 African American Millennials in PR to Watch.”

Follow Dreena & WhitPR on all the socials:

@Dreenawhitpr & @whitpr

Join The WhitPR Collective: www.whitprcollective.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howigotherewdreenaw.substack.com

Creators and Guests

Host

Dreena Whitfield

Dreena Whitfield-Brown is the Founder and CEO of WhitPR, an integrated strategic communications agency with 15+ years serving clients in the nonprofit, corporate, and political sectors. Recognized as one of PRWeek's 40 Under 40, a PR News Top Woman in PR, and named to Inc.'s 2025 Female Founders 500 List. She created How I Got Here to have the raw, honest conversations about entrepreneurship that nobody has on the record.

Producer

Keena Williams

Keena Williams is the founder of Struxa and the Executive Producer, Writer, and Creative Director of How I Got Here.

What is How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield?

How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield goes beyond the highlight reel with Black women founders, executives, and leaders. Real conversations about the pivots, the setbacks, and the purpose behind the work. From bootstrapping a beauty brand with $500 to leading a professional sports franchise, each episode explores the moments that shaped who they became and the cost of building something meaningful.
For women navigating leadership, business ownership, career reinvention, and the cost of ambition.

New episodes biweekly on Wednesdays.

Host: Dreena Whitfield
Executive Producer, Writer & Creative Director: Keena Williams / Struxa
howigotherewdreenaw.substack.com