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In this episode of How I Got Here, Dreena welcomes Dawn Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of The Nourish Spot Inc., a juice, smoothie, and salad bar that she started with her two children after leaving a 35+ year career in public relations and marketing. Dawn speaks on the importance of building and nurturing meaningful relationships throughout your career, the unforgettable people that influenced her life the most, and how she recently pivoted towards entrepreneurship in the health industry.
Dawn shares the fascinating reason behind why she initially wanted to become an attorney, as well as what led her to pursue African American studies in college. She talks about the Myers-Briggs test that inspired her to learn about PR and land a job in the field with very little experience, as well as how Ofield Dukes, the first black man to ever work as a publicist in the White House, became her mentor.
“If you believe you are worth more, you have to hold onto that and you have to be courageous enough to ask for what you think you’re worth. All they can say is no, but guess what… they might say yes… and that started my nearly 16-year career with Prudential Financial.”
- Dawn Kelly
She details the benefits of bringing her family while traveling for work, noting the loneliness that can come with being a black corporate executive, along with the eye-opening lessons she learned from the people of Japan. Stay tuned to hear about the most fun, emotional, and ground-breaking moments from her career at Prudential Financial and why she attributes her momentum and success to her drive, perseverance, faith.
Resources Mentioned:
The National Association of Black Journalists
National Black Public Relations Society
New York Association of Black Journalists
Public Relations Society of America
Connect with Dawn and The Nourish Spot Inc.:
Visit The Nourish Spot Inc. at 107-05 Guy R Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11433
Give them a call: (718) 526-2099
Follow them on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thenourishspot
Connect with them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theNourishspot
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.
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