From My Desk to Your’s: I Stopped Looking for a Business Partner and Started Building a Village
“Over the span of my career, there’s something I’ve come to understand deeply, not just through my work, but through my roots: Legacy doesn’t start with profit. It starts with people.”
When I first stepped into entrepreneurship, I thought success meant finding the one. That perfect business partner. Someone with the right skills, more capital, or even a bigger following. But what I really needed and what I’ve seen reflected back to me in every chapter of my life was something far more sacred…
“…I needed a Village. Not a transaction. Not a shortcut.”
GiaVonni Rié at an in-person coffee & consultation session.
A village that holds you, believes in you, and helps you carry the weight of building something bigger than yourself.
It didn’t start with branding. It started in Camden, New Jersey, long before I knew what entrepreneurship even meant.
My great-grandmother’s brother, Uncle Frank, opened a restaurant called The B & O not for status or success, but so his sisters could have dignified work. It was his way of making sure the women in his family had a seat at the table literally.
Then there was Uncle Irvin, my grandmother’s brother, owned a brownstone in New York with multiple apartments. Instead of renting them out for profit, he invited his sisters, nieces, and nephews to live there giving them time to save and rebuild until they could branch out on their own.
My Great-Grandparents ran a real estate business together he was a broker, and she was a Realtor. A Black couple building equity and opportunity, side by side. That’s legacy work.
Even my Aunt carried that same energy forward. She bought a brownstone and opened her doors to family including my mother and me. Rent was reasonable. The love was real. And it gave us a foundation to stand on while we figured out our next steps.
These weren’t just homes, jobs, or businesses.
“They were ecosystems of care, strategy, and trust. They were villages.”
GiaVonni Rié reviewing concept sketches, color swatches and inspiration.
The Legacy of Everyday Leaders
Not everyone in my family was a business owner. Some were educators including my grandparents who taught, mentored, and shaped generations without needing a title to prove their leadership.
And others?
They were Mail Carriers, Police Officers, Seamstresses, Politicians, Truck Drivers, Electricians, Analysts, Judges, and Sanitation Workers.
They led in silence. They led by showing up. They kept neighborhoods running, children safe, and dreams alive. They didn’t have logos or LinkedIn pages. But they had legacy in their bones.
“Because leadership isn’t always loud, and impact doesn’t always come with a platform.”
Sometimes it shows up in work boots. Sometimes in a lesson plan. Sometimes in the quiet way someone says: “I’ve got you, until you’ve got yourself.” That’s what shaped me. That’s the heartbeat of Greenwood Heritage Creative Group.
Why It Matters for Your Brand?
I created GWHCG, not to chase clients or compete for attention. It was to carry forward what I had seen my whole life:
A model of business that centers people first and lets the profit follow purpose. The brands we build here aren’t just about looking good. They’re about being aligned, being rooted, and being seen.
We focus on:
Brand Strategy
Identity Systems
Website Design
Storytelling & Messaging
Advisory & Consulting Support
“Not to help you “just look the part,” but to help you step fully into who you are. Because you don’t need just a logo. You need a legacy.”
If you’ve been searching for a business partner to “complete the puzzle,” I see you. I’ve been you. But let me offer this:
“A business partner might help you scale. A village will help you sustain.”
And here? I’m all about sustainable, soul-centered growth.
So, if you’re launching, rebranding, or refining this isn’t just about creative services. It’s about a creative partnership. If you’re building something with heart, but you're tired of trying to figure it all out alone, Welcome. I built this for you.
At GWHCG, we co-create with founders, creatives, and community builders who believe in designing for the long term. For the legacy. For what really matters. This is my village and if it feels aligned I’d be honored to welcome you in.
With love and light,
GiaVonni Rié
Creative Director & Founder
Greenwood Heritage Creative Group
@gwh.creative.grp | www.gwhcg.com