Imaine Molo is the definition of a Black woman boss and business owner. Molo manages Alexis Skyy and she owns a booking company and clothing store (BookedByMolo and Eradik Boutique). She’s also the creative director and head of promotions for Yo Gotti’s imprint, CMG The Label, which houses artists such as Blac Youngsta, and MoneyBagg Yo. Finally, she’s cast videos for Migos, Travis Scott and Gucci Mane.
Imanie Molo was candid in our conversation about her contributions to the game. Read more about her story below.
What were some hardships you experienced before your big break?
For starters, my mom died when I was 12 years old. I was living in L.A. and I was in an abusive relationship a few years ago. When we got kicked out of our apartment, I didn’t have a support system to lean on, so I ended up homeless, sleeping in a U-Haul truck while trying to figure out my next step. From there, I moved to Houston.
When I moved to Houston, I got into another abusive relationship. At the time, I was a door-girl, so I was making $100 a day. Due to my relationship, I got in trouble with the law, so I had to give my money to a lawyer to stay out of jail. When I left him, I told myself I’m never going broke or getting into another situation like that again. From there, I saved my money for the next five years. When I got to my first $40K, I opened my first store, Eradik Boutique.
What did your first experience with entertainment and management look like?
My first client was Jhonni Blaze. She’s the one that introduced me to entertainment and management. I was working at a smoke shop and when she arrived, she told me that she has all these emails and bookings, but she didn’t know what to do with them. At that point, I started managing her full-time. Me and Jhonni were very successful as a team, which is another way I saved my money. After Jhonni, I started working with Lira Galore, and now I manage Alexis Skyy.
I’ve been knowing Alexis Skyy since she was 18 years old. I saw her walking in the mall, and I told her to give me six months, and I’ll have your brand image complete. Alexis built herself up from the bottom in her own way, as well.
You’re the creative director and head of promotions of CMG The Label, which was spearheaded by Yo Gotti and features artists like Blac Youngsta, Moneybagg Yo, and others. How did you get involved with CMG?
In 2017, I attended Moneybagg Yo’s birthday party in Memphis and I spoke with Yo Gotti. B. Mimms, who is Blac Youngsta’s manager, said he saw me before. He saw that Black Youngsta spoke highly of me, and Gotti brought me on board to work with CMG. He wanted me to handle the promotional aspects of I Still Am, and since then, we’ve been working non-stop. Along with Gotti, I’ve handled the casting for all Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta’s videos, too. I love working with CMG. Gotti is a teacher, more than anything. He wants everyone to succeed and I’ve learned a lot from my time at CMG.
As the owner of two thriving businesses in Houston, BookedByMolo (booking company) and Eradik Boutique (clothing company), how do you feel about being a Black woman business owner?
It’s a blessing. It motivates me to want to continue purchasing more properties around the country. I want to expand my Eradik Boutique stores to Atlanta and L.A. That’s my motivation when I wake up every day. Being a Black business owner has its ups and downs, but you must be strong regardless. [There are] times where I’m out of town, and I forget to pay the light bill at my store because I’m so busy, but as an owner, it must get done. It’s also important for me to have a solid team around me always. If I didn’t have a solid team around me, this ship wouldn’t sail at all.
