an awards ceremony. Fast forward seven months later, we put some legs on this and began to build out the tour and what it would look like. As I was going through the process I started reflecting on my own situation as a young girl growing up in Baltimore. I did a lot of stuff people would call “glamorous” at a very young age: print work, modeling, and all kinds of stuff. It was great but I was very insecure as a young girl. As we were building out this tour, I reflected on my mother and the mentors in my career that helped me to get over those insecurities and mental “garbage” that was wallowing in. So all of that helped to bring the BIBO Tour together into what it is now.
James Johnson: In what ways has being able to do these things with the organization to help women actually helped you? I would think that it has to be therapeutic in some sense?
Traci S. Campbell: Absolutely, it has helped me by reaffirming my own confidence. We all like to think we’re strong and tough, but only when you’re challenged do you know where you are on that gauge of confidence. In creating this tour, all the work, and all the trials and tribulations, it has made me up my game. It has made me aware of some things I still had to work on, and am still working on. It has brought me to the entertainment industry. We’re dealing with professionals, and individuals, and it’s an industry I was not very knowledgeable about until recent years. That’s a challenge. This tour has challenged me personally, professionally, emotionally, mentally, and I welcome it.
James Johnson: You’ve done very well with it. It’s two years in the making, and this time you had Meelah Williams involved. I thought she was a perfect choice. How do you go about selecting the people who are involved?
Traci S. Campbell: It is truly a team effort. I have been blessed. I always joke with people and say I must be living right, because I have really come across some incredible people who are a part of our BIBO Tour team. Meelah came to us directly from Brandon Adams of Amirakal Marketing and I cannot brag on Brandon enough. He’s an awesome team member. Through his efforts, he brought Meelah to us and I’m so glad. She’s a wonderful person and very down to earth. We hit it off right away. I am so excited for her developing P.R.O.U.D., which is an organization that will bring more awareness to the autism. Hearing her story and testimony of living the glamorous and glitzy life, but really her calling is with the fight against autism because of her son. It was great seeing her on stage last week accepting her award for the work she has done.
James Johnson: I just think she was a perfect fit and choice to represent. She does a lot in a classy way already, but the idea that she is giving back to single moms through her organization is great. I feel the same way as you regarding Brandon as well. He brought her to me in the same way. I followed her for so long, but he put it all together. You have a great team behind you. What is your vision moving forward?
Traci S. Campbell: We have quite a few things in the works. Obviously, we want to continue to bring the tour to other cities in the U.S. and abroad. We have had preliminary conversations. We are still in the infant stage, if you will, of how we can bring this tour to some areas overseas that are taking an interest and are curious. We will be bringing it to at least one other city in the U.S. in 2015. We will also be launching an online BIBO training portal. I’m very big on education, and it is something I’m passionate about. We’ll combine education with things specific to women in a fashion and form to which they can relate and digest. They can easily get to interact with professionals in a way that would otherwise cost them a lot of money. We have some great folks who will be a part of our online BIBO project. We have some other things in the works as well.
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