Meet Quianna Daniels-Smart, LSW: Speaker, Executive Director, Therapist, Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Quianna Daniels-Smart, LSW and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quianna, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is God. I’ve prayed and dreamed for moments like this, but not to this magnitude. In less than five years things that, I’ve prayed about and worked towards have come to fruition. Marriage, Business owner, building, and creating generational wealth are all things that I knew I wanted for myself. . However, the other roles and responsibility such as non-profit executive and founder, being admitted into a Ph.D. program becoming a Therapist, and creating the life that fits my family, is something only God could have orchestrated. One thing I know to be true is that although he was blessing me in many areas, I had to give him something to bless that was inlined with his will for my life. And so there were plenty of times, where I was told “No” or that I didn’t get accepted into a program, or rewarded for my hard work. But while all that was unfolding I was working towards that which I could not see. One thing I tell people about me is that I’m always willing to learn, willing to serve, and following the path that God has for me. The culmination of these skills is why I’ve been successful not just in my personal life but in my professional life as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I’m the Executive Director for Non-Tradish, Inc, a non-profit organization that supports Black women and women of color who are non-traditional students in post-secondary educational institutions. This organization was created by my sister and I , as we saw a need to support Black women who are considered Adult Learners. Initially, the organization was formed as a Facebook group to start a discussion around issues that impact Black Women students, however with further discussion and the need for more tangible supports, the non-profit was created. Since its inception non-tradsish has raised over $5, 000, hosted several workshops, and has provided funding for 6 women totaling $1,150. Through our fundraising efforts, we’ve been able to increase our scholarship consistently and now our scholarship recipients are eligible for are $500.00. scholarships. We also have non-traditional internship opportunities for students and we are currently hosting three interns for the 2020-2021 semesters. We’ve experienced many challenges being a newer Non-Profit, however, we’ve been able to navigate difficult systems, and gain funders through the work we’ve been doing with students. Recently we were the recipients of the Target Community Engagement grant, which was a tremendous success. This work is not easy, but it is more than rewarding being able to give back tangibly what many non-traditional students have been denied. None of this work can be done without our amazing board members who support all of our efforts. In creating and running a non-profit there are many things that I have had to learn. One is that although your organization is classified as a nonprofit it is still a business. So making sure that my business acumen was in line with what our brand represents as well as learning the importance of having all of our logistic information accounted for was a learning curve. This year we’ve been able to be more intentional with how we operate as an organization and making sure our automation process is functional and working in a way that is optimal for our continued success. One thing I want the world to know about Non-Tradish is that it was created to fill a gap in services and resources as it relates to what is available for non-Traditional students who Identify as Black Women pursuing secondary education, Not only was this organization created for Black women but we are also are led by Black women. We plan to be a sustainable non-profit that can support Black women students worldwide.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So, one of my favorite places to travel is Las Vegas. I’ve been several times and have traveled by myself as well. I love the Bellagio, it is one of my favorite places to stay and eat. I also love the Buffets in Vegas, so honestly, where ever there is Mimosas and Food we are there. I also am a big foodie, so I often try new spots located off the strip to get a real feel for the community.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my family, who without a doubt has been one of the many reasons that my success is even possible. Special S/O to my Husbae for seeing the greatness and supporting me even in those longs nights early mornings.

Website: https://non-tradish.org/. quiannasmart.com

Image Credits
@BusyDeejPhotography