There’s nothing like being extraordinary
Source: Trey Norwood/Finish First
Tequila Herradura celebrated its second-annual class of Extraordinary People who push boundaries while making an impact in the worlds of fashion, food, music, and art.
Source: Trey Norwood/Finish First
This year’s honorees include famed photographer Cam Kirk, creative visual artist Travis Love, otherworldly creative director/set designer Marina Skye, master mixologist Matthew Riggs, chefluencer Christan Willis, and crowd-rocking DJ Stormy who basked in good vibes at a lavish rooftop soirée in Atlanta.
We caught up with the creative trailblazers who opened up about being extraordinary and how they stay inspired in our interview you can enjoy below:
BOSSIP: Tequila Herradura’s 2023 Class of Extraordinary People! How does that feel?
Cam Kirk: It feels great to be seen–a lot of the work that we do is behind the scenes, under the radar–so to be recognized on such a large scale is very important and means a lot to me.’
Christan Willis: ‘I’m from the city so it’s heartfelt, it feels great. I’m very humbled, grateful, and excited to be among everybody else here today. We’ve all had a journey and it’s taken time, dedication–the blood, sweat, and tears that no one gets to see. It feels great to showcase that tonight.’
DJ Stormy: ‘It feels so great to be apart of this Herradura Extraordinary person experience because there are no others doing it for the creatives. And when I say that, I feel so special. So, this feels so great to be recognized.’
Marina Skye: ‘I’m originally from Los Angeles but I went to Clark Atlanta, an HBCU, and I’m very thankful for this opportunity. Atlanta has such a beautiful creative scene so to be able to be recognized in a sea of amazing people, it’s a big deal, it’s high praise. I’m very thankful.’
Travis Love: ‘It feels great to be honored and actually recognized for our work here and globally. It’s a great experience, feels good!’
Matthew Riggs: ‘I feel very honored to be an Extraordinary Person, especially being from the city ,and being around all these other people who are top-tier in their lanes and crafts. It feels really special.’
BOSSIP: What keeps you inspired?
DJ Stormy: ‘To keep myself inspired I always do a self-check. I need to look at everything I’m doing. Am I doing it boldly? Whether I’m on stage with 25,000 people or whatever I’m doing, I have to be doing it boldly and then I have to be going against the grain.
‘So I want to be different. Is this the next step? Is this the next job? Is this the next gig? Is this the next contract? Is this something that is going to be different that I can stand out and use it as leverage to continue inspiring myself and others.’
Marina Skye: ‘I think what inspires me the most is being able to bring the experiences from other places back to the city and use that as inspiration for myself to showcase but also use that for people who look up to me as a creative, as a set designer, letting them know that because you started here doesn’t mean that you have to stay here.
You can expand your business and bring that creativity back home with you.’
Travis Love: ‘Not only people inspire me the most but also fear–things that scare me, you know, like being up on a 80-foot crane or something. I’m like, ‘I’ve never been up that high’ and then I can’t sleep all these nights, you know what I mean? Or things completely out of my element so it’s that level of unpredictable in my industry and you never know where it’s going to take you. That inspires me.’
Cam Kirk: For me, it’s seeing the impact on my work. It’s seeing how it impacts younger generations and those who look up to me–hearing those kind words walking down the street and being recognized by someone who says ‘your work changed my life.’ That drives me, keeps me going, because I know what I’m doing is bigger than just me.’
Matthew Riggs: It’s being able to put money in other people’s pockets that keeps me going because we’re all entrepreneurs–we’re in it for the business. So, to have a staff of over 20 people looking to me to get paid and I can do that consistently. That’s what makes my heart smile.’
Christan Willis: ‘My mom is an immigrant who came to the U.S. when she was 19 so I already have big shoes to fill. But seeking that clarity whether that it is anything with travel, meeting different cultures, experiencing food the way that the culture embraces it but really getting know other people’s stories and taking that and recreating that. That’s where I find my creativity.’
