Antoine Tate is the definition of a digital entrepreneur, but his career didn’t start that way. In this Career Connections feature, we find out how our new Director of Writing Coaches evolved from an Alumni Leader to a Digital Creator and how his time as a Peer Leader set him up for success.
Before we get into your work as a digital creator, let’s discuss your College Summit/PeerForward journey. Tell us about your workshop. What roles really defined your time as an alum of the program?
Becoming a Director of Writing Coaching (DWC) is a full circle moment for me. Everything started with my writing session. It changed my whole life. When I was a Peer Leader at the Howard University Workshop in 2007, I didn’t even want to be there because I had no intention of going to college. But that one Workshop changed my life. That one Workshop led to my personal statement about black male stereotypes and how I refused to be a black male stereotype. It led to the New York Times. It led to the front cover of the New York Times. It led to a full ride scholarship to whatever college I chose to attend. For me to come all the way, going from being a Peer Leader to an Alumni, to a Peer Leader Coordinator, to a certified RAP Director, AKA a Certified Coach, to being a Writing Coach, to now being a DWC, it’s full Circle baby!
You call yourself a digital creator. Why use that title when describing your work?
A lot of us are focused on labels in this digital space. Many of my peers consider themselves content creators. I like to call myself a digital creator because I do more than just create content on social media. I write for people, copyright for people, I do graphic design, I build websites, I do analytics, I write strategy, and more.
How did you get your start in the digital creation space?
I got into it during the pandemic because people saw what I was doing for myself on social media, and they started hiring me to do that for their businesses. That made me think “yo, why am I not going hard with this?” So, I created my own company called ATsWorld Media. Fast forward the past four years, that’s how I’ve been making my own income.
The thing is, I’ve been so busy worrying about other people and helping them that I stopped helping myself. I found myself working for everybody else and forgetting about my goals. All those ideas that I had kept piling up and collecting dust. I felt like I was I was moving far away from my own achievements. That’s when I created something called “Finesse First, Figure it out Later.”
What are your proudest accomplishments?
I was a finalist for the Create the Writer’s Room, an incubator for TV and film writers. Later, I joined the 2022 Class of Black Boy Writes, which is a fellowship dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Even as I sharpened my skills through those experiences, I always brought them back to PeerForward – whether as a volunteer Writing Coach or as the Communications Chair of the National Alumni Council. When PeerForward was selected as the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Nonprofit of the Year in 2024, I was so proud to be there to accept the award. All of us give something to make PeerForward great; to see that others acknowledge that greatness was beautiful.
“Finesse First, Figure it out Later” is one of your latest endeavors. Can you tell us more about it?
Finesse First, Figure it out Later is an e-book inspired by my entire journey of getting back to myself. It shows the steps I took to get out of my head and actually put the pen to the paper and go for it. I’m proud to have created this tool that everyone can use, especially if you’re someone who’s mentally stuck the same way I was. With this e-book, you get a simple step by step on how to get out of your mind and learn how to finesse. Also, let’s be clear, finesse does not mean scam, okay? It is not scamming anybody! It’s about using the tools and resources at your disposal to help you get your idea off the ground. My book gives you a step-by-step guide on how to actually do it.
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
