I Am My Brand: My Conversation with DELEQÚA on H.O.P. The Series

Some interviews feel like interviews. Others feel like two sisters sitting down, talking business, life, womanhood, and everything in between. My conversation with DELEQÚA on H.O.P. The Series was definitely the second one.

What made this episode special for me was that DELEQÚA isn't somebody I just met for the show. This is my girl. I've known her for years, supported her artistry, watched her evolve, and been a fan as well as a friend. But what surprised me was how much I learned about her during this interview. I told the audience straight up that I had never asked her many of these questions before. We had spent years simply supporting each other without sitting down and really unpacking the business behind what she does.

And that's exactly why this conversation belonged on H.O.P. The Series.

H.O.P. was created to inspire aspiring female entrepreneurs through storytelling, courage, perseverance, and real-life experiences. This episode brought all of those pieces together while also showing something I believe strongly: H.O.P. is a space for every woman. I was especially proud to welcome a woman of trans experience to the platform and allow our audience to hear DELEQÚA's story in her own voice.

THE ARTIST HAS TO BECOME THE ENTREPRENEUR

One of my biggest takeaways came when we started talking about the difference between making music and actually running a music business.

DELEQÚA has been releasing music for years, but she shared that it was really within the last year that she fully began putting on her entrepreneurial hat. She started learning more about royalties, ownership, paperwork, distribution, collaborations, and all those business details that most people never see when they press play on a song.

That part hit me because entrepreneurs in every industry can relate to it.

You can be talented. You can have a great product. You can have people watching you. You can even be making money. But if the business behind your talent isn't structured correctly, you could still be leaving opportunities and money sitting on the table.

DELEQÚA talked about having to revisit older music because paperwork wasn't handled properly when the songs were originally created. She made it clear that releasing music isn't simply recording a song, putting it online, and calling yourself an artist. There is an entire business happening behind that microphone.

And then she dropped one of the biggest business gems of the night: get your paperwork right.

She shared that music can potentially be placed in television and film and discussed receiving payment after having a placement on a Hulu show. That conversation showed aspiring artists that the opportunity isn't only in becoming the next huge mainstream superstar. Your creativity can become intellectual property that continues creating opportunities when you understand how to properly handle the business attached to it.

As Peach CEO, that's the kind of conversation I want entrepreneurs to hear.

Your gift may get people's attention, but your business knowledge helps you protect the gift.

I AM A WOMAN. YOU ARE A WOMAN. NOW LET'S BUILD.

Then the conversation moved into something deeper: sisterhood.

I asked DELEQÚA whether being a trans woman sometimes caused people to focus on her identity before allowing themselves to experience her artistry. She was very clear that she is open about being a woman of trans experience and doesn't have a problem acknowledging that part of herself.

But the moment that stayed with me came later.

I wanted our conversation to demonstrate something simple that somehow gets made complicated: women with different experiences can still pour into one another.

I can give DELEQÚA advice. DELEQÚA can give me advice. We don't have to have identical journeys to respect each other's womanhood, learn from one another, support each other's businesses, and help each other grow.

DELEQÚA summed it up perfectly during our conversation:

“It's not a competition.”

THAT PART.

Sisterhood isn't supposed to require sameness. There is power in having women around you who have walked roads you haven't walked, experienced things you haven't experienced, and see the world through a different lens. That's how we learn. That's how we expand. That's how we become better women and better leaders.

WOMEN NEED WOMEN IN THEIR CORNER

When we talked about navigating the music industry as women, DELEQÚA brought up the importance of having accountability partners and women who genuinely support one another.

That applies far beyond music.

Entrepreneurship can be lonely when you're trying to carry everything yourself. Sometimes you need another woman who will encourage you. Sometimes you need one who will correct you. Sometimes you need somebody who understands the room you're walking into and can tell you what to look out for.

That isn't competition. That's community. That's one of the reasons House of Peach exists.

BUILD THE TEAM

Another CEO lesson from our conversation was the importance of building a team.

DELEQÚA talked about previously having a full team supporting her career and how much easier that made things. She is now working toward rebuilding that infrastructure because trying to handle everything alone simply isn't realistic.

She also emphasized that your team can't just be people with impressive titles. They have to be committed to the vision.

That's something every entrepreneur needs to hear.

Everybody who can sit at your table doesn't belong at your table. Your brand needs people who understand the assignment, believe in what you're building, respect your standards, and are willing to work toward the bigger vision.

CONFIDENCE IS BUILT THROUGH THE JOURNEY

Our conversation also went beyond business.

DELEQÚA spoke about embracing her journey, learning from mistakes, remaining open to growth, and understanding that nobody reaches an age where there is nothing left to learn.

That was powerful to me because entrepreneurship will humble you.

Sometimes the lesson comes through success. Sometimes it comes through a mistake. Sometimes it comes through losing money, choosing the wrong person, doing the paperwork incorrectly, or realizing you should have handled something differently years ago.

The question isn't whether you're going to make mistakes.

The question is: What are you going to learn from them?

Growth requires being teachable.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR DELEQÚA?

And baby, DELEQÚA isn't finished.

She shared that she has music written and projects that still need to be recorded, while also expressing interest in doing more acting. She wants her next musical moves to feel authentic rather than simply releasing something because people expect another record.

She also discussed celebrating the tenth anniversary of LYL, with plans surrounding new versions created with producers from around the world.

But I had one more announcement that made this episode especially important for the future of House of Peach.

DELEQÚA said YES to joining the House of Peach board.

I asked her to bring her voice, creativity, perspective, and lived experience to H.O.P. as we continue making sure this organization represents women from different walks of life. During the show, I officially announced that she accepted.

For me, that's bigger than adding another name to a board.

It's about intentionally building the kind of sisterhood we talk about.

“I AM MY BRAND BECAUSE…”

I ended the interview by asking DELEQÚA to finish one sentence:

“I am my brand because…”

Her answer was simple:

“Because my brand is me.”

She went on to connect a person's brand with who they are and the legacy they leave behind.

And as Peach CEO, I couldn't think of a better way to close this conversation.

Your logo isn't your entire brand.

Your social media isn't your entire brand.

Your website isn't your entire brand.

YOU are the brand.

It's your story. Your reputation. Your work ethic. Your values. Your mistakes. Your evolution. Your relationships. Your creativity. Your resilience. Your voice. And ultimately, your legacy.

That's what I walked away thinking about after this episode.

DELEQÚA and I are two women with different journeys, different experiences, different gifts, and different stories. But when we sat at the same table, none of those differences prevented us from talking business, exchanging wisdom, laughing, learning from each other, and celebrating one another.

That's sisterhood. That's entrepreneurship. That's H.O.P.

And that's why I will continue creating spaces where women don't have to shrink who they are to have a seat at the table.

Sometimes we don't need another seat.

We need to build a bigger table.

Peirrce “Peach” Mccoy

Peach CEO | Founder, House of Peach Inc. | CEO, Peach Ent Media Group