40 Under 40: Where Are They Now? Tatiana Grant, President, Infused PR & Events and Co-Owner, Flash Delivery

Tatiana Grant has not missed a beat since being recognized as a Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 honoree in 2011. Even if her name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve probably seen her work with her having  accomplishments in sports and event management, corporate event and media planning, and several metro Detroit initiatives including: Belle Isle Conservancy, Michigan Diversity Council, Cornerstone Schools and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Grant began her career in communications/public relations for  Palace Sports and Entertainment in Auburn Hills. Through her due diligence and hard work, this stepping stone led to a career that she now calls her own. In 2009, Grant put her born-given entrepreneurial spirit to work and established her own company, Infused PR—a metro Detroit public/media relations and event planning company that provides unconventional, strategic, budget-conscience and stress-free public relations services to corporations, individuals, non-profit organizations, and small businesses.
In 2013 Grant embarked on her second business venture, co-founding Flash Delivery, a restaurant delivery service that delivers meals to downtown Detroit high-rise tenants. Today Grant’s schedule is compiled of meetings, speaking engagements, events, board member involvements, and making free time for family and friends. In a more casual setting we sat down with Tatiana to discuss her journey, success, and her future enterprises.
MC: It seems you have not slowed down since being recognized as a Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 honoree. Now with two businesses under your belt, tell us about Infused PR and Flash Delivery. How did they come about?
Grant: Infused PR & Events is my first entrepreneurial adventure, and it really happened by accident. I was working at the Palace of Auburn Hills doing PR for the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Shock but had an idea to start a personal concierge company that focused on planning anniversaries, proposals, and dates. I told my parents about my idea, they completely supported me and told me to quit my job during a time when the economy was absolutely the worst. I decided to go for it. I left the Palace and six months after, I was receiving calls from former colleagues and acquaintances seeking help with events, and press releases.
From there, it just so happened that NFL player Braylon Edwards’ mom needed an event planner. I met with her and she was very impressed. In a matter of months I was busy doing freelance work on various projects, all while obtaining my master’s degree in public relations from Michigan State.
I will never forget the time that really changed my business. A reporter called me for a tour around the city of Detroit. I was headed to London the next evening but agreed to show him around anyway. By the time we were done, he’d decided to do the story on me. I headed to London excited about the honor but when I returned home, things got even better.  I met again with Braylon Edward’s mom and out of nowhere, she informed me that she was so impressed with my work that she’d let his publicist go and wanted me to be his publicist as well as his event planner. I thought, man this is real money, so I decided to put my concierge service on the back burner and focus my attention on my PR business.
Not long after, I woke up one morning to emails from people saying how proud they were of me. I had no idea what they were talking about at the time but soon learned that the reporter I’d guided around the city had published his story about me via CNN as part of a series being done by the network and Time Magazine on young professionals in the city.  From there, I went full force with Infused PR.
Flash Delivery started from an idea that came about when visiting a friend in the city. It was freezing outside this particular night so we didn’t want to go out for food but no one delivered. Suddenly, a light bulb clicked. I told myself I needed to start a food delivery company. I started doing my research and contacting other people in the business, I also enrolled in D-Hive— a business program that provides inspired entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, resources, and support network in Detroit. Infused PR was God-given I believe but with this business, I needed a business plan.
MC: Why do you feel you have been so successful? What are some words of advice you would give other young professionals aspiring to become like you?  
Grant: I am a planner by trait. After my freshman year of college, I plannned out my schedule so I could graduate in three years. I am very big on seeing where you want to be, figuring out little by little what it takes to get there, and planning. Through the process of planning, so many things fall in place that you can’t even think about. The biggest thing is to plan things out and be deliberate when you are doing things, even if it’s an unpaid project.
When I was in college, I interned with top automotive companies, realizing I didn’t want to work in automotive. I then went to Fox 2 and had an amazing summer there but realized I didn’t want to be on-air or be a producer but I liked the community side of things. From there, I moved to New York and worked for Court TV, came back home and worked for the Super Bowl Planning Committee. I continued to work for top corporations and began building my network. I received my job at the Palace through one of my networks. Make sure you’re meeting the right people, presenting yourself in the correct manner, hustle and grind. I know some of the accounts I am blessed with today are because some of the relationships I have with people that know I am going to work my butt off.
MC: What does it take to own your own business?
Grant: Discipline. I am very disciplined with my to-do list. Every morning the first thing I do is meditate and pray, go through my to-do list and dedicate a specific amount of time for each business. In addition to my clients, I am working on starting two new companies. On Fridays, I take a lot of time doing research on my companies. I am strictly regimented. You have to be aggressive, nothing is just going to fall in your lap. Know your strengths, be lean, have as many contracts as you can, be frugal, and make sure you’re doing the right work to build your reputation. One important factor is to be very genuine with people.
MC: Being Michigan Chronicle’s first class of  40 under 40 . Now in our 4th year young professionals are still successful and thriving in their field. What do you think this mean for the future of Detroit?
Grant: Detroit is definitely a work in  progress and undergoing a lot of revitalization. There is nowhere to go but up from here. Everyone I know in their industry have gradually been growing and getting better, I think 40 under 40 mirrors that as well.
MC: With Detroit on the rise, what is the one thing you can say about the people of the City of Detroit?
Grant: The one thing I will say, no matter what race, I love my people. Detroit people are like no other. There is a weird flavor that you will get about being a Detroiter, you have a little bit of crunch on your shoulder, and you have the attitude, “you can’t mess with me.” We have an edge, and slightly competitive nature, with a hustler mentality rather it is our everyday career or being an entrepreneur.
MC: Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your younger self?
Grant: I would tell my younger self to save more money.

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