Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalilah Jones.
Khalilah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
If there’s one thing that’s been consistent in my story, it’s this: I’ve always been drawn to spaces where people are becoming.
I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, growing up at the intersection of leadership and creativity. Entrepreneurship magnet programs, career leadership development, violin lessons, dance studios. Ballet, jazz, modern, a dance troupe. Structure met self-expression early, and they’ve been in conversation ever since.
I carried that same duality into my education, earning my BBA in Human Resource Management and my MBA in Marketing, graduating with honors. Excellence wasn’t about perfection. It was about preparation. In 2005, I married my husband Chris, an Airman, and military life refined another core skill: adaptability. Bloom where you’re planted. Build where you land. Leave people better than you found them.
My entrepreneurial path didn’t begin with a grand announcement. It started quietly, backstage, while dancing. I began wardrobe styling because I saw how clothing could shift posture, confidence, and self-belief in real time. Style became a tool, not for vanity, but for visibility. For women learning to take up space. For people realizing they deserved to be seen.
That instinct led me to blogging before blogging had rules. “Dolled Up For The Day” and “Khalilah’s Kloset” were early love letters to identity, confidence, and showing up as yourself. I learned the industry by immersion. Volunteering at fashion weeks. Networking. Becoming licensed through Urban Darling after moving to Las Vegas. Learning by doing. Always doing.
But no matter the city or the season, my true north stayed the same: empowering women, strengthening families, and creating pathways for minority businesses to thrive.
I joined civic and service organizations everywhere we lived. I took grant writing classes. Planned teen forums in Ohio. When we landed in Virginia, the work deepened. I became a chartering member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Area, a board member of the Greene Chamber of Commerce, and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated through the Eta Phi Omega chapter, chairing Public Relations and leading the Uplift Our Local Community initiative. Advocacy with aesthetics. Strategy with soul.
Those thru-lines converged in co-founding Soul of Cville and in my role planning the Best In Black Cville Awards, where celebration is intentional and excellence is centered. My goal is always the same: create spaces where women feel affirmed, families feel connected, and Black and minority-owned businesses feel supported, spotlighted, and sustained.
I’ve built all of this while being a wife, a mother, a business owner, and a community organizer, often wearing multiple hats and occasionally adjusting a crown mid-stride.
I don’t wait for anyone to polish it.
I polish my crown with sweat.
My journey hasn’t been linear, but it’s been aligned. Every chapter, every pivot, every room has reinforced the mission. Empower people. Build community. Make it beautiful. Make it matter.
And I’m still building. Crown steady. Hands busy. Purpose clear.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Short answer? No.
Long answer? Still no, but with details.
This road has been meaningful, purpose-filled, and deeply rewarding, but smooth would be a generous rewrite. When I moved thousands of miles away from my family, I did it without the safety net so many people quietly rely on. No built-in babysitter. No nearby auntie to tap in. Just me, my husband, and a whole lot of faith. My husband’s comedy career requires him to travel often, so there were many seasons where I was holding down the household, the business, and my own well-being simultaneously. It stretched me in ways I don’t think people talk about enough.
Starting and running a business in a brand-new territory where you don’t know anyone is humbling. There’s no “my cousin knows a guy” shortcut. Add limited funding to that equation, and you learn quickly how to be resourceful, strategic, and sometimes downright scrappy. I’ve built rooms before I was fully invited into them. I’ve funded ideas with vision and grit when dollars were light. And I’ve learned how to advocate for myself even when my voice shook.
Then there’s the part people don’t always want to name. I’ve had to confront antiquated thinking, subtle racism that smiles in your face, and blatant racism that doesn’t bother with pleasantries. Being a Black woman entrepreneur means navigating spaces where you’re often underestimated, overexplained to, or expected to be grateful just to be present. I had to learn how to stand firm, set boundaries, and keep my integrity intact without shrinking or hardening.
My body also forced me to slow down. I have experienced several miscarriages since moving to Virginia. I lived with years of chronic pain before undergoing a bilateral knee replacement at 45. Imagine trying to build, lead, and show up consistently while managing pain that doesn’t clock out. Healing taught me patience. It taught me that rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement.
And then, of course, the pandemic arrived and flipped the table on everyone. Plans paused. Revenue shifted. Community work had to be reimagined in real time. Like so many small business owners, I had to pivot without losing the heart of what I was building.
So no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. But it’s been an honest one. Every challenge sharpened my resilience and clarified my purpose. I didn’t come this far by avoiding hard things. I came this far by meeting them head-on, learning the lesson, and continuing forward with grace, grit, and an unshakable belief in why I started in the first place.
And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: the struggle didn’t stop the story. It shaped it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m going to be honest, because honesty is part of the brand.
I still work a 9 to 5. I’m in social services, and I genuinely find the work rewarding. Quiet as it’s kept, my 9 to 5 sometimes feels like a break from the community work, which usually gets a laugh but it’s the truth. Both worlds matter to me. One keeps me grounded in service. The other lets me build, create, and dream out loud.
Outside of my day job, I’m a community organizer, brand architect, and image consultant. I organize large-scale, culturally focused events that center people, purpose, and presence. I produce and provide creative direction for fashion shows and intentionally curated experiences that don’t just look good but *feel* good. My work lives at the intersection of aesthetics and impact. I care deeply about how things look, but even more about how they move people.
At my core, I’m a social innovator with a strong focus on community empowerment. I don’t just talk strategy. I show up. I’m a boots-on-the-ground leader who believes consistency is more powerful than charisma. I believe real change comes from staying power, from being present when the cameras are gone, and from doing the work even when no one is handing you a microphone.
Over the years, I’ve been honored with awards like Phenomenal Woman of the Year, the Minority Business Alliance Vanguard Award, Philanthropy Champion, Social Innovator, and the Building Our Economic Wealth Award. I’m grateful for every recognition, but awards aren’t what keep me going.
What I’m most proud of is being an example of consistency and excellence for my son. I want him to see what it looks like to commit to something bigger than yourself, to serve your community with integrity, and to build with intention even when the road isn’t easy. I want him to understand that success isn’t just about titles or trophies, it’s about how you show up, how you treat people, and how you use your gifts.
What sets me apart is that I don’t separate the work from the people. I lead with heart, strategy, and accountability. I stay rooted in service while building beautiful, functional platforms for others to thrive. And I don’t disappear once the spotlight moves. I stay. I build. I pour in.
That’s the work. That’s the calling. And I’m proud of it.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is alignment. When what I believe, what I’m building, and how I’m living are all in conversation with each other, that’s joy for me.
I’m happiest when I’m creating spaces where people feel seen. Watching a woman stand a little taller because she finally recognizes her worth. Seeing a minority-owned business get real visibility, not charity claps but real support. Feeling the energy in a room when community gathers with intention. Those moments fill me up because they remind me why I do this work.
I’m also deeply happy in the quiet, ordinary moments. Time with my husband and my son. Sitting in a room with no agenda and no production schedule. Laughing until my stomach hurts. Those moments ground me. They remind me that I’m more than my output and that rest isn’t a reward, it’s a requirement.
Movement brings me joy in a very real way. Dancing, especially, always brings me back to myself. It’s freedom, release, and celebration all wrapped into one. Working out makes me feel strong, capable, and present in my body, which I don’t take lightly after years of chronic pain. Feeling my body move without restriction still feels like a quiet miracle.
And listen… an amazing outfit absolutely makes me happy. There’s something about getting dressed with intention that shifts my entire mood. When my clothes align with how I feel inside, I walk differently. I speak differently. I take up space on purpose.
Food is joy too. A delicious, thoughtfully prepared meal, followed by a decadent dessert, is one of my love languages. It’s nourishment, pleasure, and pause all in one. It’s a reminder to savor what you’ve worked for and to enjoy the moment you’re in.
I’m happy in the work, even when it’s hard. I love building from vision and watching it take shape. I love consistency. I love progress you can feel, even when it doesn’t make headlines. I love knowing I stayed when things got uncomfortable and didn’t abandon the assignment.
And I’m especially happy knowing my son is watching. Not in a performative way, but in a legacy way. I want him to see what it looks like to live with purpose, to care deeply, to lead with integrity, and to keep going even when it would be easier to stop.
Happiness for me isn’t constant excitement or perfect balance. It’s purpose. It’s presence. It’s progress. It’s movement, beauty, good food, and deep connection. It’s a life that looks like my values and feels like home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chicandclassyimage.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicAndClassy
