This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with award-winning producer, filmmaker, and breakout actress Kiah Clingman for a powerful conversation about rejection, reinvention, and trusting the long game.
From getting rejected by Howard’s theater program to becoming a Howard alum who quietly built a producing empire… from working a demanding corporate job at Deloitte to quitting two weeks after getting a mortgage… from not booking an acting role for four years to landing a nine-episode arc on Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt — Kiah’s story is a masterclass in resilience, patience, and betting on yourself even when the timeline doesn’t make sense.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered if they waited too long, started too late, or took the “wrong” path. Spoiler: you didn’t.
WHAT WE GET INTO
- Why Kiah almost didn’t submit the audition that changed her life
- The reality of going years without booking work as an actor
- How a hotel-room self tape (trash can + ring light included) landed her Reasonable Doubt
- Being rejected from Howard’s theater program — and why it turned out to be a blessing
- How Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta shaped her identity and confidence
- Working a high-pressure corporate job while producing films at night
- What it really means to be a producer (and why people misunderstand the role)
- Quitting Deloitte two weeks after buying a home — and the fear that followed
- Losing a series regular role after putting it all on the line
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Rejection can be redirection — even when it hurts
- Your “pivot” isn’t failure, it’s strategy
- You don’t need constant wins to be on the right path
- Corporate skills can fund and strengthen creative dreams
- Seeds planted today may not bloom for years — and that’s okay
- Betting on yourself often feels reckless before it feels rewarding
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