We had the good fortune of connecting with Diamond Holts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diamond, why did you pursue a creative career?
Thank you for having me in front of the readers again. I do podcasting and I say this is a creative career because you can create a unique concept, you can make it personal, and have your own story structure. I pursued podcasting because of the idea of being able to not only put content out there but also being able to express my opinions about certain topics. This can gain the attention of others and have them relate in a way of them taking something from what I’m saying and being able to apply it to their lives or others. Having a creative career in podcasting is something that has helped me in a sense of being able to just be myself and help me grow into my own person. It allows me to speak to someone personally and have them connect with me and understand me in an entirely new way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As far as my work and my career, starting with my career I was a student at Glendale Community College, but I had the privilege of graduating and gaining my associate’s in criminal justice. Now I am a student at the University of Phoenix, AZ gaining my bachelor’s degree in corrections. I’m coming to the end of my college career wondering what step to take next and what to focus on. Law school is a step, an internship is a step, and so is just stepping into the field of criminal justice is a step. I can either take one step which is considered a baby step or take all the steps and just multitask, so I’m able to gain more skills and knowledge while doing what I love, in the field that I love.  When it comes to my work and what I’m focusing on now while I’m in school finishing up is podcasting. I’m a podcaster for a podcast called Unarmed and Harmed and this podcast is available on most podcast sites like Apple, Google, Spotify, and many more. This podcast is all things African American and the criminal justice system. I decided to go into this route of doing a podcast because I wanted to not only expand my knowledge but be able to have others relate in a way that is personal to them and connect to what I’m saying in an entirely new way. I also decided to start another podcast that will be coming soon on platforms called Crave Yourself. Crave Yourself is going to be a podcast about everything that I have been through and topics that not only me but my listeners can connect deeper on like friendships, social media, speaking from my experience that some of them can relate to, and so much more. I started thinking about podcasting after my third year in college because I felt that my opinions are something that I wanted to express and my knowledge is something that I wanted to share. Realizing I can do this and the world can listen to it and connect personally to what I’m saying is a blessing in disguise. I take everything I do in stride and always tell myself that the best way to get something across is to speak on it and the best way to be the best is to just be authentic.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was new to this state for example and wanted to do a day of exploring and eating. I would first take her to hash kitchen for breakfast for sure, so she can have some good food. The next place I will take her to either a football game if there was one, but if not being able to take her to the Grand Canyon or Sedona to see the scenery and take pictures will also be a beautiful site to see. Lastly, Taking her golfing at top golf or even bowling at night will be a great ending since they have food as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When it comes to the shoutout series I have to say my parents and my younger brother are very influential in my life. They also provide the support and the love that I needed throughout my life and in my career. They have always kept me on the path of following my dreams and never giving up on anything that I want to do even when it gets hard. I’m extremely grateful for the amount of encouragement and love they give me daily.

Website: https://linktr.ee/Diamondholts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diamondholts

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCPkpf8trxmg9uMzCNX3EgUA

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.