Today we’d like to introduce you to Diamond Taylor.
Hi Diamond, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Friends and Company grew out of that realization. I was less interested in chasing titles or agencies and more interested in building systems that help leaders, organizations, and cities communicate with clarity and integrity. Over time, that work evolved into social first marketing, executive storytelling, and event strategy rooted in real outcomes, not vanity metrics.
Everything I do now is shaped by one belief. If the work does not strengthen people, places, or progress, it is not finished.
I started my work at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and community because I saw a gap. Memphis has no shortage of talent, ambition, or heart, but too often our stories were either undersold or told by people who did not live here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest lessons I learned this year is the importance of boundaries and structure. In a city where relationships matter deeply, it can be easy to assume familiarity equals alignment. I learned that shared background does not automatically mean shared values.
I also learned that good paperwork is not a lack of trust. It is clarity. When character, integrity, and expectations are confirmed on the front end, partnerships move faster and cleaner. When they are not, the cost shows up later in time, energy, and focus.
Those experiences pushed me to strengthen my processes and protect the work. Structure became a form of stewardship, not restriction.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Friends and Company is a Memphis-based creative strategy firm grounded in the belief that social media is the most influential form of mass communication today.
We develop strategy, storytelling, and creative systems that show up across social, video, events, and executive communications. Our work begins with clarity and is designed to support real business outcomes, including growth, revenue, and long-term brand trust.
We often partner with other marketing firms to sharpen the thinking and strengthen execution, because the best work is rarely built in isolation.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
One of the biggest risks I took was leaving a stable, well-paying role at FedEx, where I had built a successful sales career and was earning up to $130,000 a year. FedEx also gave me mobility. I spent nearly a decade in the Nashville market, where growth and promotion were clear and predictable.
Choosing to move back to Memphis to start my business added another layer of risk. It meant leaving a market where my trajectory was established and returning home to build something from the ground up, without guarantees and without a built-in playbook.
I also invested my own retirement savings to fund the early stages of the company. That decision forced discipline from day one. Every dollar mattered. Every partnership mattered. Every choice had long-term consequences.
Beyond the financial and career risks, I took strategic risks by positioning my work at a higher level than what the market often expects. I chose to say no to misaligned opportunities, slow down growth when necessary, and insist on clear agreements and strong processes. I learned that protecting the work on the front end through boundaries and paperwork prevents far greater costs on the back end.
Those risks shaped how I lead today. I take fewer risks now, but they are more intentional. They are rooted in alignment, integrity, and sustainability, not speed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.withfriendsandcompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withfriendsandcompany
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withfriendsandcompany
