By Christy Birmingham-Reyes / acting, celebrity, community, digital, future, gender, innovation, interview, investments, money
When it comes to Web3 and cryptocurrency, Darcy Donavan stands out a leader in her role as CMO of E-Coin Finance. In the male-dominated industry, she is working to change the face and future of the digital currency and encouraging any gender to get involved. You might also know Darcy from her acting roles, including the movie Anchorman and the TV series Modern Family, as well as her singing career. Recently, she was featured in the Not_A.JPEG documentary alongside other influential people in the Web3 community. Here is our interview.
Interview with Darcy Donavan
Darcy Donavan continues to lead in a male-dominated industry, inspiring others who want to join the crypto community. She also exemplifies what it means to be a multi-talented woman, with success in acting, singing, and finance.
Before diving into Darcy’s work in finance, I wanted to ask about her acting and singing projects, as that’s how she first rose to fame. The next question was how she moved from the arts to the cryptocurrency scene? Let’s get to the interview!
Of your movie and TV acting roles, which one is your favorite, and why?
You know, to single out any one role out would be difficult for me. I’ve learned and grown from each Television and Film Project that I was in and I’ve brought a lot to the table as well. Anchorman is definitely in the running, as it was an incredible experience working alongside Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and the incredible Director, Adam McKay. I also loved working on Modern Family with Nathan Fillion, and Parks and Recreation with Chris Pratt.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that my favorite role is going to be one of the future roles in my StarDawgs NFT Project. The films that I will be Executive Producing, in conjunction with the StarDawgs Project, hold a very special place in my heart for me.
The Project is a cumulation of everything that I have worked for throughout my career. Working alongside amazing A-list Actors, Directors, as well as those in the Web3 Community, and bringing everyone together with this new era of filmmaking, is something that I am very excited about.
That IS exciting. You also released an album and performed globally. Have you always loved to sing and perform?
From the time that I was little, I’ve always been performing. It seemed like as soon as I could walk and talk, I always wanted to entertain others and make them laugh and smile. My mother was a single mom and some of my first singing debuts would have been to my stuffed animals. I would wait for her to come home from work at a young age, and sometimes I felt scared and alone. I found that singing relaxed me and it was an amazing outlet. I realized that even as a young girl, I wanted to bring that uplifting feeling to others around me. I started visiting hospitals and singing to the patients as charity work in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. To see the looks on their faces and to give them the opportunity for them to take their mind off the hardships that they were going through was just such a beautiful thing for me.
When my mother had a job in Myrtle Beach at a resort hotel, I had a blast walking around the hotel and visiting the beach every night. The band that played there nightly asked me If I wanted to come up and sing since my Mom told them l was a singer. It was an incredible feeling having a LIVE band behind me, performing and seeing everyone’s faces in the audience. I was told I had a natural talent by audience attendees and the band, so I was invited back up to sing many more times.
As soon as that summer was over, I decided I needed to start my own band immediately, and BOY I DID! Lol… I was tenacious, and through hard work and diligence, our band rose to the top, beating out 500 other bands in the “National Battle of the Bands” competition. From there, the opportunity came to travel nationwide with some top-name artists at some incredibly large venues.
Over the years, I have had a lot of success with my album releases. My Distraction album hit number four on the Dance Billboard charts. It later became a number one ringtone download as well. Although I am currently pursuing other opportunities, in the future, I will always be doing my music since it is deeply ingrained in my heart and soul.
Your love of music shines through in your answer! I’m curious how you got into the cryptocurrency scene.
I got into cryptocurrency about six years ago. I was talking to a friend who had invested in Cardano. He had done well with it and I was curious about it. I did my research, as well as watching an intriguing television show called StartUp, and from there, the #CryptoQueen was born. I absolutely love technology and innovation, and I see what a movement cryptocurrency is making.
I believe that in the future, cryptocurrency will be the main form of payment throughout the world. There are only about 5% of the population that is involved in Web3 currently, It’s only a matter of time until it will reach mass adoption.
There are so many benefits to cryptocurrency; its trackability, immediate transfers, and more. As technology increases and adds user convenience to Web3, I know that more and more people will get involved. If you knew you had an opportunity to get in the ground level of Amazon or Google, why wouldn’t you? Web3 is just that, the future of business.
Compelling! What did you learn from acting and music that help you today as CMO of E-Coin Finance?
What I’ve learned from my acting and music experiences is somewhat universal. Your brand, whether that be your business or yourself, is everything. How you present yourself, how you show up every day, and how you inspire those around you, are the tools that will bring you your success.
Another important lesson that I always like to mention is about nurturing your community and partnerships. When you’re watching a television show or a film, you’ll notice that in the beginning, there’s often more than one production company attached. It’s the same thing in Web3. Communities need to come together to support one another, and through that, everyone can grow at the same time, bringing value to each other. That is the vision I have as the CMO of E-Coin Finance.
I do think it is important also to live your life with integrity. A saying I use a lot in my office is, “Go home with the same person who took you to the dance.” This means that you remain loyal to those companies and people who were there for you in the beginning. You don’t jump ship for the bigger and better thing.
If you keep jumping, you’ll never grow a solid foundation with people you trust and vice versa. If you find someone who’s loyal and together you work as a team, solving problems and facing the challenges along the way, you will lead yourselves to success in the end.
Loyalty is huge. What does your typical workday look like, Darcy Donavan?
Let’s see, how can I best define busy. Lol.
My day starts around 7:00 a.m. where I wake up and handle the day today personal tasks that require my attention, including taking care of my beloved fur-babies. It’s also in this time that I do my yoga to start my morning off right.
By 8:30 a.m. it’s down to business, checking all of my emails and my social media accounts. I have over 7 million combined followers, so a large portion of my morning is spent creating content, and engaging with my community. Having a team meeting to see what everyone is doing for the day.
Mid-day, I normally have multiple meetings, scheduled press and media interviews, project brainstorming sessions, etc. Honestly, my schedule is always changing. I could be working on a commercial or a filming project, having to attend a Red Carpet or wvent, or I could have an interview at any time of the day due [to] International time zones all over the world. I have production and team meetings in the late afternoon, early evening. At about 9:30 p.m. the workday ends. I will take my decompression time here and prepare action items for the next day. I really enjoy meditation, warm baths, watching TV, and more time spent with my animals.
Around 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. (or way later. lol) I will read business books or books that inspire me, rest and prepare to do it all over again the next day.
In your experience, are there fewer women working in the Web3 industry? Why do you think that is?
It’s is a known fact that men outnumber women 4 to 1 in tech jobs. I do feel like that translates to Web3 as well, with men outnumbering women approximately 2 to 1. I am thankful to say that more and more women are joining the Web3 space every day. I think that the reason for this is that men are more likely to take risks and jump into new sectors like Crypto, whereas women are more reserved financially and like to learn more about it before diving in. I also think that men communicate more about finances and financial opportunities with their friends, more than women do. I think it’s about time that we work to change that.
I think a good start to encouraging women would be to show them strong female leaders in the field. That is why I want to showcase myself as a female Alpha in the space. I want women to know that they can do it too and that everyone, no matter their location, gender, or economic status can take advantage of the opportunities within Web3.
What are some ways to get more women working in crypto and blockchain?
I would tell all women to start by doing as much research as you can. You can watch YouTube videos, read books, get into Twitter spaces, and get involved with online communities within the Crypto space.
More than anything I would tell women to find projects whose utilities inspire them. Look for things that resonate with you and for Web3 companies whose business models you align with. Don’t join in on just anything you hear about online. Do your due diligence, learn about the company, find out who’s backing it and what they’re about.
I honestly think the first part is to just get started and not be scared. You are just as smart, talented, and powerful as anyone else. It’s just like getting involved in anything new; you’ll be learning and growing along the way.
Now that’s motivational. Women are also investing less in cryptocurrency than other genders, general. What are some reasons to get more women investing?
Web3 investments provide women with alternative options to invest in companies and projects worldwide, with the opportunity for lucrative gains. As the economy and market shift, these investments may show more substantial returns compared to the more conservative investments that they had previously been making.
Since investing in Web3 is all about community and growing together for the common good, I think that women investors can bring balance and stability, as studies have shown that they are more reserved than counterparts.
Lastly, the more people in Web3, be that male or female, the better it is for the community as a whole. The more people that onboard, the faster we can get Web3 to mass adoption, that will pave the way for better security measures, easier onboarding, and more growth overall.
Where do you see crypto going in the future?
I believe that in the next 8 to 10 years, cryptocurrency will be the main form of currency across the world. I also feel that Web3 businesses will take a forefront and work alongside Web2 businesses to provide the community with many new amazing options, not only for investment but also for enhancing day-to-day life.
The Metaverse will also be a big player in this field, helping to connect people across the globe in new and innovative ways. I’m so excited to be a Co-Owner of the “Income Island” Metaverse, as it is rendered 3D hyperrealistic, and that will offer its own unique advantages. As part of the StarDawgs project, we will be building a movie theater in the Metaverse where people can come together and watch the movies that we will produce, as well as cast interviews, special behind-the-scenes footage, project updates, and new releases. As if you’re not busy enough, you were recently in the NOT_A.JPEG documentary. What do you hope that women take away from watching it?
I have to say I love bringing the “alpha female energy” into the Web3 space. I really want to inspire other women and help pave the way to let them know what they can achieve through perseverance and hard work. Why should they not have the same opportunities as their male counterparts?
I want women to know that incredible things are possible if you find something you are passionate about and dive in. The sky is the limit!
I have even more up my own sleeve at the StarDawgs project will help to fund films that I am producing. I want to make some big changes for women in the film industry as well as in the Web3 space.
Keep inspiring! Is there anything else you want us to know today, Darcy?
You already asked some amazing questions. Thank you so much for those and for this incredible interview. The last thing I would like to share is that I am here to help any of the amazing females (or males) to learn more and get involved in Web3 if they would like to. The easiest way to do this is to follow me on social media and pay attention to my updates. I am always giving advice to others to help in any way that I can. Wishing you all a bright and amazing future.
Find Darcy Donavan on social media
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