Faith In Entertainment: Producer Holly Carter Talks Fusing Spirituality in Successful Career

Holly Carter (@ReleveEnt) is CEO and founder of Relevé Entertainment, a premier management and production company for family and faith-inspired content. Relevé Entertainment is a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in talent management, brand development, and television/film production. The company consistently delivers high-quality, breakthrough family and faith-based programming that engages national audiences, with production credits that include the Oxygen Media hit franchise Preachers of L.A. and Preachers of Detroit; the new hit series Fix My Choir, as well as The Sheards (BET Networks).

Carter began her career in the entertainment industry as a news-clipping intern, learning the ropes on shows like 90s hits Hard Copy, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and In Living Color.

Carter holds a bachelor of arts degree in communications, with a minor in Spanish, from Cal State San Bernardino; an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, with an emphasis in marketing and entertainment, and a doctorate degree in ministry from the Southern California School of Ministry, with a concentration on merging the sacred and the secular.

When asked about the keys to her success, the married mother of two replied, “Honey, prayer, fasting, and everything in between.

Carter adds that has a support team and husband that share the responsibilities of family life. If she has to travel her husband is available to make sure that the ballet, hair, and tutoring appointments are kept. In addition to her husband, she has 12 women that cover her back. These women created a supportive circle around her; each serves in a different capacity.

“If I traveled, they made sure that the husband, the kids, and everybody else has what they need and that I am taken to the airport or picked up and checked on and prayed for,” she says. ” I have an amazing circle of women who raised, praised, and rebuked me when I need it.”

Read more about Carter’s passion for infusing faith in her career on the next page…

“By just taking a stand and not compromising, it’s been an interesting process to balance the expectations of television and the network alongside the expectations of my faith—and what I

know God called me to do—and the faith-based community, because I know that I cannot sacrifice the community for the sake of having a show on the air.” Carter says her faith and following Christ gives her the wisdom needed to balance the two. “We are light and darkness, and our job is to figure out the shine.”

On her challenges:

“Having to balance expectations.  When they want to push the envelope a little bit more and I want to keep it closed, that’s when I go into my prayer closet, and I am like ‘Lord, show me how to do this, because I will not compromise you, but you also opened the door for me to be here. Give me the wisdom on how to balance what they need and protect what I must.’ ”

Advice for those interested in following in her footsteps:

“Knowing your purpose propels you to do those things with passion that you would do for free. If you are a believer and you endeavor to go into the entertainment industry, know your boundaries, understand what your calling is, and make sure you are operating at the highest level of it.”

“There is no half-stepping. The industry—and people in general—can smell inauthenticity. If you are not your authentic self, it’s going to shine through. Be ready for the challenge. Maximize every moment you see that God as given. Scripture states that the kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it by force. When God gives us an opportunity—when you see an open door—seize the moment.”

Carter recalls her friend and resident pastor for Ascend Ministry, who spoke on two things that are key components of success: ‘When you go into a season and you are not ready, it will destroy you. When you are in your season, own that season.’

“The light that is shining on you, don’t dim it because others can’t handle your shine, just give them a pair of sunglasses and keep on walking.”

On what’s next:

Carter says she will keep building in the television, film, and entertainment industry, all while giving God the glory. She plans to continue to influence media with images that reflect advancing the message of God and affecting people in a positive way. She also hopes to continue to spark conversations that will inspire people to think about how they can change their lives for better.

“Content comes to me every day,” she says. “I know what is a part of my calling. I know when something is for me. ‘Preachers of L.A.’ was daring because no one had ever seen preachers unveiled from behind the pulpit. That was a bold move. Because I had relationships with all those guys, and because I had been in their lives for many years, they trusted me.”

As a result, Carter says, Oxygen responded by telling her that she has engaged them in a conversation about God that they never thought they would be in. They are proud. And so is she.

Author Chanel Martin (@ChanelEbone) is a Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Techturized (@Techturized) Inc. She is also a wife, new mom, and lover of all things hair! She works full time at Techturized. Techturized’s first product, Myavana (@Myavanahair) provides hair care personalization for female consumers around the world.