Devin Brinkley didn’t build her business because she was obsessed with social media. In fact, it was the opposite. The intersection between what it takes to be visible online and what it costs people to contort themselves to fit is exactly what led Devin to create something she felt would be impactful.
“I didn’t start this work because I loved social media. I started it because I saw how many smart, capable people were shrinking themselves to be taken seriously online, and I knew that cost too much,” she said.
As a social media strategist and the founder of Creative Gravity, Devin has built a strategy-first studio designed for founders who are already doing meaningful work but aren’t seeing that reflected in their content. Or worse, they are seeing traction… at the expense of their energy, their voice, or their sense of self.
Devin’s work centers on helping women, BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs in “clarifying their voice, tightening their messaging, and building sustainable visibility that actually brings aligned clients… without burning out or shrinking themselves to fit the internet.”
And that last part is where Devin’s philosophy really comes into focus.
“I believe clarity is a form of care. That boundaries are not mean. That visibility should feel honest, not performative or exhausting.”
There’s a level of intentionality to how she builds — both in her clients’ businesses and her own — that feels increasingly needed in a squirrel-brained online space that often rewards speed over any real substance.
That clarity extends beyond her offers and into the life she’s designed alongside her business, too. Devin has been married to her husband, Q, aka her “partner in crime” (whom she happened to meet on Insta!), for nearly a decade. Together, they’re raising two boys (plus two dogs and a cat), building businesses (Q was Devin’s first client!), and creating a version of success that actually supports their lives.
At its core, Devin’s work is about helping people be seen without losing themselves in the process — and getting paid fairly for it. She believes that “at the end of the day, [she’s] here to help people show up as themselves, get paid fairly for their expertise, and build businesses that don’t require burning themselves out to be seen.”
Here’s more about what Devin shared with us about her business and the philosophy behind her work:
What was the catalyst for you to start your business?
Creative Gravity exists because I kept seeing the same pattern. Smart, capable founders doing meaningful work, but having to work twice as hard to be seen, respected, or paid fairly. I intentionally support BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodivergent-led businesses because those founders face extra layers of friction, from constant scrutiny to pressure to code-switch, over-explain, or stay small just to be taken seriously.
The impact of my work shows up in real, tangible ways. Clients have raised their prices, expanded their offers, and monetized podcasts that were previously just passion projects. I’ve supported three clients in leaving their jobs to become full-time entrepreneurs, including my husband, who now runs his BBQ food truck and catering business full time. That kind of shift doesn’t come from chasing trends. It comes from clarity, confidence, and systems that actually support growth.
At the core, my work helps people move from constantly proving themselves to confidently owning their expertise. I help build visibility that feels supportive instead of draining, and businesses that grow without requiring burnout, self-betrayal, or shrinking to fit someone else’s expectations.
Why do you do this work and what are you proud of in your business?
One of my biggest accomplishments was replacing my six-figure corporate income in my first year of business, which confirmed that building a values-aligned company was both possible AND sustainable. Beyond my own growth, I’m most proud of helping three clients reach a level of stability and confidence where they felt comfortable leaving their jobs to run their businesses full-time.
My why is deeply personal. In 2021, both of my parents died suddenly, and that loss changed how I think about time, work, and what actually matters. Not long before my mom passed, I told her I was considering leaving my job to go all in on my business. She told me to do what made me happy and that she believed in me, and I carry that with me every day.
I do this work because I want agency over my time, my energy, and the people I work with. I want to build something that feels fulfilling, not performative, and that allows me to support communities I’m a part of and deeply care about. Creative Gravity is how I honor my parents’ memory, my own happiness, and the belief that work should support your life and not consume it.
One thing I want people to know is that I’m genuinely invested in the success of my clients’ businesses. I don’t see this work as transactional. I care about the people behind the brands, the sustainability of what they’re building, and whether the work actually supports their lives. Creative Gravity is built with intention, and that care shows up in every relationship, as well as the results.
What do you see for your business in the future?
My big vision is to grow Creative Gravity into a boutique agency that stays intentionally small, values-driven, and deeply human. I want it to feel close and collaborative, more like a creative family than a big, disconnected, siloed agency where the work loses care and context.
I envision Creative Gravity supporting underestimated founders through high-touch consulting, strategy, and execution, while creating space for collaboration, mentorship, and shared growth. The goal isn’t scale for the sake of scale, it’s meaningful impact, longevity, and building something that honors both the people we serve and the people doing the work.
What’s the best business advice you’ve been given and what would you tell others?
My best advice is to stop performing for approval and start building from clarity. When I was still stuck in a corporate mindset, lead generation felt hard. I either wasn’t attracting anyone at all, or I was attracting the wrong people who questioned my pricing, boundaries, or expertise.
Once I leaned into my true voice and got clear about who I was for and who I wasn’t, everything shifted. The right clients started finding me, and the wrong ones fell away. That’s why this advice matters. Clarity feels better, and it directly impacts who you attract and how sustainably you grow.
The best advice I’ve ever been given was to charge for clarity, not just execution. When I stopped trying to prove my value and started pricing my thinking, my business became healthier and grew faster.
That shift changed how I showed up, who I attracted, and how sustainable my work became.
Book every business owner should read: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab. Because boundaries protect your time, your energy, and your income.
Go-to podcast(s):
- Crime Junkies
- Murder with my Husband
- Sistas Who Kill
- Melanin Mayhem
Most unhinged thing you’ve done in the name of business: Quit a six-figure corporate job of 13 years and went all in on my business right after losing both of my parents. Terrifying and clarifying in equal measure.
Fun fact: I’m the Maryland Ambassador for a Ford Bronco club called Quad State Broncos, and we go off-roading and overlanding all over the country.
Devin Brinkley, MBA, is a social media strategist and founder of Creative Gravity, a strategy‑first studio helping underestimated and overextended founders turn content into real traction. She blends creative direction with systems‑thinking to help women, BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs clarify their voice, tighten their messaging, and build sustainable visibility that attracts aligned clients without burnout.
