435: How Dreena Whitfield Turned Her Love for Storytelling Into a Thriving PR Agency (REWIND)
Release Date: 08/21/2025
Dreams In Drive
From 100 Rejections to Real Purpose | Community, Career & Resilience In this episode of Dreams In Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with Brittney Oliver, founder of Lemons to Lemonade, for a powerful conversation about turning rejection into purpose and building meaningful community when the traditional path doesn’t work. Before creating one of the most impactful platforms for professionals of color, Brittney faced over 100 job rejections while trying to break into New York City’s PR industry. Despite being qualified and prepared, she repeatedly heard “no.” Instead of letting...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
Contemporary artist Cristina Martinez joins Rana Campbell to discuss career pivots, motherhood, grief, and staying authentic while building a creative career. A powerful conversation about choosing yourself and continuing to create through life’s challenges _ As Dreams In Drive enters its 10th year, host Rana Campbell continues her mission of spotlighting what it really means to be a dream driver—embracing change, navigating pivots, and staying true to yourself through every season. In this episode, Rana sits down with contemporary artist Cristina Martinez for an inspiring conversation...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
In this Driver’s Ed session of Dream Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with Guapify CEO CJ Harris to workshop how to build trust, community, and real impact while launching a purpose-driven platform. Together, they break down CJ’s journey from media executive to founder and tackle the real-time challenges of creating a safe, culturally relevant space for financial empowerment. More About The Show: In this Driver’s Ed episode of Dream Drive, Rana Campbell sits down with media executive–turned–founder CJ Harris, CEO of Guapify, for a live workshopping session on how to build...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
The year is winding down, but are you finishing it with intention, or just rushing toward the next? In this solo episode, I take you through a Dream Driver Year-End Tune-Up, helping you reflect on 2025, recalibrate your energy, and set a roadmap for 2026 without overwhelm or guilt. We’ll cover: How to celebrate your wins, even the small ones How to spot what’s draining your energy and what’s fueling you Practical ways to leave behind what no longer serves you How to set intentions and take bold steps toward the dreams that scare you Whether you’re juggling career, motherhood,...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
In this episode, Gaby Huezo shares how she left El Salvador, navigated cultural differences in LA, and built a creative career from scratch—all while taking up space and championing Latinx voices globally. Learn how to take risks, own your space, and make your impact. In this empowering episode, we sit down with Gaby Huezo, creative strategist, storyteller, and founder of Haus of Duke, to uncover how she took bold risks, built a creative career from scratch, and championed Latinx voices globally. Gaby shares the lessons she learned leaving El Salvador for Los Angeles,...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
What happens when the path you thought you were supposed to follow suddenly ends? For designer Angelica Deuel, a September 2024 layoff became the exact push she needed to finally pursue the dream she had been quietly preparing for her whole life. In this inspiring and energizing conversation, Angelica shares how childhood passions for organization, history, and transforming spaces eventually led her to launch Hatch Interior Design Group — a business dedicated to helping busy moms, working professionals, and new homeowners create intentional, functional, beautiful homes. We dive into: ...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
Comedian and storyteller Georgia Dawkins returns to Dreams in Drive to share a powerful pivot in her journey. She opens up about producing a personal documentary about her grandmother’s tragic death, the healing power of storytelling, and how embracing change can lead to purpose, growth, and joy. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about loss, resilience, and starting again. _____ Comedian and storyteller Georgia Dawkins returns to Dreams in Drive—with a new pivot and a new story to tell. Since her first appearance in 2023, Georgia has undergone a profound...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
Ever feel that surge of energy or inspiration… and then hesitate? 🤔 Momentum doesn’t wait — and neither should you. In this episode of Dreams in Drive, Host Rana Campbell breaks down a simple productivity hack: how to ride the wave of momentum to get things done. Learn why hesitation kills progress, how to capture your energy in the moment, and small steps you can take to keep moving toward your goals — even when motivation fades. ___ In this episode, you’ll learn: What momentum really is (and how it’s different from motivation) Why hesitation kills creativity and...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
Money expert Jamila Souffrant shares the steps you can take today to begin your journey towards financial freedom. ___ Learn the steps you can take in 2025 and beyond to be on the way to true financial freedom! Back in the guest chair is money expert Jamila Souffrant who will teach us dream drivers how we can cruise towards wealth and happiness as we tackle our #dreamdriving goals. Jamila Souffrant is the author of the new book "Your Journey To Financial Freedom A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Wealth and Happiness" and the host of the Journey To Launch podcast. She is considered a go- to...
info_outlineDreams In Drive
When dreams don’t go as planned, do you give up—or keep running your race? In this episode, Russell Dinkins, Executive Director of Tracksmith, shares how track changed the trajectory of his life, opened doors to college, and taught him resilience, grit, discipline, and purpose on and off the track. We talk about the dreams he had as a kid, the detours and doubts he faced after Princeton, and how his athletic journey has always run parallel to the ups and downs of life. Russell shares lessons on learning to embrace your quirks, standing up for yourself (and others), and what it means to...
info_outlineWhen Dreena Whitfield was a child, she wanted to be a singer. Eventually, that dream shifted – with Dreena combining her love of politics, storytelling, and media in search of the career and lifestyle that best fit her talent and interests.
In this conversation (first released in 2021), Dreena shares how she made her dream of running her own PR agency, WhitPR, come true – and what 10 years of challenges, successes, and lessons learned looked like at that time. She also dives into how she was navigating life as a mompreneur and offers timeless tips for other dream drivers who are giving their all for the dreams they won’t give up on.
About Dreena (2021):
Dreena Whitfield is the Founder & CEO of WhitPR — the integrated strategic communications agency committed to shaping and amplifying the narratives that drive measurable brand success. With over a decade of expertise in the communications space, Dreena cemented herself as a trusted advisor specializing in public relations, social media, crisis communications, and experiential marketing strategy.
Throughout her diverse career, Dreena has led communication efforts for leaders in the non-profit, corporate, and political sectors, as well as small businesses, both domestically and internationally, always with a commitment to making a social impact. She has been recognized as a 2021 PR News Top Women in PR Honoree, PR Week’s 40 Under 40, Ebony Magazine’s “Top 10 Black Women in Politics,’’ and Huffington Post’s “Top 25 Millennial Publicists.”
SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER http://www.dreamsindrive.com/join
FIND DREENA ON:
Instagram: @dreenawhitpr @whitpr
FIND RANA ON SOCIAL:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rainshineluv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rainshineluv
FIND DREAMS IN DRIVE ON:
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dreamsindrive
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dreamsindrive
Web: http://www.dreamsindrive.com