This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with award-winning producer, filmmaker, and breakout actress Kiah Clingman for a real conversation about rejection, reinvention, and trusting the long game.

From getting rejected by Howard’s theater program to becoming a proud Howard alum who quietly built a producing career… from balancing a demanding corporate job at Deloitte while producing projects at night… to not booking an acting role for four years before landing a major role on Reasonable Doubt on Hulu — Kiah’s story is a masterclass in patience, persistence, and betting on yourself when the timeline doesn’t make sense.

And the timing couldn’t be better. The hit series Reasonable Doubt recently took home Outstanding Drama Series at the 57th NAACP Image Awards (2026) — proof that the long road sometimes leads exactly where you’re meant to be.

From hotel-room self tapes to Hollywood sets, Kiah shares what it really looks like to build a creative career behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you started too late, pivoted too many times, or took the “wrong” path this episode is for you.

Spoiler: you didn’t.

 

What We Get Into

• Why Kiah almost didn’t submit the audition that changed everything
• The reality of going years without booking acting work
• How a hotel-room self tape (trash can + ring light included) helped land Reasonable Doubt
• Being rejected from Howard’s theater program — and why it became a blessing
• How Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta shaped her identity and confidence
• Working a demanding corporate role while producing films on the side
• What producers actually do — and why the role is often misunderstood
• Quitting Deloitte two weeks after buying a home and the fear that followed
• Losing a series regular role after betting everything on acting

 

Key Takeaways

• Rejection can be redirection — even when it stings
• A pivot isn’t failure — it’s strategy
• You don’t need constant wins to be on the right path
• Corporate skills can help fund and strengthen creative dreams
• Seeds planted today may take years to bloom — and that’s okay
• Betting on yourself often feels reckless before it feels rewarding

 

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