Michelle Watts: Where Blood, Bones, and Belief Built a PR Empire
Michelle didn’t stumble into PR — she was living it before she knew the name.
Backstage at six years old, rubbing shoulders with legends. Handpicked by talent to work NBA All-Star events. Hosting her own TV show in Cleveland, putting local audiences onto major names. Media wasn’t a career path — it was in her blood & bones. When a college advisor finally named it — Public Relations — the game changed.
Degree in hand, she headed straight to New York. Essence Communications was the first stop — a cultural institution pulsing with Black brilliance, right in the heart of Times Square. She soaked it all in. Fast. After years of making magic behind the scenes, she set her sights on impact back home, returning to Cleveland to flip the Mayor’s Office of Communications on its head. She did what no one before her could — not just for herself, but for her city.
Still, the pull of entertainment at the highest level was too strong to ignore. She kept it quiet — packed up, left everything, and moved to L.A. No promises, no plan. Just faith. Her gut confirmed it when the late Paul Mooney read her palm and said, “You’re on your way outta here.” She was.
But L.A. wasn’t giving out handouts. When doors didn’t open, she built her own. A hiring manager at FX saw the fire and told her straight: “You should start your own agency.” That was it. Michelle walked out of that meeting and never interviewed again. The AZIZA Work Group was born.
Aziza — Swahili for “precious” — isn’t just a name. It’s a declaration. This work is sacred. It’s strategic. It’s legacy. And Michelle doesn’t just play the game — she redefines the rules. From culture-shifting campaigns to headline-grabbing moments, The AZIZA Work Group is a force.
Fearless. Uncompromising. Unmatched.
Michelle’s not here to chase trends. She shaping them. And now, with tons of number ones under her belt and having spearheaded some of the biggest cultural moments of the past two decades - Michelle Watts is just getting started.
