Carlos King's Growing Empire Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

With Belle Street Collective season 2 premiering on July 29th, a hit podcast, a newly minted reality TV show franchise, and a late night talk show, Carlos King has the career that many dream of. But his success did not come overnight, nor was it by luck. The Detroit native created his own path by staying consistent and doing hard work. His path recently led him to be the only figure in unscripted TV to be invited on a panel during the 26th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

"God's delay is not God's denial," King says regarding the creation of his hit show Encore. That motto has followed the super-producer throughout his career. From being an intern at The View to being the brains behind early seasons of fan-favorite shows like The Real Housewives of Atlanta, King has stayed the course and now there isn't a day that goes by that Black Twitter isn't pitching a concept or reliving some of King's past work.

"For me, it's a matter of that's my focus group," King says regarding Twitter. It is no secret that social media does have its issues, but King says he is able to tell the difference "from haters and constructive criticism." It is King's ability to grasp where society is that has allowed him to find success with every show that he is behind. "When me and my team develop shows, we are always asking if this is going to be big on social media, because word of mouth is still a technique that helps shows grow," King says.

And the proof is there, apparent by the rising popularity of his hit show Love & Marriage: Huntsville. The show has grown so much that it helped launch a franchise with the second installment coming from Washington, DC. Now, fans are already pushing for the franchise to hit cities like Atlanta, Miami and Houston. Bringing in a new city should not be hard for King, seeing as he has a first-look deal with The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

OWN is betting big on King, but not bigger than King is betting on himself. "I do want to be the face of Black unscripted," King explains. When he created his own production company, the mogul knew he had an uphill battle to create representation as well as entertain. But not even King knew his path would lead him to become the first Black openly gay male in late night TV. The Nightcap With Carlos King is an extension of who King is and has everyone talking since its March premiere. Recently, the show made headlines when King was able to book the Season one casts of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which reunited the women for the first time in close to 15 years.

Learn more about the media mogul in our exclusive interview during ABFF.