BEHIND THE WORK
My Years with Steve Harvey
Eight years. Four campaigns. One team I'll never forget.
BY AYANNA HENDERSON · AYANNA HENDERSON MARKETING
I didn't set out to spend eight years working with one of the most recognizable names in entertainment. I set out to do great work. And somehow, that work kept leading me back to the same team, the same mission, and the same standard of excellence.
What follows isn't a case study. It's a reflection — on the campaigns, the moments, and the lessons that shaped how I think about marketing, storytelling, and what it means to show up for the people you serve.
These are the stories behind the work.
SECTION ONE
On the Lot, with My Phone and a Little Bit of Nerves
During my early years working with Steve, Family Feud and his talk show taped on the Universal lot. I would follow him around, capturing photographs, videos and sound bites—always looking for a moment we could share with his audience.
One of my earliest recordings still makes me laugh.
I needed a video announcing that Steve was going on vacation. He grabbed my phone and started recording, speaking directly to the audience. Meanwhile, I was standing there wondering whether the phone was actually recording.
At the end, you can see my face—and the relief.
It recorded.
Imagine if it hadn't! He had just delivered the whole announcement, and I would have missed it.
That video takes me right back to the excitement and nerves of those early days. I was doing work I had dreamed about, surrounded by a dream team, learning to trust myself while making sure I got the shot.
Watch on YouTube Shorts
On the Lot, with My Phone and a Little Bit of Nerves
One of my early recordings on the Universal lot. Watch until the end—you can see my relief when I realized it recorded.
SECTION TWO
Lou Young, 61 Million Views, and What Happens When the Work Finds Its Audience
Not every piece of content you create goes viral. Most of it doesn't. But every once in a while, something lands in a way that surprises even you.
I discovered Lou Young on social media, where he was making popular videos impersonating Steve Harvey as a talk-show host. An ex-football player turned comedian, Lou had developed a funny, recognizable impression through his "Shleve Harvey" persona.
Several members of our internal team also said they had seen him online. My contribution was bringing him forward to our leadership and being the person who began communicating with him.
RECOGNIZING LOU YOUNG'S TALENT
Recognizing Lou Young's Talent
Lou's comedic version of Steve had a name: "Shleve Harvey." With sharp suits, exaggerated expressions and an unmistakable sense of timing, he captured the mannerisms that made the impression instantly recognizable.
His split-screen impersonations gave audiences a funny way to compare the real Steve with his comedic counterpart. The persona gained traction across Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, with videos accumulating millions of views.
As Lou sent me videos, I recognized opportunities to connect his comedy with Steve's audience. I developed the strategy and creative concept to pair his impersonation side by side with Steve's original video, anticipating that the comparison would create more value and a stronger audience reaction.
The Strategy Behind a 61-Million-View Video
I developed the strategy and creative concept for the side-by-side presentation. The comparison let viewers immediately see the mannerisms, expressions and comedic timing that made Lou's impression so funny.
In this video, Steve was showing people how to make their own non-slip leather soles, and Lou brought his comedic version of the moment. The pairing and funny caption gave the audience a reason to react and share.
That video reached 61 million views.
It is an example of my approach to content strategy: recognizing the potential in the material, developing the concept and shaping the presentation to make it more engaging for the audience.
"I can't have nothing to myself with this boy Lou Young III 😂 I'm showing people how to make their own non-slip leather soles and here he comes with the crazy"
Watch on Facebook61M
views
Recorded October 7, 2026
CREDIT
Strategy & concept: Ayanna Henderson
Featuring: Steve Harvey and Lou Young III
LOU YOUNG'S "SHLEVE HARVEY" PERSONA
😂🤦🏾♂️ Lou Young III
Watch on Facebook
SECTION THREE
The Vault Conference and What It Means to Build in Public
The Vault Conference was Steve's annual event for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners. It was one of the most ambitious things our team produced — a full-scale conference experience designed to deliver real, actionable value to the people in that room.
My role touched everything from content strategy to on-site production. I was capturing moments, managing social coverage, and making sure the energy in that room translated to the audience watching from home.
What I remember most is the people. The attendees who had driven hours to be there. The speakers who showed up fully. The team members who gave everything they had to make it work.
The Vault taught me that the best events aren't produced — they're felt. Your job is to create the conditions for something real to happen, and then get out of the way.
THE VAULT CONFERENCE
Photos from the event.
SECTION FOUR
The Freedom to Try
One of the things I'm most grateful for from my years with Steve's team is the freedom I was given to try things. Not every idea worked. But I was never made to feel that trying was a mistake.
That kind of creative trust is rare. It's the difference between a team that executes and a team that innovates. When people feel safe to bring their full thinking to the table, the work gets better.
I try to carry that forward in how I work with my own clients now. The best creative relationships are built on trust — and trust is built by showing up, doing the work, and being honest when something isn't landing.
SECTION FIVE
The People Behind the Work
No campaign happens alone. Behind every piece of content, every event, every viral moment is a team of people who showed up and did the work.
I think about the producers, the editors, the coordinators, the assistants who made things happen on tight timelines with limited resources. The people who solved problems before anyone else knew there was a problem.
This page is as much about them as it is about me. I was fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented, dedicated people in the business. Whatever I built, I built with them.
SECTION SIX
What I Carry Forward
Eight years is a long time. Long enough to see trends come and go. Long enough to watch platforms rise and fall. Long enough to understand that the fundamentals never change.
Know your audience. Tell the truth. Show up consistently. Build relationships that outlast any single campaign.
That's what I carry forward. Not the view counts or the follower numbers — though those matter — but the discipline, the relationships, and the belief that great work, done with integrity, finds its audience.
These campaigns are part of a larger body of work built over eight years of storytelling, strategy, and production.