READ PINK: Amid diagnosis, Brandi Williams determined to reach her goals

It couldn’t have been worse timing. Just as Brandi Williams was excited about taking the first step toward a career that would change her life, she got a diagnosis that would do the same. The exact day she took an employment test in the first round of becoming a firefighter — and passed — Williams was told she had breast cancer.

For this athlete and fashion designer, it was not the life change she was hoping for. A native of Savannah, Williams moved to Covington about three years ago in the hopes of expanding her clothing business. She quit her job to throw herself into growing Blaccc Ivy, but then the Covid pandemic hit and Williams had to adjust. She started making face masks as a way to make some money. She also did stints with Uber, Lyft and Door Dash, but says nothing was able to give her the financial stability she needed. and she was gone from home so much that she was not even able to work on her small business.