Tag: entertainment

Breaking Barriers: Shaping the Future of Deaf Representation with VOCA Founder, Michelle Banks

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Washington, DC Native, Michelle Banks is an award-winning actress, writer, director, and producer. The Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA). With an extensive professional acting career that includes appearances includes Girlfriends, Soul Food Series, and more. Directing shows such as Camellia for Camille (Def Spotlight’s Short Play Festival), Broadway’s For Colored Girls, and A Raisin in the Sun (Gallaudet University) to name a few.

Speaking with Michelle Banks via Q&A I was able to find out more about what inspired the founding of Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA).

Can you share with us the inspiration behind founding Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA)?

When I directed a play, A Raisin in the Sun with the Black Deaf cast, at Gallaudet University in 2018, I  realized I had tapped into an incredible talent base in the Black Deaf community. I saw the critical need to continue supporting the creative work of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC artists after the production. I was inspired by the work of these talented artists and wanted to give something back to the community. These artists and so many other Deaf BIPOC artists were not getting the exposure they deserved. They needed access to resources to help advance their talents as performing artists. I shared this vision with Nayte Paxton, the director of voice performers in A Raisin in the Sun, and we eagerly agreed to make the vision come true – the fruition of Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) in 2019.

What motivated you to create opportunities specifically for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC entertainers in the arts and culture sector?

The Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC community, along with its exceptionally talented artists, has long endured a troubling lack of visibility both within mainstream society and even within the Deaf cultural sphere. This underrepresentation has not only been an unfortunate reality but a call to action. Experiencing this imbalance firsthand served as motivation for me to carve out a dedicated safe space within the arts landscape and increase the exposure of our profession to the arts community. 

As a Deaf actress, writer, director, and producer, can you walk us through your personal journey in the entertainment industry?

I have been in the entertainment industry for over 35 years. I knew I wanted to be an actress when I first saw the movie Sounder, which the late Cicely Tyson was in. I was so intrigued by her strong presence in the film. Since then, I’ve been doing what I love – acting, directing, writing, and producing. I’ve acted onstage and onscreen, “Big River”, “For Colored Girls…”, ‘Girlfriends”, “Soul Food”, and “Compensation”. I also wrote and performed my one-woman show, “Reflections of a Black Deaf Woman”, and toured with it to various venues such as the Kennedy Center and The National Black Theater Festival. I’ve been directing more now and then. I actually enjoy the art of directing and working with creative artists, especially actors. In the past year,  I worked as a Director of Artistic Director (DASL) for Olney Theatre Center’s “The Music Man” and for Broadway’s “For Colored Girls…”.  The role of DASL involves sign language translations of the scripts and sharing knowledge of Deaf culture for stage, TV, and film. It is relatively new to the entertainment business. 

My journey has facilitated my personal and professional growth as an artist. It has been instrumental in breaking barriers and paving the way for other Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC artists in the entertainment industry. 

How have your experiences shaped the mission and vision of VOCA?

My experiences in performing arts and running a previous theatre company in New York City, Onyx Theatre Company, have helped me prepare for a huge undertaking by establishing VOCA for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC community. My experiences working with the artists have allowed me to witness inequitable access to work opportunities and resources in the industry. Therefore, the mission for VOCA was established to remove barriers to artistic excellence by providing an accessible visual platform for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HoH) Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BlPOC) to create, collaborate, and showcase our culturally distinct works through various forms of artistic and linguistic expression. VOCA’s vision is to be a global leader in providing equitable access and opportunities for Deaf and HoH BIPOC artists in the creative and performing arts arena.

Can you share some specific challenges you’ve encountered and overcome in establishing VOCA?

We experienced some challenges during the first two years of VOCA’s inception when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020. Our first professional production, A Raisin in the Sun, was shut down in April 2020 and we couldn’t perform.   Hence, we had to make necessary changes in our program by transitioning our live performance to virtual performance and panel discussions during the pandemic. It was a very successful turnout because VOCA unexpectedly received over 30,000 viewers. During the post-pandemic, we had our first live performance of ISM in December 2021 and we brought back the production of A Raisin in the Sun this summer 2023.   Indeed, as VOCA continues to expand, we always need donors to help support the programming. We are seeking big donors to support our mission and be part of the vision. VOCA is now in its fifth season, and we are thriving more than ever! 

Looking back at your journey and the impact of VOCA, what legacy do you hope to leave in the realm of Deaf representation in the arts?

My aspiration is to establish a lasting legacy as a trailblazer, someone who has fearlessly cleared pathways for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC artists to not only thrive in their respective industry professions but to become the vanguards of the next generation of Deaf leaders in the realm of entertainment arts. By breaking through these barriers, the goal is to create an enduring impact that extends far beyond my individual journey. Through my endeavors, I hope to inspire a paradigm shift, where Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC artists are not anomalies but integral contributors and leaders in the evolution of entertainment arts. This legacy is about laying down a foundation upon which future generations can build, ensuring a more diverse, inclusive, and dynamic future for the world of entertainment.

About Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) was founded in 2019 with a mission to support and uplift Deaf and hard-of-hearing BIPOC artists who have long been underrepresented in mainstream and Deaf culture. Through their various productions and initiatives, VOCA aims to address social injustices and provide a platform for these artists to share their powerful stories.

PRAISE THIS STREAMING EXCLUISVELY ON PEACOCK APRIL 7, 2023

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Sometimes the music can lift you higher than you’ve ever been.

Five-time Grammy nominee Chloe Bailey, star of Grown-ish and half of the sibling musical duo Chlöe x Halle, stars in a new cinematic musical event set in the world of Atlanta’s competitive gospel youth choir praise teams.

From director Tina Gordon, writer-director of Little and the writer of What Men Want and Drumline, Praise This follows aspiring musical superstar Sam (Chloe Bailey), a young woman driven, at almost any cost, to break into the music business. So, when her father (Philip Fornah; Richard Jewel, Better Call Saul), worried that Sam is associating with a dangerous crowd, moves them from Los Angeles to Atlanta to live with Sam’s sunny cousin, Jess (Anjelika Washington; Stargirl, Tall Girl franchise), Sam is …not happy.

But when Sam is forced to join her cousin’s struggling, underdog praise team in the lead-up to a national championship competition, she sees an opportunity to finally make her dreams come true. What she discovers, though, is that ambition can command a high price and that praise is not about glory, but gratitude. 

The film also stars comedian Druski (House Party, The Crew League), Grammy nominated hip hop sensation Quavo (Atlanta, The Crew League), Grammy nominee Tristan Mack Wilds (The Wire, 90210), Birgundi Baker (The Chi, Black Lightning), Loren Lott (Tag, The Young and the Restless), Kiara Iman (Resentment), newcomer Ilario Grant, Crystal Hayslett (Sistas, Zatima), Cocoa Brown (9-1-1, Ted 2), Vanessa Fraction (Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Mann and Wife) and Grammy nominated gospel stars Jekalyn Carr and Koryn Hawthorne.

Praise This is produced by Will Packer p.g.a., whose films include Girls Trip, the Ride Along franchise, Breaking In, Stomp the Yard, Little and ten movies that have opened No. 1 at the U.S. box office; by Tim Story, blockbuster filmmaker of Barbershop, Shaft and the Ride Along and Think Like a Man franchises; by Sharla Sumpter Bridgett (executive producer Wild Hogs, Coach Carter) and by James Lopez (Beast, What Men Want).

The story is by Brandon Broussard & Hudson Obayuwana & Jana Savage, the writing team collectively known as Murder Ink (#Reality High),and the screenplay is byTina Gordon and Brandon Broussard & Hudson Obayuwana & Jana Savage. The film is executive produced by Preston Holmes (Till, Night School) and Johanna Byer, executive vice president of motion pictures for Will Packer Productions.

Watch the official trailer here:

Debt Management in December

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$timulating Tips

Debt is when you owe money. You can owe money to someone, a company because you borrowed money, used your credit card or have some type of outstanding loan. There are many types of debt, but it all means you owe money.

One year for Christmas I purchased gifts for all my nieces and nephews, my children and friends, while I paid to travel out of town. I have never done that again! I was trying to be generous and was not aware of how much I spent until I got home and started adding up all my receipts. It took me until February to catch up from all the extra money I spent.

During this holiday season, let’s make a serious attempt to manage our debt wisely and pay it off sooner. Here are some tips to consider before you shop.

Don’t buy it, if you really can’t afford it.

If you need to use your credit card to purchase a gift, make sure you consider having enough money left on the card in case of an emergency.

Pull names, instead of trying to purchase gifts for everyone in the family (10+ nieces and nephews)

Try a secret Santa for the older adults.

Agree to shop after Christmas for extra savings.

If you sew, knit or crochet, make the gift instead.

Use reward points to purchase gifts.

Tying some of these alternative spending options will help you manage your spending and debt wisely.

Sharing these monthly financial stimulating tips has been a joy! I want to thank Pretty Women Hustle for the opportunity to serve you through this platform for this 2022 year.

I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year! You know what to do….keep your mind on your money!  God Bless.

Dedra Porter

L.A.L.A. Nonprofit Org. www.lalanonprofit.org

Maya Von Doll and The SohoDolls

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London’s influential electro-rockers Sohodolls are back! After being out of the limelight for more than a decade, a globally enforced lockdown revived one of their classics ‘Bang Bang Bang Bang’ into an unexpected viral TikTok hit among the Gen Z glitterati, which has inspired the band to reform and release some stunning new music.

Musically, ‘Letter To My Ex (Thank You, Goodbye)’ may take its cues from ‘Bang Bang Bang Bang’, however, Maya von Doll’s return can only be described as a perfect pop anthem for any break up. Blending old school beats and new wave synths with that sauciest of Britpop wit, alongside hook laden singalong parts, it is a poignant single to capture her, and some of her band members’ actual real life present divorce situations as only they can.

Maya von Doll never holds back with her favoured kinky BDSM language to express her breaking free from an unhappy situation, “‘So, if I could press rewind, untie the ribbons from my eyes, unkiss the kiss that led to this, no swallowing of the lies you spit’.

No stranger to cult following and success, Sohodolls debut album in the naughties ‘Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation’ has always gone down well with a young crowd, having been the sound of one of ‘Gossip Girl’s’ most famous striptease scenes from Leighton Meester to writing pop bangers with the likes of Charli XCX and then this unexpected viral revival in 2021, Maya von Doll recalls,

“One morning I received a flurry of frantic texts from friends, saying Madonna has just shared and tagged your song, I was in the middle of a house move, no internet so I had no idea, but it was crazy.”

It so happens that Madonna had posted a recording she made of her daughter Estere Ciccone performing her own original choreography to the Sohodolls classic ‘Bang Bang Bang Bang’ and as part of the ensuing TikTok trend the track rocketed up the Billboard Top 50 and is now sitting on 100m Spotify streams. From a song Maya wrote as a teenage misfit, about the urge to find your tribe it shows how the Covid Gen Z’s try to find theirs.

We had the amazing opportunity to catch up with Maya, the amazing female voice of the SohoDolls:

When did you develop your love for music? 

As a child listening to my Mum’s tapes of Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and Blondie. 

 How did you get your start with the SOHODOLLS, What influenced the name? 

 I walked into Alan McGee’s indie club night in Notting Hill and gave him my demo. He emailed me a month later and that was my first record deal. I thought up the name Sohodolls when I was 17 cos I heard there was an old band called the New York Dolls.

You have a very unique talented sound, can you tell us what artists influence your sound?

 Thank you! My biggest influences are Depeche Mode, Marylin Manson, Garbage, Nirvana, Blondie, Kraftwerk.

Tell us about your new divorce anthem “Letter To My Ex” what message do you hope listeners takeaway? 

 I would love my listeners to know that if you’re stuck in a bad relationship then you can and will be free one day. Everything is a process – including realizing that you are unhappy. 

How has social media helped with reintroducing your sound to a whole new generation or group of people? 

 It’s the only reason we are back! Sohodolls was inactive when our old tracks Bang Bang Bang Bang and ‘Stripper’ blew up on TikTok and then Spotify. We saw a TikTok post of an American teenager who said ‘I can’t believe that a band from 2006 wrote a song about Strippers that wasn’t misogynistic’. It’s very humbling to know that our viewpoint on life, love, and sex is resonating with Gen Z.

What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?

 Yikes that’s a question and a half, isn’t it? For me, I like the juxtaposition of ‘pretty’ and ‘hustle’. So for me, it’s someone who possesses both the traditional perspective of the female (dainty, feminine, fairer, etc) and what the natural world’s truth is of the female (also have fangs/hunt/kill and fight)! 

Kristen Scott of Hit VH1 Reality Series, “Basketball Wives”

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Television personality, philanthropist, wife and mother Kristen Scott is no stranger to multi-tasking. After three seasons on the hit VH1 reality series “Basketball Wives,” Kristen is now adding Author to her resume with the launch of her first book Broccoli Hair which launched in March of 2022. Inspired by her older daughter, Broccoli Hair follows the story of a little girl and her sense of self-love by wearing her crown of hair with pride and affirming her self-worth.

Kristen was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated with honors from Louisiana State University and excelled in her career as a pharmaceutical representative with Eli Lilly Co. before marrying her husband, Thomas Scott, a former NBA coach. Kristen has had a passion to give back since she was a child. Growing up in New Orleans, her father taught her the importance of community and charity by taking her to feed the homeless every Sunday after attending church. Today, Kristen has partnered with Kingsley House in New Orleans to provide costumes to over 70 kids for Halloween each year. She also leads a team annually for the Sister Strut Walk supporting her mother who is a breast cancer survivor. During the pandemic, she raised money for 2nd Harvest Charity in New Orleans by using her fanbase to promote small businesses on her social media.

How much fun is it being on the hit VH1 reality series, “Basketball Wives?” 

Basketball Wives was a lot of fun. It had its ups and downs, but I had a good time filming. Obviously, the world saw me cry more times than I planned on, but I was so blessed to have that opportunity and it really is helping me get to the places that I want to be in life. 

What have you learned about reality TV? Any surprises?

I watched reality television before being on a show, however the amount of editing that happens is eye-opening. It’s obviously very necessary otherwise shows would be years long, but wow it happens in abundance. 

I think the thing that most surprised me about being on reality TV is that there are some people that will literally do whatever it takes to not only make the show good, but think that they are securing their spot as well.

What would people be surprised to know about you? 

I actually have some past television experience in the vault. I was on ComicView as one of their models (I’m definitely telling my age lol!). I was on MTV as the Queen of Mardi Gras when I was in high school. And I did two films, I was in Dukes of Hazzard and also in Déjà Vu, I was supposed to play Paula Patton‘s friend but my scene got cut, lol.

You launched a new book, Broccoli Hair. Tell us more. 

One of my pride and joys. I was completely inspired by Kenzi, my five-year-old, who really exhibits an extreme amount of confidence at such a young age, especially when it came down to what she saw when she looked in the mirror. During the pandemic, we all had a lot more time on our hands, more than we ever thought we would’ve had and for me to sit down and actually write my second book that was inspired by my daughter that would hopefully help people and their kids around the world is just an amazing feeling. The entire point of Broccoli Hair is to help our kids love what they see at all times. The interesting part is that a lot of the feedback I’m getting is from the parents who are saying this book is helping them as well. 

What did you learn about your relationship with your daughter during writing your book? 

I learned that even though she’s five, she is wise beyond her years. She’s got this personality that’s completely out of this world and confidence for days — not just about what she sees when she looks in the mirror but what she’s capable of as a little girl. 

What is your mantra? 

If you want to make God laugh, tell him what you have planned! 

You have always had a passion for giving back since you were a child. What charities are dear to your heart? 

My passion for homelessness was instilled in me as a child, but when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 I became a part of Sista Strut in New Orleans. Sista Strut brings together all these beautiful women that have had cancer, know someone who had cancer, etc. It’s a beautiful event to see all these women supporting each other. 

Share your upcoming projects for 2022.

I’m very Broccoli Hair focused at the moment. Hoping to go on a book tour to promote it. I’m also doing some print projects with my kids, so look for us on some of your baby products. I’m also trying to tap into doing commercials as well as breaking into the hosting/podcast space. 

Follow Kristen Scott:

Instagram: @mrskristenscott

TikTok: @mrskristenscott

Twitter: @mrskristenscott

Facebook: @Kristen Scott

Shannon Jackson President of Shay-J Entertainment,LLC

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Shannon Jackson was born in Akron, Ohio, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She is the youngest of 5 children with a 16-year difference between her 4th sibling. She went to performing arts schools for ballet, jazz, tap, modern, drama, music, and more. She performed in stage plays and shows during middle school and high school.

She has volunteered to play roles as extras; in film and tv in Georgia, New York, California, and Ohio. Shannon went to school for broadcast television and radio. She worked in the healthcare industry for 15 years before she quit to start her own entertainment company that is designed to change lives. She was previously signed to a record label where she sang with a 4 girl gospel group and was asked to do a single rap album. She soon walked away to pursue her film career. She has combined her passion to help others with her intellect, talent, and imagination in hopes to build a multi-billion dollar company.

Shannon is taking her business, music, and film and creating a pool of networks to team together to create a new entity in the entertainment industry for the future. Pretty Women Hustle spoke to Shannon about Shay- J Entertainment.

Tell us about your career in the entertainment business.

Well, my career in the entertainment industry is quite different. I use my business to help people heal, grow, and see the beauty in their pain. I use healthcare and entertainment to help people rehabilitate their lives, especially after what has been going on in the world. I created a networking, educational, and rehabilitation center on wheels for
the people I attract to me.

A lot of people won’t make it in the industry if they’re not born into the industry.

How is Shay-J Entertainment opening doors for artists?

I have a background in the industry and if you ever want to really make it in the way you see others thrive, you really need to know someone who can get you there or you need to be born into this lifestyle understanding what it truly takes to achieve your dream in this business. I have access to many doors opened to me in the industry because of having family in it, schooling, and knowing a lot of people who are already in the industry. I started realizing a lot of talented people wanted those doors that I didn’t really think about, and they were getting ripped off by people who lied to them saying they can help them. So, I thought instead of using my doors for me, which were just sitting there, I might as well help people who truly desire to do this as a living and help them take care of their families doing what they love. As doors are open to me, I give my Shayjents access with me.

Shay-J Entertainment is described as a networking, educational, rehabilitation center on wheels. Explain.

This company is designed to help our clients where they are. We come to the home, the office, or travel. We work on your mental, physical, spiritual, and state of well-being and then guide you back to normal reality. We network and find our clients the situation that best fits them while providing education, and getting them back on track at the
pace and place they need to do so.

Take us through the process of working with you.

There are 8 overall steps.
1) Apply for free – answer questions that let us know if you are eligible to join our organization.
2) Pay a non-refundable registration fee of $33.33 to enter our database so you can get an interview with 18 people – We want to see if
you want us and if we want you to.
3) Orientation – Learn more about what we are doing to see where you fit in.
4) Membership – Choose a membership package based on how much access you want to the company.
5) Probation – Show your skill set so we can see where to place you.
6) Partnership – Join us officially so you can have official access to our projects and business.
7) Enterprise – Connect with the VIP that has Position and Power.
8) Network – Enter into our network with all access and enjoy the
career of your lifetime.

What do you enjoy the most?

I truly enjoy it the most, when I have helped people find their purpose and they completely change when everyone around them has said “there’s no way.”

How are you changing lives?

I am changing lives by taking the time to help people heal and rearrange the negative things they experienced into a positive one by coming to them where they are at and showing them the way to change and it is working. Sometimes people just need to know how to change and sometimes it takes them seeing you do it with them.

Share your vision for Shay-J Entertainment.

I want to see people stop living beneath their privileges and find what they have inside and create a way of escape from whatever it is they are facing. I want to use entertainment so people see and hear how they can do just that. Entertainment that changes lives!

All social media platforms IG, FB, Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube is @shayjent

Working Moms

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** Trigger Warning: Show contains very heavy subject matter.**


Juggling motherhood with work is not new information. For decades, women have been piling things on their plate (often not by choice) while everyone applauds them. “I don’t know how she does it”, they say. So how come no one says, “why does she have to do it all?”

The TV show “Working Moms” gives the unfiltered version of how most moms are feeling with this juggling act that society wants to pass off as normal?!? This Canadian show is based in Toronto, Ontario and if you ever just wanted to turn on the TV and see raw footage of motherhood, then this is the show for you. This show covers a range of topics including; how to juggle your job with your marriage/kids, what happens when your child starts acting out, and what happens when you feel like all you do is try your best but it’s still not good enough.

What I love about this show is that it is the complete opposite of a lot of things we see in entertainment in regards to a women’s role in the house and the office. There are often a lot of perfectly wrapped up endings in tv shows and movies (which is great, everyone loves those), however, it gives women the impression that they are not doing “enough”. We compare ourselves to other women and where they are on their journey not realizing that we aren’t falling behind them, we are just in a different place.

Working Moms goes deep into what happens when you return from maternity leave and you are still breastfeeding. You are working so hard to receive a long-overdue promotion but during the day you have to manage your schedule so that you can pump. It sounds easy enough but when out of the blue meetings pop up and you must be there, what do you do? I feel like the better question (after watching the show) is still: Why is it easier for men to return to work than it is for women? Assuming that most, if not all jobs have female employees why is there not more support for them in the office? Why are there judgment and dirty looks? Why do promotions in the office force females to choose between being a mom and being an employee?

One thing I know for sure, is that I would like someone to say “what can I take off your plate?” instead of “I don’t know how you do it all?” I know that I can do it all, I’m not perfect but I can do it. My point is, even though I can, it would be nice to not have to. To carry the mental load alone between appointments, childcare, my job, my business and my marriage (plus family, friends, and a healthy lifestyle) is a lot and we all know that these are only a few examples. Working Moms is the show for you if you are an exhausted working mama and have reached a point of just not caring at all!
Whoever said we had to do it all, has never even lifted a finger! Don’t let anyone make you doubt yourself. You can handle this!

“Jennifer Lopez – Halftime” A two-part review

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Hello Pretty Women Hustle readers! I’m changing things up for you today. Typically, I do a review on something I have already watched but what I wanted to try now is doing a two-part review – before and after I watch it.


They say to never meet your heroes because you might be disappointed and although this “meet” is virtual for me I am really hoping this popular phrase is wrong. I have been dancing and singing (way off-key) to J.LO for many years now and I always wondered what type of person she should be in real life. Watching the previews at first glance it was quite hard to tell which side I would be seeing but hearing J.LO talking about her insecurities in one scene really was an eye-opener for me. I have always seen this put-together version that I aspired to be (I mean, don’t we all see these versions of all celebrities?), I still aspire to be like her (I doubt this movie will change that) but it was a nice reminder that we should be striving for happiness and not perfection.

Seeing as how this “review’ is a little shorter than my past ones, I want to know your thoughts. Have you seen this documentary? Has it changed your view on Jennifer Lopez? Did you enjoy the film?

Comment on our post or slide into our DM’s and let us know your thoughts!

Queen Latifah: The Queen On and Off Camera

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CBS.COM

Dana Elaine Owens who is better known as Queen Latifah has made quite the impact not only in Hollywood but to millions of women of color. Personally, I don’t remember a show, movie, or real-life interview of hers where I wasn’t left thinking “I wish I was as confident as her”.
Allegedly, her nickname “Latifah” was given to her at the age of 8 by her Muslim cousin, which means “delicate and sensitive” in Arabic.

This is clearly different than the characters she played or even how she is in real life. This isn’t to say that it’s not true. The way I see it is at some point in her life she was perceived as being “delicate and sensitive” and looking for those role models who could inspire her. She grew up to become an inspiration herself, to millions and broke barriers for women of color in the entertainment industry.
Right now, she is starring in this amazing show called “The Equalizer” and not only is she lighting up the TV with explosive female empowerment she is working alongside her female co-star Liza Lapira who is equally as empowering. This show screams empowering, motivating, and bada**. I highly recommend you watch it.
In 2021, Queen Latifah received “The Lifetime Achievement Award” at the BET awards and during her speech said, ”Together we stand stronger than when we tear each other apart”. Society has this way of having women compete against each other instead of raising each other up. Anytime I see Queen Latifah in interviews she exudes this powerful and empowering energy that makes women feel like we can work together to build a better future. As women in business, we face struggle after struggle to keep them going and thriving. We need to work together by forming relationships with others in and out of our business niche.
Queen Latifah continues to empower with her words, her shows, and her movies. If you haven’t seen much of her work then now is time to catch up. This is the time more than ever to feel courageous, empowered, and like a BOSS!


There is no one like her and remember there is no one like you!

Sources:
Biography.com

You Are Never “Too Old”

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Netflix Show: Grace & Frankie * spoilers ahead *

I have been a huge fan of this show since day one and although it has officially come to an end, the impact this show has had will never fade. The characters, played by Lily Tomlin (Frankie) and Jane Fonda (Grace), have been thrown a curveball after both women are left by their husbands after 40 years of marriage. They have to figure out how to make a steady stream of income but also have to rediscover the people that they are individuals, outside of their marriages. The Emmy nominated series ran for 7 seasons and in the funniest, most empowering way, it hit the nail on the head in terms of what people fear the most about aging.

For some reason, society seems to give women a timeline for just about every milestone in life. There comes a time when we start to feel the pressure to get married, have a baby, and have a solid career plan.

So what do you do after your 40-year marriage falls apart? You befriend the annoying woman who you wouldn’t have guessed you would ever be friends with and start not one but two companies with her. Grace and Frankie give a middle finger to anyone who doubts them or stands in their way. They embrace their age with confidence and use it while working in their companies. Grace even had a very successful business before the divorce but ended up handing over the reins to one of her daughters. This was not an easy thing to do because she was once the face of the products but when her daughter took over she immediately wanted to remove her mother from the packaging.

Throughout the seasons, Grace and Frankie are both seen through some very difficult times especially in trying to reach their financial goals with their companies. I think we all can find a lesson or two in this series when it comes to working on our businesses. Nothing happens overnight and we can’t be sure of what life has in store for us. We can’t be concerned about reaching milestones at a certain point; flowers take time to bloom. No matter what age we are, it is never too late to follow our dreams and I hope one day I have the confidence and personality these two women have.