Is Entrepreneurship Becoming a Toxic Culture?
For the last few years entrepreneurship has grown at a rapid speed as many Millennials and even Gen Zer’s are starting their own businesses and leaving the 9-5 jobs behind. Before starting your own business was a risk many didn’t want to make now in 2021 many are embracing that risk even during the pandemic as they leave their jobs to become their own bosses. With the success of many start up brands even in the last year, it's becoming more and more popular to become an entrepreneur but is this the life for everyone?
For the last few years entrepreneurship has grown at a rapid speed as many Millennials and even Gen Zer’s are starting their own businesses and leaving the 9-5 jobs behind. Before starting your own business was a risk many didn’t want to make now in 2021 many are embracing that risk even during the pandemic as they leave their jobs to become their own bosses. With the success of many start up brands even in the last year, it's becoming more and more popular to become an entrepreneur but is this the life for everyone?
When you scroll down on social media you may see lots of people promoting their brands, telling you to buy their products or use their service. Instagram and other social media platforms have turned into a giant portfolio for people to showcase their work and talents. Of course it's nothing wrong with wanting to promote your brand but is there ever a time to separate yourself from your brand. For many people there is no separation. They work countless hours promoting, making sure they have all their inventory, constantly trying to build their brand and it starts to become a 24 hours commitment, literally. You may even hear people say “I sleep when I’m dead” or “use all of your time into your business”. Even P. Diddy has that famous quote, ”Sleep is forbidden. When I'm working, I'm a machine and I don't look at other people like they are human.” Is that really a healthy mindset to carry with us? Working non stop like a machine without any rest or self care will give you burnout or even something worse. You can’t run your business if you are not taking care of yourself and staying healthy mentally or physically.
Within entrepreneurship culture you always hear people brag about how much money they have or how successful they are but don’t let that fool you. Being an entrepreneur is hard work and may not be for you. It's nothing wrong with taking the path of working a 9-5 or being a part of a team. There is a lot of sweat, tears and time that takes being an entrepreneur and starting your own business. If starting your own business is something you want to do, take the proper steps, create a plan A, B and C and of course take your time. It can also help to find a mentor or an expert to guide you in the early stages of your business. You can call in help from consultants to help you be an entrepreneur in a healthier wayMost importantly, take care of yourself, of course your business will be important to you but always put yourself first. It’s ok to take that nap, have a lunch break or even go on vacation. At the end of the day you’re human and when you take care of yourself, you’re taking care of your business.
Three Things You Should Do in 2021
This year has been one chaotic ride that has been filled with loss and grief but also with moments that help us grow and transform into our better selves. What 2020 has done for us was to prepare us for whatever storm that may come our way. No matter what troubles may come our way we now know how to pivot and continue down the path that life has given us.
This year has been one chaotic ride that has been filled with loss and grief but also with moments that help us grow and transform into our better selves. What 2020 has done for us was to prepare us for whatever storm that may come our way. No matter what troubles may come our way we now know how to pivot and continue down the path that life has given us. With only a few days left in 2020, now is the time to reflect and plan for the new year. Whether you have your New Year resolutions, creating vision boards to manifest your goals or you just want to go with the flow, I believe we all should do five things that will make 2021 a great year.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to always create a plan B. I know this year we all had goals and plans to create a magical year full of great memories but was stopped right in our tracks at the beginning of the year. No matter what you plan to do for 2021, it's ok to create a plan B just in case you need to pivot and go down another lane to be successful with whatever venture you’re getting into whether it be business related or personal growth. So, take out that journal and write out your next steps into greatness.
Photo Credit: Insider
Let 2021 be the year you don’t hold back and just go for it. Get rid of the excuses and go after the things you have been planning to do. Rejection can be very harsh but just know that sometimes rejection can be a path to something much greater. Embrace the uncertainty of the result and let it become an adventure into your light. Trust your gut and just go after what you always dreamed of doing. You never know what will be on the other side.
This is the time to get rid of all the toxic people in your life and surround yourself with people who genuinely love and support you. This may sound tough to do but in the end it would be good for you. Whether celebrating an awesome achievement or going through a rough time, it’s always good to surround yourself with people who really care and not people who are only there for the good times. Defining your friendships now will lead you down a path of good times and great memories in the years to come.
Photo Credit: Popsugar
Let 2021 be the year of full transformation and living passionately everyday. Live bravely in the space of maybe and what could be and always do what’s best for you. Now is the time to truly live.
Age of Aquarius: What's to Come in 2021
2020 has been a chaotic year. From the outbreak of COVID-19 to seeing one of the biggest civil rights movements happening with Black Lives Matter due to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Walter Wallace Jr. and countless other innocent black lives, we have all been through alot. With so much darkness in the world right now it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Photo Credit | Elle
2020 has been a chaotic year. From the outbreak of COVID-19 to seeing one of the biggest civil rights movements happening with Black Lives Matter due to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Walter Wallace Jr. and countless other innocent black lives, we have all been through alot. With so much darkness in the world right now it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. One may not be able to see that this year of turbulence was a way to birth a new era for us. With change comes disruption of the old to make space for the new.
On December 21, the Age of the Aquarius will come into play and set a new way of life that has been so different then what we have been living for so long. According to Bustle, the “great conjunction” will take place which will be Jupiter and Saturn aligning with the sign of Aquarius which has not happened in nearly 400 years. Many astrologers believe this will be the beginning of a new age. Aquarius being an air sign represents what is to come in the year of 2021. Air signs represent intellect and new ideas. It's all about the innovation of thought, technology and our everyday lives. The revolution of mankind and how we come together as a tribe will be an importance. It will no longer be the ways of one for all but rather all for one. The focus will be collective, well-being and growth, growth of community and growth of self.
Photo Credit | Midnight & Indigo
So, with the age of a new era coming to us this month, here are some ways to incorporate this for your own life. Be progressive in your thinking, think outside of the box and you may come up with some amazing ideas for yourself or even your business. Start building your tribe and community that you want to make long lasting bonds with. Not just be for self but for the world around you. Move away from over consumption and materialism just to be a part of the pack. If it's not a need, think about being more conscious in the things you purchase or consume. Lastly, don’t be afraid of the change. It may be uncomfortable but it will all be for the best and soon we will all see the light at the end of the tunnel.
What Teyana Taylor's Retirement Teaches Us About Supporting Creatives
Teyana Taylor recently announced her retirement from music and it took the world by surprise. After just releasing her critically acclaimed album, ‘The Album’ that even made legends such as Elton John join in on the praise, it's hard to see why Teyana Taylor has decided to give up her role in the music industry.
Teyana Taylor recently announced her retirement from music and it took the world by surprise. After just releasing her critically acclaimed album, ‘The Album’ that even made legends such as Elton John join in on the praise, it's hard to see why Teyana Taylor has decided to give up her role in the music industry. According to Taylor herself, she expressed she felt “super unappreciated as an artist, receiving little to no real push from the ‘machine,’ constantly getting the shorter end of the stick, being overlooked.” With this announcement, Teyana Taylor got major love from fans and even fellow peers in the music industry such as Swiss Beatz, The Game and Janet Jackson.
With the retirement of Teyana Taylor, can this teach us how to appreciate creatives and artists as a unit. How can we be more supportive of creatives in the industry that may not be pushed by a major record label, agency or brand? Even those who are pushed by a major machine such as Teyana Taylor or Tinashe during her time with RCA records have felt how lonely it can be in the creative industry. It's a hard spot to be as a creative to constantly showcase your talents and be vulnerable enough to let people into your creative process only for them to shut you down or not give you the proper support you need.
This begs the question, is it better to be a creative and work independently? Once Tinashe was released from her label, that gave her more room to grow and release amazing music projects and even collaborate with other artists that were more aligned with her brand. Seeing Teyana Taylor’s retirement playout only made me realize that many of the talented artists not only in the music industry but in many sectors of the creative industries are not supported financially or even emotionally. By just posting someone's artwork or commenting on their process on social media is a big boost to help them get one step closer to their goals. Even checking in on their wellbeing can be a big help and give them the tools to keep going. Be sure to check in on your creative friends even if everything looks good from the outside, you never know how your support can help them to continue to succeed and grow.
Operation Game: Kardashian Edition
With time comes new trends, usually its a new fashion style whether its hair, makeup, accessories, or clothes. For some, it goes deeper than that.
With time comes new trends, usually its a new fashion style whether its hair, makeup, accessories, or clothes. For some, it goes deeper than that. Some go through life feeling that all those outer layers no matter how much they try to dress them up won’t change how they feel about their appearance.
There are some people, women, especially those who have certain outer appearances that make them feel less than human. This day in society it has become socially acceptable to seek cosmetic surgery to correct body image issues they’ve had for most of their lives due to a traumatic accident.
The phrase ‘everything in moderation’ is a concept long forgotten unless we’ve somehow gone too far. This is not the case anymore. Today, usually things that are done over dramatically are praised when it’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The female body shape has become a deadly game. African American women who have had strong curves in their shape for years are now socially accepted because they embrace their curves and their own skin.
This is something every woman should be doing curves or no curves. However, with the influences of men and social media and reality television, it’s not the case. Today, some of our favorite influencers such as the Kardashian-Jenners have turned it into something else.
Television actress Lisa Raye made a point recently saying “the Kardashians have single-handedly changed the woman’s body shape that is acceptable right now.”
The Kardashians have encouraged other influencers to join the trend of a large butt, this is unhealthy because it teaches young women that unless they have an overly large butt no one wants them. Its come to the point where it doesn’t look natural or appealing and women are going overboard with implants and injections infecting their bodies just to be socially accepted.
“Now it’s all about a small waist, and all this a**, which look like the ankles can’t even hold up all of that. I don’t even want my body to look like that because that’s the body everybody has now. That is making every generation after that feel like that’s what they have to do to secure the bag,” said Raye.
This is an insult to the female body shape because instead of telling women to use their minds to get what they want and embrace the bodies they have, there are some women who go through drastic measures such as an expensive, dangerous cosmetic surgery because they think they’ll never have the right assets in life.
The Kardashians are leading this generation and the ones to come they need to look like them.
The Kardashians have become the walking proof and the definition of cultural appropriation.
Report: Josephine Coiscou
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.