Happy Sunday!
As I type I’m in Houston, prepping to leave for the airport in a few minutes.
My Houston trip was pretty impactful. I learned about a great organization called Smahrt Girl that mentors underserved teens, and also provides them with character building, career planning/workplace training, and leadership programs. I spoke to them yesterday, encouraging them to go for their dreams, then helped them to pick out prom dresses. It was amazing to give back and I know I will partner with them again!
At night, I had Conversations with Claire at Mod Chic Boutique (they dressed me the whole time I was in Houston, so if you’re ever there, please look them up! They’re at 6125 Kirby Dr, West University Place, TX 77005). Denise Hamilton and I chatted about the Bomb Life, then took questions (and pictures) afterwards.
It was during the Q&A that a reader asked, “How did you stay afloat in the fashion industry being a curvy black woman with natural hair?”
I told her that I’ve always been confident in myself. And while my size, race, and hair didn’t necessarily work in my favor, I didn’t allow that to stop me! But then I referenced my last article, where I talk about losing weight.
Ladies, here’s the truth: you don’t have to lose weight to get to where you want to go. There are many examples of this (Oprah is a great example of a woman who kills sh*t while embracing her curves!). But that said, if you want to be competitive, you have to kind of outwork everyone. You don’t want anyone to give you any reason for why you’re not extended an opportunity.
There are some things you can’t change. I can’t change my skin color (though some black women DO bleach. I wouldn’t recommend it and it looks crazy and is bad for you!!!). I don’t want to change my hair, because it is who I am. I am proud to be black! But my health and weight IS something I can control, so why not control it?
This morning, I happened across an excerpt of an interview Kelly Rowland did in Sunday Life Magazine (I put it on Instagram here). In terms of the best career advice she’s ever received, she said, “Outwork everybody. So many people want the same thing or have the same dream you do, and what separates you from everybody else is your work ethic. There’s always room to work harder.”
She is equally driven when it comes to her appearance – she works with two trainers to maintain her incredibly toned figure. She continues, “We’re all in our journey to our best lives and it’s not easy, it does get exhausting. I’d like to be the voice that reminds you of how f…ing incredible you are as a woman. We work so hard, and we give so much of ourselves out, that we have to pour it back in. And my goal is to do that.”
Y’all know I’m a hard worker. I was just in LA/SFO for two weeks, now I’m in Houston, and am readying myself to go to Atlanta. But sometimes you gotta push yourself further. Change the way you dress. Change the way you eat. And become your best self so that absolutely noone can deny you…
Food for thought.
I’m off to catch this flight!
I leave you with Love & Light,
