4 Gems ‘Women In Media’ Can Learn From Angela Yee
Recently, Women In Media gathered in Philadelphia to celebrate us, the present, and the future of media during their annual conference. This included honoring entrepreneur and radio host, Angela Yee, who continues to pave the way for those in the industry with her "hustle hard" mentality.
By the time she got off the stage, it felt as if we had been bonded together as she shared her journey to success. This epic girl talk touched on breakups (only to exemplify resilience and God's timing, of course) and business, and you can't begin to imagine the gems that were dropped.
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There were no limits to the helpful advice she spouted out to the women who were present. In the spirit of motivating other women in media or any industry, here are 4 top-notch takeaways from everything that Yee gave us:
Internships Pay Big, Even If It's Not Financially
We grapple with the idea of internships because it's essentially slave labor for the needy. It's yet another social construct developed to help the rich get richer, as they're the only ones who can afford to work for free (with minimal pressure and stress, that is).
Yet, they are what's necessary to get your foot in the door and, in certain industries (journalism/PR/marketing), unpaid internships are far more prevalent than others. That rings especially true in markets like New York City, a place thriving and over-saturated with post-grad potential, where you aren't the only one trying to be the only one.
Also important? Passion and, of course, a desire to be present in this moment of your life despite the struggle.
This is what Yee knew when she quit the paying temp job opening envelopes in a room with no windows and zero room for enthusiasm after only two days. Within the same week, she got two offers after putting in work sending in resumes, one of which was from Wu-Tang, who she had interned with during her time in undergrad.
"Even though I didn't get paid for all the internships that I did, I still have relationships at all the places I interned and any of those people, I think, to this day would still hire me because I was so enthusiastic when I went in," the entrepreneur and radio co-host said of the opportunities her internships have presented.
Working for free for a year or so is a small price to pay for the doors that interning can open -- especially when it's something you can do with hope for growth and professional development in the future.
To Angela's point, the undeniable truth is that: "No matter how much money you're making or not making, you have to always go above and beyond, and that's something I've always done."
Consider your time as an intern as a trial period to see if they see longevity in you and vice versa. It's easy to change professions while on the intern level but trying to do so at 45 with a minivan full of kids, although commendable, it's hard as hell.
Trust God's Plan And The Timing Of Everything
When Yee graduated with a degree in English from Wesleyan University in 2000, her ambitions were to become a writer. From Wu-Tang to Eminem's clothing line, and through a long string of marketing jobs, Yee continued to make connections in the industry. After being laid off while working with Em's line, Yee inquired about a marketing position at Sirius XM radio. When Angela stepped into the radio game she had no experience. Writing was her goal, writing was her passion, and writing was her end game. The saying "tell God your plans and watch him laugh" is a major theme in Yee's story and her continued faith has positioned her for the success we see before our eyes. She concluded by adding the importance of remaining open to opportunities and remaining "limitless."
"We have to stop confining ourselves to expectations of 'well, this could never happen' or 'this is a terrible idea.' We have to take a risk because if you don't take a risk, then nothing is going to happen and having nothing happen is worse than trying something that doesn't work."
What's Meant For You Will Be For You But Not Without Work
Much to our surprise, she admits she was awful when she first began radio.
"We should never assume that as soon as we start something we're going to be great at it, you have to know that it's going to take some time to get better."
"I was awful at first. It was hard for me to listen to myself, I didn't tell anybody that I was doing that [radio] because I didn't want anyone to listen, who I knew and be like 'what the hell?' So, it was kind of a secret and little by little people would find out," says Yee.
The self-made go-getter attributes her success to her endless dedication to improve, reminiscing she tells the Women In Media crowd: "I dedicated myself 100 percent to that. I wasn't going out, I was going out listening to my shows figuring out how to get better because I wasn't good at it."
Yee's skills improved immensely and Sirius radio went on to offer her the position on the morning show, and also space to create Lip Service with an opportunity for a night set.
After the doors began to open for Yee, there was no turning back. She went on to get offers from Atlanta, Philly, and soon thereafter I Heart Radio offered her a platform. As the co-host points out, "That's from someone who did not go to school for radio, who never thought I would be a radio personality, I grinded it out and worked hard."
Two Women Are Always Better Than One
The Real
Starting a new position requires you making the rounds to find your fellow black crew. Being a woman, we tend to find an additional place amongst our workplace peers of black women. It's one of the best ways we know how to support one another -- by sticking together. However, we've all heard those women who swear they don't enjoy the company of other women. Yee warns against these type of women, stating that she's "really cautious of people [other women] who say 'I don't mess with other girls' because that's an awful attitude to have."
She further elaborates, "We work so much better together and a lot of that attitude comes from people around us."
Sadly, Yee recounts the numerous times she was pitted against women like Melyssa Ford, Miss Info, and Amanda Seales who all worked in the building while she was at Sirius. None of the women were on the same station and were constantly being told not to trust one another. This is, unfortunately, the way of the world. But we know that together, women get shit done!
Although this was delivered to the Women In Media by a woman in media, we know that Angela Yee is so much more than that. She's more than any one title and we have the potential to be, as well. Knowing the grind can present many roadblocks, it can be useful to heed the advice of someone who has already overcome quite a few of the same or similar obstacles.
With that in mind, I hope that some boss babe somewhere sees this and keeps pushing the limits of her faith.
Related Stories:
Why I Took the Job As a 30-Year-Old Intern at Buzzfeed - Read More
Angela Yee Shares How to Master the Art of Side Hustling - Read More
9 Lessons I Learned After Working 9 Internships - Read More
Motor City native, Atlanta living. Sagittarius. Writer. Sexpert. Into all things magical, mystical, and unknown. I'll try anything at least once but you knew that the moment I revealed that I was a Sag.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Crystal Renay Is Prioritizing Healing, Her Kids, And Her Coins Amid Divorce
Crystal Renay is reclaiming her time and her identity after dealing with heartbreak. The model was married to Ne-Yo for seven years and they share three young children together. However, after a cheating scandal that resulted in a baby outside of their relationship, Crystal decided to end her marriage to the “So Sick” singer. Now, she is focusing on her bag and her kids. She is co-owner of Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles, launching a lip kit line, and is back on TV starring in the new WE TV reality series Bold & Bougie.
But it wasn’t an easy road, especially with reality TV. From the beginning, Crystal and her castmates bumped heads due to misconceptions and alliances with her ex-husband’s former partner, Monyetta Shaw. However, the mother of three exclusively tells xoNecole that she doesn’t regret her decision to join the show.
Crystal Renay
Photo courtesy
“Honestly, being in that space, we had a– you know, when you're first getting to know people, sometimes it can be smooth, and sometimes it can be rocky,” she says. “In our case, it was a little bit rocky and just getting to know each other, and I like to call it growing pains. And I felt like we had a couple of moments, but all in all, like the experience was really good for me, and I would do it over again.”
Crystal describes herself as “career-oriented” and says she is in her selfish season because she is now prioritizing herself first. But she admits that she is still healing from her divorce. The reality TV star shares some tips for others who may be going through the same thing.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation,” she says. “But we can't move off of emotion because 10 times out of 10, a few months later, you're not going to feel like that. So, I'm a firm believer in not doing things that I will regret later. So I would just say be patient with yourself and stay positive.”
While there may be an opportunity to find love again, that’s not Crystal’s focus at the moment. She is in the rebuilding phase of her life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, personal growth, and finding her own happiness. She has had her share of challenges, including dealing with negative emotions and the public's perception of her, but her priorities involve spending quality time with her children and running lucrative businesses.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation.”
“With my kids, I'm very hands-on. I’m team mother with soccer kids, and they don't really make no goals because they like five years old, but I'm there cheering them on every week,” she jokes. “I want to travel, especially this summer, with my kids and take them somewhere internationally because they're at the age where they can handle a long flight. So, me just spending more time and more new experiences with my kids is my main focus with them and showing them all the love that I could possibly give them.”
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Photo courtesy of Crystal Renay