

10 Tips We Learned About "Power" & Success From La La Anthony
I'll show you how to do this hun!
From her role as Lakeisha in Starz's hit show Power, to her Motives Cosmetics line - La La is making major moves in the game and it's all well deserved. Starting from the bottom working for free, she credits her experiences as an intern for helping her get her foot through the door and successfully working her way up the entertainment ladder.
Over the years she's dished on some important and "powerful" tips for women hoping to reach a certain level of success that we want to share. Grab a paper and pen!
1. The Power of Distractions: Be Careful!
A lot of times with the people I talk to, we let our circumstances- how we grew up, our families, the guys in our lives, the girls in our lives- dictate where our life goes instead of finding our own power.
I don't think there is one blueprint that anyone could follow but I do think everyone has to figure out what their path is. We all have the power to be great and most of us just don't know it and don't know how to access it.
[Tweet "We all have the power to be great and most of us just don't know it - @lala"]
2. The Power of Having Your Own
(Not Every Successful Woman with a Baller is "Sponsored" (She Didn't Even Want to Date Carmelo at First)
DJ Clue introduced [me and Carmelo]. He was like, 'Yo, my mans been watching you on TV and this and that. Yeah, Carmelo Anthony.' And I was just like- what? Nah. I'm not going to mess around with a basketball player.
But I just felt like they just come with such a stigma and I didn't want that.
My life didn't start like that (with money). My life started from having nothing and just building from there. I didn't come from a family with money, I didn't come from a family in the entertainment business. Nobody knew, my mom was like 'Wait, what? You're going to do what on the radio?' Nobody knew what that was. I worked my way up.
I think I have a different respect for [success] now because I literally had to work radio, then TV, then acting and each thing just to become great at it.
3. The Power in Working for Opportunity (AKA for free!):
[Interning was] very powerful for myself and Ludacris. We started as intern (in radio) s and we worked for free and had to do every and anything and it just helped us be disciplined from where we're at now in life. So if you look at me and Luda, we're always on time because we learned that from being interns that we apply now in our careers and stuff.
In the beginning, I was like, 'You're really going to give this radio career up to be a rapper?' It's not that I didn't think his raps weren't good but it's like, we had a good thing going [as radio hosts]. And he was literally saying he is getting in his car and selling his CDs out the trunk of his car. And I was like, 'Yo, you're going to give this job up to do [rapping]?' But I think he made the right decision."
I think power is finding something you love and going after it. [That's] powerful. I don't think money or status is powerful. Getting up and doing something you love every day is powerful. Doing something for others is powerful. It's not about having the most money and cars- I don't equate that
with power.
[Tweet "I don't think money or status is powerful. Power is finding something you love and going after it."]
Related Post:La La Anthony's Friendship With An 11-Year Old Battling A Brain Injury Is Inspiring
4. The Power in Failing: "It's OK. I fail a lot."
I don't have the perfect life... In the acting world, I fail a lot because I go on auditions and I don't get the job but I work so hard. For a lot of people, acting comes naturally. For me, I had to learn acting and learn how to be good at it. It wasn't just a natural thing for me. So auditioning, not getting the job, yeah, that's a sense of failure. You're going out there, you're putting yourself out there and then you are getting told no, you're not right for whatever reason. It's a letdown but I just gotta keep pushing forward and trying.
Last night, while everyone was chilling, I was in an acting workshop from 5pm until 9:30pm. Working, learning and people don't know that, that is what I'm doing in my spare time. I'm just trying to continue to grow.
I went out for Barbershop 3 and I really wanted that one because it felt like it could've been a great movie. I love Malcolm Lee and I always wanted to work with him. I got really close and when I didn't get that, you're disappointed. But you wish everybody the best and you have to believe what is for you is for you, and what's for somebody else is for somebody else. I was doing weaves and stuff. I liked it. I liked the role. But I'm sure the movie is going to be great [still].
5. The Power of Submission
She Learned the Hard Way To Submit to A Man
It is hard but I had to teach myself that you have to do that sometimes.
There is such thing as being "too independent" and I see that with a lot of women that I'm around that are successful and have careers, like you want to wear the pants in a sense and you can't take that from your man or take that from whoever you're dating and I had to learn that.
I think you should be submissive at times to any man that you respect. If you respect him, then you have to let him 'be the man' at different times. Now if you don't respect him, you can [play] him all day. That's a whole different thing. But if you respect him then you kind of have to know when to fall back.
[Tweet "You should be submissive at times to any man that you respect. You have to let him 'be the man'."]
6. The Power of Pacing: You Have to be Careful Not to Overwork- "I almost had a breakdown"
Sometimes I overdo it and I don't think about myself and I just think about my family...I started to feel like I was about to break down. I have to remind myself that I have to take care of me too. Because if I'm not good, I'm not going to be good for work, for Kiyan for Mel. So I have to keep it in perspective because I'm such a workaholic that sometimes I go overboard.
7.The Natural Born Power: All Women Have It!
P***y is power. I'm just saying. I wrote a book called 'The Power Playbook.' It's just unfortunate that most women don't understand that and don't know how to use it to get the power.
8. The Power of Self-Esteem
That is women in general. It's a constant struggle to try and keep everything together and I think all women go through that in different ways.
I just want to feel good about myself. I know when I'm falling off. I fell off the bandwagon for a little while so I'm starting a new program. I'm a chocolate fanatic and I like cheap chocolate like Kit Kats and Nestle Crunch.
So many gems!! Check out the full interview.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.