

In case you missed it, Mr. President just signed a highly debated tax bill into law.
If you're anything like I am, you've been wondering what that means for your side hustle, full-time hustle, or even hustle-to-be. I have to admit, the rumblings about the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer made me sick to my stomach. It felt like this might be just another systematic hurdle to get over, not only for myself but for my people – for my culture.
As a recent grad, entrepreneur, and employee, I had a lot of questions. Would this new plan make it nearly impossible for me to launch my own business? Would my salary be affected? Would there be hidden factor and loopholes that might stand in the way of me achieving my goals? Would I even be affected?!
The answer is yes – we all will be affected by this new law – one way or another. Depressing, right? Wrong!
We may not be able to stop this plan anymore, but we can certainly outsmart it. With all the controversy and opinion surrounding the new tax plan, it's that crucial our generation of lady bosses understand the pros and cons of the plan, and begin to take actionable next steps so we can live our best life. Below you'll find 5 things to keep in mind about how the tax bill will affect your grind, and what you can do to deal with it.
No one said being a hustler was easy, but it's time to boss up.
1.You, Inc.
It's no secret – this tax plan favors big businesses over "the little guy." While I'd hoped this was all hearsay, unfortunately there's a lot of truth behind it.
This new bill declares that businesses get permanent tax cuts while individuals benefit temporarily until 2025. The bill has also permanently cut corporate taxes from 35% to 21%, which means that all my freelance divas might run into some issues next tax season. No matter what tax bracket you fall under, it might be more financially sound for all you freelancers and early startup founders to think of yourself as well: You, Inc©. Instead of claiming your freelance dollars under your personal name, start restructuring, and think about considering your own income your businesses income.
2.Non-Profits
Okay, not-so-good news. The nonprofit industry is getting hit, and getting hit hard.
According to this new law, taking the standard deduction won't allow for you to deduct charitable donations. This means that donations to your favorite charities, and potentially your business, are no longer tax deductible. I'm still grappling with this one as it's certainly one of the hardest pills to swallow when thinking about the effects on our communities and hustles. This will hurt both for-profit businesses committed to giving back, as well as non-profits who rely on the generosity of individuals and like-minded companies. In turn, non-profits will be forced to think about restructuring… sound familiar?
3.S Corps
Where my S corp ladies at? Hey. Now that I have your attention, it might be time for you to consider restructuring (word of the day) to become a C corp.
You see, S corps and LLCs fall under what is considered a pass-through income. That means that you get taxed under your personal rate as opposed to your business income. In this new system, all the tax reasons you chose to become an S corp in the first place (ahem tax breaks) may no longer exist. Since this plan gives big businesses (C corps) a significant deduction over individual and pass-through income, it might be time to think about switching your game plan.
4.Healthcare
Healthcare has to be part of the conversation when we talk about our businesses. The reality is, whether we are the employee, or the employer, healthcare plays a huge role in who we work with and how long we work with them.
Being at a job with lacking healthcare is stressful, while on the other side, shelling out cash for your employee healthcare hits CEO and Founder wallets hard – especially in the early startup phases. This new bill reverses the health insurance mandate, meaning that every American is not required by law to have health insurance that meets the minimum standards starting in 2019. It's expected that almost 13 million American will lose healthcare due to an increase in pricing under this provision. Having a conversation about the importance of being insured is essential, so make sure to make it known where you stand when it comes to your health insurance.
5.End Game
As much as I hate to say this, this new tax plan will set a lot of people forward before setting them back. That's what's so tricky and absolutely crucial to understand.
Most Americans will actually see tax breaks between the 2017 and 2025 when temporary breaks expire. That's why we have to starting thinking now about our end game; how to restructure our lives so we can move forward without unwanted surprises when everything is said and done. If you're a hustler, knowing how to navigate this bill – both professionally and personally will be everything. Over the next 7 years, make sure to keep track of your individual bracket and if you have the resources, consult with the professionals. When you can, use the preference of business to benefit not only yourself, but your community and your employees. If we keep up with it, this thing won't stand a chance at beating us.
P.S. You can read the FULL healthcare bill right here… All 505 pages of it.
Featured image by Getty Images
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At her core, Natalie considers herself to be a storyteller. When she's not writing or singing in the shower, she can be found eating endless amounts of pizza or reclaiming her time with a good book and a scented candle. Keep up with Natalie's shenanigans on her IG @Natatat122 and blog here.
Luxury Hairstylist On Viral 'Hey Boo' Texts & Professionalism In The Hair Industry
As Black women, our hair is our crowning glory - whether we paid for it or not. We take pride in how we wear and take care of our hair. As with everything, hair care and hair styling have evolved over the years. Long gone are the days of Blue Magic (although I hear it’s making a comeback).
Now, we have a plethora of creams, oils, conditioners, shampoos, and stylists to choose from. Beyond wearing our natural curls, we have a range of options, from wigs and sew-ins to tape-ins, I-tips, and K-tips. So much choice! But you know what they say about too much of a good thing...
The Black hair industry has definitely blossomed in the last decade with a wave of new stylists and salons popping up all over the place. As much as I love that for us, many of these stylists have become the subjects of viral TikTok and Instagram tirades because of their alleged questionable behavior and bizarre rules.
Excessive policies, strange fees, long wait times, poor performance, and the infamous “Hey boo” texts. Beauty is pain, they say… xoNecole got to the root of these issues with luxury hair extensionist Dee Michelle, who’s been in the hair game for 20 years and runs a seven-figure business - all while being a mom of four.
Antonio Livingston
“I started my business with my career in the hair industry [at] very, very young age when I was maybe like eight...So, over the years, I've just built a very successful seven-figure business very quickly just by offering high-end services and creating great experiences for my clients, many of whom are high-profile professionals,” she said. “I'm also a mother of four, including a set of triplets, which inspires me daily to show what's possible with my hard work and focus.”
Dee’s business has gone viral on social media because of what many call outrageous prices for her invisible K-Tip installs.
“When I developed my invisible K-tip extensions technique, I made sure that it wasn't just about the hair or the style, but about providing a high-end experience from start to finish. So, my clients just aren't paying for the extensions or just the style itself, but they're investing into my meticulous, seamless craft and premium hair sourced from the best suppliers…I've spent so many hours mastering my craft, creating this seamless method that gives my clients long-lasting natural results, and my pricing just reflects that - the value of my expertise and the exclusivity of the service.”
The K-tip specialist stands on business when it comes to catering to her clients and giving them an experience worth the cost.
“And it's just important for me to also say that my clients are high-profile individuals who value quality, their privacy, and their time. They want a service that fits into their lifestyle and their time. They want things that deliver perfection. And I deliver that every single time.”
I’m sure we’ve all seen the various TikTok rants about people’s nightmare experiences with stylists and uttered a silent “FELT!” We asked Dee her opinion on a few nightmare scenarios that beg the response, “please be so forreal."
On stylists charging extra to wash clients’ hair:
“I think they should just include it in the price, to be honest. Because I feel like when clients go to a stylist, they're expecting you to wash their hair. Personally, if I see that washing is extra, I just wouldn't go to the salon because it just shows a lack of professionalism, in my opinion, and a lack of experience.”
“I think they should just include it in the price, to be honest. Because I feel like when clients go to a stylist, they're expecting you to wash their hair. Personally, if I see that washing is extra, I just wouldn't go to the salon because it just shows a lack of professionalism, in my opinion, and a lack of experience.”
On ‘deposits’ that don’t go towards the cost of the service:
“I think that's kind of weird, too, for deposits to not be like a part of the service. I've seen people have booking fees and I just don't understand it, to be honest. I disagree with that kind of policy…By all means, people should do what works for them, but to me, it doesn't make sense. Why does somebody have to pay a fee just to book an appointment with you? I don't get it. It feels like exploitation.”
On stylists charging extra to style (straighten/curl) wigs, sew-ins etc., after installing:
“I don't get it. Clients come to us to get their hair done, to get it styled. So why is it extra for you to style it? If you're going to charge extra, just increase your price. I feel like it could be just a lack of confidence in those stylists, feeling like people won't pay a certain price for certain things, or just their lack of professionalism as well, because people are coming to us to get styled.”
On the infamous “Hey boo” text stylists send to clients when they need to cancel/reschedule:
“Professionalism in any industry, especially the beauty industry, is everything. So texting a client the, “Hey boo” is so unprofessional, and it's damaging to the client-stylist relationship. Clients book their appointments expecting a level of respect and care, especially when they're investing their time and money and a service. And I get it, emergencies happen, we're all humans. However, it should be done with a formal apology and a clear explanation.”
“Professionalism in any industry, especially the beauty industry, is everything. So texting a client the, “Hey boo” is so unprofessional, and it's damaging to the client-stylist relationship. Clients book their appointments expecting a level of respect and care, especially when they're investing their time and money and a service. And I get it, emergencies happen, we're all humans. However, it should be done with a formal apology and a clear explanation.”
We know all too well what kinds of things will keep us from ever gracing certain hairstylists’ chairs with our butts again. So, what should hairstylists do to provide a good service to their clients? What is good hairstylist etiquette?
“For one, being on time is an important rule for stylist etiquette. It's just not okay to require your clients to be on time, and you're not on time. Also, communication. Being able to communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally, whether that's in person, via text, or on social media. Style is etiquette. Appearance matters. So just maintaining a clean, polished, and professional look. Clients respect you more whenever your appearance reflects your work. There's just so many things, but another thing I would say is active listening. So, being able to pay close attention to what your client wants and also clarifying any questions that they might have. Just to ensure that they feel heard and to minimize any misunderstandings.”
Dee also shared some red flags to look out for when considering a new stylist.
“Even me as a client, if I'm booking somebody and they have a long list of rules, I don't even book with them. That's, for one, just such a huge turn-off. Also, stylists who have inconsistent or unclear pricing, that's a red flag. People who change their rates too much without an explanation. Poor communication. So, if a stylist is responding very slow or responding unprofessionally, or giving vague answers to questions, that can make clients question whether or not they are respecting their time and their needs.
Another red flag - an inconsistent or low quality portfolio. And I feel like, I see this a lot with stylists stealing other people's work, and their portfolio on social media is just very inconsistent.”
We couldn’t let Dee go without getting the tea on what styles she predicts will trend in 2025.
“I feel like people are going back to natural-looking styles. So, a lot of people are ditching the wigs, the lace fronts, things like that. People are still wearing them, of course, but it is becoming more of a trend to embrace your natural hair and something that's not looking too fake. That’s one thing that we're going to be seeing a lot. I would say a lot of layers are coming back, heavy layers. Those are becoming really, really trendy. And people are leaning more towards platinum-colored hair. I've been seeing lots of like blondes coming out. Also, jet black is always going to be a trend. But I would say more like natural colors, but natural colors that are still making a statement.”
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Feature image by Antonio Livingston.
Saweetie On Healing, Self-Discovery, And Why She’s "Dating Her Career" In 2025
Saweetie is stepping into 2025 with a renewed sense of purpose and self and an unwavering commitment to her career. The 31-year-old rapper is the cover star of InStyle’s Spring 2025 music-themed digital issue, where she opens up about her transformative journey to Africa, how she’s embracing divine timing, and why she’s leaving distractions behind as she gears up for the release of her debut album.
While 2021 appeared to be a year of big wins for Saweetie career-wise, the "NANi" artist didn't hide the fact that the year also marked a "traumatic time" for her life as she navigated heartbreak following a very publicized relationship. At the time, shaving her head was her way of starting over.
Recalling her headspace back then, she told InStyle, "I thought life would get better, but girl, life just kept life-ing… Surrendering to God and the universe has actually gotten me places. I used to be a control freak. I used to try to micromanage everything. I think we resort to micromanaging everything because we feel helpless."
In the time since, Saweetie has been deep in her introspection work, embarking on a self-discovery journey to Africa inspired by a DNA test that revealed she had 51 percent African ancestry. What she found as the result of the life-changing trip was not only a professional evolution but a spiritual one as well.
"In Africa, they're all going with the flow, they're not rushed. What I found is [that] when you surrender to divine timing, everything falls into place, rather than trying to force something to happen,” she shared with the publication. “I feel like I found my voice in Africa," she said later.
Saweetie's evolution didn't stop with her voice, in fact, her time abroad allowed her to heal and peel back layers of self-protection she had unconsciously built. She continued, "I think that's why I've been soul-searching because I wanted to have pride in who I am as a woman. Like, where do I come from? What do I believe in? What do I stand for? What do I not stand for? What do I love? What do I not love?
"And because I went through a lot of those emotions in Africa, it helped me pull back so many layers of this wall that I put up…"
Speaking of what she loves and what she doesn't love, Saweetie also gave a glimpse into her romantic life and let it be known her relationship status is "dating her career." While the "Richtivities" Queen has had her fair share of high-profile relationships, she is entering her focused era.
Saweetie shared that in the past, she let herself get "slightly distracted" but she now proudly proclaims that anything in her life that isn't right can go left because it's alignment over everything. "Anything that may be trying to compete with my goals, with my ambitions, with my priorities… I no longer second guess my career and if you can't understand it, then respectfully, get out of my way."
For the full cover story, check out InStyle's Spring 2025 digital issue here.
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Featured image by Getty Images