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5 Things To Consider Before Going Into Business With Bae
That special time of the year is coming when us girls feel sheer bliss and butterflies in our stomach. Yep, you guessed it! It's income tax season!
There's a lot a girl can do with her income tax return, like taking a trip to Dr. Miami or splurging on a new wardrobe, however, the smartest move is to make the money work for you by starting a business.
But what if your significant other wants to go half on a business?
I found myself in this predicament about five years ago when I met this guy. When I tell you we had big plans to be this super sexy and woke power couple, even I have to retrospectively laugh at myself! We talked about doing a lot of good Samaritan deeds for the community, but running an operation like Russell and Kimora Simmons in the 90s was of more interest to him.
His bright idea for creating generational wealth and rejuvenating our local economy was to buy a gang of basketball jerseys in bulk and sell them... Cue up thecricket sounds. Never mind the fact that we live in south Louisiana and everyone is a Saints fan. Forget the marketing plan or a competitive analysis— just cop the basketball jerseys and sell them out the trunk of his Buick.
I think Cole Brown had a better idea for Rent-Em-Spoons on an episode of Martin. Dude's not so bright idea raised some concerns for me about his lack of insight and ability to make sound decisions (So much to the point that I was ecstatic that I didn't have sex with him). The more I studied him, I concluded that I was introduced to his representative, not the real him, and any kind of relationship with him would be the death of me, especially a business relationship!
If you are considering mixing business with pleasure in your relationship, here are 5 signs that bae is probably bad for business:
He has no sense of urgency.
Normally, I had to remind him to do grown people tasks that should be on the top of his to-do list. Two heads are better than one and, if you constantly have to do all the major decision-making and micromanage someone, becoming business partners is pointless.
He doesn't take responsibility for simple mistakes.
One day, I was sitting in the kitchen working on my laptop. Dude opened the freezer and exclaimed, "Oh shit," and closed it as if he had seen a zombie. When I looked in the freezer to see what the hoopla was about, I found a frozen can of Coke had exploded. Rather than cleaning up his mess (I don't drink soda, so it was positively his), he simply closed the freezer door and left the kitchen. Just left the damn kitchen! Of course, I had to stop what I was doing and clean it. When customers have issues, they want the problem solved, not ignored. His disdain was automatic denial for us to make money moves.
He isn't proactive about opportunities.
When you decide to become an entrepreneur, hustle must be as organic as breathing. Customers are not always going to fall in your lap. The more I paid attention, I came to the realization that his potential had never been utilized. He was too lackadaisical about pursuing personal goals, so business with him would never be booming because he is accustomed to waiting for things to pop off. Nope. Faith without work is dead.
He is unorganized af.
He could never find his driver's license. He couldn't remember when his speeding tickets needed to be paid. Dude was a devastated trainwreck, and that's not good for a mogul in the making. Not having your crap together discourages potential customers from patronizing you. When Kiki says the salon will be open at 8 AM and she consistently shows up at noon, clients start a campaign to boycott her like Monique did Netflix. His discombobulation was just one more nail in the coffin for me.
His money management game is trash.
Dude never had any money saved. All his tithes and offerings went to the weed man, which raised a very valid question. Who the eff was going to foot the upfront cost associated with starting a business? Filing paperwork, purchasing a website, hiring a web designer, and all other aspects of branding cost a pretty coin—and it wasn't happening with my tax refund money!
How would you tell your mate that you don't want to start a business with him?
Featured image by Getty Images
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A media maven somewhere in between Whitley Gilbert, Maxine Shaw, and Sandra Clark. I tell stories like Nas and Terry McMillian on April Fool's Day. Follow me on IG @cococurator.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."