
Exclusive: Angela Yee Is Serving Up Black-Owned Realness With A Side Of Longevity

We've all heard the common phrase "Jane of All Trades" thrown around, but it's always a bonus to be able to put a face with the concept that we, as Black women, can both aspire to and relate with. Angela Yee is one such person.
Many of us know her as the lone female voice (of smart-witted reason) who has held it down proper for all of us as a host on The Breakfast Club, offering a dose of powerful femininity and intelligence that keeps her co-hosts, out-of-pocket callers, and famous guests in line when need-be. She's done this while juggling duties as the co-founder of Juices for Life, a juice bar launched in Brooklyn, N.Y., managing director of Drink Fresh Juice, a juice and wellness drink brand, founder of Private Label Detroit, a boutique line of hair extensions and wigs, and her latest venture Coffee Uplifts People (CUP), a coffee brand that puts inclusivity at the forefront.
Oh, and let's not forget the podcast, Lip Service, which she hosts with two other unapologetically boss and bold women, Stephanie Santiago and Gigi Maguire, where they talk sex and relationships with hip-hop and pop culture elite.
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So you might have read all that and said, "Well, sis, that ain't all trades." Let's go back a bit: Yee got her start in entertainment interning for MTV and, later, for the legendary powerhouse that is the WuTang Clan. She transitioned into a management role with the group, handling payroll, attending label meetings, and organizing events. Before that, she was a teacher of 6th- and 7th-graders, and she'd eventually go on to work in satellite radio, hosting and co-hosting popular shows before becoming part of the award-winning trio at The Breakfast Club.
And she does it all with the kind of coy smile and effortless style that brings to mind Bey's "I Woke Up Like This" mantra.
Image via TeamYee/Facebook
We caught up with Yee for this exclusive xoNecole interview, right before her appearance at this year's Célébrez en Rosé, a two-day VIP experience taking place in Washington, D.C. on Labor Day weekend.
The event, which centers on culture, Rosé and entertainment, is set to feature headliners including Lupe Fiasco and Estelle. "I am really just deliberate about supporting other Black entrepreneurs," Yee said. "We've had such a rough past year-a-half, and it's not even over yet. The fact that they're doing it in two days this year so that it can be a socially distanced event is something that shows that we need some time and space to be together, but we need to do that as cautiously as possible. We need it."
Yee talked further about why women need to stick together and rely on their tribes, what's really behind her more than 15 years in entertainment, and why she chooses to keep pushing boundaries in business.
xoNecole: You've been in the media business for many years and have remained relevant, fresh, and successful. What do you think has helped in your longevity?
Angela Yee: Networking has been one of the main things, especially early on, but to continue doing that is one of the most important. Also, it's about being able to work really hard and having the ability and skill to accomplish the things you want to. Another thing [that's key is] supporting people and treating people well, along with that networking. Whether it is the receptionist or the president of the company, you should treat everybody with respect.
"Once I start feeling comfortable in a position, I know it's time for me to figure out what my next move is. I never want to become complacent or feel like, 'OK I got this down pat' because I feel like I'm not challenging myself. So it's always important to challenge myself."
Along with that is to always learn. I'm always taking classes on different things or even just looking online to find out ways I can improve myself. With starting a business and being an entrepreneur, I still take classes with the Small Business Administration in New York. I'm getting my real estate license as well, so I believe that you should always be challenged to advance and learn even more.
And last, it's really hard work. Nothing beats hard work, and you can't just coast by. I still go the extra mile. If you listen to the show, I'm the one who most likely has done the research. I'm the one looking up the story and making sure I get to work before everyone else. Hard work is just a fundamental thing. Nobody wants to work with somebody who doesn't pull their own weight, and I go above and beyond.
Image via TeamYee/Facebook
And that's even clear in the multiple businesses you've launched, from your juice bar to your line of juices and wellness drinks, to the extensions line, and now with CUP. Why get into coffee?
We were looking for a space during the pandemic to store the juices. So we met with the owner of Brooklyn Roasting Co. [Jim Munson] about their place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard because they had this huge refrigerator we could use. Our guy LaRon [Batchelor], who's one of my partners for the company, had worked with him already, doing sales and distribution. So after our meeting, we all just had a synergy, and he told us, "You guys should think about starting a coffee company." We were already like, "Hmmm, maybe we could actually do that."
Partnering up with a company like Brooklyn Roasting that already knows the ins and outs of the business, we knew they'd be able to support us if they were on board. They own 25 percent of CUP and they're helping us a lot, even with opening the space, with the equipment, and with training. They are also able to roast our beans. It was just kind of a no-brainer at the time.
"There are several reasons that coffee might not be healthy [such as] when you add a lot of cream and sugar, but the coffee beans themselves are really good for you. I know it's helped me so much as far as my mind being sharp and the caffeine helping me stay awake for the day. It also has great benefits for your digestive system. I only add almond milk. That is my trick to make sure I get those benefits."
I also love the fact that the history of coffee [began] in Ethiopia. Most of the population there drinks coffee and so it really is something we should be involved in from start to finish in all different aspects. I want to make sure we're always educating ourselves and encouraging people to be on board with that. Sometimes, I think when we think of coffee, we think middle-aged white man. We have to change that thinking.
In wearing many hats, sometimes you've also been the only woman in the room holding your position. What's your advice for other women to take up space?
We always must show and prove. And get your tribe together. Make sure you have other supportive women around you, and support other women as well, because we have so many things in common when it comes to being in these spaces not always feeling welcome, comfortable or valued.
"We should be intentional about learning from other women so that we can have people we can lean on. That's helped me a lot. It's great when you have a rough day at work or something happens and you have someone you can speak to—who you can vent to and come up with a plan of action."
Also, don't let people make you feel defeated. You have to go hard. That really drives me because I know what my skills and abilities are and I'm not going to give anybody the pleasure of ever seeing me fail.
For more on Angela Yee and her ventures, follow her on Instagram @AngelaYee. And to check out more information on headliners and tickets for the Célébrez en Rosé festival, visit their website.
Featured image via Angela Yee
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Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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These 5 Simple Words Changed My Dating Life & Made It Easier To Let Go Of The Wrong Men
Dating in 2025 often feels like meandering through an obscure tropical jungle: It can be beautiful, exciting, and daunting, yet nebulous when you’re in the thick of it. When we can’t see the forest for the trees, we often turn to our closest friends, doting family, and even nosy co-workers for advice. While others can undoubtedly imbue a much-needed fresh perspective, some of the best advice you’re searching for already lies within you.
My dating life has been a whirlwind to put it mildly, and each time I’d heard a questionable response or witnessed an eyebrow-raising action from a potential beau, I’d overanalyze for hours despite the illuminating tug in my spirit or pit of my stomach churning. And then I’d hold a conference call with my trusted friends just to convince myself of an alternative scenario, even though I’d already been supernaturally tipped off that he was not in alignment with me.
Fortunately, five simple words have simplified my dating process and ushered in clarity faster: “Would my husband do this?”
A couple of years ago, I met an entertainment lawyer who was tonguing down a twenty-something-year-old woman for breakfast while I slurped my green smoothie and chomped on a flatbread sandwich. Okay, Black love, I grinned and thought as I sauntered out of the Joe & The Juice. As soon as I stepped down from the front door, a torrential downpour of Miami summer rain cascaded and throttled me back inside to wait out the storm.
I grabbed a hot green tea and vacillated between peering out the wet door and anxiously checking my watch. My lengthy agenda started with attending the Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown’s “Black Love” panel, and I was already late. That’s when the lawyer introduced himself to me, after he made a joke about neither one of us wanting to get soaked by the rain. His female companion had braved the storm, leaving us to find our commonalities.
We both lived in L.A. and had traveled to the American Black Film Festival to expand our network. He represented various artists, including entertainment writers, while I was working as a writer/creative producer in Hollywood.
While there is no shortage of internet advice on how to strategically meet a prominent man at conferences, if I spend my hard-earned funds on career growth, I have tunnel vision, and that doesn’t include finding Mr. Right. So, I stowed his contact details away as strictly professional.
As the humidity and mosquitoes were rising around L.A., two months later, another suitor-turned-terrible match cooled off after three unimpressive dates and a bevy of red flags. I posted what some of my friends called a thirst trap, but it was really me wearing a black freakum jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to my friend’s 35th birthday soiree despite feeling oh, so unsexy and bloated on my cycle.
I’d been waiting to post a sassy caption and finally had the perfect picture to match: “You not asking for too much, you just asking the wrong MF.”
That’s when the entertainment lawyer swooped into my DMs and asked me to dinner. I was quite confused. Is he asking me on a date? Or is this professional? Common sense would’ve picked the former. Once it clicked that this would in fact be a date, I told my mentor, who’s been happily married for over twenty years and has often been a guiding light and has steered me away from the wrong men.
Upon telling him about how we met, he emphatically stated, “He ain’t it.” He followed up with a simple question, "You have to ask yourself: Would my husband do this? Would you tell others that you met your husband, tonguing down another woman, and later married him?"
Ouch. The thought-provoking question cleared any haze. Prior to going out with the lawyer, the first thing I inquired about was the woman.
“You saw that?” He said, taken aback that I’d witnessed his steamy PDA. Surely, anyone with two open eyes peeped him caressing her backside as he kissed her in the middle of the coffee shop.
He brushed her off as a casual someone he’d gone on a couple of dates with but had since stopped talking to. He said he hadn’t been in a serious relationship in over three years. Though I was still doubtful, dating in L.A. is treacherous and ephemeral. Making it past three months is considered a rarity.
With my antennae alert, I dined with him at a cozy beachside steakhouse restaurant where we were serenaded by a live jazz band. I’d emphasized forming a platonic friendship first.
“I’ll come to you,” he obliged. I liked that he had made me a priority by driving over 50 miles to see me. I also liked the effort he made to check in with me daily. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he initiated on a professional pretense and then alley hooped through the back door on a romantic venture, which bombarded me with confusion.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my dating life, God is not the author of confusion; any man who brings confusion, rather than clarity, is simply not The One. It doesn’t matter how many boxes he checks–eventually, that confusion will manifest itself into bigger problems, in time.
After diving into deeper conversations on the phone, post our first dinner date, I quickly realized this man was indeed not The One for me. But I’m grateful for the valuable lesson I learned.
I don’t expect some unattainable fairytale of a husband; we all have our own flaws and conflict is inevitable, but after dating for two decades, through failure and success, I’ve realized that the person I ultimately marry must mirror the values I exert into the world. He must reciprocate kindness, patience, and respect. He must be quick to listen and slow to respond. He needs to be forgiving and trustworthy, practice healthy communication, and be a man of his word at the bare minimum.
If I’d had “Would my husband do this?” in my toolbox when I was dating and floundering in stagnant relationships, in my twenties, it would’ve saved me a lot of precious time. But now that I’m equipped with the reminder, it’s allowed me to ground myself in my non-negotiables and set/maintain the standard for the special person, I’ll one day say, “I do,” to.
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