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6 Power Women Whose Career Changes Will Motivate Your Next Chapter
Two years ago, Black women became the leaders of the "Great Resignation," but we've always been the queens of the "Great Change-Up." Whether it's building careers that allow us to prioritize family, moving on to something that we're more passionate about, being forced by a termination, discrimination, or layoffs, or going where the money flows more abundantly, we've been at the forefront of embracing the career change.
According to research, women are changing careers at higher rates than men, shifting jobs, or going for a whole new work experience. There's even indication, according to reports, that now is an ideal time for a career change, especially for Black women. And while there's still work to be done when it comes to pay equity and other work-related challenges, the uptick in the labor market has apparently presented opportunities for better-paying jobs and more career options that can usher in new hope after years of post-pandemic hardship.
Get inspired by these women who have inspiring stories of changing careers and thriving in their respective industries to find fun, fulfillment, and success:
Jenee Naylor: From Retail to Full-Time Fashion Content Creator
Naylor worked in retail, landing a gig in leadership at Target before going full-time as a content creator and fashion influencer. Through her YouTube channel filled with style inspiration, lookbooks, and fab Fashion Week experiences, as well as other content catering to all the women who aspire to embrace luxury fashion on their own terms, she's amassed a combined online following of more than 900,000.
"I was so committed to my career and just knew deep down that I would make it to the C-suite level. However, when I started my content creation journey, it became difficult to give both Target and my own brand 100%," she told Ebony. "There came a point where I had to choose one because I couldn’t equally excel at both. It’s always interesting and exciting when your passion takes a natural progression and starts to take on a mind of its own."
Ava DuVernay: From Journalism and PR to Filmmaker
Before becoming the award-winning first Black woman to direct a $100 million film, she was a broadcast journalism intern, junior publicist, and PR agency founder. She made a shift to filmmaking at 32. "I kept my publicity job while making my first three films. I knew that as a Black woman in this industry, I wouldn’t have people knocking down my door to give me money for my projects, so I was happy to make them on the side while working my day job," she told Elle in 2018. She didn't officially get behind the camera to create until 2010's I Will Follow, and has gone on to be a powerhouse behind films including Selma, A Wrinkle In Time, When They See Us, and Queen Sugar.
“I was sober about the industry that I was getting into and what my place was in it. There was really no place," she told CBS News in a 2022 interview. "For me, it allowed me to be risky. People say brave, but it wasn’t brave. It was kind of like, you know what, they’re probably going to kick me out of movies anyway, so why don’t I just go for it and say what I want to say?”
Michelle Obama: From Law to Former U.S. First Lady to Best-Selling Author
Known as the "Forever First Lady" by many, Michelle Obama has staked her claim as a pioneer and the powerhouse better half of our first Black president. But before her husband would win the P.O.T.U.S. seat, she practiced intellectual property law and ended up looking, according to reports, for a way to dig deeper into community involvement. In 1991, she took a job as assistant to the then-mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, and then held several prominent public service positions in the city. She also worked in education, advocating for the leadership and advancement of young adults, before going full-time into political campaigning during Barack Obama's first successful run for president. She's since remained involved in advocating for communities (via speaking engagements, partnerships, and philanthropic work), hosted "The Michelle Obama Podcast," wrote best-selling books, and co-founded Higher Ground Productions, which is behind Netflix hits including "Becoming," "Rustin," "Working: What We Do All Day," and "Fatherhood."
“For me, becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn't end,” she wrote in Becoming.
La La Anthony: From MTV VJ to Actress
If you're familiar with the heyday of MTV VJs, then you know Alani "La La" Anthony was among the forerunners in media, hosting hit radio and T.V. shows since the '90s and into the early 2000s. Later, she'd shift focus, appearing in now-cult classics like Two Can Play That Game and You Got Game.
Since then, she's enjoyed major success in Hollywood, starring in Power, the Think Like A Man franchise, The Chi, BMF, and many more T.V. and film hits. “To this day, with my acting career, you’ll still have people who are like, ‘Oh, that’s La La from MTV,' " she said in a 2020 Essence interview. "And it’s like, well, that was a huge part of my life, but I’ve evolved since then. I’ve moved on since then. I’ve worked really hard, but sometimes I feel like because I was known for something else, I have to prove myself in these new spaces even more than the next person.”
Courtney Adeleye: From RN to Obali Founder
Adeleye was a registered nurse who saw a gap in the haircare market and decided to fill it. She launched The Mane Choice in 2013, a brand that would later land in Target, CVS, Walmart, and other stores, earning the company millions. MAV Brands acquired the company in 2019, and Adeleye entered into her next super-successful career transition as CEO and founder of Obali, a direct-selling umbrella company offering wellness, haircare, fashion, and feminine care products.
"We can all agree that no matter what your age, there's experience there that's going to give you the jump on entrepreneurship or innovation. And I have to continue doing that, to continue innovating, she told xoNecole.
Tiffany Aliche: From Preschool Teacher to The Budgetnista
Aliche was a preschool teacher when the financial fallout after a layoff prompted her to use her own journey to financial freedom to empower others. Her financial literacy platform, via books, events, speaking engagements, and her podcast, Brown Ambition, has helped millions of women get out of debt, meet their savings goals, become homeowners, and shift their thinking about wealth building. She's also advocated for financial literacy education in schools, successfully working with New Jersey legislators to pass a law requiring coursework for middle school children to learn the fundamentals of managing finances.
"I lost everything — my job, my income, my home. And it was so traumatic for me that I said, “I’m never, ever, ever going back there," Aliche said in an interview with The Cut. "Now I own my job, so I don’t worry about that."
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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
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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