These TikToks Will Have You Cracking Up—And Winning At Work
Have you ever heard the saying you are what you consume? If you are career-focused and want to move from the basement to the corner office suite, the manifestation of your dreams starts with your mindset. What are you putting in front of you that is getting you closer to where you want to be? Outside of the here-today-gone-tomorrow dance challenges, mouth-salivating recipes, and cute outfit compilations, TikTok has become a clutch resource for inspiration and career advice—whether you like it in a serious tone or delivered as pure comedy.
While you scroll on your way to your next lunch break, take a look at these Black women on TikTok who are not only engaging and entertaining but provide advice and tips that will set you up to live your best professional life:
Sugar, Nurse
@mylifeassugar_ ##healthcareworkersoftiktok ##cnalife ##phlebotomist ##viral ##fyp ##nursesoftiktok
♬ She Make It Clap - Soulja Boy
This self-proclaimed nurse coach helps students and professionals become more successful by showing the real (and hilarious) day-to-day encounters of working in the field. Her advice spans from how to survive nursing school to how to find your dream job making big bucks.
Rawan, Project Ops Manager
@rawanog make sure to do this! ##linkedin ##linkedintips ##linkedinprofile ##careertok ##careeradvice ##career ##jobhunting ##tech ##stem
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod
Rawan uses her TikTok skills to empower underrepresented communities by sharing career tips, resources, and advice. She offers a combination of tech-industry advice as well as general tips that can benefit you no matter what you do for a living. The Facebook project ops manager immigrated to the United States at 16 and adds stories of her personal journey and love for travel in her videos, too.
Jahleane, Blogger
@jahleane To better days in 2021 💞 ##learnontiktok ##tiktokpartner ##postgradlife ##blacktiktok ##visionboard
♬ The Wisp Sings - Winter Aid
Jahleane doesn't shy away from sharing the ups and downs of living as a recent grad in her 20s. She offers book recommendations, motivational advice, and a much-needed break from into what most recent grads have to deal with today, all while managing to keep her edges laid and bills paid.
Bozoma Saint John, CMO, Netflix
@badassboz You know what your superpower is?? KNOWING AND VOICING YOUR GREATNESS.
♬ original sound - Bozoma Saint John
If you follow influential women who work at the executive level in entertainment, then you're probably no stranger to the name Bozoma Saint John. The global chief marketing officer (CMO) at Netflix gives a behind-the-scenes look at life in the C-suite and beyond. She also posts super-impactful interviews on career advice, confidence and leadership that she's given on physical and virtual stages.
Robyn M. Neal, Social Media Manager
@robynmneal Game Day in the Life - Celtics vs Sixers
♬ Work Out (Talkbox) - Adam Tahere
She's a sports fanatic who spends her days in floor seats tweeting pics and posting bomb updates for the Boston Celtics. On top of letting us live vicariously through her TikToks, Robyn also shares job opportunities in the sports industry, as well as the day-in-the-life of her career as social media manager.
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
Courtesy
Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy