Generational wealth is the wave and judging from the way Ciara is out here hustling, you can add baby Future and Sienna Princess to the names of brown children on the Forbes list. The singer recently announced that she will be the new Creative Director for Nike and Jordan's fall kids collection, which will be sold exclusively at Finish Line; but this isn't the only pot of gold that our girl CiCi has had her hand in over the past year.
Along with becoming a student at Harvard's online business school, the entrepreneur also recently signed her first artist to her own record label and is also the host of the new Nickelodeon competition show, America's Most Talented Family, and maintaining her status as a full-time wife and mother at the same damn time. We can all take a page out of the 33-year-old Beauty Marks singer when it comes to leveling up our income by diversifying our hustle (and she reportedly has a $20 million net worth to show for it).
There are a million ways to get it, and you don't have to only choose one. Ciara has dabbled in a number of industries and so can you. While you may feel that you don't have the time, money, or resources to truly step out on faith, it's cool. Ciara says that the true key to leveling up your hustle is simply showing up. The mommy mogul told Billboard:
"Never give up and keep believing in yourself. There were so many times where I have heard 'No' and I feel like that if I had listened, I wouldn't be here today. Set goals."
Here are a few other things we can learn from Ciara's entrepreneurial journey:
Speak It Into Existence
You're the first person to hear everything you say, so if you're constantly spewing negativity and doubt into the world, you're the first person that you hurt. Ciara says that the power of manifestation has been integral in her journey because you can't truly be the architect of your own life without a blueprint.
"There's something to the power of manifestation. I'm actually planning to do my next chapter sheet again, where I take a moment to write down the goals I want to accomplish -- and writing [it] down is huge because you start to give yourself a compass on where you're trying to get. I really believe you can't get anywhere in life without a compass. Speak it into the universe, write it down and then follow up!"
Own Your Sh*t, Literally
To truly become the master of your own fate, you have to own your sh*t, and Ciara took this advice literally. Along with owning the masters to all of her music, the singer also recently jump-started her own entertainment label alongside her husband, proving that creative ownership is probably the most valuable thing an entrepreneur can have in the digital age:
"The idea of ownership is really important to me and that's what this phase is about. It's truly about, let's really build things to where it can last for a really long time and I can really reap the full benefits of my labor. I've been in systems and the way the deals are typically structured for us artists, we don't really get to reap the full financial benefits of our labor."
Be The Table
God's "Yes" is more valuable than a hundred thousand "No's" and the entertainment industry had to learn this the hard way. After an industry professional rejected Ci Ci's vision for her now certified platinum single, "Level Up," the singer stopped looking for a seat at the table and built her own. She told Billboard:
"When [a major] CEO told me that I didn't have the right vision or I wasn't necessarily choosing the right record, the fans decided it was. And nothing could stop that; nothing could stop the fact that there were tons and tons of viral clips happening like literally within 24 hours with 'Level Up.' That was my fan's true reaction and so it shows you [the] power of the fan. It shows you the power of your platform, the power of also building a brand. It's a whole different day and age in the music culture and we all have to adjust."
Featured image by Instagram/@Ciara.