

Ciara's New Partnership With Nike Shows Us That It Pays To Diversify Your Hustle
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.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
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Revolt TV's Alison Threadgill Talks Career Pivot And Changing The Game In Entertainment
Switching things up in our careers---and thriving at doing so---is nothing new to us. Since, as ambitious Black women in our own right, we're often tasked with challenging ourselves, pushing ourselves past the status quo, and fighting to live out the best careers we can.
Alison Threadgill, senior director of talent relations at Revolt, made a pivot from serving as a publicist to working with top entertainment personalities in talent relations, and in her more than 15 years of experience, she's been able to elevate through the ranks of entertainment---previously at TV One and its sister companies Radio One, iOne, Reach Media and One Solution.
"I get to cast and highlight artists and creators and cultural leaders who are really driving the culture forward," she said. "At Revolt, we are very unapologetically hip-hop, and so I'm always searching for fresh voices and undiscovered artists. Revolt really is a platform that's for people like that to be showcased to the world. ... It's exciting to work in this world where I have the opportunity to really elevate Black voices and Black audiences."
I caught up with Alison to talk about why she chose to shift from PR to her current post, how we can all truly lift as we climb--even in industries that might have reputations for being super-competitive, and how she's working the job of her dreams to the max.
Marcus Ingram / Contributor/Getty
xoNecole: You mentioned pushing the culture forward. What does that specifically mean for Revolt as a network?
Alison Threadgill: One of the things that makes Revolt unique is that we represent a very Gen Z and millennial voice. What the status quo is, is not what we're about. We are sparking conversations that are going to bring about change, to make people think differently, to get people to realize that just because something has been a certain way, doesn't mean that's the way that it should be or should continue to be. We pride ourselves on being very disruptive and bringing about voices that showcase that.
We have a new show that's coming later this year where there will be lots of different voices.
We're coming up on an election year, and so being able to have voices in our community that are talking about issues that are important to us and understanding that there's a lot wrong in the world, our people are so often overlooked and mistreated, and so what do we as a community need to do to really impact change? Who are the people we need to empower who are not just going to give us lip service but are actually going to do things to create change?
It's about starting those conversations and understanding, for our audience, that Revolt is a place you can come to hear that and see that.
xoN: You pivoted from PR to talent relations. What transferable skills have helped you in doing so?
AT: One of the things that is a skill set that you have to have for both is working with very different personalities. Working in PR, I worked very closely with talent all of the time. I think that was probably the key skill set between the two---understanding that, especially in the celebrity world, you can work with very challenging personalities, whether it be on the management or agent side, to the talent themselves. Just understanding how to work with all kinds of personalities to be able to get your job done, I would say, would be the No. 1 skill between the two.
xoN: What advice do you have for young women who want to pursue a pivot into talent relations?
AT: Can I speak to entertainment in general? This is something that can work in both. I think one thing that a lot of people---especially for [those] who are not in large markets--a New York, an Atlanta, an LA--it can be daunting. How do I break in? [It's by] volunteering, even with something at the local level, so that you're gaining experience in entertainment. What you're doing as a volunteer may not be something you absolutely love, but it's giving you the exposure to all these other entertainment jobs, what other people are doing, that you didn't even know existed that interests you. Volunteering is huge in figuring out what you want to [do] and giving you exposure to other areas.
The other thing that I think we don't do enough, especially as Black people---and sometimes as women--- is using our network---talking to your network. Telling your friends, colleagues, and associates about things that interest you in entertainment.
It's important to put yourself out there because if people don't know, they can't help you. It may not be a situation where it's something they know about, but a friend of [a] friend might mention that they're looking for somebody or know somebody.
It's easy to not share because you assume people may not be tapped in, but you don't know who they know---so just really be open to putting yourself out there. So much about this industry is about relationships, and doors open because of your relationships.
Also, using LinkedIn as a tool if you don't know anybody in entertainment or there's a role you're interested in.
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Featured image by Shawne Turrentine/Art Trends LLC