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Crystal Etienne Revolutionized Period Panties And Now She's Paying It Forward
If you've never heard of Ruby Love, I'd have no choice but to kindly offer a side eye, implore you to drop everything for a quick Google search to get your mind right, and remind you of the golden rule of Black women and innovation where we always solve problems in a way that empowers, enlightens, and inspires. Period panties are no exception, delivering scores of us from the bondage of bulky pads, embarrassing spotting, workout-ruining snafus, and potentially problematic tampons. Ruby Love could be considered the Kamala Harris of period panties.
Its founder, Crystal Etienne, launched the brand with a $25,000 back in 2016, well before the dozens of similar lines that exist today were even a thought. She then expanded it into a more than $50 million fem-tech brand that has grown to offer apparel and swimwear. Now that she's taken the game to another level, she's paying it forward, literally, with the launch of CaJE, a venture capital fund she started alongside her husband, Jean. CaJE will provide "soil funding" to early-stage startups founded by women, and entrepreneurs can also access to resources including mentorship.
"The reason it came about is because my husband saw my frustration in the beginning of trying to raise funds and really figuring out everything on my own," Crystal said in an exclusive xoNecole interview. "I get so many inbound inquiries of people asking for help, and he saw how overwhelming it was for them. That is why we decided we're going to use our own funds to help Black women who just don't know what to do and just need like $1,000 to $25,000 to really start in expanding their businesses."
Check out more on why she decided to launch CaJE and how she balances marriage and running her Ruby Love, all while helping others to finance their ventures:
First, let's get into this concept of 'soil funding.' What exactly is it, and why is it important for minority women entrepreneurs?
Soil funding is that family-and-friend round that, as Black women, we always hear about but we don't necessarily have family members to loan us $1,000 or even $500. What was most important to us was that we would use our own funds and we don't have to answer to anyone. We can help who we want when we want to. We have the means to do it—both financially and education-wise—so it was time.
Courtesy of CaJE
Talk about partnering with your husband, Jean, on this new venture. How do you two balance your duties as 'couplepreneurs'?
Crystal Etienne: The key is to stay in your lane. We know what one person is very strong and very good at and we tend to stay in our lanes when it comes to that. My husband and I have worked together with Ruby Love—he's the director of fulfillment and operations—and he controls the back end. I control the front. When there is an issue or problem, the bottom line stops at who is in charge of [that department]. With CaJE, it's the same thing.
What does a day in the life look like for you now that you're running both Ruby Love and CaJE?
I'm still the CEO of Ruby Love, which takes up a great deal of my time, but I also have a great team there. Ruby Love is pretty much established, but CaJE is something new for us. What I have seen, [in terms of] the difference with CaJE, is that people are looking for capital and mentorship. People get so emotional because we're getting deep into showing entrepreneurs and telling them what they need to improve on. And I'm very direct. People have cried while pitching, which I've never experienced before.
I've had people literally break down because they're so overwhelmed and just do not know what to do. They also might feel embarrassed, and I have to explain to them that there's nothing absolutely wrong. You just need to get to the next step.
Find out more about how you can pitch your business and check out Crystal Etienne's Instagram and the CaJE website.
Featured image by courtesy of CaJE
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
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."