Whether you work a 9 to 5 or run your own business, life still happens. There are going to be ups and downs in your professional journey, and it can be tricky trying to navigate through it all. To speak more on that topic, I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Karlet Hewitt, a full-time entrepreneur based out of NYC. I met Karlet through a mutual connection who shared her story with me, and I knew I had to learn more.
Karlet graduated in 2009 and worked as an Executive Assistant for 10+ years at an investment bank. During that time, she was the go-to person everyone turned to with the smallest of tasks to the biggest of tasks. It wasn't until she heard God's voice telling her, "You don't belong here," that Karlet believed she could offer the world much more. It was time to step out on faith and start her entrepreneurial journey. Karlet started the Purpoint Group back in 2015 as a side hustle and finally decided to leave her corporate job in May 2019.
"I remember sitting at that desk in January 2019. I was making $100,000 a year and they'd just assigned me with the additional responsibility of sorting out the Poland spring water and snacks in the pantry. And I was like, 'Who, me? You want me to maintain the pantry, run the office, manage client reporting, do research, and plan events?' That's when I started to develop a strong nudge in my spirit, saying, 'Is this what you're worth? I have more for you.' That's when I decided to jump out on faith and resign. They were shocked! Immediately after, God flipped my world upside down. Literally upside down."
"I remember sitting at that desk in January 2019. I was making $100,000 a year and they'd just assigned me with the additional responsibility of sorting out the Poland spring water and snacks in the pantry. And I was like, 'Who, me? You want me to maintain the pantry, run the office, manage client reporting, do research, and plan events?' That's when I started to develop a strong nudge in my spirit, saying, 'Is this what you're worth? I have more for you.'"
The Purpoint Group is an agency that provides front to back business solutions and strategies, inclusive of event planning, publicity support, branding, and technology support. Even though The Purpoint Group was the successful new venture Karlet needed, she was facing life-changing news. During the height of COVID-19, Karlet found herself going through a divorce, still grieving the loss of her mother, all while trying to maintain a business and be a mother herself. With 2020 happenings, grief is something people have been dealing with lately, especially in the black community.
Karlet was able to share her story about coping with her grief and the lesson it taught her:
Navigating Grief During a Career Change:
Instagram/@karlethewitt
Death is the one thing in life that is certain. Death is an eye-opener for anyone that we are all on borrowed time, and we should not waste it. What helps with grieving after death is using the time you still have wisely, and continuing to have faith. For Karlet, the news of her mother becoming ill hit like a ton of bricks and left with a feeling that she notes as "indescribable". She shared, "As soon as I put in my two weeks' notice, my mom had just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. I remember feeling like, my gosh––I am losing my mother undeniably to this monster, cancer."
"I'm watching her wither away, my number one supporter, my best friend. The feeling is still indescribable."
Karlet expressed that her faith in God as her source to not stay in the pain that grief brings. She still has support from her family members and friends to lean on during the "not so good" days. She understands that this loss is something that she will never get over, but Karlet has faith in God that she can get through any dark tunnel. "I'm very rooted in my faith, so I went directly to God and said, 'Alright, God, I don't know what you are doing, but I trust you. You have put all these pillars in front of me, and I have no choice but to wiggle through this obstacle course.'"
Navigating Grief During the End of a Marriage:
We experience grief from relationships because it is still considered a loss. In a relationship, there is a sense of support in times of life's peaks and valleys. When a person no longer serves you or can no longer be that support you need, you can feel a sense of loneliness and even betrayal. "I had a moment where my emotions were very raw; naturally, I was mad. I was angry," she told xoNecole.
While you should welcome those emotions because you have every right to feel them, Karlet reminds herself of her value and her strength, daily. "I think, as women, we still get things done on our own, especially when you are goal-driven. Before I was married, I was a single mom. As a black woman, no matter what's happening around us, we are always going to take care of our home, our children and get things done."
Karlet knows that whoever stays or leaves in her life, she is her most important support system, and no man can take that away from her. "My mother always taught me one man don't stop, no show. So whether you are in or out, friend, partner, husband, client, employer, Karlet is always going to be OK," she added.
Navigating Motherhood While Grieving:
Instagram/@karlethewitt
Black women are regarded as superheroes, and rightfully so, however the terminology can play the role of a double-edged sword. The world expects us to wear multiple hats and in the face of pain, the word 'strong' acts as an unlikely adversary to the necessary act of addressing our own needs. Karlet agrees that we are capable of showing up for others, especially for our children, but we have to be mindful of showing up for ourselves first. "This past January, I was battling depression. My son, who is seven, looked at me and said, 'Mom, you must get up.' That's when I realized; he too is experiencing this loss. At just seven years old, if he can wake up every day, enthusiastic and hopeful and say to himself, 'I don't know what's going on, but I know my mommy's going to take care of me,' that encourages me to keep going every day."
"Although I don't know what's going on during this season of my life, I know my Father's going to take care of me."
The phrase "you can't pour from an empty cup" is more real than we think. When women can take a step back and check-in on ourselves to make sure we are in a good space mentally and spiritually, everyone else will benefit. "Mommies––detach your identity from your children. As long as you are well, your children are always going to well. I think it is important, as mothers, we learn that outside of our children, we still exist. We can't get lost in the title of 'Mom'. It's not an easy thing to do, but it's necessary."
Navigating Grief as an Entrepreneur:
Ultimately, as with anything in life, grief can offer a learning experience and if you let it, you can move through it having gained something amid your loss. Karlet is proof of this sentiment as well. "Grief has taught me that no matter what's happening in your business, life is still happening. We are all going through something. Grief has taught me to be still. As entrepreneurs, we are always trying to figure out the next thing. We need to learn to enjoy life for what it is right now."
"We need to learn to be present. I'm a big fan of journaling, and my self-care is to shut everything down. I had to learn to detach from the work and focus on being Karlet."
"Prayer is super important to me as well as mentorship." Karlet explained, "Having a healthy and consistent prayer life is a part of my business plan as well as mentors. Mentors help you connect with someone who has already been through what you're about to endure as an entrepreneur. They help you skip the unnecessary steps as you build your business. I encourage anyone experiencing grief in any way to find your people because it helps to have support and grounds you a little bit."
For more Karlet, follow her on Instagram!
Featured image by Instagram/@karlethewitt.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff