

As young millennial women, we don't talk about money enough - how we use it, how we earn it, how we feel about it, and everything else in between. Money Talks is an xoNecole series where we talk candidly to women about their relationship with money and how they get it.
Jaleska "J. Mulan" Holman is a culture manager, dream builder, entrepreneur, mentor and lifestyle specialist - who is a beast at saving money. At only 25-years-old, the Houston, Texas native is the founder of the J. Mulan Agency, which specializes in creative directing, casting, and more. Some of her most notable accomplishments to date include being solely responsible for the casting of Drake and Travis Scott's Grammy nominated music video "Sicko Mode," providing models for Lil' Wayne's SXSW event, as well as booking talent for Travis Scott's "Astroworld" concert.
As you can imagine, the fact that she's in her mid-twenties and so successful at what she does in the entertainment sector, money ain't a thing to her. However, everyone needs a budgeting strategy - and she's got the perfect advice for you. When asked by xoNecole about the money mantra she swears by, the professional print and runway model shares three: "money is a tool only a fool can abuse;" "money saved is just as important as money made;" and "assess the worth, not the dollar." Sounds like this boss babe knows her worth and how to add tax.
Culture queen and lifestyle specialist J. Mulan spills the tea on all of her money secrets for xoNecole's "Money Talks" segment about selling valuable trading cards, the feeling of purchasing her first home and the key to maintaining a health bank account.
On savings:
I try to save about 25-30% of total income monthly. I allocate percentages accordingly to two separate high-yield savings accounts. I haven't gotten into the Roth IRA field just yet because I'm very hands on when it comes to my finances so I'd like to have someone that I can trust with investments.
On defining wealth and success:
Wealth and success to me goes hand in hand with a proper measurement of your happiness. They both go far beyond the definition. Each person is different and value is placed on individual desire and no one thing is wrong, or even right. With that being said, the one particular thing that has always made me happy is being able to help and provide for others in any way I can be of service. Success is when you can look around and not be the only one enjoying the fruits.
Courtesy of J. Mulan
"Success is when you can look around and not be the only one enjoying the fruits."
On overcoming financial lows:
The lowest I've ever felt when it came to my finances was having to make a choice of enjoying something that I wanted or that made me happy versus having a necessity. There are certain things that don't deserve a price on it that does have one and when you can't reward yourself with that it gets tough and even depressing at times.
I overcame it by working harder and keeping my faith in God. Honestly truly putting forth the effort to change my mindset to meet my prayers and alter the power of my tongue and the words that I would speak over my life daily. Changing my surrounding and/or immediate circle for the time being to truly focus and become better. When you truly recognize and honor the small blessings of everyday life like being able to walk, and put your clothes on by yourself, your perspective of life really changes dramatically.
On her biggest splurge:
My biggest splurge was purchasing my first home! It honestly gave me a piece of peace. Of course, with the help and guidance of very close loved ones, we were all able to get the job done but it was something that was necessary for me. As I get older, certain things begin to lose value and at a point the necessary occurs and makes you look at what you need to do against what you want. It could've been very easy, and quicker, to go buy a new bag or designer pair of shoes but substance has been a new favorite word for me.
On if she’s a spender or a saver:
I mean honestly we're all sort of both spenders and savers because when you look at it, you're spending when you're saving. That isn't money that is accessible anymore, well it shouldn't be until in dire need, so I'd say both. I train myself to save by immediately removing a percentage from a check or payment I receive so that I don't see it. I'll immediately make a transfer to my savings account so that the only thing I see available is all I have to actively spend.
Courtesy of J. Mulan
"I train myself to save by immediately removing a percentage from a check or payment I receive so that I don't see it. I'll immediately make a transfer to my savings account so that the only thing I see available is all I have to actively spend."
On savings goals and retirement:
I feel like no one should have an overall savings goal, unless you're actively working towards a grand purchase or investment, because you should try to save everyday if you can for as long as you can. Every time you're adding funds, you should be immediately subtracting to increase your savings. Retirement to me right now is sort of blurry because I don't have the luxury to slow down anytime soon. My goals are becoming a lot more clearer, but I will say I am saving relentlessly to live comfortably whenever/if ever I decide to take an extended break or emergency or what have you.
On investing:
Investing is very important and is something I think one should fully understand before diving into. It is an everyday revolving door and just as heavy as the reward, heavier is the risk. I've been researching and practicing investing with more local close things that I can keep an eye on and really grasp before I decide to get into the big leagues. In hindsight, the goal is always to make your money work for you and investments are supreme ways of doing so. So knowing how to invest and assessing the risk is a great way to begin that process.
Courtesy of J. Mulan
"Investing is very important and is something I think one should fully understand before diving into. It is an everyday revolving door and just as heavy as the reward, heavier is the risk."
On her budget must-haves:
A budget must-have is an end. The budget must have an end point of where there is absolutely no wiggle room or negotiation. If it doesn't fit within that block, it can't happen.
On creating multiple streams of income:
When I started the J. Mulan Agency, it began with a one-track mission which served its purpose, but also caused me to burn out a bit quicker than I had planned. I had to get creative and open up a few different lanes that I had almost missed being so focused on not riding over the median. The Agency became full-service: branding, marketing, curating, etc. So I took one door down to reveal several others ultimately creating this endless creative revolving machine. So finding more ways out of one is always ideal when creating multiple streams of income. Having only one source can cause you to get comfortable and/or complacent, and that is fine as long as your desire for more out of life doesn't alter as well.
On the craziest thing she's done for money:
The craziest thing I've ever done for money was sell a valuable trading card that I had. It was one that I was gifted as a child that continued to increase in value as the years went by. It was a limited edition Yu-Gi-Oh! card. At the time, it was worth about $800 dollars and I sold it for $450. Today, it's worth about $7,435. It was part of the down payment for where I am today.
On the worst money-related decision she’s ever made:
Selling a collector's item about 1,000% percent under mark-up (laughs). But seriously, almost taking a deal that altered the integrity of my company, and myself for a good payout. I wouldn't call the deal me selling out or it even being extremely bad, but I made a vow to myself to always stay loyal to who I am and what I stand for regardless of any circumstance because there's always somebody we don't know watching for guidance.
On unhealthy money mindsets she had to release to succeed:
Having to feel like I had some sort of intense image to keep up. Everybody at some point gets caught up in the glitz and glam of things especially when you're making a couple of dollars and people start to know your name. It's one thing to look good and keep a well-groomed appearance, but it's another to be trying to look good.
On what changed once she adopted healthy money mindsets:
A healthy bank account and a clearer head space to focus on what's really important. What I needed began to come without asking and what I wanted came at the leisure of when I wanted it.
For more of J. Mulan, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of J. Mulan
Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney & Jill Marie Jones On 'Games Women Play' & Dating Over 40
What do you get when you mix unfiltered truths, high-stakes romance, and a few well-timed one-liners? You get Games Women Play—the sizzling new stage play by Je’Caryous Johnson that’s part relationship rollercoaster, part grown-woman group chat.
With a powerhouse cast that includes Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney, Jill Marie Jones, Carl Payne, Chico Bean, and Brian J. White, the play dives headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and heart-wrenching games people play for love, power, and peace of mind. And the women leading this story? They’re bringing their whole selves to the stage—and leaving nothing behind.
From Script to Spotlight
The road to Games Women Play started over 20 years ago—literally.
“This script was written 20 years ago,” Jill Marie Jones said with a smile. “It was originally called Men, Money & Gold Diggers, and I was in the film version. So when Je’Caryous called me to bring it to the stage, I was like, ‘Let’s go.’” Now reimagined for 2025, the play is updated with sharp dialogue and modern relationship dynamics that feel all too real.
Demetria McKinney, no stranger to Je’Caryous Johnson’s productions, jumped at the opportunity to join the cast once again. “This is my third time working with him,” she shared. “It was an opportunity to stretch. I’d never been directed by Carl Payne before, and the chance to work with talent I admire—Jill, Claudia, Chico—it was a no-brainer.”
Claudia Jordan joked that she originally saw the role as just another check. “I didn’t take it that seriously at first,” she admitted. “But this is my first full-on tour—and now I’ve got a whole new respect for how hard people work in theater. This ain’t easy.”
Modern Love, Stage Left
The play doesn’t hold back when it comes to the messier parts of love. One jaw-dropping moment comes when a live podcast proposal flips into a prenup bombshell—leaving the audience (and the characters) gasping.
Demetria broke it down with honesty. “People don’t ask the real questions when they date. Like, ‘Do you want kids? How do you feel about money?’ These convos aren’t happening, and then everyone’s confused. That moment in the play—it’s real. That happens all the time.”
Jill chimed in, noting how the play speaks to emotional disconnect. “We’re giving each other different tokens of love. Men might offer security and money. Women, we’re giving our hearts. But there’s a disconnect—and that’s where things fall apart.”
And then Claudia, of course, took it all the way there. “These men don’t even want to sign our prenups now!” she laughed. “They want to live the soft life, too. Wearing units, gloss, getting their brows done. We can’t have nothing! Y’all want to be like us? Then get a damn period and go through menopause.”
Dating Over 40: “You Better Come Correct”
When the conversation turned to real-life relationships, all three women lit up. Their experiences dating in their 40s and 50s have given them both clarity—and zero tolerance for games.
“I feel sexier than I’ve ever felt,” said Jill, who proudly turned 50 in January. “I say what I want. I mean what I say. I’m inside my woman, and I’m not apologizing for it.”
Demetria added that dating now comes with deeper self-awareness. “Anybody in my life is there because I want them there. I’ve worked hard to need nobody. But I’m open to love—as long as you keep doing what got me there in the first place.”
For Claudia, the bar is high—and the peace is priceless. “I’ve worked hard for my peace,” she said. “I’m not dating for food. I’m dating because I want to spend time with you. And honestly, if being with you isn’t better than being alone with my candles and fountains and cats? Then no thanks.”
Channeling Strength & Icon Status
Each actress brings something different to the play—but all of them deliver.
“I actually wish I could be messier on stage,” Claudia joked. “But I think about my grandmother—she was born in 1929, couldn’t even vote or buy a house without a man, and didn’t give a damn. She was fearless. That’s where my strength comes from.”
For Jill, the comparisons to her iconic Girlfriends character Toni Childs aren’t far off—but this role gave her a chance to dig deeper. “If you really understood Toni, you’d see how layered she was. And Paisley is the same—misunderstood, but strong. There’s more to her than people see at first glance.”
Demetria, who juggles singing and acting seamlessly, shared that live theater pushes her in a new way. “Every moment on stage counts. You can’t redo anything. It’s a different kind of love and discipline. You have to give the performance away—live, in the moment—and trust that it lands.”
Laughter, Lessons & Black Girl Gems
The show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—and the cast isn’t shy about who steals scenes.
“Chico Bean gets a lot of gasps and laughs,” Claudia said. “And Naomi Booker? Every scene she’s in—she’s hilarious.”
But the play isn’t just about humor. It leaves space for reflection—especially for Black women.
“I hope we get back to the foundation of love and communication,” said Demetria. “A lot of us are in protector mode. But that’s turned into survival mode. We’ve lost softness. We’ve lost connection.”
Claudia agreed. “We’re doing it all—but it’s not because we want to be strong all the time. It’s because we have to be. And I just want women to know: You can have peace, you can be soft. But stop bringing your old pain into new love. Don’t let past heartbreak build walls so high that the right person can’t climb over.”
Final Act: Pack the House
If there’s one thing this cast agrees on, it’s that this play isn’t just entertainment—it’s necessary.
“Atlanta is the Black entertainment hub,” Claudia said. “We need y’all to show up for this play. Support the arts. Support each other. Because when we pack the house, we make space for more stories like this.”
Games Women Play is more than a play—it’s a mirror. You’ll see yourself, your friends, your exes, and maybe even your next chapter. So get ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even heal—because the games are on.
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Be Careful. Those Casual Friendships Can Be Red Flags Too.
A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to someone vent about an area of frustration that they couldn’t seem to get to the root of — why they keep getting taken advantage of by certain individuals. When you’ve been a life coach for as long as I have (and you were a journalist before that), you learn how to ask certain questions that can cause people to consider things that they may never have before.
So, when I asked her, “What is the common thread with all of those folks? And sit still for two minutes before answering,” when she finally heard her own self speak, her eyes got wide and her mouth dropped open: “They’re all people who I’m not really sure what they are in my life.”
Ding. Ding. DING.
A life coach by the name of Thomas Leonard once said that “Clarity affords focus” and, believe you me, when it comes to dealing with other human beings, if you don’t get clear on where you stand when it comes to your interactions with them, you can very easily find yourself “focusing too much” on those who don’t deserve it and too little on those who absolutely do. And y’all, this lil’ PSA couldn’t be more relevant than when it comes to what I call “casual friendships.”
Let’s dig — and for some of us, dig our way out of — what it means to have a casual friend, so that you can get clear on if you really need those in your life…and if so…why?
Article continues after the video.
It Can’t Be Said Enough: Always Remember What “Casual” Means
There’s a reason why I decided to share two videos by mental health coach Isaiah Frizzle at the top and bottom of this article. It’s because a lot of what he shares in both of them complements a piece that I wrote for the platform last year entitled, “This Is Just What Purposeful Relationships Look Like.”
It’s the author M. Scott Peck who once said, “Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it” and please believe that the older (and hopefully more mature) you get, the more you tend to see just how valuable — and fleeting — time is; and that is what plays a huge role in motivating you want to only involve yourself with people, places, things and ideas that will honor your time — and when something is casual? In my opinion, it’s highly debatable that it’s worth much of your months, days, hours, or even too many of your minutes.
The main reason why is addressed in an article that I wrote back in the day entitled, “We Should Really Rethink The Term 'Casual Sex.'” The gist? When it comes to relationships, “casual” is certainly not a favorite word of mine because I know what it means. Have mercy — why would you want to invest your time, energy, and emotions into something that is, by definition, apathetic, indifferent, careless, lacking emotional intimacy, and/or is without purpose?
I don’t know about y’all but that sounds like a complete and total crap shoot to me — especially if you are going to go so far as to consider this type of dynamic a true friendship (check out “Ever Wonder If A Friend Is Just...Not That Into You?,” “6 Signs You're About To Make A Huge Mistake In Making Them A Close Friend,” “5 Signs Of A Toxic Friendship That Is Secretly Poisoning Your Life,” “12 Friend Facts That Might Cause You To Rethink (Some Of) Your Own,” and “Less & Less Of Us Have Close Friends These Days. Why Is That?” ).
To me, when you decide to call someone “friend,” it means that they are loyal, reliable, consistent, trustworthy and willing to be there to support you to the very best of their ability — even if it’s inconvenient to do so sometimes (check out “Life Taught Me That True Friendships Are 'Inconvenient'”). How in the world can you expect that from something that has the word “casual” in it?
And you know what? That actually segues into my next point about casual friendships pretty darn well.
Ponder the Purpose “Casual Friends” Serve in Your Life
A couple of years ago, Verywell Mind published an article entitled, “How the 4 Types of Friendship Fit Into Your Life.” The four that it listed were acquaintances (which I actually don’t consider to be friends; check out “6 Differences Between A Close Acquaintance And An Actual Friend”), casual friends, close friends, and lifelong friends. After reading the piece, I think they consider casual friends to be the “pleasure” friends that I mentioned in the article, “According To Aristotle, We Need ‘Utility’, ‘Pleasure’ & ‘Good’ Friends.”
And although I certainly get that, I think my “cause for pause” is calling those people “friends” when they probably should be called something like an associate or possibly even a buddy instead. Why do I feel this way? Well, I’ve shared in other articles that I think social media has jacked up vocabulary words and their true meaning on a billion different levels.
Take “friend,” for example. Facebook had us out here calling everyone we connected to on their platform “friends” when some of them, we’ve never even spoken to before — and I personally think that influenced, affected and perhaps even infected our psyche to the point where we will call folks, both online and off, “friend” even when they haven’t earned it and/or who possibly don’t deserve it.
That said, do I think that we all could use lighthearted interactions that don’t go very deep and are filled with not much more than fun? Sure. However, if we were to move this over into a sexual thing — those types of people would probably be called a sneaky link, and there is nothing significant or substantial about ‘em. In fact, if anything pretty much automatically comes with an expiration date, sneaky links would have to be it.
And that’s kind of the point that I’m trying to make about a casual friend — so long as you know that the word “casual” is being used to describe them, while you may enjoy the people who fit that bill, they aren’t really anything that you can or even should fully rely on. Instead, take them for what they are and don’t really expect much more than that. Otherwise, you could be in for some profound levels of disappointment. And who wants that?
Final point.
How a Casual Friend Can Become a Huge Red Flag
I’m telling you, y’all gonna quit clowning Tubi. LOL. To me, the best way to describe it is it’s the Cricket of current streaming apps. What I mean by that is, back when Cricket (the cell phone service) first came out, people, like me, who used it service got incessantly clowned because it was seen as a bootleg provider. Now it’s owned by AT&T, and as someone who has rocked with them since I was in my 20s, I don’t have one regret for doing so. Cricket has always been good to me, chile.
And Tubi? Well, when you get a chance, check out CNBC’s article, “CEO at 33, Tubi’s Anjali Sud on success hacks she learned at Amazon, IAC on way to top of Fox streaming” — take note of the moves the streaming app is making and the quality of programming that is transpiring in real time.
Anyway, I find myself bringing up Tubi more and more in my content because it helps to amplify some of the points that I like to make. This time, it’s a movie that’s (currently) on there calledRight Man, Wrong Woman. If you haven’t seen it before, I don’t want to give too much of the film away. What I will say is that the main female character, she had a casual friend and then she had a close friend.
That casual friend—the one who liked to kick it all of the time—was a lot of fun; however, dealing with her came with a ton of semi-unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, the close friend? She’s what the Aristotle article (that I mentioned earlier) would call the “good friend” because she tried her best to hold her friend accountable.
And really, it shouldn’t be a shock that the casual friend turned out to be a plum trip because if someone is loads of entertainment and pleasure and yet they are indifferent towards you, they make careless decisions around you and/or they don’t really make known the purpose for you being in their life other than to pass some time — where really do you and that person have to go past drinks after work or dinner on a rooftop restaurant from time to time? And if that is all that the two of you are doing, again, why are they deserving of the word “friend”?
Hmph and don’t get me started on the lack of reciprocity that typically transpires when it comes to dealing with people like this because, while they won’t mind you spending your coins on them, taking their calls in the middle of the night or listening to all of their issues — when it comes time for them to show up for you, they very well may gaslight you into thinking that you are being dramatic, clingy or “doing the most.” Why? Well, it’s mostly because the two of you never really established what the hell the both of you are to one another.
And so, while you’re somewhere taking them seriously, they are out here seeing you casually, and as much as it might hurt to hear, that doesn’t automatically or necessarily make them a bad person. You shouldn’t expect much where no clarity is involved. After all, casual is just that: CASUAL.
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I’m hoping that you can now see why I entitled this piece in the way that I did. It’s because a red flag is pretty much a warning, and to me, a casual friend is about as big of an oxymoron (again, to me) as casual sex is. Friends and sex are both too intimate to be seen or treated casually. Oh, but if you step out and take that risk, you could find yourself getting far more involved than the other individual ever wanted to go, because casual is how things have always been. “Friend” was simply to get you more mentally and emotionally invested. SMDH.
American columnist Walter Winchell once said, “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” A wise person once said, “One good friendship will outlive forty average loves." Former President Ulysses S. Grant once said, “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” Does any of this sound casual to you? Yeah, me neither.
Again, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have people in your life who aren’t on deep levels. I’m just saying that you might want to consider putting them into another category than friend, because what friends do for people? There ain’t nothin’ even remotely casual about it, sis. Not even a lil’ bit.
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