Jada Pinkett Smith Does Not Lend Money To Family And Friends
OK, so it goes without saying, that Jada Pinkett Smith knows a lil' bit about money. She's worth [redacted] millions of dollars, her husband is worth [redacted, redacted] millions of dollars, and her kids keep chips on them too. So, at her caliber and status, she can probably rap "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" with more conviction than Mase, Puff, or Biggie ever could.
And Jada wasn't shy about expressing any of it on the latest, and final, Red Table Talk episode of the season. When a caller reached out to ask how she deals with giving money to family and friends, well...sis went in.
"So, I came up with a couple rules for myself. First of all, I don't lend money. I only give money that I'm willing to give away, like, 'this is a gift.' I do not lend money because that turns into a lot of problems just as far as the expectation of people paying back. So, I tend to not give where I can't just say, 'here's a gift for you.' Specifically people who are really close to me because I'm not trying to have fallouts over money."
She continued:
"And then the next thing is, when someone really needs help, I really evaluate it to see if the person is ready for that help. So, if somebody is like, 'I want a new house' but they don't have a job to support the house they're trying to buy, it's like, well, you're not ready for that. So, I'm not about to help you get into something that ultimately is going to make more difficulty for you."
Clearly, she may be on to something as Oprah echoed her sentiments before where, in a video interview with O Magazine, she said she also doesn't lend money: "Just have it as a standard policy: Don't loan friends money," she says before Gayle interjects with: "But Oprah, what if your friend is in trouble?" Oprah answered:
"Give your friend the money and say, 'Look, I'm just gonna do this for you, you don't even have to pay me back.' 'Cause loaning friends money will cause you major issues in the friendship."
Whew.
Overall, Pinkett Smith has no problem with helping with friends and family, as long as the situation falls within her own boundaries. And she makes it clear that her boundaries are the only thing that matters when it comes to giving money.
"I would say for people like us who came from backgrounds where we didn't have much, the biggest thing is don't feel guilty because we got our grind on. You don't owe nobody nothing. Don't feel guilty. I've spent so many years feeling guilty, and my guilt made me feel like I owed everybody and I wasn't allowed to say 'no.' And that's just not true, right?"
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Featured image via Jada Pinkett Smith/Instagram
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy