Social Media Was The Key To Keke Palmer's Career Evolution
Recently, it was announced that Keke Palmer was in talks to become a permanent co-host on Strahan and Sarah, and although our hot girl summer is in its final days, Keke Palmer just showed us how to be fruitful and multiply a bag all damn year. While it may seem like Keke's come-up is overnight, her decade-long track record proves she's not new to this media mogul sh*t, she's true to it.
In 2006, Keke starred in her first feature film as a young girl desperate to win a spelling bee. Today, that same little girl is on a mission to become the queen bee of the entertainment industry, but this time, her only competition is herself. This year, the 25-year-old actress is dropping an album under her own label and starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu in the feature film Hustlers, and she recently opened up about her bossed-up career evolution on an episode of Kandi Burruss' Speak On It.
According to Keke, the key to truly elevating and diversifying her brand was doing whatever tf she wants.
Even though the actress doesn't always get the credit she deserves, she continues to do what she loves simply because she wants to.
"I understand that the industry comes in ebbs and flows. For me, it's all about, am I having fun and I'm loving it. The people that love my work, some of them like my movies, some of them like my music, but my true fans, they'll follow me wherever I go and that's why I do it. I love to entertain them."
To Keke, one of the most powerful tools she has had in the industry is social media. While Keke was always booked and busy, platforms like Instagram and YouTube have given her the authority to make deals on her own terms.
"That space is what allowed me to even more so broaden my brand and show a bit more of my colors. Because I was in charge."
I'm sorry to tell you, sis. But nobody can "put you on", only you can do that. No matter how many networks, plugs, or contacts you have, you are the only person who can put you in a position to win. For Keke, social media was the key to capitalizing on her own capabilities:
"It wasn't like I was asking someone for a role or an opportunity, it was like, this is my Instagram page and this where I can put all my stuff. It came so much to the point that people reached out to me for opportunities just because of my Instagram page."
FYI: Keke will still be the same edgy, free-spirited, foul language-using icon that she is authentically with or without a check. Thanks to social media, this badass isn't restricted by the confines of what's socially acceptable and her fans love her that much more because of it. She explained:
"I love where we are now because it allows me to be that much more broad. Because I get to see what different aspects [my audience is] enjoying and that's when I first realized that people really enjoyed my sketches."
When you can't find a lane, you create one, and that's exactly how Keke used social media to elevate her brand beyond what she thought was possible. No matter what this talented entertainer has up her sleeve next, she says that you can count on seeing it on her instagram.
"As I've grown and I've evolved as an entertainer, that's the space in which I've found I can have the most creative freedom to try out all of those different variants of who I am."
Check out the full clip below!
Speak On It With Keke Palmerwww.youtube.com
Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
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.
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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Another season of Love Is Blind has come to a close, and almost two months later we’re still unpacking the drama that is Clay and AD. The finale, reunion, and post-interviews with Clay and AD after season six of Love Is Blind left millions of people wondering - why couldn’t AD see the signs? Clay told her he had a fear of marriage, his parents experienced infidelity, and he seemed to have many doubts about saying, "I do."
After changing his mind at the altar and hearing AD question why she feels like she’s never enough, I was finished watching. I didn’t need to hear anything else because, at that moment, I realized this wasn’t about Clay; this was about AD feeling inadequate before she ever met Clay.
If I’m honest, I don’t watch much dating television. TikTok keeps me updated with the clips that I need to see in order to be kept in the loop, but it’s difficult for me to watch an entire season of dating TV because seeing Black women settle for less and questioning their beauty is a trigger for me. In many ways, there were points in my life where I was AD, settling and ignoring red flags because I wanted to be loved.
Now, on the other side, it doesn’t feel good to see Black women lower their standards on national television. There have been many hot takes on this couple and who was in the wrong. Did Clay play in AD’s face or did she not listen to the truth of what he told her from day one? Was his reason for joining the show to promote his business and not to find the one?
We’ll never know the truth, but what we can do is learn tactics to better our self-worth. Founder and CEO of The Self Love Organization Denise Francis shared her expertise with xoNecole on what tangible steps to take to improve feelings of worthiness. “Self-love blooms in a garden where self-worth is planted, nourished, and whole. However, when your self-worth is challenged, displaced, or broken, it could be difficult to rebuild," Denise explains.
How To Rebuild Self-Worth
During her self-love coaching sessions, Denise likes to walk her clients through the cornerstones of rebuilding self-worth: grace and self-compassion. To her, self-worth is never lost, it's only displaced, so practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace is a must. "We tend to place our self-worth in entities and people of ourselves such as relationship status, physical appearance, material possessions, social media followings, what others think of us, and more. Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth.
"Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth."
"When we place our value into people or things, we tend to feel that we are not enough, worth it, special, or important when relationship status, job titles, friendships, and physical appearances are lost or changed. We then tend to feel lost within ourselves because we’ve placed our value outside of ourselves. Using grace and compassion, you can rebuild your self-worth by returning home to who you are at your core," she concludes.
How To Return Home To Yourself
Denise advises taking a step back and using self-reflection through journaling by answering the following journaling prompts:
First, ask yourself, "What do you tend to attach your self-worth to and why?"
Is it your relationships, your job title, your finances, your appearance, etc.? Why do you think you place so much emphasis on external status? How does it make you feel when you are defining yourself through these entities and/or people outside of yourself?
Then, ask yourself, "Without these things, who am I?"
Once you have your answers, show yourself kindness, remove the shame, and, as Denise says, "Redefine yourself by detaching your value from the things and people you have no control over and no longer serve you. Challenge yourself to define yourself outside of titles and societal values."
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person. You begin to find value in the way you love instead of your relationship status, your compassion instead of your popularity, your drive instead of your income/job title, and your heart instead of your physical appearance," she adds.
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person."
"Be intentional with healing your self-worth by leaning into the people and things that nourish your core values. Surround yourself with the people who love and cherish you, they will always remind you just how valuable you truly are."
It all goes back to self-compassion and grace. As Denise explains, leading with those two things as you heal and rebuild your self-worth allows you to reduce negative self-talk that might come up for you. "This weakens thoughts like, 'I am not enough... why am I never enough?'" she shares, "And 'I don't deserve this while strengthening thoughts like 'I deserve better,' 'I am enough,' and 'I am worth it.'"
Denise continues, "Once you return home and remember the irreplaceable person you are, you can rebuild your self-worth by placing it back where it belongs. It belongs to you."
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Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images
