10 Mother-Daughter Bosses Getting Money Together & Loving It
It's always good to see women winning in business. And when it's a family affair, that's even better, especially for Black women who are creating legacies and creating generational wealth by working with loved ones. Mother-daughter entrepreneur duos are killing the game today, making sure their families are set and getting to the money by working smart. From 2014 to 2019, female-led ventures launched by women of color grew by 50 percent, and more recent stats show that 60 percent of family businesses have women in top management positions. Almost a quarter are led by women CEOs or presidents.
This Mother's Day, let's celebrate a few mother-daughter business duos who continue to show us that you can indeed work with family, thrive, and succeed:
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Tina Knowles-Lawson and Beyonce Carter
We're always here for Auntie Tina, the mother of Queen Bey and Solange, and we're definitely here for the moves she's made not only as a mom but as a businesswoman and social justice advocate. Bey and Solange grew up with boss beautician mom who ran her own salon in Houston. Along with designing major looks for Beyonce and Solange, she co-founded Beyond Productions, a lucrative designer and licensor of women's apparel and accessories (and the company behind House of Dereon and Miss Tina lines). Tina Lawson also partnered on numerous charity and service initiatives with organizations including the BeyGOOD foundation, the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, and The Survivors Foundation. She continues to lend her voice, resources, and influence to issues of police brutality, racism, and justice system reform.
Stacia Pierce and Ariana Pierce
Stacia Pierce, the mother in this duo, is a dynamic speaker and life and business coach who founded her online platform to be a resource to women leaders across the country. Her daughter, Ariana Pierce, is an author, coach, and entrepreneur in her own right. They've teamed up to launch the Women and Wealth Success Club and virtual conferences to empower women.
Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor
Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor are the founders of Medley, a membership-based community made up of curated small groups who get coaching and leadership resources for career growth. They also help facilitate diversity and employee retention through their efforts in building community and providing safe spaces for workers.
Courtney Adeleye and Lily Adeleye
Courtney Adeleye, the multi-millionaire founder of super-successful haircare line The Mane Choice, has instilled the same business savvy into her daughter, founder of Lily Frilly. The fun and colorful line of children's accessories, apparel, and backpacks that are available at Target, and the brand has expanded as a resource of empowerment for children and youth via networking and events.
Adriane Mack and Anatasia Linkpon
Described as a "love project," BoujFleaMarket is an online marketplace sparked by an idea seven-year-old Anastasia Linkpon had to offer fun items for kids or those who are a "kid at heart." Her mom, Adriane Mack, supported the vision and the site was launched, offering things like vegan bodycare, cute lightning-bolt earrings, and purses shaped like fast-food takeout, to name a few.
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Adrienne Norris, Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Smith
This trio of Black girl magic who sits around the infamous crimson platform for Facebook's Red Table Talk is simply the breath of fresh air we all need on the Web. They host multi-generational conversations on topics including family traumas, love, mental health, and more, and Jada Pinkett Smith is co-founder of Westbrook Media, the production company behind the show. Adrienne Norris, also known as "Gammy", hosts her own podcast Positively Gam, where she talks aging, sex, and issues in the Black community, and Willow Smith continues to slay in music and fashion, having previously served as the face of Chanel Eyewear.
Ellen Ector and Lana Ector
These women have revolutionized the phrase "Black girls work out, too," and given us all inspiration for fitness, wellness, and business. Ellen Ector and Lana Ector are co-founders of Gymnetics Fitness, a private studio and online platform founded in 2010. They bring a combined 25 years of training and fitness regime experience to the wellness space, diversifying the images and influencers we see that promote healthy lifestyles and habits.
Danielle Pasha and Samiah Pasha
BeatHouse Cosmetics, a boxing-inspired makeup line, was founded by two Augusta, Ga. natives, Danielle Pasha and Samiah Pasha. Mom Danielle appointed her teenage daughter as the face of the brand and the CEO. With names for colors and palettes like "Million Dolla Lady," "Undisputed" and "The Champ" the ladies are surely set to remind makeup lovers and pros to be confident and persevere.
Nikki Taylor and Teyana Taylor
The beauty and fierceness of Teyana Taylor and her momager Nikki Taylor is undeniable, and they both bring the hustle and flair of Harlem, N.Y. to whatever they do. Taylor, a mother, artist, director, actress, and wife to NBA star Iman Shumpert, has gotten huge deals with brands like MAC, and she has topped the charts with her music. She's also snatched more than a few wigs with her amazing explosive live performances.
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Keri Shahidi and Yara Shahidi
We all know and love Yara Shahidi from her roles on Black-ish and Grown-ish and of course for her work in activism. We love it even more that her momager, Keri Shahidi, has had her back throughout her career, even in business ventures. The two just landed a deal with ABC Studios last year to launch a production company, 7th Sun, which is set to release a new single-camera comedy that centers around a budding cannabis entrepreneur.
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The Reality Of Living With Severe Asthma – As Told by 2 Women On Their Disease Journey
This post is in partnership with Amgen.
The seemingly simple task of taking a breath is something most of us don’t think twice about. But for people who live with severe asthma, breathing does not always come easily. Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, affects millions of people worldwide – 5-10% of which live with severe asthma. Severe asthma is a chronic and lifelong condition that is unpredictable and can be difficult to manage. Though often invisible to the rest of the world, severe asthma is a not-so-silent companion for those who live with it, often interrupting schedules and impacting day-to-day life.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
Jasmin Brown Has This To Say About The Criticism Over Her Relationship With Cam Newton
Cam Newton and Jasmin Brown’s relationship has been a hot topic ever since news broke that they were dating more than a year ago. The comedian first opened up about her relationship with the former Carolina Panthers quarterback on the Lovers and Friends podcast, which caused an online debate about what it means to be submissive in a relationship. Since then, Jasmin, aka Watch Jazzy, has announced her pregnancy and sarcastically named her comedy tour Third Times a Charm, as Cam already shares children with two other women.
The Zatima actress opened up her tour in Charlotte and rocked her boo’s Panthers jersey on stage, and addressed the hoopla circling her pregnancy. “If y’all don’t know, I’m the third one, and this is his sixth child,” she said in a clip she shared on her Instagram. “Someone said, ooh, right, couldn’t of been me, aight until a rich nigga put that pressure on you.”
She continued as the crowd erupted into laughter, “I could never be with nobody, okay, until a $100 million nigga start putting that pressure on you. You don’t know what the fuck you gonna do.”
Cam has shared intimate details about their partnership on his podcast Funky Friday, revealing that they have a strong bond and talk about everything together. "We had our day. I like talking. We're in tune. I'm so in tune that there's nothing we can't talk about," he said. "I think that's what's most important. There's no hiding, nothing. You know I don't go through phones. I don't do that. The thing is for me, I know my partner so much, that I have to know triggers that uh uh, she ain't right."
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