Quantcast
RELATED

Pretty Vee is one of one. I know it, you know it. She has emerged as one of the funniest influencers on social media and has directly contributed to and driven the pioneering class of creators who have mastered their brands and pivoted from digital content, straight to opportunities that land them with the bag. One quick search of her Reels will leave you in tears, sending clips to friends and waiting to see what she does next.


And Pretty Vee, real name Vena Excell, has had quite the journey to get to where she is today, a comedian, host, actress, model, entertainer, and most importantly, an entrepreneur. She also scored a role on Issa Rae's Rap Sh!t, MTV’s Wild ‘N Out (alongside other comedians turned influencers (or vice versa), like Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly, and Chico Bean), and much more. Her face is everywhere, with her approach to sketch comedy leading the way.

But according to Vee, although a long time coming, her journey in comedy is nothing but purposeful.

She went into detail while visiting The Pivot Podcast where everything was on the table, from her dating life to working with Nick Cannon. When asked how she got started, she explained, "[After college] I was working a 9-5 -- it was actually Arnold Taylor's admin assistant (South Coast Music Group), and I knew, so I was just trying to figure it out. But then I got fired, chile and..."

After the hosts asked her why she was fired, she continued:

"I think I was late and Arnold told me, 'Vena, this is not where you need to be.' He was like, 'You are so stuck in your world of comedy, you need to go and get that.' So I always tell Arnold when I see him, I say thank you. Thank you for firing me because it pushed me. It excelled me where I am right now."

And she hasn't looked back since. Talk about stepping into your purpose!

What's even better, is other celebs have shared similar stories about times they've been fired due to the same sentiments. Janelle Monae revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she was fired from Office Depot after responding to a fan on a work computer. "Long story short: my boss said, ‘Listen, we’re gonna make this easy for you: You’re fired. Go do what you love. You don’t wanna be here’ … But luckily it led me to stay focused on what I loved.”

Nicki Minaj told Billboard: “I’d been fired like 15 times because I had a horrible attitude. The last job I had was as an office manager in a little, tiny room where I literally wanted to strangle this guy because he was so loud and obnoxious. I would go home with stress pains in my neck and my back. That’s when I went to my mother and said, ‘Look, I’m not going back to work.’" She focused on her music from that day forward.

Kerry Washington told the Hollywood Reporter that she was too fired from a pilot show, "Before Scandal, the only other two pilots I’d ever done were shows that got picked up, but I got fired. They recast my character on both shows … But if I had gotten picked up on one of them, I wouldn’t have been able to do Ray, you know what I mean? It seems at the time like a my-career-is-over moment, but it makes perfect sense in the end.”

And ladies, that's the beauty of purpose: it never makes sense to us at the time, but it always does in the end.

Pretty Vee is a living testimony, closing her interview by saying, "I think for me, when I left everything in God's hands, that's when it started moving for me. That was my moment. Instead of having the anxiety, the nervousness, the cringy moments, I think it was more of just leaving it into God's hands instead of trying to lean on me. 'Cause we don't got the answers."

We don't have them at all.

Pretty Vee: Getting Fired From Job Led to Finding Her Calling in Comedy, Film & Business | The Pivot

Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.

Featured image by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET

 

RELATED

 
ALSO ON XONECOLE
Sagittarius-zodiac-sign-October-2025-horoscopes

December is about letting go. We end the year with the need for more peace, reflection, and rejuvenation, and that is exactly what December is providing for us. The Sun is in Sagittarius, and anything is possible. This is the month to believe in that and to know that the universe is supporting you. With a Supermoon in Gemini as we begin the month as well, we have an opportunity to gain the closure we have been looking for this year and to wrap up old projects, ideas, and communication breakthroughs.

This is the month to make your peace the priority and let go of trying to control the way the tides are turning. Trust in your new beginning, and give yourself time to prepare for it this month.

KEEP READINGShow less
Do You Expect Others To Read Your Mind? Here's The Problem With That.

Omniscience. If someone were to offer you $100 right this second for the definition of that word, could you immediately provide it? If you’re not sure, basically omniscience is about being able to know everything — and to those who believe in God, only he is given that honor. For those who believe in Satan? Not even he is omniscient (as much as he would like people to think otherwise).

Sometimes, it might feel that otherwise because some beings and even people are truly masterful when it comes to reading body language, observing patterns, and picking up on cues. Still, no matter how much it might seem like someone can read someone else’s mind, they can’t. It is literally impossible — and I will briefly expound on that in just a moment.

KEEP READINGShow less
LATEST POSTS