

This Content Creator Said Goodbye To The Social Media Industry In The Ultimate Pursuit Of Joy
In this special Women’s History Month Boss Up series, we talk to women who are redefining what leadership looks like. They’re deciding, on their own terms, to tap into a fulfilling career, walk their own paths, and embrace the fullness of the impact of Black women when they decide to unapologetically take up space and disrupt in business.
It’s always empowering to hear about anyone willing to throw fear to the wind to do… well, anything that makes them happy and fulfilled. And when that fear comes attached to a paycheck and a sense of stability, the story is that much more intriguing and inspiring.
Jayde Powell, an Atlanta-based marketer and content creator, decided she was tired of working in environments that threatened to irreversibly destroy something very important to her: her joy. She’d built her career cutting her teeth at major brands (one being a major airline) and agencies (some small in size but not in clientele), managing social media and marketing campaigns that pushed narratives and led to growth in consumer engagement and sales.
“I had been working for other companies for about nine years and throughout my career, I really enjoyed the experiences I had, however, I will say that I did a lot of suffering as well,” Jayde recalls. “I had a lot of experiences where the work environment wasn’t very healthy for me—incredibly toxic.”
Thriving in a toxic workplace can be tough—almost impossible—and constantly living in survival mode while at work can ultimately have long-term negative effects. “There were times when I was working under leadership that didn’t really have the capacity to do their job effectively, thus impacting my job. I was really suffering from a lot of burnout, partly because the work that I was doing— social media management—is very intensive, but also because of the types of brands I was working for—startups and smaller agencies,” she adds.
“Oftentimes, you have your job you’re hired for but you’re doing work outside of your job description. Earlier on, I was young in my career and didn’t set boundaries. And that had a detrimental impact on my life in the long run simply because of how I was dealing with stress. There were times where I was crying under my desk. I was so sad.”
"I had a lot of experiences where the work environment wasn’t very healthy for me—incredibly toxic.”
Courtesy of Jayde Powell
In November 2021, like many who are a part of what is now being called 'The Great Resignation,' she chucked the deuces to the madness. Jayde decided she would not only rock out with her own personal brand, but partner with a friend and former colleague, Gbemi Maiyegun, who came to her with an opportunity she just couldn’t pass up. That’s when Weed for Black Women was birthed. (Gbemi lives and works in Texas, balancing duties of both running a budding business and other professional pursuits related to her personal brand.)
“We’d worked together at a cannabis company, and I really enjoyed working with her. She was incredibly professional and even after I left the company we were able to retain that relationship and friendship,” Jayde says. “The idea for Weed for Black women was actually out of her mind. She came to me with this vision about a space for Black women to talk about cannabis unapologetically. We realized there wasn’t a lot of representation of Black women. We both have this passion for advocacy and education in the industry. This stigma around cannabis use holds people back from seeing how helpful the plant really is. I mean, women healers and spiritual guides have been using cannabis for centuries.”
Through the platform, Jayde and her co-founder provide a place where Black women, who experience judgment and shame when it comes to anything associated with cannabis, can find avenues that allow them to be their “best selves through weed,” and enjoy a “warm and welcome” community to “indulge and learn.” This includes offering online content that not only talks about the Black experience and innovations with the plant but the still-prevalent injustices associated with the laws that disproportionately affect Black women.
Courtesy of Jayde Powell
“In everything we do, of course, we’re thinking about cannabis but we’re also keeping Black women at top of mind—the issues that particularly impact Black women. The lifestyle choices that Black women make, that is the priority for us. It’s just a matter of, 'Okay, how does cannabis support, or how can cannabis be infused into the conversation?' ”
The journey to going from a 9-to-5 worker to a full-time entrepreneur, influencer, and cannabis advocate was not linear nor was it without planning, though. Jayde had been saving part of her paychecks and had a bit of a cushion in order to be able to take the leap. “I don't think I would have felt as comfortable quitting my job had I not had savings. It was like, ‘If I quit my job tomorrow I’ll be okay for a couple of months.’ And then, let’s say, I crash and burn, and I can’t do the entrepreneurship thing anymore. I can get a job eventually.”
She has also been able to take on freelance projects via her own professional platform as a consultant and influencer, adding more to the financial cushion she’d built up over the years. “People pay me to be me online, which is nice. I get to show up as myself,” she says.
"I don't think I would have felt as comfortable quitting my job had I not had savings. It was like, ‘If I quit my job tomorrow I’ll be okay for a couple of months.’"
Another important step in the process that helped her ease into her career change was taking a month off to simply strategize, get better prepared for the transition of not having to clock in every morning, and pool her resources. “I forced myself to literally relax—probably the first time I’d done that in a very long time— and I wasn’t working, wasn’t trying to aggressively find ways to make money. I hired an amazing marketing manager to support me, and she and I got to planning.”
For Jayde, the true reward in all of it has been retrieving and protecting the priceless things in life that really matter more than a salary or a title. “I think a lot of people who are aspiring entrepreneurs come out the gate like, ‘I’m going to grow this multimillion-dollar business.’ I just thought, ‘If I just make the salary I had last year, I’m good.’ Entrepreneurship looks different for everyone. It’s not about being a multimillionaire, but about doing the work that allows me to have the most happy and fulfilled life, and if that means I’m only making a couple thousand a month, I’m very much okay with that. My joy is what’s important to me.”
To find out more about Jayde and Weed for Black women, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of Jayde Powell
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
We all have a dream life that we spend our free time daydreaming about. You know, the one with a loving partner, high-rise apartment, thriving career, and endless abundance. But as much as we can dream about it, there has to be a little extra sprinkle of “magic” to make it become a reality, and that’s when manifestation comes in.
The uptick in manifestation techniques is nothing new to the internet. Since The Secret and the Law of Attraction became available on YouTube in the early 2010s and fast forward to today, where #manifestationtok and #spiritualtok surging in popularity, it’s clear that there are a number of different ways to get what you want out of life with the right action, affirmation, and visualization.
Still, with so many ways to manifest, from scripting to the 3-6-9 Method, it can be hard to know which one to lean into. But there’s one new technique that’s promising to yield “instant results,” and we’re curious about it.
The "I Am Sure" Manifestation
@hothighpriestess Replying to @A I M E E 🖤 lG: hothighpriestess 🤍 this is the “I am sure” method #iamsuremethod
The “I Am Sure” manifestation gained traction this summer by TikTok creator Sara Perl of @hothighpriestess, who initially introduced the method.
In her original video breaking down the concept, she detailed the steps to use the technique for those looking to “manifest overnight.” To do so, start by stating “I am sure,” followed by “your desired manifestation in the present tense.” If there’s a job, promotion, or text from a crush that you want, then you’d say, “I am sure that I got X job,” or “I am sure that I make a $100K salary.” Repeat this out loud 10 times, or for faster results, write them down on a piece of paper and say it back to yourself whenever the desire comes up.
Using your words and speaking in the present tense, affirmatively, “puts you in the frequency that has that desire,” as Perl states. “We know our thoughts create our reality, but our words create our reality even faster.”
No matter how you choose to manifest your dream life, there’s nothing like channeling a powerful affirmation and some faith to get what you desire. In every instance, though, allow yourself to dismiss any doubt that may try to cloud your hopes in good things coming into your life, and don’t hold too tightly onto the “how” or “when.” Trust the process and know that the “thing” that you desire is just waiting for the perfect time to enter your life.
Happy manifesting.
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Featured image by Tassii/Getty Images