

Multiple Streams Of Income Is The Name Of The Game For These Celeb Turned Entrepreneurs
Snowball Wealth says, "By spreading your risk across different income streams, you also set yourself up to be able to take advantage of great opportunities when they arise." It makes perfect sense because when one fails, you have the others to fall back on. This isn't anything new to us because we love a good side hustle. Like all things, it's about being more intentional. Be it buying power or financial stability, make clear goals and decisions that will only get you closer to economic freedom. One of the best ways to add more streams of income is by diversifying your streams. Kirby Porter calls it the "beauty of re-invention."
When I look at the trajectory of Elaine Welteroth, Rihanna, and Issa Rae I remember the beauty in re-invention. \n\nWhere we start in our careers & passions is not the limit, it's a stepping stone in a story to something larger if we allow ourselves to evolve.— Kirby Porter \u26a1\ufe0f (@Kirby Porter \u26a1\ufe0f) 1628460513
Lucky for us, we have some role models that have shown us the power of monetizing our passions, no matter what they are. Ahead, you'll find celebs who are living proof that there are various ways to create your own wealth. Their successful money moves have earned them their rightful place on this list.
Rihanna Net Worth: $1.7B
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty
Our girl Rihanna is now a billionaire and no one is more than deserving of that title. Yes, we all want an album from her, but we also can't help but support every venture she takes on. The way she dominates every arena she steps in is simply inspiring. Forbes estimates Robyn Rihanna Fenty is the wealthiest female musician in the world with the majority of her wealth deriving from her inclusive beauty line, Fenty Beauty.
Some other streams of income:
- Savage X Fenty, lingerie clothing brand
- Fenty Skin, skincare line that acts as an extension of Fenty Beauty
- Fenty Maison, a luxury clothing brand
- Fenty Parfum, her newly released sold-out fragrance
- Music
- The Rihanna Book
Issa Rae Net Worth: $4M
Lee Vuitton/AM PR Group via Getty Images
On- and off-screen, Issa Rae is the poster child for creating your own table. The once YouTube star became a media mogul in a little over a decade by staying true to herself and creating work that moves our culture forward. Rae's cult-favorite HBO show Insecurehas garnered her a loyal following. So watching her lay the groundwork for her next level is everything a creative needs.
That groundwork includes:
- ColorCreative TV, production company
- The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl, New York Times bestseller non-fiction book
- Hilltop Coffee & Kitchen; Rae partnered with the coffee shop to open multiple locations
- Raedio, music label with Atlantic Records
- Executive Producer Deal with Netflix
- Sienna Naturals, co-owner of haircare brand
Serena Williams Net Worth: $210M
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG
Did you know that Serena Williams has over 15 corporate partners? Her $94 million in career prize money is twice as much as any other female athlete has made. That's according to Forbes, who also says that the tennis star has invested in over 50 startups over the past seven years.
When she's not reigning supreme on the court, she is:
- sitting on the boards of Poshmark and SurveyMonkey
- investing in the non-fungible tokens (NFT) platform, Bitski
- signing a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios that includes a docuseries about her life
- creating products for her clothing line, S by Serena
- sitting pretty as a 0.5% owner of the Miami Dolphins
Not to mention her endorsement deals from Aston Martin to Beats By Dre.
Oprah Winfrey Net Worth: $2.7B
David Livingston/Getty Images
When your work ethic is so strong that it's been dubbed "The Oprah Effect", you know it's real. Funny enough, Winfrey has been quoted saying, "The reason I've been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, not for one minute, been money." Who would have known that the woman who used to borrow money from her mom's purse would be the same woman who has nine streams of income?
To name some streams:
- The Oprah Winfrey Show, spanning over 25 years
- Harpo Productions (chief executive of the Oprah Winfrey Network, founder of O, The Oprah Magazine, etc)
- Actress & voice actor
- Producer of hit series and films, Queen Sugar, Greenleaf, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Oprah's Master Class
- Weight Watchers investor
- Author of books like The Wisdom of Sundays and What I Know For Sure
- Freelance journalist
Beyonce Net Worth: $440M
Brad Barket/Getty Images for TIDAL
"I have paid my dues and followed every rule for decades, so now I can break the rules that need to be broken," Beyonce recently shared in Harper's Bazaar's Icon issue. She is the epitome of a self-made woman and a living icon. We love watching her pave the way for new talent in the most authentic way. It's definitely the quality for us because she gives 200% to everything attached to her name. This child of Destiny is a global brand from music sales, publishing, touring, and endorsements.
We can't forget her other accomplishments:
- Founder of Parkwood Entertainment, management, and entertainment company
- Owner of IVY PARK, an athleisure clothing line with Adidas
- Netflix deal worth $60 million
- Recently sold her stake in TIDAL streaming service
Alicia Keys Net Worth: $150M
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Alicia Keys is a superwoman. She is also a proud businesswoman. In an interview with PINK, she says, "Business is about trial and error. There's no foolproof [business] plan and whatever you end up doing, you need to be passionate about. It's not about getting rich overnight, but about your belief in it and your passion – that's the way amazing things happen." Keys also believes that as an artist and a person that has been in business for a lot of years, going outside of her main business of music, helps her discover her creative potential as an entrepreneur.
Some ways she's exploring that potential include:
- AK Worldwide, an investment firm
- Partnership with Bento Interactive, "The Journals of Mama Lee and Lee Lee", an interactive storytelling app for kids that features her original, exclusive tracks
- Co-creator of Keys Soulcare, a beauty and wellness brand
Queen Latifah Net Worth: $70M
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
It's no secret that Queen Latifah is a Jackie of All Trades. Since she entered the game, she has made sound money moves. Back in the day, she started investing and never stopped. The multi-hyphenate's first investment was in a delicatessen and a video store located on the first floor of the building where she lived. We have enjoyed watching the queen transition from hip-hop to television to the big screen.
Queen Latifah's Resume:
- Co-owner of Flavor Unit Entertainment, a firm that includes television and film production units, a record label, and an artist management company
- Partnership with CoverGirl, The Queen Collection
- Partial owner in New York Spring Water, the manufacturer of VBlast vitamin-fortified water
- Author, Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom
- Queen By Queen Latifah Eau-de-parfume
Featured image by Lee Vuitton/AM PR Group via Getty Images
Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
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TW: some depictions of intrusive thoughts may be disturbing for readers.
Have you ever caught your mind drifting off to entertain the most disturbing scenarios imaginable? Maybe you can’t stop thinking of all the ways a loved one could pass away or worrying that you left every candle lit in your apartment to which you’d return to a home in ruins. If distressing ruminations like these have crossed your mind, you may be experiencing an intrusive thought.
What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted or distressing thoughts, images, or impulses that pop into your mind without your control or consent. These thoughts can be repetitive, unsettling, or even violent in nature, and can cause anxiety and frustration for those who experience them.
“Generally they're unwanted thoughts that come up in our head that interrupt what we're doing or thinking, and can feel very foreign,” says Adia Gooden, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and host of the Unconditionally Worthy podcast. “It’s any thought that intrudes or interrupts what you are doing. They can be distressing and upsetting for us because it feels like we are not in control of them, and they're coming up out of nowhere and aren’t in line with how you normally think.”
What Causes Intrusive Thoughts?
Certain trauma or stress can contribute to the development of intrusive thoughts, so having a challenging experience from the past or current life situations may trigger them to form. “An intrusive thought could come in the form of a flashback, image, or a thought about something that's happened to you,” Dr. Gooden tells xoNecole. “When it gets to the point where you feel like you can't function or make clear decisions, that's when intrusive thoughts become really challenging.”
While some of the 1 billion videos found under the #intrusivethoughts hashtag on TikTok would lead you to believe that these thoughts are nothing more than casual displays of our imagination going untamed. Intrusive thoughts are more than sticking your hand in a soap dispenser, wanting to cut all your hair off at 3 a.m., or having a random impulse to eat fake bread in public.
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America reports that approximately six million individuals, equating to roughly two percent of the American population, encounter intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are often linked with obsessive-compulsive disorders, but they can also manifest in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Examples of Common Intrusive Thoughts
Because of the explicit nature of intrusive thoughts, they tend to cause shame and internal conflict in those who experience them. Although these thoughts can differ from person to person, these ideation can consist of:
- Violent or aggressive thoughts towards oneself or others, such as harming or killing someone;
- Sexual thoughts that are unwanted or inappropriate;
- Repetitive thoughts, such as a song or a phrase that keeps repeating in your mind;
- Contamination or germ-related thoughts or the fear of contamination and getting sick;
- Religious or blasphemous thoughts, such as questioning one's faith or having thoughts that go against religious beliefs;
- Doubts or uncertainty about one's own actions or decisions, such as fear of making a mistake or fear of not doing something right.
Intrusive Thoughts and OCD
That’s why Dr. Gooden encourages everyone to understand the difference between our fleeting thoughts and impulses and true, intrusive thoughts. “What level of distress does it cause and is it something you would never consider,” she says. “If you're finding that these thoughts are getting in the way of you living your life and that you're controlled by the thoughts, those are some signs that it would be good to get some support in navigating it.”
She also emphasizes the importance of understanding that while we may not always have control over our thoughts, we can control our behavior. “On TikTok, people are sort of blaming intrusive thoughts on their behavior, and our behavior is always a choice,” she says. “If we are in our right mind and we're not having a psychotic episode, our behavior is our choice — we are not obligated to follow any given thought that we have.”
Are Intrusive Thoughts Normal?
With intrusive thoughts, it’s natural to question whether these thoughts are “normal” to have. However, these thoughts are not meant to define who you are as a person but simply indicate that you have a functioning human mind with automated thoughts that you, or any of us, can’t control. These thoughts may come, but they don’t have to be acted upon, nor do they define who you are.
“I've worked with clients in the past who say, ‘Why am I thinking these things? What's wrong with me?’ But if you're not acting on the thought, then it's probably not a huge issue,” Dr. Gooden says. “If you are thinking a harmful thought towards yourself or someone else and you are making plans to act on that thought, then yes, we need to do something about it.”
How To Manage Intrusive Thoughts
If you are struggling with managing unwanted thoughts, Dr. Aida suggests taking these tips to help manage your mindset when they occur:
- "Recognize that it's a thought and thoughts are just thoughts. We often put a little bit too much weight on our thoughts, and that can create a lot of distress. But remember that thoughts are not facts."
- "Having a thought that's disturbing or upsetting doesn't make you a bad person, and it doesn't mean that you are suffering from a mental illness."
- "Sometimes the best thing you can do is say, 'Huh, that was an interesting thought. I'm going to let that go. That thought is not helpful for me right now."
- "Ask yourself: is this helpful? Is it helpful for me to buy into this thought and believe this thought? Asking that question can be really helpful because we are not at the mercy of our thoughts. If it's not helpful, you can let it go."
Intrusive thoughts can feel bizarre and foreign when they come up, but they aren't inherently "bad." Our minds can sometimes be filled with random and inappropriate thoughts, but that's what our stream of consciousness does: it thinks. Fortunately, we can release those thoughts at any moment; you don't have to follow through with them.
And ultimately, not every TikTok diagnosis is one that we should label ourselves with.
"It's important for people to acknowledge what they're experiencing but not run too quickly to diagnose themselves with some mental illness or disorder," Dr. Gooden advises. "It ends with confusion, and we miss the opportunity to understand the people who really do have that mental health challenge."
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