Tamron Hall Explains How Losing Her Job At NBC Became A Blessing In Disguise
In March, we discovered that media correspondent Tamron Hall was expecting her first child at the age of 48, and only a month later, baby Moses was born. While some felt that her pregnancy was an unwise decision, other women praised Tamron for her courage and commended her for her tenacity to become a mother at such a mature age.
Despite how you may feel about Tamron's pregnancy, one thing is for sure: Tamron doesn't give a damn because she's happy AF with her brand new bundle of joy. In fact, she recently revealed that our opinions were the very reason she kept her pregnancy a secret for so long in the first place.
Since Tamron gave birth to her son Moses last month, she's maintained a low profile and only offered obscured views of her bouncing baby boy. In a post following his birth, Mama Tam announced that she couldn't wait to introduce the world to her little miracle, and thanks to the latest cover of People, baby Moses has finally made his debut and he is just as adorable as you thought he would be.
In an interview with the publication, she opened up about some of her biggest fears during the pregnancy and said that her age wasn't the only reason she had doubts:
"I was high-risk, not just because of my age, but there were other medical factors too."
Upon recognizing the dangers of her pregnancy and coming face-to-face with the fear of disappointment, Tamron knew that she had to do everything in her power to keep her little miracle safe; even if that meant keeping a secret from the world for almost a year.
"My doctor said, 'This is your body, your health. You share of your journey what you want to share.' I was terrified I would lose this baby and I would have to go back and tell everyone that now it was bad news and after this pregnancy had gone so far."
Over the last decade, women like Janet Jackson, Halle Berry, and Michelle Obama have broken the glass ceiling by choosing to have children over the age of 35, proving that our biological clocks are a lot more unpredictable than we thought. Although this is true, Tamron said that fact didn't keep her from coming up with the worst case scenario a every turn.
"I knew that the clock was not on my side. When I tried in my 30s, I still felt like I had some time, and the fertility clinic felt like a bright room. In my 40s I saw all the gray: The faces looked gray, the walls were gray, nothing seemed shiny and optimistic."
After a controversial exit from her last job at NBC, Tamron set her sights on other goals; ones that included a bassinet and a whole lot of diapers. Over time, she began to see parallels between her job search and her desire to become a mother. In both cases, no matter how hard she worked, she couldn't seem to bring her dreams to fruition.
"Just like with my job search during that time, there were so many frustrations: I'm putting in the work, I'm taking care of my mind and my body and I'm being rejected. I'm thinking, 'Wait a minute. What have I done wrong here?' Somehow, like Rocky, I kept getting up."
Mama Tam's ability to fall down 9 times and get up 10 is what makes her the GOAT, and her determination was ultimately what led her to win not one, but two times in a row.
Shortly before announcing news of her bouncing bundle of joy, Tamron shared that she would be producing her own nationally syndicated daytime talk show. It was then that she realized that you can never truly walk away from the gifts God has for you, every loss is potentially a blessing in disguise.
"My story is not one I could've ever expected and a half years ago when I walked out of that NBC building, I was in a fog, not knowing that so many of us lose things we think are important, and we have no idea that something better is right there."
If you ask the old folks, they'll tell you, when one door closes, it's because God is trying to open up another one. Tamron explained that her road to happiness didn't come without a few bumps in the road, but every for every L you take, there's a lesson to be learned and a blessing to be earned. She said:
"I'm from the South, and there's a saying: 'It's not a setback; it's a setup for something else. That loss set me up for, yes, a dream job but also my baby, my husband, my family. I just couldn't see it coming."
Take it from Tamron, what God has for you is much greater than what you asked for in the first place.
Read her People exclusive in full by clicking here.
Featured image by Debby Wong / 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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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy