How We Met is a series where xoNecole talks love and relationships with real-life couples. We learn how they met, how like turned into love, and how they make their love work.
After meeting by way of mutual friends at an HBCU homecoming almost ten years ago, Tenesia and Terence exchanged numbers only to go their separate ways and move on with their lives. It wasn't until randomly meeting again at a club years later that the two would realize that their encounter wasn't a coincidence, it was fate.
After months of pursuing a long-distance relationship, the couple now shares a home with a few fur babies in Raleigh, NC and according to Tenesia and Terence, their love story is just getting started. In a recent interview with xoNecole, the couple opened up about their first encounter, taking the first steps in their relationship, and learning to cope when you and your partner speak different love languages.
While it's true that opposites attract, this fact can also cause a lot of friction in your relationship. Tenesia told xoNecole, "Terence and I are complete opposites in a lot of areas. And although that works to our advantage in so many ways, it can also cause challenges. I think the most challenging thing for me is acknowledging those differences and learning how to navigate around them, especially in communication."
The couple explained that although there have been times when their relationship has been challenging, there hasn't been a moment that it wasn't worth it. To read more about how Tenesia and Terence's chance encounter slowly but surely evolved into a modern-day love story, scroll below!
How They Met
Terence: I first met Tenesia at North Carolina A&T University's Homecoming almost a decade ago. I was leaving a concert with my line brothers and one of my line brothers wanted to meet up with some friends he knew as we walked back to our car. He began introducing me to everyone and all I wanted to know is who's the cutie in the backseat. He got to Tenesia and we exchanged some words, I showed my charm (laughs) which led to us exchanging numbers and guess what? We never texted each other after that day—talk about dropping the ball.
Years went by without us ever talking until one random night at the club where we met for the first time all over again, or at least that's what Tenesia thought at first. I always knew who she was. I mean how could I forget her? Anyways, we went to exchange numbers again and noticed we already had each other's contacts in our phone. After feeling stupid and laughing it over, we took a white gummy bear shot together—I'll never forget—and the rest was history.
Tenesia: Our "how we met" story will always be one of my favorite stories to tell because it happened twice. It was fate (laughs).
First Impressions
Terence: My first impression of Tenesia was that she was a true free spirit that loved to have fun. She gave off an amazing vibe that made me feel like no one ever did. Plus, she was drop-dead gorgeous and to this day she is saved in my phone as "Gorg".
Tenesia: My first impression was, "Well, he's gorgeous!" But after talking that night, it just felt so natural and easy. I could tell he was super respectful and I immediately felt comfortable around him.
Instagram/@tenesiaandterence
"We spent all night just talking and vibing on someone's dock at the beach. It was so good that we didn't realize we were out there until like 5am. It was a romantic's dream."
First Date
Terence: Tenesia will probably say our first date was at the state fair which was probably the first "planned" date but I always thought it was this night at the beach when we first started talking. I was in her town for the weekend and we, of course, met up. We spent all night just talking and vibing on someone's dock at the beach. It was so good that we didn't realize we were out there until like 5am. It was a romantic's dream.
Tenesia: Our first date was the North Carolina State Fair. I have always loved the fair so I was so excited! We took a picture at the cheesy little display they have when you walk in and rode pretty much every ride! Terence even convinced me to get on the Ferris wheel (which I am terrified of). I remember he played the game where you have to stand the glass bottle up straight using a ring connected to a string on a pole and he was so determined to win me the biggest prize. Now that we've been together for years, it makes perfect sense because Terence will keep working at something until he gets it right! He did end up winning me a huge bear and then he carried it around the rest of the night.
Making It Official
Terence: Tenesia's answer is probably funnier because she always believed she coerced me into being in a relationship with her after a couple's weekend mountain retreat. We were surrounding a bonfire and she basically said, "We're now together." And I was like, "Yeah, I guess so…" I didn't know that was going to be the weekend we made it official but she definitely did (laughs). We later confirmed we both wanted this relationship to be official during the car ride home but the night before was iffy.
Tenesia: I knew it was time to make it official when I went on a trip to the mountains with him and his friends. We had been dating a couple of months and I was just like, "I'm not letting this get away." I knew what I wanted and told him! It worked.
The “L” Word
Terence: Honestly, I cannot remember the first time I said I love you but I was definitely the first to say it for sure. Must be the Cancer in me...
Tenesia: This sounds so bad but I honestly can't remember the first time we said I love you! I know that I was feeling myself falling for him for so long before I ever said it though. And I'm 90% sure he said it first!
"Over time, I think I just knew Tenesia was the one. She became the only person I wanted to be around. She challenged me, encouraged me, and made me a better man. She loves me despite my flaws and I naturally wanted to create a future with her. We never second-guessed anything together, no matter how crazy it sounded."
The One
Terence: I always believed that someone becomes the one versus just finding "the one". You can have an amazing spark with someone but you may not be compatible long-term. You have to teach each other and show them how you need to be loved. Over time, I think I just knew Tenesia was the one. She became the only person I wanted to be around. She challenged me, encouraged me, and made me a better man. She loves me despite my flaws and I naturally wanted to create a future with her. We never second-guessed anything together, no matter how crazy it sounded.
Tenesia: I knew Terence was the one before we were ever officially together. It was when we first started talking/dating... he came down to visit me and we went out with my friends. The night was super fun and after the bar closed we went for a walk on the beach. We ended up talking for hours and it just felt right. Like everything that I thought had gone wrong before, went wrong for a reason to eventually lead me to meeting him (again) and to that night. I even texted my friend after that night and told her that I knew Terence was it!
Trading Spaces
Terence: Tenesia decided to be a travel nurse within our first year of dating. I had the idea of her taking a contract in the city where I lived and just staying with me. It just made sense, we were always traveling to see each other plus why not save money by staying together.
Tenesia: We made ourselves official in November and moved in together that next May. I'm pretty sure I brought it up because I wanted us to be able to spend more time together. Plus, I was tired of driving back and forth!
Building Together
Terence: Well, first comes marriage and then (laughs)... is there some bling-bling in Tenesia's future? Stay tuned. We really want to build our Tenesia And Terence empire and become financially free. We also want to move to our dream location and settle down.
Tenesia: We just bought our first house together in June 2019 and are already talking about moving again in the near future! But running Instagram and our blog together and trying to build our brand is one of our main focuses as far as building together. We are always brainstorming new ideas to build our empire!
Instagram/@tenesiaandterence
"We've learned that communication is key. We have different ways of communicating but we've both come to the understanding that we have to talk things out in order to get past them."
Overcoming Challenges
Terence: We rarely have a true confrontation with each other but when we do we just talk it out or realize it's not a big deal. The good thing about us is we can't stay mad at each other and always work it out.
Tenesia: We've learned that communication is key. We have different ways of communicating but we've both come to the understanding that we have to talk things out in order to get past them. We honestly don't argue often, but even in the little disagreements, we try to take a step back and understand where the other person is coming from.
Favorite Things
Terence: My favorite thing about Tenesia is the way she is never satisfied with being average and complacent in life. She is always dreaming of life without limits and believing that both of us can achieve anything. She has a very unorthodox way of thinking.
Tenesia: My favorite thing about Terence is how thoughtful he is. From tiny things he says or does that lets me know he was listening when I thought he wasn't. Making sure I chug water after I've been drinking so I don't have a headache the next day. Or never coming home without calling me first to see if I need anything. He really is just the sweetest guy!
For more Tenesia & Terence, follow them on Instagram!
Featured image by Instagram/@TenesiaandTerence.
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These are qualities that Brandee embodies both on and off the screen.
(L-R) Marque Richardson and Brandee Evans on 'UnPrisoned' Season 2
Courtesy: Hulu
A Memphis native, Brandee is no stranger to dance. She boasts an impressive career as a choreographer, having worked with renowned artists like Katy Perry, Monica, Ke$ha, and Ledisi. But while it has been a significant part of her journey, Brandee has her sights set on more—expanding her acting career beyond dance-inclusive roles. This ambition nearly led her to pass on the opportunity to appear alongside Kerry Washington in Hulu’s UnPrisoned, where she plays Ava, Mal's (Marque Richardson) new girlfriend.
“When Kerry Washington slid into my DMs, I nearly said no,” Brandee revealed with a laugh. “She mentioned pole dancing, and I told myself and my team that once I was done with Mercedes, I wasn’t going to do that again.” Fortunately, Washington assured her that the role would be vastly different, leading to what Brandee described as an invaluable masterclass in comedy under the guidance of Washington herself.
“Kerry is a force of nature,” Brandee reflected. “She’s everything you’d hope she’d be—strong, compassionate, and incredibly talented. Working with her was like a masterclass in acting.” This opportunity was no mere stroke of luck; it was something Brandee had manifested years earlier. But make no mistake–she credits her faith and praying hands for her success. “I’m praying, you know what I mean? I’m asking God for what I want and working for it too,” she said.
"When Kerry Washington slid into my DMs, I nearly said no."
(L-R) Brandee Evans, Kerry Washington, and Marque Richardson on 'UnPrisoned' Season 2
Courtesy: Hulu
This role marked Brandee’s first foray into comedy, and while she was eager to embrace the challenge, she found herself in the hands of an incredible mentor. “Kerry was always so kind in her critiques,” Brandee noted. “She’s not a diva by any means. She knows exactly what she wants, but she’s gentle and encouraging in bringing it out of you. That’s something I’ve taken with me to other sets—I want to lead with the same kindness and openness that Kerry showed me. It’s a lesson I’ll carry for the rest of my life.”
Brandee speaks with profound respect and gratitude for her peers and fellow actresses as many have shown her genuine sisterhood and support in an industry often notorious for its competitiveness. “Danielle Brooks sent me a prayer the other day, and I was just so touched. Those are the moments that people don’t see,” she shared. “I call Sheryll Lee Ralph my fairy godmother, and Loretta Devine is like my auntie. Being able to pick up the phone and seek advice from these incredible women is a true blessing.”
And she pays it forward.
Brandee Evans
Courtesy: Hulu
But her commitment to supporting others extends far beyond her career. As an advocate for health and wellness, she empowers women to prioritize their well-being. “Azaria [Carter], who plays my daughter on P-Valley, mentioned wanting to start a weight loss journey and get more fit. I told her, ‘Well, let’s work out together,’” Brandee recounted. But her dedication to healthy living goes beyond physical fitness, encompassing a holistic approach to wellness. “When she came to my house and tried to microwave something in plastic, I said, ‘Let’s use glass instead. At 20, I wasn’t thinking about that, but let me share some tips now so you’re not battling fibroids in your 30s.’”
Because she was.
While filming the first season of P-Valley, Brandee faced enormous stress—not only as a caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but also due to the physical demands of the role. Yet the impact on her body was far greater than she expected. “I was literally on my cycle every day while playing a stripper, which is far from ideal,” Brandee revealed. It was Harriet D. Foy, who plays her mother, who urged her to get checked for fibroids.
"I was literally on my cycle every day while playing a stripper, which is far from ideal."
Brandee Evans graces the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony.
Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE
The statistics are staggering—80% of Black women develop abnormal uterine growths by age 50, making them more likely to suffer from fibroids than any other racial group. But like many, Brandee was initially unaware of these growths and their debilitating effects, and the prospect of surgery was daunting. “I was scheduled to have a myomectomy on my birthday, but I thought about what it would mean for my career. How am I going to climb the pole? The healing process is similar to a C-section.” Determined to avoid surgery, she committed to healing herself naturally.
After a deep dive, she sought treatment at The Herb Shop of Vinings in Atlanta, which ultimately led to a remarkable recovery. “This man saves lives. His name is Jeff, and I call him my doctor.” Brandee shared. “I started detoxing my body with herbs and following his program. During my follow-up with the gynecologist, they said, ‘We don’t know what you’re doing, but your fibroids are shrinking.’”
Emerging on the other side of this journey not only fibroid-free but with a regulated cycle and a renewed outlook on life, Brandee is now focused on sharing her story and advocating for women’s health. “I know y’all want to hear about P-Valley, but I want to talk about regulating your period,” she said with a laugh.
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All episodes of Season 2 of UnPrisoned are now streaming on Hulu.
Featured image courtesy of Hulu
Growing up playing sports, it wasn’t until high school that Sierra began to develop a love for music. Befriending local artists and musicians, she leaned into her curiosity of showcasing musical talent. “Seeing them perform and the magical moments they had together, whether it was at church or community events, was so powerful, and I started to fall in love with talent and bringing people together,” Sierra shared. “There are a lot of creatives [in Portland]. With artists, there has been a struggle getting their music beyond the Pacific Northwest and promoting it. You get conscious rap, R&B, soul, and jazz, it's a beautiful city to attach music to.”
At just 17 years old, she hit the ground running. Without experiencing many concerts at her age, her love grew from seeing artists she knew come together and make music.
“I started to create opportunities in the city of Portland. I would book out nightclubs and throw parties.” She explained, “I would book 21-and-up clubs and ask for a Thursday night out of the week because it was too expensive to book a Friday or Saturday. They made an exception on Thursday nights to do 17-and-up events. I would throw parties but in between have three to four acts from my hometown perform during the 11:00 p.m. to 1 a.m. time period in between the DJ set.”
With the support of her mother, she solidified her confidence in bringing Portland’s music scene to her peers at such a young age. "I would go inside [the venue], and she would wait at the bar until the party was over," she said.
After high school, Sierra attended college to cement her knowledge, leaning into her experience as a student-athlete. “I didn’t know this would be my career. I was going to school at Oregon State University studying media and communications really trying to figure it out. I studied TV production and I was working in sports." She added, "Music was my plan B. It was something that I wasn't sure how to get [into] being from a small town and a small city, but I knew sports. My plan A was to work in sports—whether that was working for a team or live venues like Crypto.com or Madison Square Garden—do marketing, and eventually become a general manager."
"Music was my plan B. It was something that I wasn't sure how to get [into] being from a small town and a small city, but I knew sports. My plan A was to work in sports—whether that was working for a team or live venues like Crypto.com or Madison Square Garden—do marketing, and eventually become a general manager."
"I thought I would go into sports because I knew it, I was an athlete growing up. I was more connected in that space," she continued. "I was into music, but I couldn’t work with [artists] in an extended way because I was so far away. Most artists were in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. This was before the ability to really connect on social media. I was still in the community, but I didn't know where my place was. I was balancing both.”
Courtesy
While pursuing television production and working in sports, Sierra spent a great deal of her time on campus still pursuing her musical endeavors. “I was doing a lot at the time on campus doing shows, being the festival organizer at Oregon State, and linking up with friends that did concerts outside of the school. Some of the artists I worked with then were Big K.R.I.T., Too Short, Rapsody, 9th Wonder, and then I brought the first hip-hop artist to Oregon State's campus,” Sierra added.
Managing a heavy load, she was still able to break barriers at her alma mater by booking Macklemore and Ryan Lewis as the first headlining hip-hop act in the university's history during their meteoric rise of “Thrift Shop."
“They never had hip-hop on their campus prior. It was important for me in that position to say that I see the value. I see how important hip-hop is. I know students, I’m one of these students, and it would be a miss for us to not have hip-hop representation in our annual Oregon State Festival. I was able to convince the school to go ahead with an artist from the Pacific Northwest, he’s local, he's relatable, he’s hip-hop, and I was able to diversify the [line up] around that headlining act.”
As Sierra continued on to her master’s degree at Syracuse University, she was still leaning onto what she knew best, but this time, she finally took a chance on what she desired most. “I was doing this, not knowing exactly what a role in music could look like. I was finding out that I enjoy the marketing, but I also like radio promotion to call stations to see how much ads cost. I started to see all these different aspects in music, and I was meeting managers and artists and seeing how fans were connecting.”
“I was doing this, not knowing exactly what a role in music could look like. I was finding out that I enjoy the marketing, but I also like radio promotion to call stations to see how much ads cost. I started to see all these different aspects in music, and I was meeting managers and artists and seeing how fans were connecting.”
While Sierra was studying sports and event management, she continued to learn multiple aspects of the music industry. “I was still working on campus doing music events, building stages for the festivals, literally building with the team from the ground up. I was doing both simultaneously, and at a point, I decided this is my opportunity to take a chance. I was at Syracuse studying sports, but I was telling people I wanted to work for the Recording Academy and that I wanted to work in music,” she recalled.
After not getting an internship while at Oregon State, Sierra got creative and decided to reach out to a member of The Recording Academy directly. “There was a second chance, [I] saw another opportunity, and instead of applying for all of the chapters, I applied to LA because that's where I wanted to move, and I'd be at the headquarters. I was doing my plan A, which was sports, but behind the scenes [I was] trying to figure out where I could fit in and get into music, which was my plan B.” She continued, “I applied to the LA chapter and reached out to the director. I found her on Tumblr.”
Taking her shot, Sierra figured, either she still works at The Recording Academy or she’d get a bounce back if she’s no longer there anymore. “Or maybe she works in a different department and can lead me the right way, but I’m going to try regardless.”
Sierra sent in her application and narrative essay not realizing it was GRAMMY week. To her surprise, the director responded, and after an interview via Skype, Sierra was on a flight heading to Los Angeles to officially begin her career in the music industry. “That was my first entry into music, and it finally felt like I figured it out. I landed my internship, moved to LA and that's when music started to flourish and take off from there.”
Courtesy
After a decade of experience, Sierra has held positions at Sony Music, Universal Music Group, The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA PHIL) Symphony Orchestra, along with various roles at The Recording Academy.
Sierra’s perseverance has led her to the career she’s always wanted, leading a team and inspiring others who are just as passionate about their love of music. “It’s important to understand as much as you can when working with others because you have to know what you do impacts how other people are able to work and be successful in their jobs.”
"The more you know, the better you're going to be as a leader and as a teammate. I've been able to take every step, from an assistant role to a coordinator role to a manager [role] to a director, to now being able to lead a team. It's very important to be aware of what others are doing and how your work impacts their work."
“The more you know, the better you're going to be as a leader and as a teammate. I’ve been able to take every step from an assistant role to a coordinator role to a manager to a director to now being able to lead a team. It's very important to be aware of what others are doing and how your work impacts their work.”
Now, as the head of the hip hop and R&B division at Amazon Music, Sierra continues to set the bar high and break barriers when connecting artists and fans.
Recently, Amazon music had hip-hop fans on the edge of their seats as Kendrick Lamar and other heavy-hitting LA artists presented a concert on Juneteenth live-streamed from Inglewood, California. She shared, “When we are bringing these live streams to the world, we want people to feel like they are there. The quality of our production was A1 and to be able to share those moments is just super powerful. The Ken and Friends livestream broke Amazon Music streaming records and earned the most minutes watched of any Amazon Music production. Those are the cultural moments we want to allow others around the world to experience. The livestream was able to bring it from LA to the world.”
"The Ken and Friends livestream broke Amazon Music streaming records and earned the most minutes watched of any Amazon Music production. Those are the cultural moments we want to allow others around the world to experience. The livestream was able to bring it from LA to the world."
Spearheading Amazon’s June campaign of Black Music Month, the Juneteenth livestream was a part of an initiative honoring the contributions of Black artists, composers, and songwriters who have defined culture. “Our campaign messaging was forever the influence. When Kendrick’s team and Free Lunch agency came to us about the event and wanting to work with Amazon Music to livestream it, we were excited. We’re really proud of what we were able to do together, providing the livestream and supporting the presentation of artists that were on that stage.”
From booking shows at Portland nightclubs as a teen to leading at Amazon Music, Sierra’s mission remains the same. “Wherever hip hop and R&B fans want to be, that’s where we want to be, too—support artists and amplify music to connect with people,” she concludes.
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