6 Things We Learned About The Art Of The Hustle From Karen Civil's Tedx Talk
There's nothing in this world that a good Tedx Talk can't fix. Feeling yourself spiraling into chronic depression? Try a Tedx Talk. Want to learn how to have better sex with your partner? Try a Tedx Talk. On a quest to master the Art of The Hustle? Karen Civil's latest Tedx Talk has you covered, sis.
Over the past decade, Karen has risen to prominence as a go-to digital marketing strategist to the stars and was formerly dubbed by XXL as the Oprah Winfrey of hip hop. Along with being an author, philanthropist, producer, and professional badass, Karen also finds time to drop gems on how to make our own visions come to fruition. This 32-year-old Brooklyn-born, Jersey-raised go-getter recently slid through our YouTube feed with a whole word about the steps you need to take to become a full-time CEO, and xoNecole has all the details.
Here's are 6 essential business tips from Karen that every mogul in the making should have:
Use What You Have To Get What You Want
You have everything you need to be successful.
I'll run that back just in case you didn't hear me the first time. You don't need more time, money, or resources to be successful, you just need to use what you have. According to Karen, that's exactly how she became one of the most sought after media professionals in the game. Along with using an AOL disc to jumpstart her career in the industry, Karen also used her ingenuity in other ways to get ahead:
"I would do an interview for my site and I would gift them to the talent, and I would have them take funny pictures or use them for the studio, and I ended up sending these pictures to Beats because I saw that their Facebook was in dire need of content. This led to the Marketing Executive, Omar Johnson, reaching out to me and one conversation later, I was moving to Los Angeles with a new position within the company. That was 9 years ago to this day."
Take The Time To Celebrate Each Victory
A 10,000-mile journey starts with one step and truly bossing up starts with taking the time to celebrate your small wins. Karen explained that while being your own boss can be satisfying, it can also be scary AF:
"When you work in a traditional job, there's the glass ceiling. You're trying to break milestones, you can track your way up like any employee of the month, promotions, etcetera. But when you're an entrepreneur, there's no ceiling. There's not even a floor, just walls that will close in on you if you doubt yourself."
Your Insecurities Are Excuses
Let me tell you something. The self-sabotage struggle is real; but at some point, you realize that there's only one person stopping you from becoming the woman of you dreams. It's you, sis. You're that person.
Your weight, your bank account, your age, and your gender are not the determining factors in you achieving your goals, how you see yourself is. According to Karen, getting to the root of her insecurities was key when it came to building her empire:
"There are three reasons for not achieving anything and those are: giving up, failing to gain momentum, and becoming distractions. I had to learn to categorize all my insecurities and process all of the obstacles in as nothing more than an excuse that I was doing nothing but sabotaging myself."
Be Proactive
When you're not early, you're late, and this principle should also apply when it comes to your work ethic because an early bird may get the worm, and a proactive woman secures the bag.
In order to design the life of your dreams, you first need a blueprint, and Karen said that started with eliminating any and everything in her life that didn't align with her vision.
"When you fail to plan, all your plans fail. My journey to walking my purpose and building my brand has its ups and downs but I've always wanted to be the master of my own life and not a victim of circumstance or chance. So I put in the long hours and could control my day-to-day and could continue turning my ideas into a fruitful reality."
Your Mind Is A Muscle, Work It Sis
In Karen's Tedx Talk, she shared that in China, work ethic is valued more than talent and no matter how good you are at what you do, you can always get outworked. According to her, much like muscles, our minds are instruments of the body that must be trained and conditioned to be successful. One way to pump the iron is by setting attainable goals:
"Setting goals and achieving them will always keep you motivated. The actual act of achievement is something that can be learned over time. You need to treat it as if it's a muscle, and once you learn to properly work it out and condition it, there is no end to what you can accomplish in your life."
Play The Long Game
In the words of the great African-American poet T.I., I was looking through my rearview at all the times I had, sh*t seems a lot clearer after time had passed, and boy, isn't that always the case? Hindsight is 20/20, and Karen revealed that insight is the most valuable thing you can have when it comes to being an entrepreneur. The CEO stressed the importance of being a star player when it comes to preparing for the long game:
"It's easy to get caught up in the day-by-day challenges of running a business, but you literally have to carve out time at least once a week to take stock of what you're doing for the long-term health of your business. Do you have an exit strategy? Do you plan to just wake up one morning and close shop? Are you looking to be bought out by a bigger corporation? Do you plan to transition your brand into something different down the line?"
Watch the full video below!
Visionary: Forging Your Own Path Forward | Karen Civil | TEDxBethesdawww.youtube.com
Featured image by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Beautycon
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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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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