Becoming an Entertainment Powerhouse

Name: Becoming an Entertainment Powerhouse
Uploaded: 2026-02-06T09:43:23+00:00
Duration: 22 min 34 s
Channel: Essence Virtual Events

Essence Virtual Events

9 hours ago

In the past decade, some of the greatest stories ever told
have been created by a new guard of dynamic Black women
who trailblazed their own paths to success through social
media. These women give the phrase “build your own table”
a whole new meaning. Join us as we talk to one of
Hollywood’s greatest storytellers and explore how taking
ownership of her own story allowed her to become the
powerhouse she is today.

Category

🛠️

Lifestyle

Transcript

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00:00Hi, how y'all doing?

00:13Hi, how y'all doing?

00:16What do you guys do?

00:17It's just your ideas.

00:18My name is Blake, I'm the beauty and passion editor here in essence magazine, and I am

00:23so excited to welcome you all to the first day of beauty carnival.

00:30It's just and always, please be sure to hashtag peasants fans for whatever you all post,

00:38because we are pretty close to me on the spring, all the people in the club we did, all the

00:44lost that we've been considered from each other for hashtagging peasants fans, so I don't

00:49want to say anything longer than I know why all are here.

00:53So I am so excited to bring up to the stage the incredible angel of the world.

00:58I hope you're in conversation with someone on the phone very, very, very well.

01:05And we're going to have a pause for you to the ear.

01:07All right, check, check, can you guys hear me okay?

01:19All right, well, first of all, I am so excited to be here with you guys, and this is how I

01:26feel it, I feel it.

01:27I just want to see you guys hear how many people this is their first time, as it says.

01:33Wow, I got a giant house, I'm not going to lie, I'll be here, but I'll be here for the

01:41best of a year, so this is a great year for you guys to be here, and I'd really like to

01:47try to keep up this conversation with the person who is coming to the stage.

01:50Is your best stage yet?

01:52I need to make sure.

01:53Did y'all see her pause up on a golf cart or anything?

01:54You guys know what I heard?

01:55Okay.

01:56Okay.

01:57What do you know?

02:00I'll be here for you guys.

02:03Oh no, he's a ready.

02:05Keep purse.

02:06See, I gotta pause.

02:07He's a ready.

02:08Aw, I can't hear so, I'm going to touch it, but you know.

02:21I feel like they're like, what?

02:23I know what her problem is. I know how these things is. She really don't like me, but even her awkward feelings.

02:30I know, but we got to, okay? So we know her problem isn't bitches. It's awkward, but I feel like you guys are perfect.

02:37Well, then, of course, it needs to be a big show. Mind seasons. Nothing's secure.

02:45And let me know that I am not alone and being awkward and insecure.

02:53But I'm writing that multiple hidden golden globe combinations can also start to feel like the needs you can.

02:59The little birds, the little birds, the photographs, and from our beginning to send people to the stage,

03:05which is more interesting than this, right? Good guys, from our beginning to age, but starting to go away.

03:11I love you. I love you. I love you.

03:15I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love the music world. I'm such a rap fan.

03:34I love female rappers. Let's give it a sense of me and they see what the incredible talent is.

03:39And being behind the scenes in this way has been so rewarding.

03:43Alright, so that's all we have to do as far as TV and the film.

03:48But I think you talked about some more things that you can see what's going on in your career.

03:52Trying to stop just kind of building the business.

03:56Continuing to create more. I mentioned that we're actually just coming up this summer,

03:59and that's what I'm taking up a lot of my time.

04:01You know, I have a coffee shop in LA that we're actually doing as well.

04:05Hilltap.

04:06Hilltap.

04:07Hilltap. And if you guys are in the conventions,

04:10I'm at the Blue Sea of Natural as a hair care company.

04:14And I just wanted to produce up-and-coming talent and continue to do so.

04:19And it's still the business I'm really focusing on.

04:23We see a company at this point.

04:25And on our verticals, like we have a label, which is an audio everywhere company right now.

04:30I have a...

04:32I'm not going to be forgetting again.

04:34I'm a managing company, color grade, and...

04:36So, in a variety of industry that I can touch on one of its self-sustaining.

04:40And that's...

04:42Wait, that's what I'm talking about.

04:43Man, I remember a meeting that thought,

04:45you see what you're getting?

04:46That is six or seven.

04:48You know, but it's key.

04:49You know, so...

04:51I'm just giving up for there, and she's going to act by the same.

04:55I'm so sorry, right?

04:57But he says,

05:01How was it for you?

05:02How did you do a reaction at the American Left?

05:04Well, this book is one thing I love about you.

05:06It's just how everything about you is.

05:08Supporting, glad for me, and glad for people.

05:11Yeah, so the show reaction is set in Miami,

05:14and even that was so central,

05:16and it could be a platform when I was just starting out.

05:19You'd have a bottom table there in, like, 2014, 15, something like that,

05:24and to have a festival like that,

05:27and to have, you know, Regina King just partying,

05:30and when you're meeting with her,

05:32and talking about Brian Kuhler when he was just starting out,

05:35to be amongst their crowd, that was so special.

05:37So it was a full circle home,

05:39and it was a premier rap shit for the first time

05:42in front of a predominantly black audience,

05:44and that is what I care about at the end of the day.

05:46That's the big event, how it's supposed to be

05:48and that's what we're creating for.

05:50So that's just really, really special.

05:52And this conversation is focused on becoming an entity

05:56and empowering us within the millennium,

05:58but you had a two game masters,

06:00and you stepped out to the scene.

06:01And some people look and see how I achieved overnight success

06:04in beginning to know you for the first time in insecure,

06:07but you really started building your brand on social media

06:09over a decade ago.

06:11So how was your approach then?

06:13And did you always know that you're leading this type of success?

06:16Did you ever have anticipated this level?

06:19Of course, now what makes it about that?

06:21I was on Facebook when it first started out a while ago,

06:25and when it became international,

06:28you know, I have a, my dad is in a case,

06:31and I got really excited because I didn't,

06:33I don't know, I wanted to keep more in touch with that side,

06:35and so I had everybody on Facebook at the time,

06:38just like, because I had like four last names and sitting on the side,

06:40you know, so I was like, taking that mood and all of it.

06:43But of course, I had all my, my LA friends and my college friends,

06:46and I was really intentional about building a community online

06:49and trying to build an audience,

06:51and that audience has also been, you know, supported through the years,

06:55and it wasn't a one-sided thing.

06:57Like, I was very intentional about engaging with people that genuinely love

07:01being a part of a community and that still exists to an extent.

07:06To this thing, but social media is so different now, you know,

07:10and I think I have, I've just been more conscious about being online too much,

07:15but still cultivating the communities that I have in my, in my work life,

07:21and, you know, of course, my personal life,

07:23so community in general is so essential to a community creator, so essential.

07:29You know what I wanted to ask you, how is it working with friends too?

07:32Because you really have created some strong bonds with the people we work with,

07:36so sometimes that can be from a club to an academy,

07:39but sometimes it's amazing, so communities are the powerful side of it.

07:42Yeah, I've been really fortunate, for the most part,

07:4690% of the time I'm working with friends,

07:48and I'm very, I'm very sensitive to my friendships.

07:55I don't want to make like, especially people that I care about a lot,

07:58like I've never wanted business to get in the way,

08:01and I have had experiences where that's happened,

08:04and I've lost a couple of my most precious friendships because something happened,

08:09but I've learned from those experiences,

08:11and it really comes down to me, very transparent and communicating, I think,

08:16and opening the lanes on both sides.

08:18So, like, I work with several friends now, and it's just about just telling me,

08:22like, if you have an issue, don't let that, just go down, don't let your sister,

08:26just say it, and we can get past it.

08:29And I'm also, I think, really good about working to be better.

08:34Like, I'm never going to hear a complaint and be like,

08:36okay, let's jump on, get over it, I'm going to go do well,

08:39how can I help you fix this?

08:40So, communication and transparency is key, I used to be a bit more like, you know,

08:45and I still, you have to tell me to just keep it down, but, you know,

08:50it really, really matters to make sure that you're opening yourself up for critique

08:57and not taking it personally.

08:59What about the right people around you, too?

09:02There's something I had to learn earlier on,

09:04but who is in my circle of people?

09:06Some people you might have to let go, and it's okay to form new friendships and bonds, too.

09:12Yeah, it's also so hard to meet with people when you're older.

09:17You know, you're not in those environments.

09:19So, for me, it's about like, sharing with people that I have.

09:22I'm a very loyal person.

09:24Show me some time records.

09:25We're a time records.

09:26This is just loyal, and it is very much like that.

09:30So, like, that to me is essential.

09:35I look for the entry in others.

09:38I think that, like, I think that, like, I said,

09:44no one's in particular, we're really good,

09:47we're empathizing, we're also, and we're very empathetic,

09:50and I can just look for the entry in other people.

09:53There's such a lot where they will give you red flags,

09:55we can pick them right away.

09:56We're just like, oh, you only like such a bunch of stuff,

09:59or oh, you are really about to find me, or you are, but you can think it's nice, man.

10:04And I'm very good on not ignoring red flags.

10:08Like I might, you know, still engage with you.

10:10But once I see that red flag, you come on a box.

10:13I'm just like, you want to get a point of luck with you.

10:15But, you know, I'll see you around.

10:18I still think that I should get out in the house of the night.

10:21But I am in the near future.

10:23Now, another thing is to nasty.

10:25We all know that it's taken a lot of no's before you get to that.

10:28Yes.

10:29And we have to be sure that we can keep it by any keeping moving.

10:32So, can you talk about all the no's before you get to those yeses and then open doors for you?

10:39I mean, it's all the no's, uh, yeah, it's all the no's.

10:46One of the things that I've been scared about in the face of lots of no's is,

10:53well, I know we're together.

10:55Well, I know.

10:56I don't want to be one of those crazy people at the same time.

10:58It's like, I'm going to keep all those no's and it's like,

11:00my friends aren't the big way through this year, but I'll get it.

11:03Like, we've got a lot of this kind of diet.

11:05But I'm really good about, I mean, realizing when I've reached my feelings.

11:11Uh, but the emotional pain is something that I think, especially now,

11:16I should not just really be confident about my own powers.

11:23And yes, people have the power to tell, you know, but I also have the power to make my yeses.

11:27And I'm super, super, uh, confident about making my yeses for myself and I'm not confident.

11:33And like, at this stage, it may seem like it's easier to get the project made or something accomplished,

11:42but it's frustrating because sometimes I'm trying to sell a project that I just believe in

11:48and they're just not seeing the vision.

11:49And so, for me, it's just like, okay, well, I can, I'm, I'm challenged enough where I can meet my own vision.

11:57I can give it to something else.

11:59But I think it's just being about being steadfast and being confident and what it is that you bring to the table.

12:05And that takes years.

12:06You know, that takes years to build.

12:08It could take years to build.

12:09I mean, even early on, I want to switch by investing in yourself when it comes to debt.

12:14Even doing this as a business, a lot of a lot of people are saying, okay, I'm getting those people that are seeing my vision,

12:21but let me go ahead and do this for myself.

12:23So, for a lot of people that are trying to start something, it is important if you need to invest in yourself.

12:28You talk about that as you invest in yourself.

12:30Yeah, and then sometimes investing in yourself is like, I'm okay being a growth for the next couple of, you know, months or years.

12:38But not for what it was, and, you know, I got opportunities to take to television, but it wasn't the way that I imagined, you know,

12:46whether it was for a place or even if I asked you to do myself or, you know, for selling it.

12:55But also, one person that wanted to buy it was like, we want to be international.

13:00We want to do an awkward inspiration.

13:02We want to do an awkward interview.

13:03We want to do an awkward interview.

13:04We want to do an awkward interview.

13:05And it's not what I signed up for.

13:08And it's not like that you could be great.

13:10You could have been doing a lot of, like, in different formats.

13:12That's not the vision.

13:13And I admit that I was, I was walking away with just no question.

13:19It had to be talented in it.

13:21But it's not the, um, and she didn't.

13:23You know, I've been best in my life.

13:25I hear a lot of questions more recently.

13:27I'm not necessarily advised, and I'm worried from them.

13:30But I think it just comes down to the faith that I have myself and the faith that, you

13:35know, my team members that I've worked with and, you know, I would rather be on my self-inclusive

13:42and not than not.

13:44Uh, and I have to, like, for me, it's just, it is how I'm listening to my deathbed.

13:49Like, what could deathbed me think?

13:51You know, I don't want to be, you know, by the grace of that I'm lying on my deathbed and

13:56thinking about the regrets and all the things I just don't want us to do.

13:59So, um, I'm trying to live this life right.

14:03I love that.

14:05I love that.

14:06I love that.

14:07I love that.

14:08I love that.

14:09I love that.

14:10You're like a job, aren't you?

14:12I think she needs a difference.

14:14I don't know.

14:15I don't know.

14:16Now, what about mentorship?

14:17Have you had mentors in this business?

14:20You know, I used to say that my peers were my mentors and that's so true.

14:24Like, I've learned from a lot of people coming up in this industry.

14:28And what I love about this generation, uh, what they come in.

14:32Talent is, like, we have each other out.

14:34We give each other opportunities.

14:36I know that I've reached out to people to be like, hey, this can't help me.

14:39Look out for it.

14:40And, uh, I think that's great.

14:42But I, uh, enjoyed my new show, Red Shig, which is, like, only the second thing that I've

14:49ever created for television.

14:52Uh, I've really tried to model things after Insecure, and I realized that, in my experiences

14:58there, and I realized that my showrunner on that show, Percocetty, he's been an amazing

15:03mentor to me.

15:04And just, like, you got to have a black man who's made in this industry for, you know,

15:09while he's still very young.

15:10But, like, to be able to take me under his weight and be able to, like, talk to show.

15:16Like, I know this is your show.

15:18I'm going to help you write it, and I'm going to help make it the way that you want it

15:22to be.

15:23That is so bad.

15:24That doesn't happen in this industry.

15:25And I get chills talking about it, because I hear so many things happening in horror stories

15:29of, you know, young writers who get this opportunity to make a television show, and they're paired

15:35with some horror experience, and ruins it, and then makes it be a show that makes it about

15:40men.

15:41And it was always just, like, you know, I just see, you know, I want to help you make

15:46this show with men as that.

15:48And if you make it the best show, then I'm going to get, you know, more opportunities

15:51and everybody wins.

15:52And that's such a beautiful way to look at things and a beautiful way to look at mentorship.

15:57You know, and I, you know, I played him as a mentor.

16:02Okay, Frances.

16:04Um, and how did your report when you show me a security threat?

16:08It's a final season.

16:10What is this?

16:11Can I hear you say something about me?

16:12Did Bob?

16:13I didn't know.

16:14I didn't know.

16:15I didn't know.

16:16I didn't know.

16:17I didn't know.

16:18I didn't know.

16:19I didn't know.

16:20I didn't know.

16:21I didn't know.

16:22I didn't know.

16:23People made me.

16:24But it was just there.

16:25I was exploring.

16:26I still have been exploring an idea.

16:28I'm going to have it written in.

16:30I don't know about other things that are more of a priority right now, but I really

16:33didn't want to make it.

16:34Make it up.

16:35But it's different.

16:36I'm waiting.

16:37Like, you see, you don't do it with my person.

16:39I didn't know.

16:40He's speaking words on.

16:41He's on the back burner.

16:43And I said, I said, I knew he's extremely funny.

16:45I'm not going to show you anything.

16:46I'm not going to show you anything.

16:47I was going to show you anything.

16:48But I want to show you anything, but I also just want to play it.

16:50I just want to play it and play it.

16:51And honestly, I don't want to be, like, gushing.

16:54Never mind.

16:55Shh.

16:56Shh.

16:57Shh.

16:58Come on.

16:59This guy.

17:00This guy.

17:01You're going to give us bubbles.

17:02Shh.

17:03You're going to show him.

17:04It's so bad.

17:05It wasn't a podcast.

17:06It wasn't a podcast.

17:07It wasn't a podcast.

17:08It wasn't a podcast.

17:09I wanted to say that about me.

17:10He said, I ran into her.

17:11She was like, on the theater podcast, it's different.

17:13And she really didn't.

17:14Because it's not fun.

17:15It's a show.

17:16It wasn't too much.

17:17Watch it.

17:18It wasn't a show.

17:19But someone wants to say they're going to do something and then

17:22you follow up and it's like this.

17:24Silence it.

17:25No, she didn't.

17:26It's a mess around real that you are, you know,

17:28something that you can have to do.

17:30Now, what is your ultimate dream when it comes to this?

17:32You know, let's see how funny you are in your career.

17:34Yes.

17:35I don't know if your career will ever win,

17:37but what do you want to be cool to see about you and your work?

17:41Um, I really just want to be, I just want to be known for creating opportunities, I want to be known for life in my city, I want to be known for being rooted in what I believe in, and just see how much of life in my community does it.

18:02Like, I think that's, that I think about that thing, and I think about that in everything that I create, and, um, like, I'm going to be satisfied, and that's what I'm known for.

18:16And I want to talk about balance when it comes to you, because you are a workaholic.

18:20I am.

18:21I've had an interview where you were like, I've worked up until I got married, and that was a lie, so how have you managed to stretch your balance now?

18:28I don't, but I, I figured out, like, I was, I don't think this, uh, at the beginning of this year, because I just took January off, and I had to tell, I had to say it back in, like, I had to say it last year, I had to tell, you know, my management team, I had to tell, talk to me, and I had to tell friends, like, I'm out of here in January.

18:53I'm out of here in December 26, 27, and I'm done, and I noticed people were still trying to creep in, like, hey, well, what about this, and I was like, no, we want this big deal, so we're going to get away until February, and I had to be so intentional about that, and that was, once I had that freedom, I almost didn't know what to do with it, and I was like, I need to be more intentional about this, like, yearly, not sure.

19:19So January start, because I'm a New Year's person, and it was killing me, like, I'm the most productive New Year's day, and it was killing me, uh, seeing other people, like, oh, New Year, no pay, and killing me, and kids, or, I love vacation, yeah, exactly, I'm on vacation, I'm doing something, but I, uh, realized how much I needed it, and so I'm trying to be more intentional about it, I lied to myself a lot, and then when I said that I had to see the people, and, uh, need to be here,

19:47and then when I said that I had to be like, I'm going to be ready to have to say no, sometimes it's so hard to say no, it is really hard to say no, you just feel like you're never going to get, like, an opportunity, and I have to get out of my mind, and sometimes I'm going to have to say yes, yes, yes, because it's all that you used to do it, and just with my honest mind, you have a very decision,

20:15career is not going to run, but in my mind, I'm like, this could all end as far, or this could all end in two years, and I have to get out of it, and, and mindset, that I have a very specific window of time, because it can be scary, and sometimes it can be because it exists as a fluke, and so I've been, been trying to get out of that mindset,

20:34And you know, when I say that your career has never been around, I also feel like being a mentor is important, and there's so many people that you're putting on right now, too, and your legacy is on through that, also.

20:45But also, thank you for saying that, you know, I really love, I'll consider a mentorship, like you said, it's really just good from a place of, like, being a fan, like, for me, if I'm excited about a voice, if I'm excited about somebody talented,

20:59which, like, you guys are, like, you should hear a song, and she's like, you should want everybody to hear the song, unless you're one of those people that I heard it first, and then, like, for the most part, if you see a movie that you like, if you see artists that you like,

21:10want to tell people about it, and also, like, you know, being in a position where I can keep them informed to showcase the words that people can see, and like, that's excited to be, um, just on a different level.

21:23Yeah, I don't think that's essential, because when people want to be like, oh, you can mentor me if you're really talented, you can hire you.

21:29Yeah, you know, and also, I can understand why you want to meet the best of your, um, business and business owners.

21:36What do you think? Well, like, yeah, I know he's got a lot of stuff to do, okay, but he said, I want to thank you so much for joining us today.

21:42You know, I'm out here working, and they said, keep you time to see the right thing, and it's why you're talking about being honest,

21:48but they're a good sense of champions for, like, people from women like her, and you're incredible.

21:53So, I mean, I don't think I want to know if this is okay with it, and they want to teach me to like, actually, but thank you so much.

22:00I just want to appreciate you and having to get you into it. I can't be for real shape.

22:04Yeah, so I'm 24.

22:05I'm 25.

22:06I'm 25.

22:07I'm 25.

22:08I'm 25.