What It Means To See 18 Black Women On The Forbes #30Under30 List
It was the vision board I needed and couldn’t create with tape and magazine clippings alone: the Forbes 2016 30 Under 30 list. When I saw a tweet about the list–Forbes’ annual curation of millennials changing the game in industries ranging from sports to social entrepreneurship–it was the jolt I needed to ground myself for the year ahead.
But, in the millisecond it took the page to load, this pit of skepticism built a home in the middle of my stomach. A question flashed across my mind: “Am I going to see any women on this thing who look like me?”
It’s the question that envelops me any time I see these sorts of lists. It’s why I make a conscious and concerted effort to uplift Black women any time the opportunity presents itself. Because too often, mainstream media gives a standing ovation to monochromatic and male-dominated success. Black women get pushed to the sidelines, or worse, tossed out of the running before we’ve even laced up. I’m beyond glad that the Forbes 2016 30 Under 30 list defied my expectations.
This year’s 30 Under 30 class, selected from more than 15,000 nominations and representing 600 winners across 20 industries, includes 18 Black women. I dug through every section of the list, and each woman’s story gave me one more feel-good chill than the next. There’s Nailah Ellis-Brown, 26, who went from selling Jamaican tea out of the trunk of her car to now having her product in Whole Foods. Then there’s Mo’ne Davis, 14, who is the first African-American girl to play in the Little League World Series. Or there’s Candace Mitchell, 28, who stands at the helm of transforming the $3 billion dollar African-American haircare market with her company Techturized.
But, then there were moments when this list really hit home for me. I saw Kimberly Foster, 26, the juggernaut behind For Harriet, a website I have penned for and frequently read. I noticed Angelica Nwanda, 25, whose brainchild, The Shade Room, boasts 2.5 million followers via Instagram and is a regular topic of conversation when I talk to my sister. My loudest gasp materialized when I saw Dr. Constance Iloh, 28, who is a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Irvine and also served as my alma mater’s Black Student Union president during my sophomore year.
When I read about these beautiful Black women sending ripple effects through the world, it gave me that moment of “YES.” It’s the same YES I felt when Viola Davis won the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama. It’s the same YES I felt when Serena Williams’ graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as its sportsperson of the year. And, it’s the same YES I felt when Shaniece Williams eased on down the road in NBC’s The Wiz LIVE! That YES with all caps reminds me that in a world where Black women’s bodies become war zones and our voices fall silent, there are Black women who say “No more.” There are Black women who, to paraphrase Dr. Maya Angelou, do not simply survive, but also thrive. There are Black women who succeed on their own terms and in their own ways.
That success is finally being recognized in places where it is far too often ignored.
To check out the full Forbes 2016 30 Under 30 list, click here.
Tyece Wilkins is the voice behind the award-winning blog Twenties Unscripted. She is also the author of Twenties Unscripted: A Journey of Womanhood, Writing, and Relativity. Connect with her on Twitter @tyunscripted.
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.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Between the rise of the creator economy and the gig economy, the window of opportunity to leverage your creativity for long-term gain has never been more potent.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a full-time freelance writer and content creator. A year into this journey, I knew that if I wanted to create a sense of structure around my life outside of a traditional 9-5, I would have to create it.
To my surprise, that came in the form of social media.
Now, you might be wondering how someone might be able to juggle their work in a creatively-dominant career like writing while still having the mental capacity to produce ideas for their own personal brand, and well, that answer didn’t come easily.
In 2021, I hit a wall with writing and content creation.
With the stress and uncertainty that came as a result of the pandemic, to being burned out from having to live off my creativity, I reached a breaking point. For me, writing was always a space to explore my thoughts, process heavy topics, and express concepts that only words could bring reason to. However, when I didn’t have the brainpower to write or create content, I knew it was time to set parameters around my hobby of content creation and my passion for storytelling.
In this case, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between the two by releasing the guilt and shame of taking a break from both in order to reconnect with them.
Through years of trial and error, the fog finally cleared, and I was able to hit my stride in 2023. From garnering over 10K followers on TikTok, building an Instagram community around lifestyle and creative encouragement, along with my wellness collective, Black Girl Playground, and writing for xoNecole as a lifestyle contributor, the creative juices have been flowing steadily.
And it all happened by creating a strategy that allowed space for planning, resting, and creating. Today, I’ll be sharing my top tips to help you find your balance between your side hustle and passions.
On staying inspired and motivated when working on various content creation and freelancing projects:
Early this year, I came to the bright conclusion that I needed to shorten the gap between ideation and execution — and it completely changed how I create.
Oftentimes, when we have an idea come to us, we let it sit for too long, and then before we know it, we’ve either lost the enthusiasm to put it into action, or someone else grabs it. If you want to stay in a flow of creativity, whether side projects or full-time work, it’s important to not get slowed down by self-doubt, procrastination, or perfectionism.
Give yourself permission to act on your ideas as they come to you. Even if they’re a little muddy or not “perfect,” you can always fine-tune them later.
@yagirlaley shrinking the gap between [ideation] + [execution] 🧠💡#fyp #creativeadvice
On the importance of choosing a niche:
If there’s one thing that has helped me balance my work as a writer and content creator, it’s putting each in its own niche (or category). By definition, a niche is a specialized segment of the market or a specific area of expertise.
When you are creating in the same niche that you’re also making a living in, that’s an easy way to get your wires crossed. And at times, this could lead to feeling as if you don’t have any ideas for yourself because you’ve given them to the other area you're juggling.
When balancing two, you want to have enough fresh ideas to give to your personal projects and your full-time work to avoid any overlap. This ensures that your personal creative vision isn’t compromised when working on client projects while still having some for yourself.
On the strategies that have helped to maintain a consistent workflow in both areas:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a workflow and structure for yourself as a freelancer — this applies to those with a 9-5 in the day and a 5-9 at night, too.
As someone who admittedly has ADHD tendencies, object permanence can sometimes create a block in time and project management. That’s why I encourage creatives and professionals to create systems that allow you to see the work that’s ahead of you.
Personally, I can’t live without having multiple calendars going at once. My Google calendar keeps track of interviews for articles and events, while my physical calendar helps me keep track of important dates. I also work out of an Excel sheet where I can log in ongoing stories and track their status from drafting to submission. I’ve also heard great things about the Notion app for planning and tracking.
When it comes to creating content, spending time doing bulk content days has been an asset to my creative workflow. When I complete the videos, I save them to my drafts and upload them as needed.
Credit: Amberita
Courtesy of the writer
On the best advice for someone who is considering pursuing both content creation and freelancing simultaneously:
Don’t be ashamed of taking a break and resting — because both are essential to the life of a creative. Last month, I returned to Instagram after taking 6 months off from posting. During that time, I worked on growing my TikTok page, using the platform to practice vulnerability and allowing myself to put the fun back into creating content. Without the time, I can’t say I’d be able to approach Instagram with the same ease and playfulness; but thanks to that time away, it was possible.
Resting, letting our minds wander, or simply doing nothing are all just as productive as creating. No one can produce at all times, we have to allow ourselves the space for new concepts and ideas to flow to us. In addition to that, when we take breaks from social media, it allows us to stop the wheel of comparison and consume more than we create. So if you feel like you’re in a creative rut with all you want to balance, it may be time to take a step back, unapologetically.
Your creativity will thank you for it.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Sir Taylor