When you level up and finally achieve the boss status you've been working relentlessly to reach, burnout can easily become your best friend. Buying into the idea that sleep is for the rich will leave you mentally fatigued AF, and Will Smith says that at only 9 years old, his daughter taught him a vital lesson about the power of investing in your mental wellness.
In a recent episode of HBO's The Shop, the 53-year-old father-of-three explained that while he was proud that his daughter had a Top 10 single before she turned 10, his pride caused him to miss the emotional struggle that Willow was experiencing at the time.
"Willow hit me hard. We went on the 'Whip My Hair' tour and like she's 9 years old with a Top 10 single. And before that, only Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder had done it at that age. She's in Dublin, she's on the Justin Bieber tour. She comes off stage ,and I'm like, 'Hey baby. That was great.' And she was like, 'Oh daddy, I'm ready to go home.' And I was like, 'Well, no baby. You can't go home. You got to finish the tour.' She's like, 'Yeah, daddy, I'm finished.' And I said, 'Well you can't be finished, babe. You promised Mr. Jay-Z that you were going to do the 30 days.' And she was like, 'No, daddy, you promised Mr. Jay-Z.'"
Although Will was used to having the last word when it came to his family, the next morning, Willow made a statement that couldn't go unnoticed. We can all take a lesson from Willow when it comes to making a point, because… go hard or go home, right? And that's exactly what she and her family did after her bold decision to shave her head bald in the middle of her tour.
"She went to her room that night. I went to my room, she comes down that morning. She shaved her head bald in the middle of her 'Whip My Hair' tour. She taught me such a valuable lesson. I was like, 'Baby, I got it. Yup, we can go home.' "
While some parents would have seen Willow's decision as an offense warranting punishment, Will saw the experience as a teachable moment. In 2017, Will said that the experience taught him the importance of mental stability, especially when it comes to children.
"For me, it was that soldier that was pushing and wasn't paying any attention whatsoever to what was going on emotionally with this beautiful little creature in front of me."
Willow said "no" to a commitment that compromised her mental stability. When she felt herself on the edge of burnout, she decided to clock TF out. Willow didn't let the hustle mentality hustle her out of her peace of mind. We should all be more like her.
To watch the full clip, click below!
The Shop: Uninterrupted | Will Smith Shares Why Willow Smith Shaved her Head (Clip) | HBOwww.youtube.com
Featured image by Instagram/@WillowSmith.
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The seeds for these entrepreneurs were planted during their time as students at schools like Spelman, North Carolina A&T, and more, which is why xoNecole caught up with Look Good Live Well’s Ariane Turner, HBCU Buzz’s Luke Lawal and Morehouse Senior Director of Marketing and Comms and Press Secretary Jasmine Gurley to highlight the role their HBCU roots play in their work as entrepreneurs, the legacy they aim to leave behind through the work that they do, and more as a part of Hyundai’s Best In Class initiative.
On Honoring HBCU Roots To Create Something That Is For Us, By Us
Ariane Turner
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When Ariane Turner launched Look Good, Live Well, she created it with Black and brown people in mind, especially those with sensitive skin more prone to dryness and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
The Florida A&M University graduate launched her business to create something that addressed topical skin care needs and was intentional about its approach without negative terminology.
Turner shared that it is important to steer clear of language often adopted by more prominent brands, such as “banishing breakouts” or “correcting the skin,” because, in reality, Turner says there is nothing wrong with the way that our skin and bodies react to various life changes.
“I think what I have taken with me regarding my HBCU experience and translated to my entrepreneurial experience is the importance of not just networking,” Turner, the founder and CEO of Look Good, Live Well, tellls xoNecole.
“We hear that in business all the time, your network is your net worth, but family, there’s a thing at FAMU that we call FAMU-lee instead of family, and it’s very much a thing. What that taught me is the importance of not just making relationships and not just making that connection, but truly working on deepening them, and so being intentional about connecting with people initially, but staying connected and building and deepening those relationships, and that has served me tremendously in business, whether it’s being able to reach back to other classmates who I went to school with, or just networking in general.”
She adds, “I don’t come from a business background. As soon as I finished school, I continued with my entrepreneurial journey, and so there’s a lot of that traditional business act and the networking, those soft skills that I just don’t have, but I will say that just understanding how to leverage and network community and to build intentional relationships is something that has taken me far and I definitely got those roots while attending FAMU.”
On Solving A Very Specific Need For The Community
Luke Lawal Jr.
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When Luke Lawal Jr. launched HBCU Buzz, his main focus was to represent his community, using the platform to lift as they climbed by creating an outlet dedicated to celebrating the achievements and positive news affecting the 107 historically HBCUs nationwide.
By spotlighting the wonderful things that come from the HBCU community and coupling it with what he learned during his time at Bowie State University, Lawal used that knowledge to propel himself as an entrepreneur while also providing his people with accurate representation across the internet.
“The specific problem in 2011 when I started HBCU Buzz was more so around the fact that mainstream media always depict HBCUs as negative,” Lawal says. “You would only see HBCUs in the mainstream media when someone died, or the university president or someone was stepping down. It was always bad news, but they never shed light on all the wonderful things from our community."
So, I started HBCU Buzz to ensure the world saw the good things that come from our space. And they knew that HBCUs grew some of the brightest people in the world, and just trying to figure out ways to make sure our platform was a pedestal for all the students that come through our institutions.”
“The biggest goal is to continue to solve problems, continue to create brands that solve the problems of our communities, and make sure that our products, our brands, our companies, and institutions are of value and they’re helping our community,” he continues. “That they’re solving problems that propel our space forward.”
On How Being An HBCU Alum Impacts The Way One Shows Up In The World
Jasmine Gurley
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Jasmine Gurley is a proud North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alum. She is even more delighted with her current role, which enables her to give back to current HBCU students as the Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Communications and official press secretary at Morehouse College.
“It was a formative experience where I really was able to come into my own and say yes to all the opportunities that were presented to me, and because of that, it’s been able to open the doors later in life too,” says Gurley of her experience at North Carolina A&T. “One thing I love about many HBCUs is that we are required to learn way more about African American history than you do in your typical K through 12 or even at the higher ed level."
She adds, “It allowed us to have a better understanding of where we came from, and so for me, because I’m a storyteller, I’m a history person, I’m very sensitive to life in general, being able to listen to the stories and the trials that our ancestors overcame, put the battery pack in my back to say, ‘Oh nothing can stop me. Absolutely nothing can stop me. I know where I came from, so I can overcome something and try anything. And I have an obligation to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Simultaneously, I also have a responsibility to help others realize that greatness.
Gurley does not take her position at an HBCU, now as a leader, lightly.
“People think I’m joking when I say I’m living the dream, but I really am,” she notes. “So I wake up every day and know that the work that I do matters, no matter how hard it might be, how frustrating it may be, and challenging it. I know the ripple effect of my work, my team, and what this institution does also matter. The trajectory of Black male experiences, community, history, and then just American advancement just in general.”
On the other hand, through her business, Sankofa Public Relations, Gurley is also on a mission to uplift brands in their quest to help their respective communities. Since its inception in 2017, Sankofa PR has been on a mission to “reach back and reclaim local, national, and global communities by helping those actively working to move” various areas of the world, focusing on pushing things forward for the better.
“Through Sankofa, we’ve worked with all different types of organizational brands and individuals in several different industries, but I would think of them as mission-based,” says Gurley.
“So with that, it’s an opportunity to help people who are trying to do good in the world, and they are passionate about what they’re doing. They just need help with marketing issues, storytelling, and branding, and that’s when my expertise can come into play. Help them get to that moment where they can tell their story through me or another platform, and that’s been super fulfilling.”
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
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The two actors have captured the hearts of many as a cherished celebrity couple, with their relationship coming into the public eye in mid-2021. From matching Halloween outfits to Tyler helping Miracle take down her braids to their cooking videos, it’s giving “I never knew there was a love like this before.”
Keep reading for the story of how these lovebirds found their happily ever after.
2021: Miracle & Tyler Make Their Relationship Public
Long before their on-screen chemistry in the hit Starz series P-Valley, the two costars had already sparked a romantic connection. According to ESSENCE, they met on the set of the show during the filming of season two and reportedly started dating in June 2021.
Watts and Lepley went "Instagram official," sharing couple photos and playful videos that hinted at the serious nature of their relationship.
At the Harlem premiere's red carpet, the couple concluded the year in a stunning display of matching black ensembles, exuding an undeniable allure that left everyone in awe.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Amazon Studios
May 2022: The Couple Share Their Pregnancy Announcement
In May 2022, Watts and Lepley announced their pregnancy with a stunning photoshoot on Instagram. The P-Valley stars creatively shared their pregnancy news through a video reenacting a scene from The Notebook, with the actress, entrepreneur, and model revealing her baby bump at the end.
October 2022: Welcoming Their Baby
Miracle gave birth to their son, Xi Lei Lepley, adding a new chapter to their relationship as they embraced parenthood together. Lepley is a seasoned parent with two children from a previous relationship with April King, whereas Watts is experiencing the joys of motherhood for the first time. Lepley’s push present to Watts: a custom Mercedes-Benz G Wagon.
She took to Instagram to share, “This has been an amazing pregnancy, I am blessed beyond measure and so thankful for my partner. You have made this journey such a peaceful breeze. I Love You Man, My Dawg 4L!!! Energyyyyy Baby, you did that!! #PushPresent.”
2023: Strengthening Their Family Bond
They have shared moments of their life as new parents, posting family pictures and showing their support for each other’s careers. The couple has continued to keep much of their relationship relatively private while maintaining a strong presence on social media, often highlighting their love for each other and their family.
During ESSENCE Fest, Lepley enthusiastically shared his admiration for Black women, particularly his partner. He said, "I'm going to speak from my experience. You know, going home every day to a Black woman has been all the foundation I ever needed in my life."
Lepley went on to say:
"I'll say it like this. The last thing that a man, a Black man, wants to go home to after going to war with the world is come home to round two. So, you know, my Black woman understands that, you know, she is my peace, and she is there for me when I come undone."
Summer 2024: Wifey Material
In a YouTube video, Miracle addressed life transitions she's experienced and her dip in motivation. The couple had their child Xi Lepley before considering marriage. A clip from the video, popular on TikTok, shows Miracle enthusiastically affirming her intention to be wifed up. "Do you see yourself getting married?" To which Miracle replied, "Of course. Of course! I better see myself getting married soon. Soon."
During the conversation, she posed a question, "I have a question. Do y'all think it's disrespectful for a man not to marry a woman after being with her for a certain amount of years if they both agree that marriage is something that they want?" Miracle offered her perspective, stating, "I do. I do. I do and we're coming up on that time... You better get it together."
Fall 2024: He Put A Ring On It
With a heart-shaped white floral garland as the backdrop with the words “Will you marry me?” at the center, Lepley got down on one knee and asked Watts to be his forever bride. This engagement comes less than six months after Watts put a little fire under The Have and Have Nots actor. According to Lepley, he was already working on a master plan when Watts’ viral comments about marriage made waves.
Watts and Lepley’s relationship continues to be strong, and they remain popular for their openness about their journey as parents and their support for each other’s professional paths.
Big congrats to the happy couple! We can't wait to see how their love story plays out in the coming years.
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