On shaking sh*t up
I don't ever understand why people put the stars in words like we have no idea the cuss word.
There’s a reason I am starting this week’s newsletter with an iconic K. Michelle quote:
She’s shaking the table.
I'm not trying to list famous quotes from Love & Hip-Hop's glory days. However, I came across a quote while reading an interview with Issa Rae for the November 2023 Power Issue of Marie Claire. In the interview, Issa, who is a multi-hyphenate, talks to writer Cori Murray about how important it is to build a community, tell stories, how she started, and how her empire of Hoorae Media has grown. Her media company houses her TV productions, ColorCreative, a talent management firm, an audio division, and a venture for marketing and event partnerships. On top of that, she has recently launched her own prosecco company, Viarae, and is also a partner in Sienna Naturals and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen.
If you read that and thought, phew, you're not alone. Issa is booked, busy, and shaking the table. While the K. Michelle quote was a little random (and ratchet), I take the phrase as doing things differently and changing people's initial perceptions of you and your work.
From Issa's career trajectory, we can all learn a few things about branding and starting new things, no matter where we are. After going through the article, I have come up with some key takeaways from Issa's journey that are worth sharing.
Finding your niche and letting your passion guide you: Issa Rae has a defined niche: storytelling mixed with comedy, and she is passionate about her work. With niche and passion, Issa has built a successful career and brand. Those two things are also essential elements of a personal brand. To be successful in developing and leaning into your brand, you need to find a niche, and for it not to feel like work or a chore, it should be something you are passionate about. This will make it easier to share insights, create content, or even learn more about.
Diversifying your income and ventures: Get to the coin, plain and simple. It always feels better when you have more than one income stream and more than one thing you are doing. Issa Rae is no longer putting all her eggs in one basket and is finding ventures outside of the entertainment industry, which is a smart move given the uncertainty of Hollywood.
Community is vital: This feels twofold with Issa's career: (1) the community that you cultivate through your craft and (2) the community you do the work with. One key in the interview is when Issa speaks about working with people and giving opportunities - this is a significant and necessary key in whatever you're doing. And while sometimes people complain about collaborating - when they do, they come up with and see things they may not have ever seen.
Don't be afraid to take risks: Issa Rae has taken several risks throughout her career, such as starting her own production company and launching her prosecco brand. To succeed in creating new things, you must be willing to take risks and try new things. This will help you stand out and make a name for yourself.
Be authentic: Issa Rae is always herself, no matter what. To be successful in starting new things, you need to be authentic to yourself. This will help your audience connect with you and trust what you say.
Before we head into this week’s recommendations, here are a few quotes I loved from the interview - but you should go read it, here.
“I only have a foresight of what isn’t going to be. There’s certain things that I want to take advantage of outside of the industry just because I feel like [the industry] doesn’t know what it wants to be, it’s in flux. And there are no innovators anymore…I want to be able to have control of my own destiny.”
“I’m a storyteller at the end of the day and if there is a story bursting out of me, somebody’s going to hear it. I’m fortunate enough to be able to have a platform where they mostly can. And I like the challenge of getting an audience invested in a story.”
“In the past, when you’re coming up and you’re trying to sell a TV show, managers, execs, would say that it’s better to have a project clean—it’s better to not have anybody else attached. So I listened to that, and that ruined some relationships. After a while I got to the point where it’s like, ‘No, I know these people are talented and I want to fight to be able to get them a position in the larger thing.’ While I haven’t won every battle, I try to fight as much as possible to get people those opportunities that I know I would want.”
Now, let’s get into this week’s recommendations.
Earlier this week, I discovered the
newsletter and instantly subscribed. I love the premise of the newsletter, Marc writing to his son, and loved his latest edition, “How I Met Your Mother.” This line is perfection: “Her words flowed together like her tongue Milly Rocked through the consonants—they had a flavor to them like someone took all her vowels and dipped them in butter.”My friend
’s newsletter continues to be one of my favorite reads of the week, and this week, she talks about how she got her aura photographed, which I’ve always wanted to do. She also talks about Human Design, which I have been diving into a little recently.If you’re in DC or just on Instagram, you may have come in contact with Anthony Polcari’s Day in the Life videos. I find them to be endearing, and The Washington Post did a spotlight on him in September, but I just read it yesterday.
Have you read the New York Times article on Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest?
Robert Glasper was on the latest episode of the R&B Money podcast with Tank and J.Valentine. If you aren’t listening to this podcast, and are a music lover, you should check it out.
That’s it for this week! I’ll holla at you soon. ✌🏾
Erin, this might be the closest I ever get to Issa Rae! Thank you for recommending my letters to my son, especially in the company of so many great writers. I'm honored.
So many lessons from Issa!! She is such a huge role model. And thank you for the shoutout, girl!! ❤️❤️❤️