WEBVTT - Be the Best Version of You (How-To Monday) 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.800 Ba fam we have another how to throw back for you, 0:00:03.960 --> 0:00:06.320 of course we do. We're looking back at some of 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:10.559 our favorite episodes from days past for memorable guests who 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:13.600 unforgettable moments. There's still so much to learn from the 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:29.960 be A Vault. Take a listen, willya? 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:35.840 You guys, this is a momentous day for Brown Ambition Podcast. 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:39.120 It is we have the most brownest, the most ambitious 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:41.840 person that I think my life joining us. 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:44.519 She personifies Brown Ambition and I want to do a 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:46.960 little intro because she deserves it. I mean, come on. 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:50.520 Our guest today is Levey Ajay. She is an award 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:52.960 winning writer. If you do not read her blog Awesome 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:55.200 welovey dot com, I don't know what is going wrong 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.520 with your life, but you must do it now. But 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.400 she's not just a blogger. She is a writer, speaker, 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.680 a digital strategist, and she says she thrives at the 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:08.440 intersection of comedy, technology and activism. Lovey is a thirteen 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:12.080 year thirteen year blogging so basically since the Internet was born, 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.920 Lovey has been blogging. She has the voice behind Awesome 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:18.160 Me Lovey, of course, the humor blog that covers everything 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.399 pop culture. She also has a new book out now 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.920 called I'm Judging You, The Do Better Manual, which is 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:28.000 going to be released in September twenty sixteen. Unless you 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:29.360 want to get out of the game, you can pre 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:34.280 order it right now wherever books are sold. So I 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:35.319 did too, and. 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.120 Yeah, she's best friends with Oprah. 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:41.200 I mean, now. 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:43.040 This has been I feel like this has been the 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:44.920 year of lovey but love Thank you so much for 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:45.959 coming on Brown Ambition. 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:48.800 I am glad to be here. Thanks for having me. 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:50.920 Are you calling us from Chicago? 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:51.920 Yes? 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:54.920 I love the Shy only in the summer though, because 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:55.760 the winter is ignorant. 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:57.720 Our winter is stupid. 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:01.520 Yes, so tell us, like, you know what has been, 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:04.080 because honestly, this has been the year of lovey. Every 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:06.240 time I turn around, I'm like, well, gosh, darn it, 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.360 this girl is just killing it in these streets. I mean, 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:11.800 you were killing it before. And I hate when people 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.280 tell me it's your year, girl, I'm like, it's my life. 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:16.240 But come on to say that. 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:20.440 Yes, but definitely this year you've got some major milestone. 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.400 What probably is your what was your favorite or your 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:31.120 most like momentous milestone that's far this year probably Interviewing 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:33.919 Oprah that would do it. 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:36.880 Yeah, yeah, I gotta say. 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:39.680 That, that must have been it. And when she grabbed 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:42.120 my head, I was like, well I saw that picture. 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:46.160 Wait, so for me, who's not an inner of this world, 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:51.080 I'm like a hanger on. So I just ride Tiffany's 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:55.200 delightful coattails. No, tell me, how did this happen? How 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:57.840 did you get to sit next How does one sit 0:02:57.919 --> 0:02:59.919 next to Oprah and get to ask her question? 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:05.160 So first Oprah did this. She chose one hundred people 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:08.160 to be a part of her Super Soul one hundred lists, 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:09.959 her first Super Sol one hundred list, and I was 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:12.960 one of them. And that was in April, so that 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.680 was when I first met her. And then her team 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:19.400 at OWN was just like, you're dope and we think 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:23.480 you're pretty cool. So they had me come to LA 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:28.560 for the premiere of their latest show, Green Leaf, that 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:33.680 Oprah stars in and executive produces, and they were like, yeah, 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:35.680 so we want you to interview our cast. 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:37.640 While you're here. What And I was like, okay, cool. 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.440 I didn't think the cast will involve would include Oprah. 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:42.760 I would think it was everybody but Oprah. 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:46.160 You think they were the first person, right, Oprah was 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:47.520 the first person who said next to me. 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:51.120 They probably purposefully don't tell you though. 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:54.800 Well they told me the day of. They were like, yes, 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:56.600 so you are going to be introduewing Oprah And I 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:59.840 was like wait what. I was like, I'm going to 0:03:59.880 --> 0:04:06.200 be interviewing who Oprah? Yeah? What did your mom say? 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:08.600 She was watching because it was all going down on 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:13.119 Facebook Live and she was watching it on Facebook Live 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.280 as it was happening, and she was like, oh my god. 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:17.320 I found out from my sister that she was texting 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:20.080 my sister like, oh my god, I'm watching her right now. 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:22.520 Like they all stayed up late because in La it 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:25.000 was eight o'clock in La time, which was ten pm. 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:28.279 Actually was yeah, eight o'clock La time, so ten pm 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:29.200 Chicago time. 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:32.320 But it was incredible, It was It was incredible. 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:35.440 Yeah, I mean I could only imagine, you know, when 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:37.080 you went down this journey. So, for those of you 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.520 who don't know, Luvey is Nigerian. 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:42.880 Yes, any of her blog. 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:47.920 You know, So growing up in a niger household where like, 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:52.200 you know, your your choices for careers are doctor, lawyer, engineer, 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:53.520 pharmacists in that order. 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:55.560 You know, how how was. 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:59.480 That transition of being allowed to kind of be yourself 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:01.240 and do this. Is it easy where your parents are 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.960 always kind of on board or was it something you 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:07.640 had to fight for? I think for me, So when 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:09.919 I started college, I said I was going to be 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:10.680 a doctor my. 0:05:13.839 --> 0:05:17.560 Watch McCall it my major coming in with psychology pre med. 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:22.400 But then I dropped that pre med after first semester 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:26.240 of college when I got my first d of my 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:27.920 whole academic career, and I was like, I don't even 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:31.279 like hospitals. But I didn't actually tell anybody in my 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:33.559 family that I dropped the pre med. 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:41.560 They just came to graduation. What they just came a graduation. 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:43.719 I got my degree in psychology, so I kept the 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:47.240 psychology piece. But then I think the whole time at 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:51.719 that point, I basically proved that, like, I'm not ridiculously irresponsible, 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:55.000 and I hadn't done anything up to that point that 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:56.000 was crazy. 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:59.120 So I was kind of left to my own devices. 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:01.839 Course, when you when you were trying to be a writer, 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:04.440 I mean, even though I was still fighting it tooth 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:06.760 and nails, people just think you're playing on the internet. 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:08.960 So I still had a full time job for I 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:10.000 went until twenty. 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:13.720 Ten that's good to know. How did you balance them both? 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:14.599 Oh? 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:18.200 I would come home at night and write because honestly, 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:20.000 I just love writing and I love marketing, which is 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:21.039 what I was doing full time. 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:23.560 So it was like I was kind of enjoying. 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:26.520 Both of it, but really writing is what I was 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.760 supposed to be doing. And I think it became really 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:34.000 really real probably twenty twelve, when I did press coverage 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:38.280 of the Academy Awards red carpet and backstage. That's when 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.640 it actually kind of like solidified for my mom that oh, 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:42.160 she's not just playing on the internet. 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:43.320 Okay. 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:45.880 I mean you're the first person I go to when 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:48.040 I'm looking for like a pop culture wrap up, like 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:51.000 your game. I found you through your Game of Thrones reviews. 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.719 That's like my favorite thing. I just love how you 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:56.960 embrace the nerd, you know what I mean, Like you're 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.280 so yourself, you embrace all like the little quirks. And 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.680 then you were doing this Scandal reviews for was it? 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:03.919 No? 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:07.760 I actually started Scandal reviews for myself, like and then 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:08.880 Comcasts had me. 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.880 Do it for them for like six months. 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:15.440 So I just everything I've been doing has kind of 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:18.920 happened organically, So I just paid attention to what I 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.160 loved doing, and I did it even when I wasn't 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.400 getting paid to do it. That's an AHA moment for 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:26.320 those of you guys who know what that means. Oprah 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:27.720 lovers aha moment. 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:32.000 Ah. I feel like everyone's always like, oh, how did 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:32.360 you plan? 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.960 I didn't plan anything, which is interesting. I didn't plan 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:37.840 any of it. I didn't have any type of strategy 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:41.000 on this. I'm going to become an amazing writer. I 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:44.040 was just doing it every day. I was writing every day. 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:48.440 I was blogging before it was popular to blog, just because. 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:50.200 I had things to say and I wanted to say them, 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:50.880 so I did. 0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:53.840 Let's get to like the real diitty gritty, because I 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.360 think people look and they think like, oh, well, love 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.560 it's funny and she knows all these people, and it's 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:00.840 it seems like it's easy. But I always like to 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.960 know what's the hard part, what's the part that you're like, yo, 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:05.800 I still struggle with this, or if this part is 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.440 not that fun? To give people like that, it's obviously 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.320 it's awesome, but there are parts that are not so awesome, 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:13.600 and how do you deal with them? 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:14.400 With everything? 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.200 People always see the glory with the without the grit 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:21.640 behind it. You know, it's when you're a writer, there's 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:23.520 no straight path, there's no blueprint. 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.080 You don't necessarily Yeah, you can get a degree, that 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:27.320 doesn't mean you're going to get a job. 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.880 I think it comes down to pushing past those hard 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:33.559 times and really standing in your worst because one of 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:37.600 the things about being a creative is people will constantly 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:44.080 challenge you on your pricing. Photographers feel this, you know, 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:48.160 artists feel this. Anybody who's working for themselves feel this. Yes, 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:52.560 people feel like they can always negotiate you down. Like 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:54.439 you can't walk into H and M and be like, hey, 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:56.439 I know this shuir cost seventeen dollars. Can I pay 0:08:56.480 --> 0:08:57.360 twelve dollars for it? 0:08:57.640 --> 0:08:59.120 Can you? Can you preach it please? 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:02.640 I'm like Jesus, So it's just like. 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.400 No, you have to accept people's value is what it is. 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.079 And it it got easier for me to say no 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:09.360 to people and say no. 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:11.760 But if you ever have the money, come back. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:13.920 And you know what's funny is a lot of times 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:16.480 people are afraid to say no because they're afraid that 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.760 they'll lose money. But a lot of the people who 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:23.559 I've said no to hey, come back, have come back, 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:26.520 just because they're like, you know what, I've got my 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:27.839 money together and I. 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.320 Understand that you are worth what you are. 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:34.559 Charging because you have proving this over and over again. 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:37.880 I hear some is that a little person in the background. 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:39.120 That's my niece. 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:42.800 I was just saying, I have no babies. 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:46.920 I man, I just closed the door. Kids are like, 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:48.559 damn your life. I'm over here. 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.320 Basically, that's your niece. So what's your family? Like, let's 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:52.960 talk a little bit about your family. They can switch 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:53.880 scars for a little bit. 0:09:55.400 --> 0:10:01.280 I have a Nigerian family, I am. I mean, honestly, 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:05.760 it's just regular, like I don't know. They are interesting, 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:10.480 they're funny, they're shady. I have a very Nigerian mom 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:16.240 who is amazing a cooking jelf fries because yellow rice 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.880 is clearly better than Ghanaian rice. That's not even let's 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:22.760 not even start because right, Jello, right, So there's a 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:26.040 war going on many No I know about. 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:27.600 That Guanians and the Nigerian wars. 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:31.120 My two friends in college, somebody had the nerve to 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:33.839 post y'all don't know nothing, Liberian Jello, I said, who 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:35.480 librarian Jealouf. 0:10:36.040 --> 0:10:37.679 Don't even You're not even in this you don't even 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:41.120 go to the same school as You're still taking a 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.239 short bus. What no, off, that's the Liberians. 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:44.720 I love y'all. We're talking about your rice. 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:48.560 And wait, wait, lovey, you just said school. 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:48.760 Now. 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:51.200 I heard a rumor that you went to school with 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:54.360 none other than Michelle Obama. Not with Michelle Obama, but 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:56.000 the same school as Michelle Obama. 0:10:56.559 --> 0:10:58.920 Can you confirm school with me? Young? 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:06.040 So this school is a part of course, Yeah, oh 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:09.240 my god. So this school is like what the Golden School. 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.480 It is actually like, Whitney Young is known for being excellent. 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:15.680 It's one of the best city high schools in the country. 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:20.760 It's actually been ranked every year since its existence. So yeah, 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:22.760 Like I think one of the first black astronauts went 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:25.280 to Whitney Young too, So we're just amazing. Yeah, just 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:27.480 pushes out winter. So I want to learn more about 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.920 this book. I know, like I already pre ordered mine 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:32.559 and I'm excited. So tell us about like your book 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:36.120 and what people can expect and when they can expect it. 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.120 So my book is called I'm Judging You, the Do 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:45.720 Better Manual, and it is a collection of essays on life, culture, 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:47.120 social media, and fame and. 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:49.960 Why we are all ridiculous and why we can do better. 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:53.479 So and I include myself in that, I'm also ridiculous 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:56.480 and I can do better because as a Nigerian, I 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:57.720 can't be on time for nothing. 0:11:58.080 --> 0:11:59.920 What I can't I'm terrible. 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:04.200 I'm late for the most random things. I'm late for 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:08.720 conference calls. I'm just terrible. So this book is just 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:10.880 me turn the mirror on all of us. And it's 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:14.760 basically my blog on steroids, but it's brand new content. 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:18.680 It's like me at my best, So I'm excited. 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:21.800 I don't think people get you know, as I'm a writer. 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:25.800 I study journalism, that's my background. But what you do, Like, 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:27.680 I don't want people to think that it's easy, Like 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:30.640 it's not easy to be funny and smart as a writer. 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:33.760 So who are some of your influences? Like when you 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:37.240 sit down to write, Like who taught you to be funnier? 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:38.520 To see humor in your writing? 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.680 Honestly, my writing is who I am in real life. 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.200 Like people who know me very well in real life 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:48.800 will read my blog inside I heard your voice because 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:52.719 it is truly me, Like you can see you can 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.720 read my blog and be like, this is a conversation 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:57.680 I would have with her over brunch. So honestly, it's 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:00.760 been me just being true to myself with my voice. 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:06.040 But I of course have people who've inspired me, and 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:10.160 one of them is Angela Nizzle. She wrote The Broke 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:13.360 Diaries like ten or fifteen years ago, and I remember, 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.080 back when I still had a full time job. I 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:19.360 found her book and I was reading it on the 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:22.200 bus cracking up, like you know, one of those laugh 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:24.760 where you can't keep yourself from laughing at everyone around 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:25.800 just looking at you funny. 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:30.720 I'm one of those on the train. Yeah. Yeah. 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:32.160 It was one of those where I was just like, 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:34.760 oh my god, I don't even care because I just found. 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.120 Myself gufoying in different places. 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.760 And she ends up being like one of the writers 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:42.720 of one of my favorite shows ever, Scrubs. 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:43.680 She's a black woman. 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:48.160 Her and I end up actually finding each other online 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:49.360 because I was like, I'm a huge fan. 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.200 We actually end up becoming friends, so it's kind of crazy. 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:54.520 It was like a full circle moment for me. She's 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:56.480 one I'm. 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:02.400 Inspired by anybody who really stands in there power as critics, 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:07.200 as smart people who live in the world that has 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:11.280 a lot to criticize, and. 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:13.120 Just smart people in general inspire me. 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.040 One of my favorite of your recent stories has been, well, 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.440 you're really protective of the Obamas, as I think we 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:23.800 all should be. Yes, But your post about Malia and 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:29.840 what she's gone through because she can't she live, why 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:31.280 do you feel protect mean? I can kind of guess, 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.040 but why do you feel protective of Malia and Sasha 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:35.440 and the Obamas in general? 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:38.360 I'm protective of black girls in general because I think 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:43.400 the world is too critical of black people, especially black girls, 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:45.320 Like we get the brunt of everything. 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:49.200 We are torn to pieces even more than anybody else. 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:51.760 So for me, I want to be one of the 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:54.240 people who's balancing it out, you know. 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.680 So when black girls are being when people are calling 0:14:57.680 --> 0:14:58.400 themsel types. 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.560 Names, I'm over here like, no, that that's not fair 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:04.040 because when you compare the way people treat us how 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.520 they treat other people, you see the discrepancy. So for me, 0:15:07.560 --> 0:15:11.280 it's a matter of oh, no, oh, no. I think 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.680 standing up for black girls is one of my favorite hobbies. 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:15.840 No, I love that. 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:18.920 So where do you see yourself? Like what I know 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:21.000 you said, you don't really plan. I remember hearing Oprah 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:22.800 say that wants to think and she was bugging like 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:26.560 she just kind of like leans into the experience's life 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.800 throws her way in. But I totally get it now. 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:31.520 But sometimes you do have an overarching like, well, this 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:33.920 is kind of like what I'd love to do, Like 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.480 is there anything huge or major that you have that 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:38.720 accomplished that you're like, you know, this is on my 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.560 vision board that I'd like to do in the future. Honestly, 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:45.960 my book was like the biggest goal I had set 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:50.080 for myself thus far, and for me, that goal was 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:53.960 to become a bestselling author. So I'm hoping by the 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:57.720 end of this fall, I will say check. Now what 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:01.720 comes after that, I'm not sure because again I haven't 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.040 planned for any of this, and thus far I've done 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.360 pretty well by just kind of waiting and seeing what 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:08.359 the universe. 0:16:08.040 --> 0:16:14.000 Has for me. So maybe TV's next. I thought that. 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:17.720 I mean, you're you're sitting next to Oprah. Now Oprah 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:21.360 and Ava Duverne are creating original content featuring you know, 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:23.840 all black casts, mainly black cast I mean, do you 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.160 see yourself getting into that world? There's been so much 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:29.600 talk about the need for more black female writers, especially. 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:32.080 Well, yeah, I think so. I think that might end 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.360 up being the organic next step for me. That's the 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:38.040 feedback I keep getting from people. People who are even 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.640 in TV have been like, you should be writing for TV. 0:16:41.440 --> 0:16:45.400 So I'm open to it. I am very open to it. 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:47.720 And you know, Shanda is like your BFF. 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:51.280 Two. I was like, look at Shanda because you know, so. 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.280 Shonda Rhymes is Bay Like I actually called her fairy 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:58.239 Bay Mother. 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:04.560 Because she she has taken a liking to my work 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:05.439 that is. 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.359 Like it's beyond flattering, Like there needs to be a 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:13.560 different word beyond flattering. She's shared like my she's tweeted 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:16.880 randomly by my book. She's talked about my book while 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.800 she's been in rooms on panels. 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:25.760 So it's been it's been crazy. Yeah, has it sunken in? 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:28.439 People ask me sometimes when something big happens, like how 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:32.080 do you feel? And honestly, I don't know, Like has 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:35.199 it sunken in? You know that these things are happening 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:37.320 or are you still kind of like yeah, just like 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:39.239 you know, living life, this is how it is. Or 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.960 do you actually feel the magnitude of like what's happening. 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:47.200 I don't feel the magnitude of what's happening, which sounds 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:48.280 weird to even say. 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:53.440 I don't because I don't. 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:55.280 I don't think I take enough time to sit there 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.080 processing like holy smokes, that just happened. Like last night, 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:02.480 for example, the head of the Writer's Guild of America 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:06.960 and like I think the Northwest tweeted that he loved 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:09.960 my book and I was like what, And I did 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:13.679 what for like ten minutes and then moved on. So 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:17.920 I think, one, I don't want to be I don't 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:19.720 want to lose myself. 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:20.800 In the magnitude of what's happening. 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:23.399 And I don't want to be like oh man, spending 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:31.000 days congratulating myself. But I do sometimes kind of scroll through. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:33.240 I use my Instagram in my face acount now kind 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:37.680 of like a yes. And honestly, there are some evenings 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:40.040 when before I go to sleep, I scroll through my 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:44.760 Instagram to remind myself of what's happened, and that those 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:50.080 moments I'm like, wow, okay, we're like now wow, like 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:55.880 you know, yeah, that's crazy. It's just yeah, it's crazy 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:58.960 but awesome. And when I look at what you're doing, 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:01.080 I was, I was telling her Mandy, I was before 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.359 we had our little mixed up in earlier. I was 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:06.240 just telling Lovely like it's that lovey, Like when you're 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:08.480 a Nigerian kid, like your parents don't want to hear 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:11.800 anything about any other possible major. But when you can 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:15.639 show another Niga kid that had succeeded without going to 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:19.120 the traditional ride of doctor, lawyer, engineer, then they give 0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:21.600 you kind of like, well, okay, so Lovey, Like literally, 0:19:21.640 --> 0:19:24.640 there's gonna be hundreds of thousands of kids, Nigerian kids 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:28.080 in the next unforeseeable future saying like, but Mommy, look 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:28.480 at Lovey. 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:30.800 She didn't go to medical school and she's killing it. 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:34.399 And you know, Mom's like, oh, well, you know, okay, Lovely, 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:39.840 that's real. Because part of the reason why I thought 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:42.440 being a writer for so long is because I hadn't 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.679 seen anybody who had made a great living at it 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:49.920 while they're not like writing if they're not Tony Morrison, 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:53.000 you know what I mean. So not having that example 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:54.679 was part of the reason why I was like, nah, 0:19:54.720 --> 0:19:57.679 I can't do this. So like the idea that I 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:00.480 could be somebody's example of like I can do this, 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:02.280 that's that's incredible. 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:05.320 Now speaking and making a living as a writer on 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:07.240 you know, you have you have a couple of different 0:20:07.240 --> 0:20:13.440 websites now awesomely Techy, which focuses more on tech entrepreneurship businesses, 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:15.879 and then you have your pop culture blog awesomely Levy. 0:20:15.960 --> 0:20:18.600