Issa Rae<\/strong> is the very definition of #blackgirlmagic and the woman that everyone wishes was their bestie. Since she burst on the scene as the awkward and lovable main character in Aw Insecure who goes by the same name, Issa has captured the hearts of many. What she has in personality, she also has in boss points because Issa is a multi-disciplinary creative who writes, produces, acts and everything in-between.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Issa knows what it is to be a trailblazer, not only was she one of the first black women to create and star in her own TV series, but she went on to open her own production company which ensured that other black female filmmakers would continue to have their stories told (as she says \u2018I\u2019m rootin\u2019 for everybody black\u2019 <\/em>.) If you\u2019re looking to learn some entrepreneurship lessons, look no further than Issa\u2019s pearls of wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking at Issa\u2019s success it may be easy to think that she had a pretty smooth rise to fame but Issa\u2019s career was full of dead ends and non-starters just like everyone else. According to Issa, her most successful web series was my third web series. After putting out two web series, Issa remained steadfast in her mission and continued to hone her craft before striking gold with\u201cThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl\u201d<\/em> <\/strong><\/a>which was the blueprint for Insecure<\/strong>. If at first you don\u2019t succeed, keep on trying until you get it right. If it\u2019s good enough for Issa, it\u2019s good enough for us!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking to Bloomberg Business<\/strong>, Issa Rae<\/strong> explained that she wanted her media company to serve as a ray of light to other creatives of colour. \u201cI want Hoorae Media to raise the profile of other artists of color. It\u2019s more about using the platform to build other mini-businesses and collaborations. Hoorae Media consists of Raedio, a music label and audio company that works with artists and songwriters. We have ColorCreative<\/strong>, a management company dedicated to boosting and shaping the careers of writers and multi-hyphenates. And of course Hoorae<\/strong> Film & TV, which serves as the production company<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Always candid about the ups and downs of her career, Issa shared a time when she lost a studio deal because she didn\u2019t stay true to her mission and her voice. She teaches us to be confident in ourselves at all times and despite the situation, to remain authentic and remember that our originality is what makes us standout.<\/span><\/p>\n In creating her web series, digital tools and specifically social media played a huge role in Rae\u2019s creative output. Till today, she recognises the importance of YouTube<\/strong> and Facebook<\/strong> in both helping her work get seen by a wider audience, and in helping her discover her voice as a creator. Like Issa, make use of the tools you have at hand. Living in the age of digital, we have an incredible advantage to be content creators, advertisers and marketers right from the comfort of our homes.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking to Backstage<\/strong> magazine, Issa spoke about the day she realised that exactly who she was was all she ever needed to be. Asked how upstart creatives can best find and strengthen their voice, Rae recalls her own experience to offer some advice: \u201cI had a realization driving one day where I was like, \u2018Oh, shit, I\u2019m me. And there\u2019s nobody else like me<\/em>.\u2019 Yes, we have things in common, but no one thinks or has the same experiences or has been through what I\u2019ve been through, and that\u2019s what I need to mine, that\u2019s my currency at the end of the day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/smartmoneyafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/COURTESY-OF-COVER-GIRL-issa-rae-4.png\")
<\/a>Try, Try (and Try Again)<\/b><\/h3>\n
Use Your Platform To Uplift Others<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Stay True To Yourself<\/b><\/h3>\n
Use Digital To Your Advantage<\/b><\/h3>\n
You Are You And That Is Your Power<\/b><\/h3>\n