How To Pursue Multiple Passions As A Business Woman
La La Anthony is a mother, wife and business woman who's one busy lady. She started off as an Atlanta radio DJ, became an MTV VJ, then gave reality TV a shot, wrote a best-selling book, became an actress, and most recently added Broadway producer to her list of accolades.
The Broadway theatre show in question isn't just any show, but the all-black, all-female show Eclipsed, starring Lupita Nyongo in her Broadway debut. Quite an epic project to debut your producing career if you ask me.
Recently being named one of Variety Magazine's Women's Impact Report NY 2016, you may wonder how does a mother and wife have time for all these projects? La La tells Variety that she "honed in on what I love to do, as opposed to trying to do everything."
Though it might seem that she's doing "everything" it serves to point out that she's done a lot and has moved on to a new passion project as she's evolved as a woman. What's so great about that is that it shows you never have to be confined or defined by any one thing. But rather it's a great story how she started off as one thing and has managed to grow into a business woman.
[Related: Branding Is Not Being Put In A Box, It's Breaking The Mold]
Why can't you do and be more than one thing?
La La also tells Ebony Magazine that the best advice that she got was a quote by Will Smith who said that "I will not be outworked." She adds "People may be naturally better actresses, TV hosts or producers. But I’m extremely passionate and a hard worker. I work like if I don’t get this job my rent won’t be paid." And rather than asking the question why she says why not? "Why can’t I do all these things?"
So in turn, I ask you that question, why can't you do and be more than one thing? To those that have found their passion and it happens to be just one thing, awesome! Pursue that. But I know there are many women like myself that actually love more than one thing. I went to school for and got my degree in Financial Services, and I loved it. I like business and numbers and I'm very much a left-side of the brain kinda girl. However, I also love the arts, music, dance, design, and being creative, hence this blog as an outlet as I found it tricky to have to choose one thing.
Reading La La's story encourages me, and I hope to encourage you, that you can follow your passions regardless if they're in different fields and completely unrelated to one another. You might start off with one thing and simply grow out of it which is ok. Just don't let the confusion or indecisiveness of making a choice stop you from making any choice.
So how do you choose which passion to start off with?
My online mentor Tiphani Montgomery says to start off with the thing that can give the greatest amount of joy, in the shortest amount of time. Say you want to write a book, that might take anywhere from a week to a year depending on how dedicated you are and how much time you devote to it. And then you also want a T-Shirt line or a jewelry line. Well, those might be achievable in a month. So pick whichever one will give you the greatest amount of joy, in the shortest amount of time, and then move on to the next if that's what you want to do.
In closing, I want reiterate Will Smith's quote "I will not be outworked." In that same interview which he gave Oprah Winfrey, Smith also quotes Babe Ruth who said:
"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." [Tweet This]
So keep at it, never quit and have a million dollar work ethic and pursue your passion, regardless of how many.
Be blessed!
