Like Keke says, there is nothing you can’t get through!
We can all agree life would be 10 times easier if we had a manual to help us navigate through most situations.
A book of wisdom to guide you through different stages in your career and life.
While we can’t vouch for a particular book, we sure can vouch for Keke Palmer to give you the right advice.
The multi-faceted actress, television host, songwriter, producer, and content creator has taken the entertainment industry by storm.
The Emmy winner has made history by being the youngest talk show host in television, the first black woman to host the VMA’s, the first black Cinderella on Broadway, and the youngest nominee for the Screen Actors Guild’s best leading actress honor.
With leading roles in upcoming movies like ‘Alice’ and Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope,’ she has proved she deserved her spot on Time’s ‘100 Next’ list in 2019.
So, when Keke Palmer gives you career advice, you can bet she knows what she’s saying.
Here are some of her best quotes to help you through the different stages in your career.
1. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to. I think your mind is the worst thing you can use as a reason to not do something.”
While choosing a career path, it is too easy to shy away from following your passions due to the ‘fear of failure.’ But, like Keke says, the assumption of failure in your mind is the worst reason to not try something.
As long as you work hard and put your mind to it, you can achieve success no matter what career you choose.
2. “I think that’s something that I work towards every day is to not worry about people not understanding me, because I understand myself.”
Most of us have that one relative who doesn’t fail to question our career choices at every family gathering.
“Oh, you’re a journalist? How do you even afford rent?” “A financial analyst? How can being stuck in a 9-to-5 job make you happy?”
Whatever you do, somebody or the other will always disagree with it.
So, stop worrying about whether or not your dreams make sense to others. Your decisions and your dreams don’t need to be understood by anybody except you, because you’re the one living them!
3. “Everybody deserves the right to do trial and error.”
Mistakes are a part and parcel of life—they are how you grow.
So don’t shy away from trying different jobs and roles before deciding what path suits your needs the best.
4. “You’re going to have to speak up for yourself. I learned that after always being, for lack of a better word, crapped on.”
Starting fresh in a career, it is unfortunately normal to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way because “what if you don’t get a better offer?” Or worse, “what if you don’t get a job at all?”
While this mindset is understandable, it can lead to you being overworked and underpaid.
So, speak up for yourself. Know when to say no to overtimes and when to ask for a raise. Also, take your vacation leaves when you need to (your workplace won’t collapse if you take a few days off!)
5. “You have to understand that when things go wrong in your life it doesn’t mean you need to quit. It means you need to get stronger and change your plan. You have to fight for your dreams.”
When you’ve been working hard in your career and don’t yield success, you might think it’s better to just give up and leave. But you need to remember, it’s not the end goal that needs to be changed, it’s the process!
Try switching up your methods by consulting with your fellow peers’ work and devise plans that’ll help you perform better.
6. “Give yourself some time. Be patient with yourself.”
Everything good takes time. While there are incidents where people enjoy ‘overnight success,’ those are extremely rare moments.
The truth is, you need to push yourself, experience rejections, failures, and work over a long period of time to achieve success. So, don’t be worried if things don’t work out at first. Give yourself time to see the fruits of your hard work.
7. “To be true to your heart, and if you’re passionate about your dream, work towards it but don’t allow your idea of how you think it should manifest prevent what’s actually unfolding from happening.”
Life rarely goes according to plan. So, don’t let a goal you set as a kid stop you from enjoying the new direction life takes you in.
Being flexible and going with the flow will help you notice and embrace new, and better opportunities.
8. “Staying stagnant is not okay.”
Okay, so you’ve got your dream job. You’re getting paid well and you’ve achieved the “success” you always dreamed of. Now what?
It is easy to get comfortable and stay stagnant once you attain a goal. But, doing this will leave you unsatisfied and repulsed by your job after a while.
So, keep moving and setting new goals to maintain an exciting professional life.
9. “I think people should have fun. And don’t get so down on yourself. Enjoy life and be the best person you can be.”
Lastly, your career isn’t your entire life—it’s a part of it. No matter what disappointment you face in your career, don’t let it affect your personal and social life.
Rather than focusing only on career success, focus on enjoying and living your life too! Because in the end, all that matters is you being happy in life!
Want to hear more from Palmer? Well, you’re in luck because she’ll be answering your questions at this year’s Black Excellence Conference presented by IGNITE and the BASE on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
Wait, there’s more! Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. you can attend a virtual vendor market featuring local Black-owned businesses and have a chance to win $50 gift certificates to the stores of the vendors at the event. All you have to do is attend the sessions, chat with the vendors and post on the virtual photo wall to earn points. Every interaction at the event will help you earn points towards the win.
You also get to receive caps designed by renowned black artist, Gerda Boateng.
So, register soon to hear discussions that’ll set you right on track to achieve your career goals!
Ahead of the Black Excellence Conference, here’s a look at 7 things invented by black entrepreneurs that might take you by surprise!
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