Beyoncé And The Art of Radical Self Investment
What Can We Learn From The Iconic Life Of The Queen Bey
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The indomitable Queen Bey. Not only has she captivated our screens with her undeniable performances, but she has done so impressively for the past four decades. She has conquered music, starred in multiple movies, owns her own production company, Parkwood Entertainment, and currently expanding her fashion line, Ivy Park. She turned 40 yesterday. We all know that Beyoncé works hard. This attribute was exemplified in her Coachella performance. At this point in my life, hating Beyonce is a red flag.
However, we underestimate some other crucial attributes that have helped Beyoncé ascend to global stardom. In today’s newsletter, we are going to discuss some qualities that we can learn from Beyoncé and apply them in our own lives.
The Learners Mindset
I committed to always being a student and always being open to growth.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
Beyoncé is consistently reinventing herself with every new album. Navigating between R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, or Country requires a willingness to learn consistently. Her humility in learning was highlighted in her preparations for Coachella. She had to relearn everything about her body and how it moved following her pregnancy with twins. She had to learn every aspect of the production to actualize the vision that she had.
I was competing in dance and singing competitions at age seven. When I was on the stage, I felt safe. I was often the only Black girl, and it was then that I started to realize I had to dance and sing twice as hard. I had to have stage presence, wit, and charm if I wanted to win. I started taking voice lessons from an opera singer at nine. By 10 I had already recorded at least 50 or 60 songs in the recording studio. This was before Pro Tools, when you recorded to tape.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
Beyoncé has a Mastery-Oriented Mindset. She thrives on new challenges and understands that her success is a result of her efforts and strategic planning. People with a mastery orientation strive to develop their skills by building competence in a certain area through concerted effort. You see this in Beyoncé's need to top her previous performances in the past.
I’ve spent so many years trying to better myself and improve whatever I’ve done that I’m at a point where I no longer need to compete with myself. I have no interest in searching backwards. The past is the past. I feel many aspects of that younger, less evolved Beyoncé could never f*** with the woman I am today. Haaa!
Question: Are you radically dedicated to learning and developing competence?
Grand Strategy And Unrelenting Focus
My energy went into Destiny’s Child and the dream of us getting a record deal and becoming musicians. If something wasn’t helping me reach my goal, I decided to invest no time in it.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
Numerous songstresses have been lost to unfulfilling relationships, contracts, or drama. We see this with Whitney Houston, The Dixie Chicks and Cassie. Beyoncé was ruthlessly focused on her career and ambitions in her twenties. She was willing to make the necessary sacrifices to build the legacy for herself and her children.
I sacrificed a lot of things and ran from any possible distraction.
My 20s were about building a strong foundation for my career and establishing my legacy. I was focused on commercial success and number ones and being a visionary no matter how many barriers I had to break through.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
It is crucial in your journey to understand the importance of ruthless prioritization. You must be willing to put an end to any collaboration or agreement that does not advance your ambitions. Conversely, you must surround yourself with a group of people that you can collaborate and grow with.
I pulled together these young visionaries and independent thinkers to collaborate with. I wanted collaborators who had not been jaded by the corporate world and wouldn’t be afraid to rock with me when I came up with unconventional ideas, a team that would challenge me but wouldn’t be conditioned to say you’re not supposed to do something.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
Listen To Your Voice And Your Voice Only.
I remember being in a meeting discussing analytics, and I was told the research discovered that my fans did not like when my photography was black and white. They told me I wouldn’t sell if it wasn’t in color. That was ridiculous. It pissed me off that an agency could dictate what my fans wanted based on a survey. Who did they ask? How is it possible to generalize people this much? Are these studies accurate? Are they fair? Are all the people I’m trying to uplift and shine a light on included? They’re not. It triggered me when I was told, “These studies show…” I was so exhausted and annoyed with these formulaic corporate companies that I based my whole next project off of black and white photography, including the videos for “Single Ladies” and “If I Were a Boy” and all of the artwork by Peter Lindbergh for I Am…Sasha Fierce, which ended up being my biggest commercial success to date. I try to keep the human feeling and spirit and emotion in my decision-making.
- Beyonce, Harpers Bazaar
In childhood, a lot of us were denied personal agency. We entered a negative cycle of thinking that other people around us, particularly our parents and elders, know the best for us. Qe grow up thinking those individuals are more qualified to determine the best possible life for us. However, we soon realize that our parents are human. They can solve simple problems like making sure that we have a jacket before we leave the house. However, they are ill-equipped to answer some of the existential questions like “what should I do with my life?”. Although those questions are daunting, we are the most armed to resolve them. Learn to trust yourself. No one has the skills necessary to create a fulfilling life for you other than yourself.
I have paid my dues and followed every rule for decades, so now I can break the rules that need to be broken. My wish for the future is to continue to do everything everyone thinks I can’t do.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
Lean Into Your Own Story
My mother has always been my Queen and still is. She has always been so strong and is filled with humanity. She worked 18 hours a day with calloused hands and swollen feet. No matter how tired she was, she was always professional, loving, and nurturing. I try to handle my work and run my company in the same way.
My father constantly encouraged me to write my own songs and create my own vision. He is the reason I wrote and produced at such a young age. I remember when I started hearing people criticize me after I had put on some weight. I was 19. None of the sample clothes fit me. I was feeling a bit insecure from hearing some of the comments, and I woke up one day and refused to feel sorry for myself, so I wrote “Bootylicious.” It was the beginning of me using whatever life handed me and turning it into something empowering to other women and men who were struggling with the same thing.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
You have a one-of-a-kind person, and you are responsible for sharing that story with the world. If I were to give you a page to summarize your life, how would you describe yourself? Who are the people that helped shape you?
Surround Yourself With Brilliant Women
My closest friends are brilliant women who run companies, are entrepreneurs, mothers, wives, and close family. Kelly [Rowland] and Michelle [Williams] are still my best friends. I gravitate toward strong, grounded women like my incredible sister, Solange. She is full of wisdom, and she is the dopest person I know.
I saw firsthand how a salon can be a sanctuary for women. I vividly remember one client who was an opera singer. She was this regal Black woman who had traveled all around the world and would tell these incredible stories. I’d love to hear about her travels and decided one day I would travel around the world too.
- Beyoncé, Harpers Bazaar
An exercise that I find very useful is talking to my small council. Stolen from Game of Thrones, my small council is my group of celebrity advisors that I think about when making tough decisions. Some of the people in my small council are Joan Of Arc, Josephine Baker, Issa Rae, Beyoncé, Kanye, and Angela Markel. I have studied these people's lives and know how their actions have gotten them to where they are. In times of fear, I summon the courage of Joan Of Arc. In times of challenges, I gather the scrappiness of Issa Rae and Josephine Baker.
Who are the people that you admire? Have you studied their lives? What can you learn from them to apply to your everyday life?
If you have made it to the end and you liked this content, comment below “what you love about Beyoncé”
I love Bey so much! Her and her music have helped me in my worst times and I am eternally grateful to her. I love her worth ethic, her talent, her efforts, how involved she is with everything, how detail oriented she is, how she wants to uplift those who have it harder, how she’s a beautiful mother and wife, I love everything about her! I’m so lucky and blessed to see her grow and become even better with age, Beyoncé I love you! Happy Birthday!!