respect the g.o.a.t.
lessons we can take from serena's career + reads and vibes for your weekend.
I’ve broken myself away from memes about the British monarchy long enough to send this newsletter! If anything, that deserves a round of applause. 👏
thoughts at large.
Today's thoughts are centered around Serena Williams, who gets my vote for the undisputed greatest athlete of all time. Her decades-long career presumably ended last Friday with her loss in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open, putting a bittersweet cap on a journey that has inspired many - but namely, me.
I don’t know about you friend, but there’s something special to me about a woman who can straight-up dominate in an arena that wasn’t necessarily built for her. I wanted to share a few Serena-inspired lessons that I’ll take with me as I run my own race.
Never back down. Serena has always been a fierce competitor. It never mattered who she was playing against - or how they were ranked - Serena went into every match believing that she could win it. Even when the odds were stacked against her - she always battled to the end. I’m adopting Serena’s “win from within” mantra. Sometimes you just have to dig deep and fight to get to your goals. You won’t always win, but at least you’ll be able to say you gave it everything you had. That’s a personal victory worth celebrating.
Embrace your emotions. Tennis has long been seen as a genteel, quiet sport… but Serena shook it up. You never had to wonder whether or not she agreed with a call, and had no problem sharing her joy, pain, frustration, or anger with whoever needed to feel it at the moment. I’ve been known to suppress emotion when I didn’t feel like it was appropriate to share it, but who makes those determinations on what’s appropriate or what’s not? Feelings may not always be facts but they are real and should be acknowledged. We are human after all.
Stand out from the crowd. It’s not a secret that Serena pushed the boundaries of style on the tennis court. I can’t think of another athlete that has been criticized as much as Serena has for what they choose to clothe themselves in. It started with the braids and beads, hit a fever pitch with “catsuit-gate” and was the source of commentary up until her last minute on the court rocking a diamond-encrusted ponytail. The message here is, that it’s important to stay true to yourself, even if that means that you’re different than anyone else. You and I both have a unique swagger to bring to our respective courts, and we’d be doing ourselves a disservice by trying to be like everyone else. So put that thing on, friend, and let’s show them why we’re here!
Don’t be afraid to pivot. When Serena announced her impending retirement in Vogue Magazine (of all places) she mentioned that she was “evolving away from tennis” and that there were other things that she was ready to devote her time to. Basically - while people only categorize her as an elite athlete, Serena knows that she has way more to offer the world. She didn’t allow herself to be defined by people’s expectations of her. I’ve had to learn this lesson as I’ve made my career change - and that looks like getting clear on who I am outside of what I do because they are not the same. I am not what I do. I am who I am. We have the ability to be great at more than one thing, we just have to be brave enough to let go of what we may be known for to step into the next phase of our greatness.
I have to be honest with you, I was emotional about saying goodbye to Serena because of what she’s meant to Black girls like me. I cried into my tequila sunrise. I’m grateful to have gotten to live in the era that she dominated, and look forward to supporting her in her next chapter. What’s your next chapter, though? Leave me a comment and let me know what you’re working toward and how I can support you on your journey.
reads + vibes.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is covering the latest issue of GQ. While I don’t always agree with her, I’ve always been a fan of the way that she’s been able to make political issues tangible for people. Especially young people. In this profile, she talks about reproductive rights, and whether or not she thinks she’ll ever be president. (spoiler alert: she doesn’t.) read here.
After 19 seasons, Sue Bird played her last game in the WNBA on Tuesday. ESPN ran a really great retrospective on her career and I loved this quote in particular.
"I never in my life have relied on my size, on my strength. I think there have been times earlier in my career where I relied on quickness a little bit -- not relied on but I needed it. It's how I got places. With each change physically that has come, I've been able to adapt because I never truly relied on it in these other ways. My experience and my smarts, as long as I had that, you can overcome some of the physical changes."
Fall is fashion time friends, and New York Fashion Week is in full swing. Just in time, Target is launching a brand new women’s ready-to-wear line called “Future Collective.” The brand will have a new creative director each quarter, and the first is none other than Kahlana Barfield-Brown, my favorite fashion/beauty director-turned-stylist. If you’ve liked the looks that you’ve seen Savannah James in lately, thank Kahlana. ESSENCE got the exclusive on the Target line which you can read/watch here, but you should follow @kahlanabarfield on Instagram for the link to the drop releasing this Sunday.
If you’re into R&B vibes like I am you’ll be pleased to know that Ari Lennox’s new project age/sex/location is available now. Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
If you need a good playlist for your weekend cleaning, my girl Erin made a really great one - with R&B, Afro-beats, a little jazz, and a lot of vibes. If you have Spotify, you’re in for a treat. Listen here. Subscribe to her newsletter while you’re at it!
That’s all for today friends. If you enjoyed this newsletter, make sure you share it with your friends.
