It's the Nepotism For Me

Hey honeys and hustlers,

In business and entertainment, there’s a term that often carries a negative connotation - nepotism. It refers to the practice of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. Benefiting from nepotism can sometimes lead to the perception that an individual is unqualified for their position or success. However, some individuals have not only embraced their famous lineage but have carved out their own paths to success.

• Maya Rudolph is the daughter of the legendary singer Minnie Riperton (which I literally just found out this year). While she may have had a foot in the door due to her mother's fame, Maya has proven time and time again that she is a talented comedian and actress in her own right. From her time on "Saturday Night Live" to her acclaimed performances in movies and TV shows, Maya has shown that she is more than just Minnie Riperton's daughter.

• Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of Diana Ross. She has become a celebrated actress and producer, known for her roles in hit TV shows like "Girlfriends" and "Black-ish." Her videos on social media let me know when summer has arrived so that’s also a plus.

• Zack Fox, the son of Felonious Monk, has made a name for himself as a multi-talented creative force. From his work as a comedian and musician to his popular TV show appearances in Abbott Elementary, I’m among a growing number of sad people who won’t make his live DJ sets this summer (yes, I’m salty about the DC show selling out).

• Alex Isley is the daughter of Ernest Isley (Isley Brothers) and a talented singer-songwriter (with a feature on Rapsody’s latest album). Alex has garnered critical acclaim for her soulful music and powerful vocals, proving that musical talent runs deep in the Isley family.

Connections often play a significant role in success, and nepotism may be the most clear example of leveraging your networking to gain access to opportunities. While nepotism may open doors, talent, hard work, and dedication keep those doors open. They have taken the opportunities presented to them and turned them into successful careers. By celebrating their unique talents and contributions, they are not only honoring their famous parents but also paving the way for future generations of Black creatives. Nepo baby, or not, the reality is that when your name is spoken in rooms you’re not yet a part of, you may get opportunities you’re not the best/most qualified for. And that’s okay - do it anyway. Hearing the news of a former Duke basketball player now being the Laker’s head coach may or may not have inspired this article.

In Readworthy News

// beehiiv acquires Typedream. I’m not gonna lie, this was a genius move by the beehiiv team. Typedream is a no-code website builder with a simple user interface, Zapier integrations, and incredible templates. If I wasn’t already using Tilda, Typedream and Framer would be where I’d be looking to build my websites. Convertkit is somewhere in Idaho rebranding to Kit, and beehiiv is playing chess. I am literally in the process of designing a website for Please Hustle Responsibly because I think anything I throw together will be better than the default settings here on Substack (love Substack, but it’s not a website builder, it’s a publishing platform). If I ever move platforms, right now, beehiiv is a top contender. I don’t know how much better they can make their platform for newsletter writers, but I’m sure they’ll surprise me with something else in a week or two.

// Venus Williams partners with Carnegie Museum of Art on a new podcast. Widening the Lens premiered yesterday, is a show about photography, ecology, and the contemporary landscape. How do those topics intersect? Widening the Lens turns to an impressive roster of artists, writers, poets, historians, and environmentalists to dig deeper into the relationship between photography and the environment. You can listen to the show here.

// Earn Your Leisure co-hosts revive a basketball court in their hometown. I have mixed feelings on Earn Your Leisure as a show, but respect what they’ve been able to do in the Black media and business podcast space. They created a must-attend event in Atlanta and now have given back to their community in a meaningful way. Check out the post announcement here.

// Notion launches websites. If you’re a Notion user like myself, you were probably confused by this announcement. Notion already allows users to publish pages to the web. In this video, it looks like they’re giving the publishing button a little more power and functionality. They’ve created a few templates for you to try out this new feature (the pitch deck and personal portfolio ones look tempting). This feature launch comes alongside a few others you can check out in their official release statement.

I’m headed to Charlotte for the Empowered Podcast Conference. I hope to see you there! Please Hustle Responsibly,

🤙🏾✨

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