hill st soul

When Work & Life Crossover: How Athletes, Pop Culture Stars and Biz Leaders Maximize Their Mojo Between Sun-up and Sundown

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It’s one of those events that seem to get better and better. As the Superbowl buildup came to its highpoint, many wondered who’d be named league MVP. While Lamar Jackson didn’t make it to the big game, folks got their eyes on what he’s gonna do next season to shake the post-season blues.

The TV ratings numbers suggest that the Superbowl pulled more eyeballs than any other program ever. The expectation for Usher’s performance at the halftime show was met with collab appearances from some main players in pop music. Then to top things off, Usher tied the knot and dropped new music.

He wasn’t the only one breaking pop culture news. Beyonce and Taylor Swift spilled the beans on their latest projects. Over the years, we’ve watched them go from green shoots to icons right before our eyes. They’re among an elite level of performers who have style, fandoms and ‘energizer bunny’ type mojo.

A recent USA Today news article suggests that professionals these days see work/life balance as important to their well-being. But it also showed that many are willing to give-up some dollars for having work/life meaning. It’s this modern-day mindset that points to them having more work/life mojo.

So how do athletes, pop culture stars and biz leaders maximize their mojo between sun-up and sun-down when work and life crossover? It’s true, many have the resources to hire nannies and assistants for their to-do lists. If they take-on a greater load in how they serve country and family, they’re focused on:

  • Legacy:- As the saying goes, “begin with the end in mind and work your way back”. It’s one of the 7 habits of highly effective people. It’s a way to not be limited by the now or the not yet.
  • Opportunity:- Some say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. But sometimes opportunities come disguised or hidden to the naked eye. You gotta have an ‘A+ eye’ as your AI.
  • Voice:- Finding your voice isn’t just about the sounds you make. It’s also about the leaps and bounds you’ll take. When truths are faced and voices get shaped then dreams get draped.
  • Earnings:- Are you earning your keeps? That’s to say are you getting better, smarter, calmer, wiser in your work/life activities? It’s not just about how you make a living but also make a life.       

Keys might say it’s all about the L.O.V.E. you bring to the table. Love for people reminds us to serve the ‘least of these’; love for country makes you wanna serve on the frontlines, whether in battle of war or halls of civics. A love for your game makes you wanna put in the work so folks know you’ve got what it takes.

The talk is that the Kansas City Chiefs are on a ‘dynasty streak’. With back-to-back Superbowl wins, they’re looking to do the unthinkable…a three-peat. Folks are wondering what’s it gonna take for them to raise their game. Well, seems like they’re already thinking about legacy, opportunity, voice and earnings.

Talkback: What does work/life mojo say about the love you bring to the table?

Tip: When work and life crossover, it takes balance and meaning to experience the greatest earnings.

Tracks: Buju Banton – Born for Greatness – https://youtu.be/mNXfca7eo14?si=siwGKirIliaESFNp

Hil St. Soul – Blessed – https://youtu.be/Tk6FKBT8tkk?si=W1FCzuRKq2aGle05

Tyler Perry & Issa Rae Took Different Paths but Have a Similar Message on Turning Fed-Up into Step-Up

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There’s a kind of hazy cloud hanging over people and places these days. In some parts of the country there’s the cloud of forest fires. With millions of acres burning during this ongoing dry season, we see news reports of damage and destruction. In some parts, the whole town has been wiped out.

Then there’s the cloud hanging over people trying to take next steps. For some who’ve lost everything due to the fires it’s about figuring out where to lay their heads. For others who’ve lost their job due to the economic calamity caused by Covid-19, it’s a case of wishing and praying that things turn around.

While Tyler Perry and Issa Rae haven’t seen this kind of devastation in their lives, they have a similar message on turning despair into emergence and fed-up into step-up. Perry who was once homeless when he first started on his dreams, was the recent recipient of the Governor’s Award at the Emmys.

For Rae, it’s been a tug-of-war in emotions as she creates a path in her Hollywood career. She remembers having a meeting with an industry exec who liked what she was doing but missed the point of her work. The rub was in the exec not seeing her work for its worth but for his exerting power and control.

They know the feeling of having a hazy cloud over their heads. But they’ve also seen what can happen when things clear with peaks of sunshine. It’s those glimmers of light that have helped them build their showbiz following and business acumen as actors. They used that time of clearing to build on the:

1. Moment

Perry spoke in his acceptance speech about his grandmother’s quilt and how he realized he took it for granted. He visited an antique store and saw a similar quilt for sale. It was then he got the power of the message in grandma’s quilt. There’re moments in life when we realize the power to work our magic.  

2. Motivation

In the meeting Rae had with the exec she realized that it was a moment for motivation and change. She chuckles about how “someone got fired” in that meeting, but she turned the moment into motivation to build her brand cred. Now she’s known for her own HBO series and select roles in big screen movies.

3. Journey

Perry says he looks back from time to time to appreciate from whence he came. The advice he once got from Oprah to start a journal has now been turned into a journey. Fast-forward to where he is now in receiving the Governor’s award and you’ll find stage plays, movies and TV shows in his portfolio. 

4. Story

The magic and magnetic attraction Perry and Rae bring comes from the stories they tell. Sometimes it’s a fictional story made for TV sitcoms and acting stage. Sometimes it’s a real-life story adapted to a movie role. And sometimes it’s their own story of momentary digest, passion quest and dream conquest.      

As the fall season of TV shows take shape, there’ll be retuning favorites and newbie projects. Things might be a little different where shows won’t have an audience or have to comply with social distancing. But when the haze clears there’s always a bright light or spot for those who make hay while the shines.   

Tip: Good times come when life’s moments get turned into motivation that leads to a journey for your comeback story.

Talkback: Was Schitt’s Creek really waiting in the wings over the years for this many Emmys?

Tracks: Hill St Soul – One Life – https://youtu.be/9TL3rOzxU5g

Angie Stone – No More Rain (In This Cloud) – https://youtu.be/UgG0Hu_FeiA