Rihanna hasn’t put out an album since 2016. 

SEVEN YEARS.

Even as her contemporaries’ careers have skyrocketed. Even as amazing artists have come into themselves who would make EXCELLENT collab partners. Even as newer folks have come into her market saying/doing things she probably would have liked to. 

Instead, Rihanna has been busy giving us Fenty Beauty and Fenty x Savage lingerie line (a billion dollar valuation among both brands that have very successfully grown by focused on underserved markets. Talk about high impact, high profit!!!). She started and exited a short lived high-end fashion brand (she tried and failed some stuff, keeping her identity of a successful entrepreneur). She took time to start her family. 

And still came back into music at the single most viewed sporting event in the world.

Rihanna hasn’t put out an album since 2016. 

SEVEN YEARS.

Even as her contemporaries’ careers have skyrocketed. Even as amazing artists have come into themselves who would make EXCELLENT collab partners. Even as newer folks have come into her market saying/doing things she probably would have liked to. 

Instead, Rihanna has been busy giving us Fenty Beauty and Fenty x Savage lingerie line (a billion dollar valuation among both brands that have very successfully grown by focused on underserved markets. Talk about high impact, high profit!!!). She started and exited a short lived high-end fashion brand (she tried and failed some stuff, keeping her identity of a successful entrepreneur). She took time to start her family. 

And still came back into music at the single most viewed sporting event in the world.

Regardless of her privilege and the weight her name carries, her career the last decade is a masterclass in capital I identity. Here’s what I’m taking from it: 

  • She trades off of her identity as a successful entrepreneur & her ability to succeed – not just a musician 
  • Despite a 7 year hiatus from making music, she knows she’s a musician. Always was. Always will be, full stop. 
  • She focused on HER timeline and the work that was in front of her while having the emotions of insecurity, jealousy and FOMO and the LOUD requests from others for her to return to music & touring. 

Questions to ask yourself: 

  • In what ways are you thinking “I should be further along” or “I need to be doing more” or “I should be out there!” vs letting yourself walk along side your life and business right now?
  • Where are you refusing to acknowledge the “celeb vibes” you carry? Where do you refuse to trade off of your own name when building new projects?
  • Where do you INSIST on starting over instead of claiming your identity as a successful entrepreneur? 
  • Where are you investing time and energy in things that are based on the expectations of others have of where you should be now/should be doing right now? 

———-

Resources:

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