LalaSizahands has made being an social media star a #CareerGoal. The entertainer and comedian loves to make you laugh. That gift has paid off for her and it pays well. She has grown from being “Vine Famous” three years ago to being a sought after Instagram sensation.
For parodies like “Trap Queen” to Twerking to the poll, LaLa has watched her following soar from 8K to 10K to 25K to literally 100K in about three weeks (at press time her IG following alone is at 1.6M). Being true to herself has been a gamer changer.
Here, she reveals her superpowers and why she believes in taking risks.
As a successful woman in business, what is your greatest or proudest achievement?
My greatest achievement thus far is literally becoming an entrepreneur and not having to work for anyone but myself.
As a woman of color, what do you consider your superpower to be?
I consider my superpower to be making people feel good. Whether I am talking to someone about issues they are having or simply telling them a story to make them laugh, I have that amazing power. As a woman of color, my superpower is being bilingual. It isn’t often that you encounter African American women who can speak Spanish, fluently.
What key skills or qualities make you unique as an African American female leader?
The qualities I embody that make me unique as a African American female include being charismatic, persevering and intelligent.
What thoughtful or encouraging piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
An encouraging piece of advice that I would give my younger self is this, “Honey look, don’t worry about the negative feedback that people are currently giving you because I promise they’re going to be so sick when they see what you turn into in a few years.”
Why is it important for women of color to lead or work in leadership roles and decision-making capacities?
It’s very important for women of color to be in leadership roles and have decision-making capabilities because we have to continue to reach new heights as women of color. We are living in the era of the woman. Instead of simply getting our foot in the door, let’s knock the door down.
If you could thank any female Black history maker for her contributions to society, who would it be and why?
I would have to thank Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has proven that there is absolutely no reason to “stay in your lane.” So many people try to box others in, when women of color are capable of doing it all. Oprah shows this to be true by having done absolutely everything, from being a talk show host to owning her own TV network and magazine. That’s not even half of what she’s done.
Why is it important for seasoned and experienced Black women to reach back and help younger women of color?
It is very important for experienced Black women to reach back and help younger women of color because what’s the point of creating a new route if you aren’t going to help people travel on it? We have to help those coming after us because that’s the whole point of us fighting, to make it easier for the forthcoming generation of young African American women.
How do you feel about the hashtag #CollaborationOverCompetition? What qualities or values do you deem indispensable in your business partners or collaborators?
That hashtag is bangin’. I feel like it definitely applies to how other races live their lives, which helps them to be further advanced than us as a people. I like for my business partners to be honest and prepared. When they’re honest, we can grow together and when they’re prepared nothing will catch them off guard and business will go smoothly.
What are your thoughts on taking risks? Making mistakes?
When it comes to taking risks, I believe that you have to take risks in order to succeed. Literally, everything that I do today involves taking a risk. It is always super scary no matter how many times it’s been done because you never know the outcome but when you actually go through with it and it works in your favor, it’s the greatest feeling ever.
What are three success habits you implement into your daily routine to maintain your success, sanity, peace of mind, etc.?
Three success habits that I implement into my daily routine is waking up early, working out and focusing on my craft.
Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
My biggest inspiration is my family, because when I look at all of their individual lives I want to go even harder at what I do so I can turn around and pour into all of their lives.
If you could have any person in the world become your mentor, who would you choose and why?
I would love to have Issa Rae as my mentor because she has literally pioneered the way for exactly what I want to do. She went from YouTube to cable TV on her own behalf. She demanded respect and took advantage of the moment. She’s been going ever since.
