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	<title>Hello Beautiful &#187; Entertainment</title>
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		<title>8 Best Websites To Waste Time</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/laurenminogue/8-best-websitesto-waste-time/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/laurenminogue/8-best-websitesto-waste-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lauren Minogue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time wasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[websites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=1639525</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/laurenminogue/8-best-websitesto-waste-time/" alt="8 Best Websites To Waste Time"><img src="http://hellobeautiful.com/files/2010/06/woman-computer3-150x150.jpg" align="left" alt="8 Best Websites To Waste Time" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>We all have those days when you're dying to get out of the office, and you're counting down the seconds until you can go home. You're trying to hatch a plan to leave early, but it's only 11am on a monday morning, your boss can see you from his office and it's really really cold outside.

Well, I have the perfect solution for you. These 8 websites are guaranteed... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/laurenminogue/8-best-websitesto-waste-time/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We all have those days when you&#8217;re dying to get out of the office, and you&#8217;re counting down the seconds until you can go home. You&#8217;re trying to hatch a plan to leave early, but it&#8217;s only 11am on a monday morning, your boss can see you from his office and it&#8217;s really really cold outside.</p>
<p>Well, I have the perfect solution for you. These 8 websites are guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours, (and make it look to you boss like you&#8217;re hard at work).</p>
<p><strong>1. <em><a href="http://www.stripgenerator.com/">Strip Generator.</a></em></strong> Not what the name suggests, this website allows you to make up a comic strip about whatever you want, (even how boring work is that day).</p>
<p><strong>2. <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube.</a></em></strong><em> </em>Hours of entertainment, from sporting highlights to embarrassing moments and everything in between</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><em>Facebook</em>.</a> </strong>It doesn&#8217;t need an explanation, everyone seems to be on it. Just make sure your boss and other colleagues aren&#8217;t on your friends list.</p>
<p><strong>4.<em> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter.</a></em></strong><em><strong> </strong></em>Keep up to date with everything that&#8217;s happening right now, with your friend&#8217;s and around the world</p>
<p><strong>5. <em><a href="http://www.freerice.com/">Free Rice</a>.</em></strong> Play trivia games and mind teasers, and for every answer you get right, 10 grains of rice will be donated to the World Food Fund to help end hunger. Now you don&#8217;t have to feel bad about wasting time at work.<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>6<em>. <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">Ebay.</a></em></strong><em><strong> </strong></em>Combines shopping and some healthy competition as you fight with other time wasters to get the goods. What more do you need?</p>
<p><strong>7. <em><a href="http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/">People of Walmart.</a></em></strong> You need to see it to believe it, but you can spend hours here!<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>8. <em><a href="http://www.fmylife.com/">FMyLife.</a></em></strong> No matter how bad you think your day was, there is always someone who has had a worse one. Read some of these posts to make you smile, on a day when you just wanna say &#8216;F my life&#8217;. For example;<em> &#8216;today a snow storm hit my town, leaving my car under 3 feet of snow. I called my boss to tell her I couldn&#8217;t drive to work. Her reply? &#8216;Walk&#8217; FML&#8217;</em></p>
<p>Happy days.<a title="5 Ways To Get Through A Lousy Day" rel="bookmark" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/hellobeautifulstaff1/5-tips-for-dealing-with-a-lousy-day/"></a></p>
<p><em><strong><a title="5 Ways To Get Through A Lousy Day" rel="bookmark" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/hellobeautifulstaff1/5-tips-for-dealing-with-a-lousy-day/">5 Ways To Get Through A Lousy Day</a></strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong><a title="5 Ways You’re Judged At Work" rel="bookmark" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/lifestyle/hello-beautiful-staff/5-ways-youre-judged-at-work/">5 Ways You’re Judged At Work</a></strong></em></p>

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		<title>Summertime Fun For Your Kids &amp; You Too!</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/audreygriffin/summertime-fun-for-your-kids-you-too/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/audreygriffin/summertime-fun-for-your-kids-you-too/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>audreygriffin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mommy Beautiful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parenting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=1136795</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/audreygriffin/summertime-fun-for-your-kids-you-too/" alt="Summertime Fun For Your Kids &amp; You Too!"><img src="http://hellobeautiful.com/files/2010/06/outdoors-family-150x150.jpg" align="left" alt="Summertime Fun For Your Kids &amp; You Too!" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>

The kids are home for the summer and are you wondering what to do?  They need to stay busy and you need peace of mind.  Here are some great activities to keep them occupied and some for you too!

The Beach or the pool

The beach is always a fun place to explore with the kids.  Looking for seashells are some of my kids favorite pass times.  Digging sand castles and just plain ol’ swimming in t... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/audreygriffin/summertime-fun-for-your-kids-you-too/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p>
<p>The kids are home for the summer and are you wondering what to do?  They need to stay busy and you need peace of mind.  Here are some great activities to keep them occupied and some for you too!<span id="more-1136795"></span></p>
<p><strong>The Beach or the pool</strong></p>
<p>The beach is always a fun place to explore with the kids.  Looking for seashells are some of my kids favorite pass times.  Digging sand castles and just plain ol’ swimming in the ocean are enough to have fun in the sun!  Live in-land, no problem!  Find a community pool or your neighborhood YMCA.  Poolside with a book and or a good ol’ game of Marco Polo, are some fun things to enjoy!</p>
<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/jmack/3-ways-to-keep-your-unemployed-teen-out-of-trouble-this-summer/" target="_self"><em><strong>3 Ways To Keep Your Unemployed Teen Out Of Trouble This Summer</strong></em></a></p>
<p><strong>Water Balloons</strong></p>
<p>Don’t feel like making a trip to the pool but still need to cool off.  There is no party like a water balloon party!  Split up into team and bombs away!!!! Add water guns and a hose to create more water fun!</p>
<p><a href="http://removeyourcape.com/2010/06/11/summertime-fun-for-kids-you-too/" target="_blank"><em><strong>GET MORE HERE</strong></em></a></p>

<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/mommy-beautiful/iliana-rabun-wood/keep-your-kids-safe-with-non-toxic-bottles-by-sigg/" target="_self"><em><strong>Keep Your Kids Safe With Non-Toxic Bottles By SIGG</strong></em></a></p>
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		<title>Jay &amp; Bey Beat Brangelina As &#8220;Top Earning&#8221; Couple</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/jay-bey-beat-brangelina-as-top-earning-couple/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/jay-bey-beat-brangelina-as-top-earning-couple/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hello Beautiful</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Couple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forbes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[List]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[top earning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=744012</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/jay-bey-beat-brangelina-as-top-earning-couple/" alt="Jay &amp; Bey Beat Brangelina As "Top Earning" Couple"><img src="http://hellobeautiful.com/files/2010/01/Picture-58-150x150.png" align="left" alt="Jay &amp; Bey Beat Brangelina As "Top Earning" Couple" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>

Jay-Z and Beyonce earned $122 million together between June 2008 and June 2009, more than any other couple -- married or unmarried -- in entertainment.

The list makers at Forbes are at it again, this time determining Hollywood's top-earning couple.

Beyonce and Jay-Z beat out the competition not only by churning out hit songs but also by attaching their names to Budweiser, American Express and a host of o... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/jay-bey-beat-brangelina-as-top-earning-couple/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span id="more-744012"></span></p>
<p><strong>Jay-Z and Beyonce</strong> earned $122 million together between June 2008 and June 2009, more than any other couple &#8212; married or unmarried &#8212; in entertainment.</p>
<p>The list makers at Forbes are at it again, this time determining Hollywood&#8217;s top-earning couple.</p>
<p>Beyonce and Jay-Z beat out the competition not only by churning out hit songs but also by attaching their names to Budweiser, American Express and a host of other brands. In this relationship, the wife out-earned the husband, $87 million-$35 million.</p>
<p>Partners <strong>Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie</strong> are third with a combined $55 million, thanks to &#8220;Wanted,&#8221; starring Jolie, and &#8220;The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,&#8221; starring Pitt.</p>
<p>Rounding out the top five are married couples <strong>Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith</strong> ($48 million) and <strong>David and Victoria Beckham</strong> ($46 million).</p>
<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/jay-z-wants-to-be-next-simon-cowell/" target="_self"><em><strong>Jay-Z Wants To Be The Next Simon Cowell</strong></em></a></p>
<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/beyonce-its-time-to-recharge-my-batteries/" target="_self"><em><strong>Beyonce To Take A Break, &#8220;It&#8217;s Time To Recharge My Batteries&#8221;</strong></em></a></p>

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		<title>7 Reasons Nick Cannon Will Be 2010&#8242;s Diddy</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/style-beauty/hello-beautiful-staff/7-reasons-nick-cannon-will-be-2010s-diddy/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/style-beauty/hello-beautiful-staff/7-reasons-nick-cannon-will-be-2010s-diddy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:02:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hello Beautiful</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Style & Beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mogul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nick cannon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nickelodeon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=703852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/style-beauty/hello-beautiful-staff/7-reasons-nick-cannon-will-be-2010s-diddy/" alt="7 Reasons Nick Cannon Will Be 2010's Diddy"><img src="http://hellobeautiful.com/files/2009/12/Picture-57-150x150.png" align="left" alt="7 Reasons Nick Cannon Will Be 2010's Diddy" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>

Call him corny, but 2010 belongs to Mr. Mariah Carey. Check out what's on Nick Cannon's plate for the upcoming year and why, when it comes to being a mogul, he may be giving Diddy a run for his money.

 "I don't want to be the next Will Smith or the next Denzel Washington," the 29-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to be the first Nick Cannon, the first person to do something.... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/style-beauty/hello-beautiful-staff/7-reasons-nick-cannon-will-be-2010s-diddy/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center"></p>
<p><span id="more-703852"></span>Call him corny, but 2010 belongs to Mr. Mariah Carey. Check out what&#8217;s on Nick Cannon&#8217;s plate for the upcoming year and why, when it comes to being a mogul, he may be giving Diddy a run for his money.</p>
<p><em> &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be the next Will Smith or the next Denzel Washington,&#8221; the 29-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter. &#8220;I want to be the first Nick Cannon, the first person to do something. Hopefully, I will still do movies, but I want to be able to be my own man, run my own company.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>1. He and Atlantic Records are looking to launch a multi-platform franchise in the resurrection of &#8220;Josie and the Pussycats,&#8221; an all-girl singing trio based on the Archie Comics characters. Cannon hopes a global search for the three girls will yield a <strong>reality competition series</strong> and evolve into a <strong>scripted comedy-drama</strong>, both of which will air on Nickelodeon&#8217;s 24-hour channel TeenNick where he serves as <strong>chairman</strong>, <strong>the youngest in TV history.</strong></p>
<p>2. Cannon&#8217;s recently launched <strong>production company NCredible Entertainment</strong> is also venturing into publishing to produce a <strong>multimedia book series</strong> to coincide with the upcoming premiere of the Cannon-written and -directed February 2010 Nickelodeon <strong>movie &#8220;The School Gyrls.&#8221;</strong> Cannon penned the first book and plans to be involved in the writing of the six original novels under the pact.</p>
<p>3. At MTV, where Cannon produced the sketch-comedy show &#8220;Wild &#8216;N Out,&#8221; he is behind <strong>&#8220;Nick Cannon Presents Hatin&#8217; on &#8217;09,&#8221;</strong> a comedic year-in-review special that will air on New Year&#8217;s Day. Cannon taped an appearance as President Obama, with rapper-actor 50 Cent also set to do a segment.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE BELOW THE GALLERY!</strong></p>

<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/gallery-mariah-nick-celebrate-his-29th-birthday/" target="_self"><em><strong>GALLERY: Mariah &amp; Nick Celebrate His 29th Birthday</strong></em></a></p>
<p>4. Also at MTV, NCredible did a reality docudrama pilot <strong>&#8220;Son of a Gun: A True Bronx Tale,&#8221;</strong> about young rapper Corey Gunz, and is proceeding with filming additional episodes of the show about Gunz, one of the first artists on Cannon&#8217;s music label.</p>
<p>5. At Cartoon Network&#8217;s Adult Swim, NCredible is working on a <strong>puppet show set in the real world</strong>. It is about members of a hip-hop group who live together and are on the verge of making it big. It&#8217;s being described as a hip-hop version of HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Entourage.&#8221;</p>
<p>6. Cannon is making his foray into radio with a <strong>daily morning drive show on CBS Radio&#8217;s WXRK-FM</strong> New York (92.3 &#8220;Now&#8221;). He debuts on the top-40 station January 19. The is expected to broadcast through a variety of mobile devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry and Zune.  &#8220;I always wanted to do radio,&#8221; said Cannon, who has frequently filled in for radio hosts Ryan Seacrest and Steve Harvey.</p>
<p>7. Cannon is also keeping his summer job and will return as <strong>host of NBC&#8217;s &#8220;America&#8217;s Got Talent&#8221;</strong> next year.</p>
<p><a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/on-the-scene/gallery-mariah-nick-cuddle-up/" target="_self"><em><strong>GALLERY: Mariah &amp; Nick Cuddle Up</strong></em></a></p>
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		<title>Beyonce Has Chance At 9 Moonmen at VMAs</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/kasey-inderdahl/beyonce-has-9-chances-to-win-at-vmas/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/kasey-inderdahl/beyonce-has-9-chances-to-win-at-vmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:53:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kasey Inderdahl</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beyonce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nominations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMAs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMAs 2009]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=404497</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to People.com:

Congratulations to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga!

The powerhouse singers scored a whopping nine MTV Video Music Award nominations each, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.

The leading ladies tied for the most nominations in 2009, including video of the year and best female video.

"I'm excited and honored to be tied for most nominated for the VMAs," Beyoncé says. "I've been blessed this... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/kasey-inderdahl/beyonce-has-9-chances-to-win-at-vmas/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span id="more-404497"></span>According to<a title="people.com" href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20295763,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines" target="_blank"> People.com</a>:</p>
<p><em>Congratulations to </em><em>Beyoncé</em><em> and Lady Gaga!</em></p>
<p><em>The powerhouse singers scored a whopping nine MTV Video Music Award nominations each, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.</em></p>
<p><em>The leading ladies tied for the most nominations in 2009, including video of the year and best female video.</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;m excited and honored to be tied for most nominated for the VMAs,&#8221; Beyoncé says. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been blessed this year to have &#8216;Single Ladies&#8217; become a video people really connected with and responded to. I&#8217;ve spent so much time watching all the great versions people created all around the world. It&#8217;s beautiful to feel you touch people and bring a song to life with a video.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>The VMAs will take place on Sept. 13 at locations around New York City, including Radio City Music Hall.</em></p>
<p><em>For the second year in a row, British comedian Russell Brand will host the event, which will feature presenters Katy Perry, Ne-Yo and Gossip Girl&#8217;s Chace Crawford as well as performances by Taylor Swift and Pink.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;Last year I got to jump out of a window at the VMAs in L.A.,&#8221; Pink said. &#8220;This year I can&#8217;t wait to blow the roof off Radio City in New York.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Beyonce is no stranger to the VMAs and hopefully this year Queen Bey will have similar success to the past!</p>
<p><a title="MTV" href="http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2009/08/04/vmas-2009-the-nominations-have-been-announced-lady-gaga-beyonce-9-nominations-trump-britneys-7/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Check out the rest of the nominations here!</em></strong></a></p>

<p><a title="Kids" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/rumor-is-beyonce-planning-to-have-kids-after-tour/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Is Beyonce ready to have kids?</em></strong></a></p>
<p><a title="songwriting" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/rumor-is-beyonce-lying-about-her-songwriting/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Is Beyonce lying bout her songwriting?</em></strong></a></p>
<p><a title="Fans" href="http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/on-the-scene/video-beyonce-fan-flips-out-over-sweat-towel/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Beyonce&#8217;s Dedicated Fans!</em></strong></a></p>
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		<title>Get Ahead In Business Without Giving It</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/get-ahead-in-business-without-giving-it/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/get-ahead-in-business-without-giving-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:52:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hello Beautiful</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[50 cent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beyonce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destiny's child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matthew Knowles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thembisa Mshaka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vanessa Williams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=183481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/get-ahead-in-business-without-giving-it/" alt="Get Ahead In Business Without Giving It"><img src="http://cdn.hellobeautiful.com/files/2009/04/tmpydf1-150x150.jpg" align="left" alt="Get Ahead In Business Without Giving It" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>  
Thembisa Mshaka, as a creative executive at Sony Music, helped launch the careers of Beyoncé and 50 Cent. Now an executive at BET, Mshaka has gathered her experience and those of almost 100 other wome... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/hello-beautiful-staff/get-ahead-in-business-without-giving-it/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
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<p><span id="more-183481"></span>Thembisa Mshaka, as a creative executive at Sony Music, helped launch the careers of Beyoncé and 50 Cent. Now an executive at BET, Mshaka has gathered her experience and those of almost 100 other women in the entertainment business in her new book, <a href="http://www.putyourdreamsfirst.com/">&#8220;Put Your Dreams First.&#8221;</a> The book is an instant mentorship in all aspects of the business: Movies. Music. Radio &amp; TV. New Media. Advertising &amp; Publicity. Style &amp; Design. Management &amp; Representation.</p>
<p>We sat down with Mshaka recently to discuss how she turned the idea of this book into reality, and got some juicy details on how she got Vanessa Williams to write the foreword for &#8220;Put Your Dreams First.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #800080;"><em>What was your inspiration for the book? </em></span></strong></p>
<p>There was really no one incident, more like a recurring series of the same incident in different settings. At the magazine where I was an editor, I was the only Black female to ever hold the position, and was appointed to it at the age of 21. I would moderate panels and be the only female on the dais. I would participate in panels and be the only woman of color who worked in entertainment.</p>
<p>At the end of many panels and events, women of all ages and backgrounds would literally bum-rush the table and ask me to mentor them, or help them with a specific situation, or ask me how I got started. I kept in touch with some, but inevitably I could not give them the mentorship they deserved. Which got me to thinking: What if I created &#8220;mentorship in a bottle&#8221; for these women, and anyone else who wanted the real story on the business? The idea lit me up, and I started researching to create what would become &#8220;Put Your Dreams First.&#8221;</p>
<p><em><span style="color: #800080;"><strong>What&#8217;s the most important thing you want women to come away with from this book?</strong></span></em></p>
<p>Can I be honest at the risk of being a bit crude? The one thing I want women to get from &#8220;Put Your Dreams First&#8221; is that you do not need to get ahead by giving head. Unless you&#8217;re a soccer player, put away your knee pads! There are many more successful women in the business than they realize who got there with their clothes on and their integrity intact. I say this not to judge those who may not have; I believe God is the only and final judge. I believe even these women may need that affirmation so they can work in the business with dignity. If this book can give them that, I&#8217;ve accomplished my goal.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been in this industry for 17 years, and am disheartened by the predominant representation of women in our business as eye candy, gold diggers, human accessories in videos. Sure these women exist. These archetypes predate the entertainment industry as we know it. And they aren&#8217;t going anywhere. But that said, it&#8217;s 2009, and the time for balanced representation has come. We are finally at a point where the prospect of equal pay for equal work can become a legislative reality.</p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">What was the most interesting interview you conducted and why?</span></em></strong></p>
<p>If I had to choose standouts, I would mention Tina Davis, who speaks in detail about becoming a heavyweight in the A&amp;R field and developing stars, including her own client, Chris Brown;  Mo&#8217;Nique, who spoke about how to fire a manager; Lisa Cortes, who shared her triumphant story of rising from a painful lawsuit to become one of Hollywood&#8217;s most sought-after film producers; Cathy Hughes, who talked about why she refused to choose between her son and her education; and Tylibah, an emerging lyricist and self-published poet who refused to sleep with prominent men in the music world in exchange for opportunities. All of these women are courageous and inspiring.</p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">What was the most surprising finding you encountered in your research and interviews?</span></em></strong></p>
<p>That 80% of my respondents cited the absence of mentorship as the greatest barrier to their advancement in entertainment. As someone who had the benefit of multiple mentors, I realized how blessed I was to have those sounding boards and pillars of support.</p>
<p><em><strong><span style="color: #800080;">How did you get Vanessa Williams to write the foreword? </span></strong></em></p>
<p>This is a GREAT story. Vanessa and I are both clients of a wonderful salon called the J Sisters in New York City. Jane, one of the founders, was talking with me during a service. I lamented that I had a very strong short list of women for my foreword, but that I felt like it would be no easy task to secure one of them. I explained to her that this woman would have to have been successful across many areas of the business: music, film, television, stage, fashion, radio, or some combination of at least three. So you can imagine the list: Vanessa Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Nona Hendryx, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna.</p>
<p>Jane says, &#8220;Vanessa! She&#8217;s the one. She&#8217;s a client here too. I will call you the next time she&#8217;s here for her manicure, pedicure and hair appointment. You MUST rush over as soon as I call, okay?! I agreed, with my heart doing backflips inside. Vanessa was truly my first choice, especially because of what she endured to maintain her career post-Miss America. One day, Jane called. I rushed over. And sure enough, Vanessa was a captive audience of one soaking her feet and unable to move. So I spoke to her about the project (it helped that I had interviewed Lisa Cortes, whom she knew form her days as an artist with Wing/Mercury Records). She loved the idea and asked me to send her a few chapters to read while she was on the set of &#8220;Hannah Montana: The Movie.&#8221; She literally read them all from her Blackberry &#8220;from a cornfield in Tennessee&#8221; as she put it in an email. And within a couple weeks, I had an email containing her foreword, written 100% by her. Vanessa Williams is a woman&#8217;s woman; the real deal. Gorgeous inside and out. She didn&#8217;t have to even talk to me at the salon, let alone contribute the foreword. But she understood my mission. I am forever grateful to her for lending her name and part of her story to the book. I cannot wait to read to her memoir, which she&#8217;s working on now.</p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">How do you balance your own career and personal life?</span></em></strong></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t. I can no more balance the personal and career aspects of my life than I can divide them. They are inexplicably tied to one another, because I only have one life. So I choose to make my one life work. Teetering on the verge of falling between extremes is not living; that&#8217;s what I think of when I hear work-life balance. I strive for work-life function so I can be fully present in the moment as often as possible. I involve my very crucial village of family and friends when I need to, and take care of myself with solo vacations and spa days. Women should not be made to feel guilty for wanting careers, families, and relationships.</p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #800080;">Have you ever had to deal with sexual harassment? Pay inequity? Bigotry? </span></em></strong></p>
<p>Yes, yes, and yes. But you&#8217;ll have to read the book for the details.</p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><em><strong>What was the hardest lesson you ever learned in your career? </strong></em></span></p>
<p>Actually, two tie for first place: That crying while on duty is a no-no, and that incompetent men fail up entirely too often to the detriment of very capable women.</p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><strong><em>This book in an amazing assembly of a virtual mentorship dream team. Who were your mentors? </em></strong></span></p>
<p>It is important to have at least one for every major life transition you make. I am blessed to have had many. First and foremost, my mother, Fulani Mshaka, who I lost to cancer in October of 2007. The book is dedicated to her; she fed my love of words with books and movies. She was a social worker and therapist, my model for the importance of service to others in need. When I moved to Oakland, artist developer and beauty consultant Kelly Armstrong, who was a role model of success in the Bay Area entertainment scene took me under her wing.  I met author Terrie M. Williams, at a Learning Annex event in San Francisco. When I moved to New York, I contacted her and she always made time to set me straight or invite me to events where I could learn and network. Industry giants Sharon Heyward and Dyana Williams have been a great source of wisdom for me. SO much so, that I included them both in the book. Last but not least I have to acknowledge Johnnie Walker, whose leadership through NABFEME has been invaluable. Remember: you don&#8217;t have to talk to mentors every day for them to serve in that capacity; you can be mentored by their actions and their legacies as well.</p>
<p>For more about &#8220;Put Your Dreams First&#8221; and author Thembisa Mshaka, visit the following sites:</p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.blackplanet.com/ThembisaMshaka/">Thembisa Mshaka&#8217;s BlackPlanet page</a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446409464?tag=thembmshak-20&amp;camp=15309&amp;creative=331441&amp;linkCode=st1&amp;creativeASIN=0446409464&amp;adid=0F91NJ8ABG98X1X78AMQ">&#8220;Put Your Dreams First&#8221; Amazon.com page</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.putyourdreamsfirst.com/">&#8220;Put Your Dreams First&#8221; Official Website</a></span></div>
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<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.thembisamshaka.com/">Thembisa Mshaka Official Website</a></span></div>
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<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.handleyourentertainmentbusiness.com/">&#8220;Put Your Dreams First&#8221; Community Site </a></span></div>
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<p><span style="color: #800080;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/putyrdreams1st">Thembisa on Twitter</a></span></div>
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		<title>She Did What?</title>
		<link>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/dbennett/she-did-what/</link>
		<comments>http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/dbennett/she-did-what/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:59:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Deborah Bennett, Senior Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Special Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mel B]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peepshow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hellobeautiful.com/?p=29741</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/dbennett/she-did-what/" alt="She Did What?"><img src="http://cdn.hellobeautiful.com/files/2008/11/mel-b-ultimo-lingerie-ads-150x150.jpg" align="left" alt="She Did What?" hspace="5" vspace="5" border="0" /></a>Former Spice Girl Mel B will be appearing in a topless, burlesque-style show called PEEPSHOW.  Mel says she will be, "scantily clad, but in a classy way." Hmmmm!!!!

Find out more here.... <a href="http://hellobeautiful.com/special-features/dbennett/she-did-what/">Read more..</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former Spice Girl Mel B will be appearing in a topless, burlesque-style show called PEEPSHOW.  Mel says she will be, &#8220;scantily clad, but in a classy way.&#8221; Hmmmm!!!!<span id="more-29741"></span></p>
<p>Find out more <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20241278,00.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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