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At 48-years-old, actor and producer Taraji P. Henson is living her best life. The D.C. native recently got engaged to former NFL star Kelvin Hayden back in May, and she’s starring in one of the biggest shows on television, Empire. As the series moves into its fifth season, Henson has added even more to her […]

The post Taraji P. Henson Wants To Encourage More Black People To Take Care Of Their Mental Health appeared first on Essence.

After two years of hosting Switch, Pivot or Quit, a widely popular podcast, Ahyiana Angel gained two valuable insights that inspired her to launch Mayzie Media, a podcast network for women.

I realized male-led shows dominated the podcast charts and the news headlines,” said Angel. “I also noticed a trend on social media with women asking their communities for podcast recommendations with a female lead or host. They were very vocal about being tired of the same dude style talk and content dominating the space and as a result controlling our narratives. Oftentimes, new podcasts have a hard time breaking through to the masses because the discovery of new programs is challenging. My logic was to create a hub where those who want podcasts produced with their interests in mind can have a sole location for discovery and entertainment.”

With a focus on providing podcasts in the categories of inspiration and self-care; society and culture; and business, Mayzie Maydie has a refreshing line-up of programming.

A Milli, the first podcast to launch under the network, takes listeners behind the scenes with women who have amassed a minimum of 1 million in funding, sales, subscribers, net worth, etc. in business. These are dynamic women who collectively have more than $60 million in annual revenue, 5 million in social followers, and have amassed more than $116 million in funding. Special guests include Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and CEO of The ACT-1 Group with a reported net worth of $420 million; Lindsey Andrews, co-founder of Minibar Delivery, the direct-to-consumer wine, beer, and liquor delivery service with $5 million in funding; Myleik Teele, founder and chief experience officer of beauty subscription brand curlBOX; and Sabena Suri, co-founder and CSO of BOXFOX a premier gift-giving company.

Book’d is the next show set to launch. This podcast features authors of new releases in self-help, personal development, and more. The authors are not only talking about their book projects but also sharing their writing process and personal stories as well.

Beyond spotlighting the entrepreneurial process, sales. and success metrics, Mayzie Media is looking to make an impact from having uncomfortable conversations. “I want to make it easy for women to explore programming which speaks to the issues they are discussing on ladies night like: “how the hell did I get ghosted” or “how do I navigate being a new mom after maternity leave,” says Angel. “I also want to highlight the stories that need to be told like the accounts of women who have suffered due to the disturbing practice of sex trafficking, and addressing common themes that come up as professionals: managing money, getting the promotion you deserve, or navigating a micro-manager. I like to say Mayzie Media is a digital brunch date with your girls: fun, fulfilling, and empowering.”

Even major networks such as Spotify are embracing the power of women as podcast listeners and consumers. Recently, the music streaming service announced an initiative to amplify female voices of color through the power of podcast.

“With 18,000 women applying to the Spotify Sound Up Bootcamp I think it was a clear message that we can show up in large numbers, we want to be heard, we have ideas, and we are ready to make our presence felt in podcasting. The response to the boot camp also showed that if you speak to us we will show up,  shine, and glow up. It also proves my gut feeling that the interest is there but the mainstream opportunities are not plentiful. Spotify also launched a very similar program in the UK and I would like to think that it was in response to the overwhelming interest that women showed in the States. I’m excited at the idea of all 18,000 aspiring creators having a network to rally behind them like Mayzie Media,” said Angel.

Advertising spending in podcasting is forecast to grow from $326 million in 2018 to $534 million in 2020. With 61% of podcast listeners reportedly buying something they heard about on a podcast ad, it’s no mystery that major players in the podcast industry are cutting larger checks for female talent and signing breakout talent to other media related deals as a result of podcasting. Ultimately, there is significant revenue potential in pairing the influence of women with podcasting.

The post A Podcast Network Putting the Spotlight on Women Who Amassed Millions appeared first on Black Enterprise.

National Basketball Association league officials confirmed that players will be allowed to wear any sneaker they wish this upcoming season, regardless of color. Any sneaker that is, except the basketball sneaker created by Kanye West.

In prior seasons it was mandatory for players to wear league-compliant sneakers or they would face a hefty fine. This will be the first time since Adam Silver became NBA commissioner in 2014 that players have their choice of footwear.

According to an ESPN report the stringent rule change is an effort on the NBA’s behalf to allow players to express themselves while on the court. Until now, the rule on player footwear was that all sneakers worn on the court had to be 51% white or black with minimal team color accent to top it off, depending on home and visiting teams.

Rapper Kanye West, who is in partnership with Adidas for his Yeezy product line, took to his Instagram account to debut a first look at his “YZY BSKTBL” sneaker.

(Instagram)

Prior to this model, all of West’s sneaker designs have been for lifestyle wear and not for athletic purposes. This is the first time that the Yeezy brand is venturing into sports footwear since he released his first sneaker in 2015.

However, according to industry sources, the NBA is banning the current version of Kanye’s sneaker. The move is not because of the colors in the sneaker or because of his recent controversial comments made on social media.

The ban is because of the shoe’s gleaming, reflective-material heel. The NBA fears that the 3M material would be distracting to the crowd and also for those watching the game at home.

The Yeezy basketball sneaker was supposed to be worn during the regular season by Adidas signees like Nick Young, Donovan Mitchell, and Iman Shumpert, to name a few. With the ban on the current model of Kanye’s basketball sneaker, there is no word yet if Adidas will make the necessary adjustment to appease the NBA.

The post Kanye West’s Basketball Sneaker Banned From NBA appeared first on Black Enterprise.