Awesomely Luvvie Ajayi

You guys, this is a momentous day for Brown Ambition podcast.

It is we have the most brownest, the most ambitious person that I think my life joining us.

She personifies Brown Ambition and I want to do a little intro because she deserves it. I mean, come on. Our guest today is Levey Ajaye. She is an award winning writer. If you do not read her blog awesomeilovey dot com, I don't know what is going wrong with your life, but you must do it now. But she's not just a blogger. She is a writer, a speaker, a digital strategist, and she says she thrives at the

So I.

Do and she's best friends with Oprah.

I mean, this has been I feel like this has been the year of lovey. But lovey, thank you so much for coming on Brown Ambition.

I am glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Are you calling us from Chicago?

Yes?

I love the Shy only in the summer though, because the winter is ignorant.

Our winter is stupid.

Yes, So tell us, like, you know what has been, because honestly, this has been the year of lovey. Every time I turn around, I'm like, well, gosh, darn it, this girl is just killing it in these streets. I mean, you were killing it before. And I hate when people tell me it's your year, girl, I'm like, it's my life.

But es come on to say that.

Yes, but definitely this year, you've got some major milestone. What probably is your what was your favorite or your most like momentous milestone that's far this year?

Probably interviewing Oprah that would do it. Yeah, yeah, I gotta say that that must have been it. And when she grabbed my head, I was like, well I saw that picture.

Wait, So for me, who's not an inner of this world, I'm like a hanger on. So I just ride Tiffany's delightful coattails. No, tell me how did this happen? How did you get to sit next How does one sit next to Oprah and get to ask her questions?

So first Oprah did this, She chose one hundred people to be a part of her Super Soul one hundred lists, her first Super Sol one hundred lists, and I was one of them. That was in April, so that was when I first met her. And then her team at Owned was just like, you're dope and we think you're pretty cool. So they had me come to LA for the premiere of their latest show, Green Leaf, that Oprah stars in and executive producers and they were like, yeah, so we want you to interview our.

Cast while you're here. What And I was like okay, cool.

I didn't think the cast will involve would include Oprah. I was thinking it was everybody, but Oprah the first person, right, Oprah was the first person who sat next to me.

They probably purposefully don't tell you though.

Well they told me the day of.

They were like, yes, so you are going to be intervening Oprah and I was like wait what.

I was like, I'm going to be interviewing who?

Oprah, Yeah, what did what did your mom say?

She was watching because it was all going down on Facebook Live and she was watching it on Facebook Live as it was happening, and she was like.

Oh my god.

I found out from my sister that she was texting my sister like, oh my god, I'm watching her right now. Like they all stayed up late because in La it was eight o'clock in La time, which was ten pm. Actually was yeah, eight o'clock La time, so ten pm Chicago time.

But it was incredible, It was It was incredible.

Yeah, I mean I could only imagine, you know, when you went down this journey. So, for those of you who don't know, Luvey is Nigerian.

Yes, a blog. You know.

So growing up in a niger household where like you know, your your choices for careers are doctor, lawyer, engineer, pharmacists in that order.

You know.

How how was that transition like being allowed to kind of be yourself and do this. Was it easy where your parents are always kind of on board or was it something you had to fight for?

I think for me, so when I started college, I said I was going to be a doctor. My my, my watch, McCall it my major coming in was psycho g pre med. But then I dropped that pre med after first semester of college when I got my first d of my whole academic career, and I was like, I don't even like hospitals. But I didn't actually tell anybody in my family that I dropped the pre med.

They just came to graduation. What they just came to graduation.

I got my degree in psychology, so I kept the psychology piece.

But then I think the whole time at that.

Point, I basically proved that, like, I'm not ridiculously irresponsible, and I hadn't done anything up to that point that was crazy. So I was kind of left to my own devices. But of course, when you when you were trying to be a writer, I mean, even though I was still fighting at tooth and nails, people just think you're playing on the internet. So I still had a full time job for up until twenty ten.

That's how did you balance them both?

Oh?

I would come home at night and write because honestly, I just love writing and I love marketing, which is what I was doing full time. So it was like I was kind of enjoying both of it. But really, writing is what I was supposed to be doing, and I think it became really really real probably twenty twelve, when I did press coverage of the Academy Awards red carpet and backstage.

That's when of them.

It actually kind of like solidified for my mom that oh, she's not just playing on the internet.

Okay.

I mean you're the first person I go to when I'm looking for like a pop culture wrap up like your game. I found you through your Game of Thrones reviews that, oh, like my favorite thing. I just love how you embrace the nerd, you know what I mean, Like you're so yourself, you embrace all like the little quirks. And then you were doing the Scandal reviews for was it?

No?

I actually started Scandal reviews for myself, like I and then Comcast had me do it for them for like six months. So I just everything I've been doing has kind of happened organ So I just paid attention to what I loved doing, and I did it even when I wasn't getting paid to do it.

That's an AHA moment for those of you guys who know what that means. Oprah lovers aha moment. Ah.

I feel like everyone's always like, oh, how did you plan? I didn't plan anything, which is interesting. I didn't plan any of it. I didn't have any type of strategy on this time. I'm going to become an amazing writer. I was just doing it every day. I was writing every day. I was blogging before it was popular to blog, just because I had things to say and I wanted to say them.

So I did.

Let's get to like the real liitty gritty, because I think people look and they think, like, oh, well, love, he's funny and she knows all these people, and it seems like it's easy. But I always like to know what's the hard part, what's the part that you're like, yo, I still struggle with this, or if this part is not that fun to give people like that it's obviously it's awesome, but there are parts that are not so awesome, And how do you deal with them?

With everything, people always see the glory without the that the grit behind it. You know, it's when you're a writer, there's no straight path, there's no blueprint. You don't necessarily yeah, you can get a degree, that doesn't mean you're going to get a job. I think it comes down to pushing past those hard times and really standing in your worth because one of the things about being a creative is people will constantly challenge you on your pricing. Photographers

Can I pay twelve dollars for it? Now?

Can you preach it please? I'm like Jesus, So it's.

Just like, no, you have to accept people's value is what it is, and it it got easier for me to say no to people and say no, but if you ever have the money, come back. And you know what's funny is a lot of times people are afraid to say no because they're afraid that they'll lose money.

I hear some is that a little person in the background.

That's my niece.

I was just saying I have no babies. I know, I just closed the door. Kids are like, damn your life.

I'm over here.

That's your niece. So what's your family like, let's talk a little bit about your family. They can switch scars for a little bit.

I have a Nigerian family, I am. I mean, honestly, it's just regular, like I don't know. They are interesting, they're funny, they're shady. I have a very Nigerian mom who is amazing that cooking gel off rice.

Because ye better than Ghanaian rice. That's not even let's not even start because right, Jeff right. So there's a war going on.

Man, No I know about that Ghandians and the Nigerian wars. Two friends in college.

Nobody somebody had the nerve to post y'all don't know nothing. Liberian jellup I said, whoa librarian? Jealof right, don't even You're not even in this.

You don't even go to the same school as.

You still take it the short bus. What no offense to liberrians. I love y'all, we're talking about your rights.

And wait, wait, lovey, you just said school.

Now.

I heard a rumor that you went to school with none other than Michelle Obama, not with Michelle Obama, but the same school as Michelle Obama.

Can you confirm school Whitney Young.

So this school is the part well of course, yeah, oh my god. So this school is like what the Golden School.

It is actually like Whitney Young is known for being excellent. It's one of the best city high schools in the in the country. It's actually been ranked every year since its existence. So yeah, like I think one of the first black astronauts went to Whitney Young too, So we're just amazing.

Yeah, just pushes out in winter. So I want to learn more about this book. I know, like I already pre ordered mine and I'm excited. So tell us about like your book and what people can expect and when they can expect it.

So my book is called I'm Judging You, The Do Better Manual, and it is a collection of essays on life, culture, social media and fame and why we are all ridiculous and why we can do better. So, and I include myself in that, I'm also ridiculous and I can do better because as a Nigerian, I can't be on time for nothing. What I can't I'm terrible. I'm late for the most random things. I'm late for conference calls. I'm just terrible. So this book is just me turning the

It's like me, my best, So I'm excited.

I don't think people get you, know, as I'm a writer. I studied journalism, that's my background. But what you do, Like, I don't want people to think that it's easy, Like it's not easy to be funny and smart as a writer. So who were some of your influences? Like when you sit down to write, Like who taught you to be funni or to see humor in your writing?

Honestly, my writing is who I am in real life. Like people who know me very well in real life will read my blog inside I heard your voice because it is truly me, Like you can see you can read my blog and be like, this is a conversation I would have with her over brunch. So honestly, it's been me just being true to myself.

And my voice.

But I of course have people who've inspired me, and one of them is Angela Nizzle.

She wrote The Broke.

Diaries like ten or fifteen years ago, and I remember, back when I still had a full time job, I found her book and I was reading it on the bus cracking up, like you know, one of those laugh where you can't keep yourself from laughing and everyone around just looking at you, funny.

One of the bog Yeah.

Yeah, it was one of those where I was just like, oh my god, I don't even care because I just found myself gafoy in different places. And she ends up being like one of the writers of one of my favorite shows ever, Scrubs.

She's a black woman.

Her and I end up actually finding each other online because I was like, I'm a huge fan. We actually end up becoming friends, so it's kind of crazy. It was like a full circle moment for me.

She's one I'm inspired by.

Anybody who really stands in their power as critics, as smart people who live in the world that has a lot to criticize, and just smart people in general inspire me.

One of my favorite of your recent stories has been, well, you're really protective of the Obamas, as I think we all should be. Yes, but your post about Malia and what she's gone through because she live why do you feel protect I mean, I can kind of guess, but why do you feel protective of Malia and Sasha and the Obamas in general?

So I'm protective of black girls in general because I think the world is too critical of black people, especially black girls, Like we get the brunt of everything. We are torn to pieces even more than anybody else. So for me, I want to be one of the people who's balancing it out, you know. So when black girls are being when people are calling them some types of names, I'm over here like, no, that's not fair because when you compare the way people treat us how they treat

No, I love that. So where do you see yourself? Like what I know you said, you don't really plan. I remember hearing Oprah say that wants to think and she was bugging like she just kind of like leans into the experience's life throws her way in. But I

Honestly, my book was like the biggest goal I had set for myself thus far, and for me, that goal was to become a bestselling author. So I'm hoping by the end of this fall, I will say check. Now what comes after that, I'm not sure because again I haven't planned for any of this, and thus far I've done pretty well by just kind of waiting and seeing what the universe has for me.

So maybe TV's next.

I saw that.

I mean, you're sitting to Oprah. Now Oprah and Ava Duverne are creating original content featuring you know, all black casts, mainly black cast. I mean, do you see yourself getting into that world. There's been so much talk about the need for more black female writers, especially.

Well, yeah, I think so. I think that might end up being the organic next step for me. That's the feedback I keep getting from people. People who are even in TV have been like, you should be writing for TV. So I'm open to it.

I am very open to it.

You know, Shanna is like your bff two I was like, look at Shanda, because you know, so.

A Shonda Rhymes is Bay. Like I actually called her fairy Bay mother.

Because she she has taken a liken to my work that is like it's beyond flattering, Like there needs to be a different word beyond flattering.

She shared like my she's tweeted randomly by my book.

She's talked about my while she's been in rooms on panels.

So it's been it's been crazy. Yeah, has it sunken in?

People ask me sometimes when something big happens, like how do you feel? And honestly, I don't know. Has it Like has it sunken in? You know that these things are happening or are you still kind of like yeah, I'm just like, you know, living life. This is how it is. Or do you actually feel the magnitude of like what's happening.

I don't feel the magnitude of what's happening, which sounds weird to even say I don't, because I I don't. I don't think I take enough time to sit there processing like holy smokes, that just happened, like last night, for example, the head of the Writer's Guild of America, and like I think Northwest tweeted that he loved my book and I was like what, And I did what for like ten minutes and then moved on. So I think, one, I don't want to be I don't want to lose

You know, yeah, that's crazy. It's just yeah, it's crazy but awesome. And when I look at what you're doing, I was I was telling her Mandy, I was before we had our little mixed up in earlier. I was just telling Lovely like it's that lovey like when you're a Nigerian kid, like your parents don't want to hear anything about any other possible major, but when you can show another niger kid that had succeeded without going to the

Because part of the reason why I thought being a writer for so long is because I hadn't seen anybody who had made a great living at it while they're not like writing if they're not Tony Morrison, you know what I mean. So not having that example was part of the reason why I was like, nah, I can't do this. So like the idea that I could be somebody's example of like I can do this, that's that's incredible.

Now, speaking of making a living as a writer on you know, you have you have a couple of different websites now awesomely Techie, which focuses more on tech entrepreneurship businesses. Then you have your pop culture blog Awesomely Lovey. But I mean, as you're scaling up to business and like earning an income, how do you learn how to manage that and budget when you're you know, going from a full time job to just you know, owning your own business.

Well, you learn quickly because if you spend your money. If you get a check and you spend your money and the next time you get a check is in four months and you're like, oh, shoot, I shouldn't spend all that money, you will learn quick to manage your cash flow that like, you might get windfalls of money, but you better save that money so you're not you're not gonna be broke and eating romen noodles three months later. But that's also one thing that people don't teach enough

Y Like, thirty percent of that check is not yours. That is the IRSs.

But one of the hardest things I would say about being an entrepreneur is when you get your tax bill.

Holy smokes.

You know it's cool to get money taking out your check every two weeks, you don't feel it as hard. But when you see a like a bill that is over five figures then you have to write a check for the irs.

That stuff will make you sit down real quick.

Do you have help there or do you have accountants? I mean, how much of it is you and how much of it are you getting helpless?

Or I have an accountant that I've been using for the last seven years. I haven't really.

Use her like a bookkeeper like I should.

I was actually talking to somebody the other day that I need to do that next, like because.

She probably needs to like check me on my spending. So yeah, well.

You can even get a separate because my account was like, oh these receipts, that's cute. But I don't do that. And so I have a separate bookkeeper where literally she lives in La. Once a month, I mail her all of my receipt I'm petty, like if I go through the toll for fifty cents, I'm like a receipt please.

So that's what I did.

Actually, I've been saying that I was going to I'll send that I was going to be on quarterly, but I just haven't done it. It's been such a crazy year that I've been like, oh man, shoot, I just missed three quarters.

All shoot, we'll see it.

Yeah, now that's normal, but you the sooner, especially once you get to a certain tax bracket, you literally you're gonna have to pay quarterly because yeah, because the government is like, that's now, we want our money upfront. He told me that last year was the last year that I could get away with my cake. If you're looking for a bookkeeper, just let me know, because I see too many entrepreneurs who are so dope at what they do, but their business failed because of the back end, not

Yeah, see who I was like, uh uh I rs I did not play with them.

They'll will get your money. Yes, here you go.

Who taught you about money growing up? What was that? Who are your sort of financial influences?

None? I had zero.

I don't feel a long anymore.

Having having conversations about money was not really what I did growing up.

Yeah, I think I kind of self taught on that.

She was like, Nope, Nope, they didn't talk about in my household except for to say there's no money exactly exactly.

Well, I don't wanna. I don't want to let you go before we talk about a project that's really near and dear to your heart and I want to hear more about it. It's the Red Pump Project, which correct me frame wrong, but it benefits HIV AIDS for women and girls.

Yeah, so reference the nonprofit that I co founded seven years ago with a friend of mine. And yeah, we do raise awardeness by the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls.

And we started.

It because I met somebody who had twenty cousins who were living with her grandmother in Malawi because their parents had died from age related complications, and she had a friend who had told her a close friend who told that he was HIV positive, and we were like, oh, man, we didn't even know this epidemic was still this bad because we don't even hear about it anymore. So for us,

Gues, well, I mean I heard you might like shoes a little bit.

Yes, I have a shoe problem.

In fact, my accountant Okay, see I think it's my accountant's fault too.

Let me tell you why.

Because she told me that red shoes are tax deductive expenses for me, now yeah, And I was like, well, then I am doing business every time I buy a pair of red shoes.

Now. But she's right though, like you, yeah, just being able to write off every little thing.

Is right off.

Like I can write off certain clothes up by because I'm always speaking so haircut, My haircuts are now business expenses, y'all. What I'm like, if we talk about business, eat ice cream, I'm like, I need that cone receipts. You're like, that was part of my business meeting, thank you.

No, that's just dope. I just I just more more. My dad would say more grease to your elbow. And you know you make such a nice thing, Oh my god, to your elbow, and we're just like really really like proud of you. And just because when when I'm most about you, I forget where I was. I was just it was a group of black women. I don't know where I was, but your name came up and oh, you know what, I don't know if you know a Vita from No Madness. Oh yeah, yeah, so she she

We had a good time, we did.

And I can't wait for it to do it again in November. I mean November this year in New Orleans. But yeah, I just want to one thank you for always just being so down to everything cool and just continue to rise. Where can people find you? Like, if they want to follow you, they want to follow your shoes, if they want to get your food.

On the down to earth thing.

People always tell people that, Like, honestly, it's what happens when you don't take full credit for everything that's happening for you. It is basically when you understand that you are standing on the shoulder of gods and goddesses and basically you're a product of God's great So I don't have a right to be all arrogant and trifling because I have enough people in my life who'll be like, girls, sit down. So but yeah, so everyone can find me

And that's l u v v I e.

I've actually trained Google to where if you actually type in just my first name, all my stuff comes up.

So that's cool. But yeah, I'm easy to find.

And then I have my shoes to gram My Shoes, my Instagram account that is dedicated to my addiction.

To shoes, shoes, m U, S T, l U v V shoes.

So yeah, people can see my kicks of the day and all that stuff.

I need to follow that right now, lovey, before we let you go, I want to do a quick, little rapid fire question round. This is the first time. This is the first time we're doing it, and I feel.

Like I went to hell.

This is new or I got ideas. I got lots of ideas behind the scenes. Okay, so got about I don't know eight or so questions, but you have to answer the first thing that comes first, first thing that comes to mind? All right, you ready? Yep, Baracco and Michelle fierce game of threat Phones or scandal unmissible? No, no, oh no, I didn't explain the rules of the game right.

Here, gagging, love.

Sorry, it's my fault. I said the first thing that comes to night, but I meant choose one.

This is that first thing that comes to mind, and I was like, hilarious.

Sorry, here my face like, wait, what's happening?

Freaking hilarious? Okay, let's do it. That's funny.

Don't worry. This is what the start up phase.

This is.

This is We're still in beta testing. We're still in a b testing. All right, try again, all right, Barack or Michelle.

Michelle Game of Thrones or scandal, Game of Thrones?

Why keep going?

Okay, okay, okay, this is gonna be easy for your probably new shoes or.

Food, new shoes unless the food is rice.

All right, Oprah, Oprah or Gail?

Oh, come on Oprah for Gail?

All right? Nighttime or daytime? Nighttime, text or call, call, Instagram or Facebook, Facebook, breakfast or brunch ooh brunch.

Yep, because I'll be late to all the types of breakfast.

Yeah, okay, last one, Kim or Taylor?

Oh hell no, neither question right? Like what neither one of them?

Okay, fine, there's an answer. Answer B is none of the above.

Yes, you keep you have to keep the misunderstanding in the beginning.

That's just oh yeah, no, please do your people gonna be like why are people who are supposedly so smart? Oh?

My god, this was like my favorite interview ever. Thank you so so so so much for joining us, Lovey.

Oh my god, this is super fun.

You just made my day. Thank you, Lovey. Everyone go to awesome ilovey dot com right now.

Indeed, all right, so you're.

Welcome for that interview. I feel like we just made your Tuesday. So we're gonna piece that a little bit early on this week's episode. But before we go, Tiffany has a reminder for you all.

Remember we have a contest in that we want to know what is Brown Ambition mean to you? And we are going to pick anywhere from five to ten listeners to join Mandy and I for dinner in New York City on us. I mean, the transportation is on you, but the dinner is on us, and we're just gonna sit talk be brown and fabulous and fun. So if you can email us at.

Brown Ambition Podcast at gmail dot com.

What Brown Ambition means to you? You and I guess in the subject line what should they put?

Just like put anything you want contest.

Yeah, and so yeah, we want to eat because it's our one year anniversary, returning one soon and we want to meet like some of the listeners and just have a good time with y'all. So make sure that you email us, make sure you share you know what Brown Ambition means to you, not necessarily the show, just in general what Brown Ambition means to you. And we will pick our top faves and we'll have dinner.

I can't wait. Food, booze Brown.

I don't even drink, but honey, I don't need to drink. Man. Today was just such an awesome day that was just so so much fun with Lovey. Yeah.

So I hope you guys enjoyed for making it happen.

Oh no, no problem. Honestly, I didn't even have to do anything. She was looking to be interviewed to. Okay, all right, y'all, we will see you next week. And I don't know, keep it brown, keep it ambitious.

Look a look. Okay, bye bye,