November 14, 2024 • 61 mins
On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl and Tee talk to two instrumental women in WNBA Glam: Amadi Brooks and Danii Uke. The group discuss how the two broke into the industry, some of their favorite clients and looks, and the importance of feeling comfortable in your own skin both as a current and retired athlete. Plus, Sheryl & Tee learn the origins of A’ja Wilson’s famous pearl pants tunnel fit!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey, what's going on? Everybody? It's your girl, Trerika Foster
Brasby and I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Your girl, Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
And welcome to another brand new episode of Levels to
this podcast where we basically talk about the shit that
women go through. And Honey, there is no better week
to personify the shit that women go through then the
(00:31):
week that we just had with the twenty twenty four
presidential election. I know y'all ain't think we was getting
ready to come on this podcast and I talk about
the bullshit that we just seen last week.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Well, I know they weren't expecting you and I to
not talk about it, but I gotta be real honest
with you and say, I hope I can get through
this conversation without losing my shit like I've already lost.
It can tell you how much I've cried, probably like
everyone else, I don't know. I'm I'm at a lost.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
He I just.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Listen. First of all, as a woman, I don't know
if we will ever have the respect that we deserve
from from just others, right from men, from black men,
from white men, from Hispanic, from just every race. But
then on top of being a woman, on top of
(01:33):
being a black woman, I just I'm at a loss.
I don't know what else to say. I don't know
what else to do, and I do want to say this,
you know, because I feel like Kamala took a lot
of beatens just from people, you know, and what was
(01:53):
she the perfect candidate? Here's my answer to that. Has
anyone ever been the perfect candidate?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
A perfect candidate doesn't say there.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Is no such thing as a perfect candidate.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
They don't exist.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
At the end of the day. This is my opinion,
and you know what, I'm entitled to my fucking opinion
because it's our podcast and it's my opinion. We not
you and I, but we were never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever,
ever ever ever ever, And I could keep going, going
(02:27):
to allow not only a woman to be in charge
of the country, but a black woman to be in
charge of this country. That was never gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And you know what's crazy what I said, because first
of all, I was so stressed the entire day like
egg shells, just so stressed. And then as the results
kept coming, I just kept seeing red upon red upon
red upon red upon red upon red upon red, and
then there was a hen of blue and I just
(02:58):
kept looking at this map, like you know what, I.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Blame you, t Rika.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I blame you for being naive enough to think that
this was gonna go any differently. Like that's the whole
thing that I felt the entire time. It was just
how silly are you? How simple are you?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Tarrika? Because you knew better, Like you knew better.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Many people don't know this. I have a bachelor's degree
in political science. I did my internship in two thousand
and eight with the Barack Obama presidential campaign. If it's
one thing I know outside of sports, it's fucking politics.
And you knew this, but you allowed yourself to be
naive and to get caught in the moment and to
(03:45):
think that people actually valued women, that people actually valued
women rights, that people actually valued us as human beings,
and would put that aside to do what was best,
or at least what we believed was better. And I'm
gonna tell you there's two things that's been pissing me
off ever since this whole thing has happened. Thing Number
(04:06):
one that's been pissing me off is people who keep
posting this shit on social media that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Says if differences of opinion makes you want to unfriend
or delete somebody, then y'all were never friends. First of all,
let's back up. This is not a difference of opinion.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Okay, Liking Coco over coffee is a difference of opinion, you.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's deeper than that over Kansas City barbecue was a
difference of opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
This is not a difference of opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
This is about more character, moral and valu values.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And I have never ever, ever ever felt like I
from a political standpoint because I'm gonna go there, because
fuck it, I'm gonna go there. I have never been
able to look at a Republican and say, well, I'm
gonna unfriend you because you're Republican and I'm Democrat.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That's never happened. It's just it's never happened.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Right now, I I've been able to disagree with people
who don't necessarily share the same political values or the
same political ideas that I do. But we all share
the same kind of character and the same kind of
morals that even if our route to get theoris is different,
essentially we do have the best interests of what it
(05:20):
is that we're doing at heart, right so I can
disagree with you politically and still move forward. I can't
disagree with a bigot, I can't disagree with a misogynist.
I can't disagree with someone who clearly a racist. I
can't disagree with someone who has their own greed as
there as the center of what it is that they do.
And I can't disagree with somebody who thought that that
would be better than Kamala Harris. So personally, it ain't
(05:43):
no way you can come and me talking about if
we got a difference of opinion, go ahead and delete me, boom,
go ahead and block me, boom.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Matter of fact, and just let that go.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Matter of fact. I'll just delete me for you, for you, period.
So that's where we are worried about that. It's not
about that, you know, And and I said the same thing.
I have removed people from my phone, people who who
I actually thought we were friends. But listen, I'm not
(06:15):
going to tell you who you should vote for. I
just I just know what I believe in. Until your point,
I know how I was raised, I know what my
values are, what my morals are, and I thought I
knew that about you. But the simple fact that you
(06:36):
will vote for someone. There's a list of things we
could we could point at. First of all, just a
convicted felon. I just don't know where where in the world,
you know, convicted felons can't even vote, but yet this
(06:57):
one can become president of the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Who we know will pardon himself. My goodness.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
This is a conversation that we could have every episode
and I am I am mentally listen to anyone out
there who is listening and you're feeling some type of way,
you have every right to. I've cried, I've yelled, I've screamed,
(07:32):
I've cursed, I've cried some more. I've questioned this country,
I've questioned America. I've questioned humanity. There's just so much
that I've thought about in the last few days that
(07:53):
I'm I'm sad, Like my heart really and that's what
I just tweeted. My heart fucking hurts right now. And
it doesn't just hurt for myself, it hurts for our country.
It hurts, Huh, it just hurts. I'm like this, this
(08:14):
can't be the country that we're living in. This cannot
be what the majority of this country represents or stands for.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
But it is.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And that's the bottom line, But it is seventy four
million people made a decision that that is exactly what
this country stands for, and that is exactly what this
country means, and that is exactly what they chose. And
I think for me, what makes this one feels different
than twenty sixteen is, at least in twenty sixteen, the
popular vote was like, we don't want this, we want
(08:49):
something else.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Ye it was, you know, but in this one, it
was very clear cut and dry.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
There was no there was no extra, no additive, no preservatives,
there was no nothing to this.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
This was just this was just what it was.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I think that's what makes it very difficult and such
a hard pill to swallow.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But you know what, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
The thing is, and so many people have said it,
and I'm gonna echo it, is that the fight doesn't
stop now. Right Like we had our moment, we had
time to grieve in a way, because that's kind of
how it felt. The next day for me felt like
a day of bereavement. I took it, took me some
time to get myself together. That next day I just
(09:34):
kind of was like, I don't even want to I
wanna do nothing today, right, But now that that day
has passed, unfortunately, especially for women, we don't have the
opportunity to kind of sulk in it, right, Like, we've
got to get up and continue to move business as usual.
Even Kamala Harris in losing, she still has to be
(09:55):
the vice president of the United States.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
How many other days like days maybe she is still.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
The vice president, still the vice president, So she doesn't
get to, you know, salk in what happened, what went wrong,
and stay in that place. She has to continue to
do the job that she was elected to do back
in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And so we just got to continue to do the
same thing.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We got to continue to fight, continue to have a voice,
continue to let people know that we're not gonna just
take anything just because there's a shift in power, and
there will be a shift in authority, and folks will
try us to try to figure out what we're gonna
put up with and what we're not and we're just
gonna have to keep our foot on the gas.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
And so part of that salking and moving on.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
As we kind of shift the podcast to a lighter note,
I'm really excited about today's episode. Because after the sulking
and after the crying and after the needing, some time.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
We look a hot ass mess.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
You got.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
No, she doesn't, but anyway, but.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Anyway, this episode, we are fortunate to be joined by
two of the best and baddest women who.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Make up the w Glam Squad.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Honestly, it's is everything that they do, from how they
carry themselves to how they make other people look and feel.
And we are talking about Amatei Brooks and and Donnie.
And She's gonna kill me because I know I'm gonna
say her last name incorrectly, but I think it's okay.
Yuki Yuki. We love you though, Donny, don't fight me.
We love you though, don't fight me. I'm excited to
(11:46):
talk to them. I'm excited to hear just their journey.
I'm definitely hoping to get some tips to help me
get myself together because because I need all the help
I can get today.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I ain't even listen y'all.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Y'all can't see me, but I ain't got no hair round,
ain't I know lashes on. I'm listening here, listen, look
at our mess.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
We we are who we are, and I'm loving that
is that a colt. It's a colt tat because you
know what, honey, it's football season and baby, my hometown Detroit,
Lyons is doing it. But my but my heart, team
my Coats, I say that team, Honey, we out here
looking bad. Well listen, that's why the name of our
(12:27):
podcast is perfect levels to this because it's different. There's
levels the glam, there's levels to the not so glad.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
For real.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
But I'm excited to talk to them also, And I
think what excites me or what I'm looking forward to is,
you know, just hearing how they got started, hearing their journey,
you know. And and these are two women, and granted
there there are more, but these are two women to
me that have just been behind the scenes, you know,
(12:59):
and the and making some of the best players look
their best. They've been behind the scenes, and people don't
really give them their flowers, per se. And so this episode,
I'm really excited for us to give them their flowers
for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Well, my friends, with no further ado, let's just get
into it and take this thing to the next level.
All right, you guys, we are super excited about today's
show because sure and I are blessed to be joined
by none other than who we deem the W Glam Squad.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Okay, and that is.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
None other than Donnie Yuki and Amadi Brooks. What's up, y'all?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Hey, Hey, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
This is the W Glam Squad without question, Yeah, without question. Listen.
I want to just hop right into it, t if
if you're good.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
With that, absolutely first.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I think it's appropriate for us to allow Madi you
first and then Donnie you next, to just kind of
give a little bit of background on you what it
is that you're currently doing. I mean, I know what
you're doing, and if anybody's paying attention, they know what
you're doing.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
But that's puer argument.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Let you know, tell the folks a little bit about you.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (14:23):
I am an athlete stylist. I'm a personal stylist, not
just limited to athletes, but athletes is how I've made
my name. I've been styling solo for almost three years now,
and I work with W players, NBA players, on air broadcasters, reporters,
legends like Cheryl. I'm a former basketball player, so being
(14:45):
in a W space is extremely close to the heart
for me, and I just love what I do. I'm
Donnie Yuki. I am a makeup artist, specifically for athletes.
I've worked in fashion, I've worked for celebrities, and now
I I work with athletes specifically because I find that
working with athletes is very fulfilling for me. I've worked
(15:07):
with several leagues WNBA and WSL. I've worked with Olympic
gold medalists. I've worked with Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
I love my clients.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I think I have the best clients in the world
and I really enjoy what I do.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So before we hop into more detail on what you do,
because'll y'all do a lot of stuff behind the scenes
that doesn't always get recognized, and so that's one thing
we want to do on this show this episode today
is give you your flowers and let you know that
we see you, we hear you, we feel you, we
(15:39):
appreciate you. But MATI, I want to go back and
help me remember because I'm older than you. I'm way
older than you. But it was some years ago. Do
you remember when you and I first met?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Yes, I remember when we first met.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Because I want you to tell this story for our
listeners when they hear it. I'm going to say this
because I'm a believer in putting things in the atmosphere
and manifesting them and they will come true.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
So I have to first start this off with I
was a huge I am a huge fan of Cheryl Swoops,
one of my favorite players.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I wore twenty two in college. So this was a thing.
Speaker 7 (16:14):
Okay, So I have to let you guys know that
this interaction was a whole moment for me personally. I
was at the time, I was working in ticket sales
with the Atlanta Hawks, and so it's one of my
I want to say, one of my first games, honestly,
and I am down coourse, I like just doing my
rose and responsibilities, and I see cheryls like before the
(16:35):
game starts, I have a mini fangirl moment, and I
told myself, you will not walk out of this arena
without going to speak to Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
And I walked up to her.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
I was so nervous, but I introduced myself and of
course show being Cheryl was so sweet and welcoming.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Say that louder because some people don't know I'm sweet.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
She was so sweet and welcoming. I was so nervous,
and you took a picture with me.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
And I just I shot my shot and Something that
I do on the side that a lot of people
don't know about is that I paint, and I paint
custom denim jackets. And I told Cheryl at the time,
I was like, I really want to make you a jacket,
and she was like, okay, let's do it. We exchanged
numbers and everything. I am gagged, okay, and I played.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
It so cool.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
But fast forward, she sent me her address.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
I painted a jacket for her nonprofit bto R and
I sent it to her house and everything, and now
here we are. How many years later? I think it
was All Star Chicago. It was All Star Chicago. We
ran into each other. It was my first All Star
as a stylist on my own and I ran.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Into Cheryl and she was like Ronnie Smell. I dropped
everything every day dropped.
Speaker 7 (17:54):
I don't y'all understand. I didn't even go to the game.
I said, yeah, and I don't.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Cheryl's hotel room and we steam shows. That was the
fucking Legend shirt. And Cheryl was nervous about wearing a
Legends shirt.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
I say, girl, you are a legend. You gotta wear
the shirt. But we weren't like, okay, it is TV,
like there are children, So I said, okay, let's just
throw a band aid over there. Yeah, but they gonna
still know what it.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Oh my gosh, right, because she had to go buy
band aids to match them.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Get band aids. Oh my god, it's a whole thing.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So it's so funny. I still got the pictures from
that there, I said.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Sure, so so funny. Thing is like I was, I was,
I don't know, I was so nervous, like I can't
wear not nervous. But I knew the w was gonna
put me on the big screen, and I knew they
were going to be like, well, we don't want her
(18:57):
own with that shirt. So I was, listen, you either
go take it like this with a bad date across
the effort, don't put me on screen. So even if
you put me on screen with a bad data on,
people can still make out what it was. But yeah,
that was the whole moment. That was a whole moment.
I want to add something to what Matty said, and
(19:18):
then Donnie, you can go. But the reason why I
wanted her to tell that story is because you never
know who you're gonna meet in your life that can
make an impact of some sort, right, like she impacted me,
I impacted her, and it's just all a part of
our journey, like all of our journeys are different, our
(19:39):
stories are different. But to me, I'm not saying that
that was the moment that kind of busted down the
door for Mattie. But looking at where she is now
and looking at her client list today, like Sis is
doing that, she is doing it. And she's not the
only one, but she is is one of the ones
(20:02):
who the one keeps she keeps them fresh. And I
will put some of her clients out there and let
her talk about it in a minute. But Asia Wilson,
Sidney Coleson, Jackie Young at Lesha Gray, like, come on this,
she is doing the thing.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And Donnie, we have a story too. We got at
and I think our story is it's cute because you
just shared this with me a couple of weeks ago
about what your mom said.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Yeah, my cute mom.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
So the first time I worked with Cheryl, she needed
the makeup artists, and thank god I was free. I
did Cheryl first thing in the morning. You know, I'm
just doing her makeup and I'm just like trusting the process.
You know, this is also Cheryl's swoop. So you gotta
kind of like when you walk into the room, you
gotta kind of turn off that she Cheryl swoop.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
So you can do your job.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Obviously, she has a makeup artist obviously, like she has
her own team and everything like that.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I want to be her new makeup artist.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
And I'm like, okay, you just have to trust the process,
do what you do best, and if she want to
go back to her makeup art, it is great.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Whatever. And I finished, and she looks in the mirror
she says, oh, oh, this is it.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Oh, this is it.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
Oh I'm gonna have to call you again. And I
was like yeah, and I told my mom. My mom
was so excited. She was like, look like Sheron wants
to work with you. It was really amazing.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
And I think coming from this space where like the
w was genuinely important to you growing up and getting
to work with legends like Cheryl Sweet is like, it's
just amazing and it's just heartwarming as well to just
like meet her and see that you're a human being
and so yeah, now we're locked in for life. I'm
(21:53):
her makeup right?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Is this?
Speaker 6 (21:54):
And her makeup aright? Is that?
Speaker 7 (21:55):
For life.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I love.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Then for life.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You know, in this space, the w space that's predominantly black,
and I look at where the league started in ninety
seven to where we are today, from everything from fashion
to makeup to hair to all of those things. Not
that it wasn't important then or not that it didn't
(22:22):
matter then, but we didn't have all of these things.
And I love seeing where the game is, how it's evolved.
But I love seeing my sisters. I love seeing black
women in these spaces making other black women look beautiful.
And it's because of people like Donnie and Maddie. They
(22:45):
make us feel good and our own skin. And everybody's
style is different and everybody's look is different, and you
got to have someone that you can trust. So for me,
these two for a few years now have been that
for me. So I just want to saying thank you
to them.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Thank you, Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I'm really glad that you brought that up to Cheryl,
because that was actually going to be the nature of
my next question for both of you, which is like,
first of all, style is forever changing and forever evolving,
and when you think about the clients and the people
that you all have worked with, everybody's style is not
the same, right, Like everybody has you know, something different,
(23:24):
Like I look at you, know you Donnie, haven't worked
with Ka and then also haven't worked with Djna.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Ka, Djna ain't the same.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Like ain't the same at all, right, And this.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Question is for both of you.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
But like when looking at who you're working with, like
what is your process for is it more? And so
along the lines of I just kind of want to
get a feel of who they are, what they like
and kind of give them that or is it a
I trust you because I'm like this with my muay
I'm an I trust you like you can look at me,
(23:58):
you could see what might look good on me. I'm
taking myself out of it and I am completely trusting
you with whatever it is that you want to do.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So you have free.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Range to kind of make your own thing, do your
own magic. What is that process like for each of you?
When working with various clients in the w.
Speaker 7 (24:16):
Maty, you go first because I want to So for me,
that's something that's super important to me is dressing the
individual based off of who they are. As a former athlete,
I know the importance of your mental or psyche like
all of those things that go into your main job.
And I think that's the extra level of consideration and
(24:38):
intention that you have to have as part of an
athlete's glam team because we're not doing this just for
the glam. We are literally getting you dressed to go
to your job and do what it is that you
do best.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
So I think it's.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Very important that they feel like their most comfortable self
in that space and during that time, I don't want
them feeling out of their body, anything messing with their mind,
their process, whatever that looks.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Like.
Speaker 7 (24:59):
My goes into getting to know the client and really
understanding what they like.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Like I start my process with a questionnaire.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
We have calls, we have fittings, but each individual is
still different, you know. So like for example, Sidney's my
client that just trusts me wholeheartedly, and I'm like, I
can come with anything. There's been times we have looks
day of just because we wanted to switch it up
and it just works out.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Yeah. Well, I'm sorry because I'm gonna interrupt. It's a
little different.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
She is a little different, a little different.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, yeah, but she's a little different.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
But Asia is very collaborative, So Asia will trust that
I'm gonna come with things she likes, but we also
like work together to come up with a look that
we both agree on that we both feel like it's
asia from head to toe. Jackie's my client that I
come with the things, and she trusts me to come
with things with Jackie's gonna let me know I want
to do something else, and I got to come with
(25:55):
something else.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
My process kind of varies based on an individual, but
I think most importantly is getting to know who they are,
and that comes with time.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
No, I wanted Manage to go first because I think
that like her brain, I don't even understand how it
works sometimes, like the way she puts stuff together, I
don't even know how she finds stuff.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
The color matching is insane.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
But yeah, and you do that on everybody, But thank you,
You're welcome with me. I feel like one big thing
is that, like I do have relationships with a lot
of my clients, I've had relationships with a lot of
my clients before becoming their makeup artists, and that's really
important to me that they know me on a friend
(26:37):
level first, so that they know that I'm coming in
as their friends and so knowing that I'm going to
be there, there's already that trust level that I'm going
to protect their image. I'm going to protect the way
that they're going to look on camera, whether it's like
even like just a little flyway hair or something just
like being a friend, when you're friends with someone, you're
(26:58):
taking a picture on them, when you're out dinner, out
on brunch and you're like, oh, let me fix this.
They know that I'm going to bring that energy on set,
and I'm going to bring that energy whenever I'm working
with them. And then on top of that, they trust
what I can do. They know what I can do,
They've seen the proof, and they know that we can
have that communication. We can say like I want to
(27:18):
try glitter, I want to try this, or don't put
blush on me. I just worked at Collins. She was like,
don't put blush on me, and I was like, I
know who you are, so.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Relaxed.
Speaker 7 (27:31):
But yes, they know that they can talk to me
like that. Whereas a lot of times you're putting these
situations with certain brands and certain opportunities, they'll have a
makeup artist there. You don't know the makeup artists, and
you don't know what you can say. You don't want
to offend anybody, like this is their craft as well,
and so sometimes they don't feel, you know, like that
(27:51):
they can say they don't like something or that they're
uncomfortable with something, and so being in those rooms, in
those spaces, it just alleviates that pressure of worrying about
what they're going to look like and worrying about not
being able to communicate how they feel, and like, for me,
like that's so important because they have to go and
do interviews and do commercials and remember a lot of
(28:14):
lines and do all this stuff that is outside of basketball,
Like this is something that they're doing at the top level.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Can I just to follow up really quick though, because
you said something that you said something that resonated with
me specifically where you said she said, I don't like
blesh on me. I'm a glow girl, Like I like
to glow. Put the highlight on me, Give me something
to make me glow. I need to glow under these lights. Okay, yes,
but have you ever come across a client in which
(28:42):
they are adamant about something that they just either love
love love and you're like, this is not working for
you or oppositely where it's like, please don't do this,
and you're like, I know you don't like this, but
trust me, if you just do this one thing, it
will just look so different and like they've allowed you. Basically,
(29:04):
have you changed the minds of clients because you can
maybe see something that maybe they don't see.
Speaker 7 (29:11):
Yeah, well I'll go ahead and let you guys know
now that I did put bloods on Khalia, So.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I do change their minds.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
Yeah. I think that people do take what I do
seriously and they respect it. So when I do say
like we have to do this, especially with the young ones,
like the ones that aren't in the wyet, that are
still in college in high school, and they're like, I
don't want no makeup, and I'm like, listen, it's me
and you in here. Okay, I'm not about to have
(29:39):
you looking crazy, but you're also not about to have
me looking crazy. You are putting something in your breast
right if you have those situations, I think that across
the board. I'm very much like if I have a
client that really wants something that I am not offering,
like they want, I don't know, like their whole face
(30:01):
covered in rhymestones every time we work together, then that
client isn't the client for me, and I'm very you know,
like that doesn't end the relationship or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
I'm still going to support their careers.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
I mean, like I stopped working with celebrities, you know,
I still support their careers. I still say Mary Christmas
and things like that. But the type of makeup artistry
that has kind of taken over social media and taken
over a lot of artists and celebrities, I feel like
isn't really the makeup artistry that I want to do.
(30:36):
So that doesn't mean anything about the person if that's
what they like, but also like my name and my
brand is attached to it as well, and I want
to make sure that people like Collia and people like
DJMA and people like Lexi Brown see my makeup like
skills and see what I'm doing and feel like, oh,
I want her to be my makeup artists.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
That's the makeup artistry that I do.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Well.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
I just asked Donnie about clients who may be very
selective on things, and she's been able to change their mind.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
So I would love to hear your response to that too.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
If there's maybe like someone who's like, listen, I want
to put on this black with these pearls, blah blah
blah blah. And you might be like, since that's not
really what we're going for, or that ain't you or
have you been able to maybe finesse somebody into a
style or look that maybe they didn't know was something
that they liked or that was on them.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Yes, Aryah's raising her.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Hand, I'm raising both of my hands.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
There is a and I don't even think I think
about it too much, but there is a strategy I
believe to allowing people to gently guide them into the
direction that you know, we want to go in, and
I feel like would be best. It is very gentle.
I feel like I'm very gentle with it, but I
do like to push it just a little bit. I'm
(32:10):
not I don't think I'm a pusher, but I think
I have like a little strategy where I bring what
I know the client is comfortable with, like their go to,
like their lane.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Then I'll bring something that I.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
Feel like would be like a notch up, like something
that we haven't seen them in or something more elevated.
And then I also bring like some options that are
kind of like a merger of the two, so that
when it is time to try something new, they still
feel good about what's happened so far. They're feeling confident
in what I've brought, They're feeling good about themselves. So
then it also allows you to have a little space
(32:45):
and lead way to be like, hey, let's just try this.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Let's just try it.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
Yeah, And I love when it works out that way,
and it is not always successful, but I feel like
it starts with a level of trust with the relationship
with you and the client, and then from there, you know,
I think that happens more as the relationship grows stronger.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
They are more open to trying.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Things or hearing my feedback and knowing like, okay, I'm
picking it up. And also also like a teaching lesson,
I'm not just here to throw the clothes on you
and I teach you anything either. I want you to
feel stylish even when I'm not around, by the pieces
that I'm bringing into your wardrobe, by the little bibits
that you're learning as I style you, so that when
I'm not there with you or i'm not accessible, you know, okay,
(33:29):
these things work well together. You're able to start incorporating
it's here every day.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I want to add something to what Donnie said, and
MATI too. For me, it has to be trust, right
to you ask Donnie the question about has she ever
been able to convince someone to try something that they
don't normally wear or say, look this that ain't the
look for you?
Speaker 6 (33:51):
Right?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
And so my journey has been this, especially recently and
being retired, and I have this kind ofversation with Maty
and Donnie before, where like I just don't feel a
little better now, but I didn't feel beautiful in like
my own skin or my body. So example, all Star
weekend in Phoenix, Like, I'm very conscious of my body
(34:18):
like not looking the way I want it to look.
And I'm hoping there are some people out there who
are listening that can relate to what I'm about to say.
And so I said to Matty, like, this is the
look I want, but I, oh, I'm gonna cry. But
I don't know what to wear because I don't like
(34:41):
I like, I don't feel sexy in my body. I
just got stuff in areas that I've never had there before. Right,
And so when I told her the look I wanted,
she was like, I got you, but there was still
a part of me though that was like, yeah, we'll
see and so oh, I have to tell you, like
(35:02):
she dressed me the entire weekend for All Star Weekend
for my brush, I felt so beautiful and you were
like I felt. I felt like I hadn't felt in
a very long time, just because I don't like I
don't like what's underneath my clothes right now, and I
(35:23):
was a little skeptical she was able to get me
in an off the shoulder dress that I wore to
an event, and I couldn't stop looking at myself in
the mirror seriously because I was like, oh my god,
like she did it, and even with my makeup, like
I love Donnie doing my makeup because I trust her,
(35:44):
Like she knows when I say this is the look
I want. She knows what I want. And I don't
really like color. She knows I don't like color on
my lips. So for the Jennifer Hudson Show, she was like,
I will give you a little color, and I immediately
got theive like, no, you're not, I don't do color.
(36:05):
So she did it. I looked in the mirror and
I was like, oh, okay, like this is beautiful and
I'm sorry I'm crying, but.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
You do not apologize.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
But listen, Having played for so many years, right, like,
my body was always the way I wanted it to be.
I had the six pack, I had the muscles, I
didn't have any fat anywhere, and so I knew I
could wear whatever I wanted to wear and I was
going to look good in it. And now being fifty
three years old, I don't work out like I did
(36:37):
when I played, So there are certain things that I'm
just like, I'm not comfortable wearing. And so to have
someone that understands that that I'm comfortable with and I'm
comfortable being around and knowing that she's going to give
me the look that I'm asking for and I'm going
to be very confident in it, and I'm going to
look really good in it, Like that makes me feel
(36:59):
really good. The last thing I want to say is
I know a lot of people probably like yeah, but
I can't afford a stylist. I can't afford to get
my makeup done. I can't afford to hire someone to
put me in something I can't afford. The clothes are
gonna get Let me just say this to anybody that's listening.
Like working with Maty, she sent me this whole sheet.
I'm like, girl, you know me why I got to
(37:19):
heal this out? But I understand why I have to
fill it out. And then she's like, well, what's your budget?
So she is going to work within whatever your budget is,
and I don't care if it's one hundred dollars or
one thousand dollars, You're going to look like a million bucks.
And that's what I really loved about working with her,
(37:41):
because I was like, mighty, here's my budget. This is
all I got. Let's work with it. And Sis, when
I tell you listen, I want everyone who is listening
to understand, just like they said, everybody's style is different,
everybody's look is different. And once you get to know
(38:01):
who they are and you're comfortable with them and they
get to know you, just sit in a chair, get
your face beat to pieces. Let Madi just style you.
You gonna walk out of there looking like a million bucks,
feeling like a million bucks, and being very confident when
you walk in the room that people are gonna pay attention.
And that's what I always look for. So thank you
(38:23):
to both of you. Thank you, Cheryl, thank you, I
thank you. Yet I love the fact that people feel
really good about themselves in a way that they don't
typically feel whenever they have someone that comes in to
give them the style that they want, the look that
they want, the face that they want. I know, I
(38:44):
always like, never feel like a celebrity or like a
personality until I get out the makeup chair. And in fact,
it is so bad now that like now I don't
even want to do my own face no more. I'll
be like if I got to put my own makeup on,
I don't want to go like I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
It just don't feel the sign I got to pick
my I don't want to go like I just can't.
I can't do it.
Speaker 6 (39:02):
I won't do it.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
But there has to be a reason why each of
you wanted to be in this field to make people
feel this way. So I'd love to hear what made
you get into this field? How did you get your
start even in working with high profile clients, But what
was it that drove you to want to be in
(39:24):
the fashion and style and MUA industry.
Speaker 7 (39:27):
The first time I ever got my makeup done, I
tell everybody this, the first tie I ever got my
makeup done by someone who knew what she was doing.
I felt like Instagram batty and I was.
Speaker 5 (39:41):
Like, oh, like I really genuinely felt like, Oh, I
am beautiful, I am sexy, I am a pen And
I wanted to make everyone feel that way in some way,
shape or form.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
Like whatever I was doing, I wanted people to feel like, oh,
like this this facade of like Instagram battye and like,
if I want to do that, I can do that.
Speaker 6 (40:05):
It also makes you more.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
Confident and not wear makeup and you know, just being
yourself because you know your potential essentially. And so after
feeling that and just like, you know, like just feeling good.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
About myself for a while.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
I started to practice and see how I can replicate
that on myself, and it just really inspired me to
be a makeup artist.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
And then I got into the industry. I worked at
MAC and then I worked.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
In fashion for a bit, and then I moved out
here and worked with celebrities for a bit, and so
I got to see all those different facets and being
in the position of service, my biggest thing is that
I want to pour into my clients. I want them
to feel comfortable. I want them to feel confident. I
want them to feel beautiful. I want to have moments
(40:50):
like this that we just have with Cheryl where she's
expressing that vulnerability. I want to be able to be a.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Part of closing that gap.
Speaker 7 (41:00):
I'm uncomfortable with this and I look, use my language,
fucking stunning. I wanted to be a part of that,
and working with athletes I've been able to be. I
feel a part of that because for a long time,
there weren't many people like via Madi in this space
(41:20):
doing this, and as you know, yeah, as.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
The industry continues to grow and.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
Get eyes on them, there was a time where I
would look at sports ads. I'd see like these sports
models and how they looked in their campaigns, and see
how the athletes looked in their campaigns, and I just
wanted them to realize and feel as beautiful as the
sports model would not be more beautiful and feel more
confident and be able to take up space in those ads.
(41:51):
And I just was like, how can I get in
those rooms so that I can make that difference, so
that people can see what they look like when their
makeup actually matches and when there's actually time that goes
into how they're gonna look for those interviews and for
those moments off the court, and so that's I feel
like that's kind of how I made my way. But
(42:13):
even like with Madie, like I remember, we worked on
a client like years ago who was a really close
friend of mine and we were just talking about wanting
to do this and our friend was just like, y'all
can do it. And literally like a year later we
were working with Cheryl. We were like doing things together.
It was really cool, and it was just being like
(42:34):
us putting faith in ourselves and believing that we do
truly have a gift and trusting that and walking in that.
She's like one of my favorite people to watch grow
because I wasn't there from the beginning beginning like the
ticket sales, so like seeing it, like you know, like
we're constantly congratulating each other.
Speaker 6 (42:52):
It's just so beautiful to see.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And I always just.
Speaker 7 (42:55):
Want her to have faith in herself because she could
do the impossible and she always wants to say for me.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
So it's just like one of those things where you don't.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
Find that everywhere, and so it's just like cool to
feel like where she is now.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
Thank you, Donnie, it's something to sell you ours. Yeah,
you have been there from the beginning beginning, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
Yeah, And I love that thought, you know, and you
and I talked about that the other day just having
a conversation. I love seeing how Donnie uplifts Maighty Mighty
uplifts Donnie and they work together because so many times
in any feel as women, and I'll say it as
(43:37):
black women, like for whatever reason, we feel like we
have to compete. Yeah, we have to compete with each other.
And Matty's a stylist. Why can't y'all work together? If
Donnie knows someone who's looking for a stylist, you know,
Mighty call Marighty Mightty knows someone who needs makeup calls.
I love seeing this because I don't think we do
(43:58):
this enough. I don't think we support each other enough.
I don't think we uplift each other enough. So it's
so nice to see women and sisters supporting each other
and not always competing against each other.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Yes, agreed, agreed, one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
I want to take a second to have you both
tell me about some of my favorite looks that I
have seen. M okay, so I know that we are
audio so I'm gonna describe some of them for you
so that you can hear what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Obviously, this is.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
The Queen like she does everything great, but this probably
was my favorite look I've ever seen on Asia. Now
keep in mind Asia AKA, so I know that she
all want to rock the pearls, but the pearl pain
with the jacket, with the high shoulders, the bleing purse,
(45:06):
Yeah this gay?
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Do you hear me?
Speaker 2 (45:10):
The sixth pat out like this gay? But you should
have seen me trying to run machine or something, trying
to find these hands, SUSI, and we should have just
called Mardy like maighty pans from yeah yeah, And not
(45:32):
everybody can can wear that.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I can't.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
Can't because honey, the stomach I got you bet to
put me on the old blazer. The whole blazer got
to come all the way back button up to my.
Speaker 7 (45:47):
This is one of my all time favorites as well.
This is my first season working with Asia as her stylist.
This is my first All Star doing it on my
own as her stylist as well. But these pants were
customs of course, age six four and so we weren't
finding pro pants with ages en scene but I knew
I wanted to give her a moment with All Star
(46:08):
being in Vegas, with her being the host, I just
felt like, we got to give you a moment that
nobody else can take from you, like this is your
house as the college. So so I knew, And it
goes back to just knowing the client's personality, little things
you know about them. I always like to tell a
story if I can on these big moments. And we
know the importance of Pearls because of ages and Aka,
(46:31):
but also if anyone listened to, or you know, read
Dear Black Girls, or know anything about Asia and her
relationship with her grandmother, Pearls is also symbolical relationship and
Asia girls for when she got drafted, and she wore
pearls when she warmed up while she was playing in college.
Speaker 4 (46:47):
So it went so much deeper than that.
Speaker 7 (46:48):
And so when I gave her the idea, when I
pitched it to her, like what if we do a
pearls look, she was with it. We kind of just
built around the pants. Once I found a designer, her
name was Lee. She has her own brand called One
of the Ones by Joe Lee, and she makes custom
pants and custom pieces and she's a black designer I
believe out of Memphis. The pants were their focal point
(47:10):
and I just knew everything else had to just align,
and it did, and she killed it.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
And she looks confident right, like she ain't worried about
nothing because she knows the look is there, the fit
is there, the walk is there. And this was one
of my.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
Faves too, this one.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
I do want to congratulate, Madie. You recently received the
In Style Image Maker Award.
Speaker 4 (47:43):
Congratula, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Tell us a little bit about that. How it happened.
We saw you and said looking just bomblicus bomb delicious.
Speaker 7 (47:58):
Yeah, I thank you guys so much that moment. I'm
still coming down from that night. Installed. They did a
feature on me earlier this year, just interviewed me about
fashion and the w and about a month or so ago,
Jason Schieler from the Install team reached out saying they
wanted to honor me, and at first I'm like, okay,
(48:20):
I'm not fully understanding, but he was serious and he
wanted a part of it was the honorees were stylists,
makeup artists, so it was honoring those behind the scenes
to make these big images of these celebrities that we know,
and they had our clients be the presenter of the awards,
(48:42):
which was really awesome to hear everybody's stories too, from
these big names like Coleman Domingo and the Melizabello and
they were just talking about the importance of their glam team.
And luckily we were able to have Sid come in.
Speaker 6 (48:57):
She flew in.
Speaker 7 (48:58):
She was in Nashville actually doing some appearances for Athletes Unlimited,
and she flew in just for the awards.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
Straight off the flight, pulled up at the awards.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
Show up anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (49:11):
But it was just such a beautiful night and it
was so affirming in a space sometimes that and I
know Donnie can speak to this as a creative I
think in any field, sometimes you wonder, am I doing
God's work? Am I where I'm supposed to be? And
I feel like I had no doubt moment this year.
From the outside it seems like, oh, yeah, everything's great,
But I inside sometimes you're like, okay, am I on
(49:32):
the right path. So getting that honor felt almost like
God telling me like, no, you're doing what you're supposed
to do.
Speaker 4 (49:39):
Just keep going and.
Speaker 7 (49:40):
Keep him first and That's that's all I can say,
just keeping him first, working hard.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
My mom got to be there, which was huge.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
I flew her out from Atlanta and she had a
great time and I'm so happy she got to be there.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
And I actually got styled for the first time. Oh
I've never been styled, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (50:02):
I thought you put me.
Speaker 7 (50:03):
I gotta give credit where it's due. Actually, my styling
assistant at All Star, Frank Leslie, she is an amazing
stylist and she has taught me so much this year
and helped me on projects, and I was wanted to
give her the forefront this time.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
And a lot of people don't know, like finding out.
Speaker 7 (50:24):
As for ourselves is stressful, and hiring styles isn't always
just about looking good.
Speaker 4 (50:27):
It's also a time.
Speaker 7 (50:29):
Saving mental savor in a way, and France Leslie was
able to do that for me. And I got to
feel how you guys feel, and I felt so because
you were. Oh you were beautiful, so beautiful, you look
so good.
Speaker 4 (50:50):
You look good.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
You deserve yeah, so deserving?
Speaker 7 (50:58):
You know, stop, I know, I know I felt what
you said earlier, you know, like not being an athlete anymore,
you know, that's your identity for so long and so I'm.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
Going through that myself, like it's just not the same.
Speaker 7 (51:14):
And you know, when you work your job that you
make everybody else around you feel good and look good
and feel good about themselves.
Speaker 4 (51:20):
Sometimes you don't consider yourself.
Speaker 7 (51:24):
And to be able to take a step back and
have someone make me feel how I get to make
other people feel was.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
Yeah. So it was a moment. I loved.
Speaker 7 (51:37):
I loved, love, love love my outfit and I was
vulnerable and expressed to her like, look, girl, I ain't.
Speaker 4 (51:43):
Got my pack no more. Okay, So I don't know.
Speaker 7 (51:46):
I haven't really bought clothes for myself in a long time, Like,
I don't know what this looks like.
Speaker 4 (51:51):
For me, so just help me.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
And well we all saw it.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
You girl.
Speaker 6 (52:00):
Were gorgeous, Oh guys, gorgeous.
Speaker 7 (52:03):
Yeah, and it was so nice to watch you get
your flowers because you're very deserving.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
Thank you and your your arm candy, what baddie I did?
Speaker 4 (52:13):
I did do my work there. I stopped that.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
You are going to put up You're about to look good.
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Yeah, right, let me say that I love Sid so much.
I mests it a few years ago. That's my girl.
I don't know how you can.
Speaker 1 (52:32):
Tell when she's serious and when she ain't.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
Oh, we still have those I never can, like, I know,
we having a real conversation right now, but I feel
like said put on this bullship right.
Speaker 7 (52:46):
It's so funny because we still we do have those moments.
It was like, I can't tell if you're.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
Serious or like it's like, like.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
What are you like, give me a wink, give me
right what we know? We for real, Well, Donnie, y'all
are the best.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
And if nobody has told y'all lately that y'all are awesome,
y'all are awesome and we love y'all.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
We appreciate everything that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
You are truly inspiring a young generation of future creatives
and stylists in any ways, because it's just like you
know how it is when they say when you see it,
you can be it. So trust and believe you too
really are instoration and schol and I just so greatly
appreciate you all taking the time to join us on
levels to this today.
Speaker 4 (53:31):
Thank you guys for having it.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Before we get out of here, please tell the folks
where they can find you on social media.
Speaker 7 (53:38):
Yeah, you can find me at Donnie U D A
N I I UK on Instagram and Donnie did it
that is my beauty page, and then Donnie did it
again on TikTok. I'd be having a lot of fun
on there. Definitely check me out. You guys can find
me at MADI too Smooth on most socials as m
(54:00):
A D I I t OO smooth all the way
through as m O O t H.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
And my styling page is at a Mighty B.
Speaker 2 (54:08):
Styling and that's where I post most of my looks
for my clients. Love that, and I just want to
reiterate what T said. Thank you both for being here,
and if you ever question if you're where you're supposed
to be, We're here to tell you, yes, you are
because of people like you too. That keeps us all going,
(54:32):
keeps us all looking good, feeling good. And I just
want to say keep going, sist to both of you
and got mad love for you both, love you having us.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
Sure, that was such a fun conversation to be honest,
And I've really got to make sure that we put
these pictures up on social media so people can see
the pictures that we've been talking about, because I mean literally,
I think I'm just gonna keep stalking their social media
and just get inspirations for how to get myself together.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
That's just that's how it's gonna work.
Speaker 2 (55:08):
I've kind of tried that, and you know what I said,
listen there the makeup thing is just not me, Like
I can't. I've done YouTube videos and tutorials and all that,
and you know what I finally said, just leave it alone.
That's why we have That's why we have the Donnies,
because when I needed, I'm like, Donnie, come get your
(55:28):
girl together.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
Please don't give it together.
Speaker 2 (55:31):
I know that, you know. And with Maty, I just say,
I'm like, but I love that I can call her
and I'm like, mighty, listen, here's what I got going on,
Here's what I need. And the fact that we've worked
together before is she knows, you know, what I feel
comfortable in, what I feel sexy in. She's like, I
just I love being able to work with those two.
(55:52):
And what a what a great conversation, Such a great conversation,
Just a great group of women. And there's so many more,
as you mentioned, there's so many more out there who
you know, do similar things that they do. I'm really
hoping that we'll get an opportunity to maybe talk to
them too and.
Speaker 1 (56:07):
Just kind of see just you know what.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
Matter of fact, when I was in Minnesota, I ended
up meeting the FISA Colliers stylists and I was.
Speaker 2 (56:17):
Like, girl, you had her together all the time.
Speaker 3 (56:22):
Walk in this carpet, this orange carpet, and yeah, man,
her name is Kim. And she was just like, girl,
let's let's talk okay. And I was wearing a fit.
I was wearing this pink blazer with these pink heels
in these cute little jeans.
Speaker 1 (56:38):
Oh, I saw it.
Speaker 2 (56:39):
Yes, And so she was like, she was like, girl,
you doing it with that fit?
Speaker 1 (56:43):
That's cute. So you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Your hipsels all out in the Wait a minute, girl, now,
don't you have no stylists telling me I put myself
together right now? Because now.
Speaker 3 (56:59):
So anyway, just with everything that we've talked about today
and just with everything going on, I feel that that
your word to help us level up is just gonna
be something necessary to get us from today to next week.
Speaker 2 (57:18):
Well, I have read this over and over again, and
I'm just going to go out on a limb and
say a lot of other people women in particular, maybe
black women in particular have read this, and I just
feel like right now is the perfect time to pull
out some Maya Angelo for all of us, just where
(57:44):
we are, what's going on, what we're feeling. And I
do want to say before I read it, I do
want to say to Kamala Harris, we see you, sis,
we feel you. Listen, we appreciate you, We appreciate you
for just putting it all out there, laying it all
on the line, and we got your bacsis. But yeah,
(58:04):
this is the infamous Maya Angelo.
Speaker 1 (58:09):
Still I rise.
Speaker 2 (58:13):
You may write me down in history with your bitter,
twisted lies, you may tread me in the very dirt,
but still like dust, all rise, does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom? Because I walk like
I've got oil wells pumping in my living room, just
like moons, and like suns with a certainty of tides,
(58:35):
just like hopes bringing high. Still, all rise, did you
want to see me broken bowed head and lord eyes,
shoulders falling down like teardrops, weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my heartiness offend you? Don't you take it?
Speaker 1 (58:50):
Awful?
Speaker 2 (58:51):
Heart, because I laugh like I've got old gold mines
digging in my own backyard. You may shoot me with
your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you
may kill me with your hatefulness. But still like air,
I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come
as a surprise that I dance like I've got diamonds
(59:12):
at the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts
of history shame? I rise up from a past that's
rooted in pain.
Speaker 1 (59:20):
I rise.
Speaker 2 (59:22):
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling.
I bear in the tide, leaving behind nights of terror
and fear. I rise into a daybreak that's wondrously clear.
I rise, bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave. I
am the dream and the hope of the slave. I Rise,
(59:42):
I Rise, I Rise.
Speaker 3 (59:45):
I absolutely love that poem, Shirl.
Speaker 1 (59:49):
I actually know about.
Speaker 2 (59:49):
Heart of my It's one of my favorite.
Speaker 3 (59:52):
Favorite poems ever. And it needs nothing like you don't
got to explain.
Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
Yeah, there's nothing to say after us, but I will
I will say this one thing, this this poem. You
could read it every day right just to for me,
just to remind us of who we truly are, because
we're never gonna get that acceptance from from the world.
(01:00:20):
But Maya Angelo was onto something. She knew exactly what
we as women, as black women, are gonna go through
and experience every day. So I hope that this poem
uplifts you, gets you through, just gets you through to
the next day. That's all we gotta do right now.
But remember we are all in this together. We got
(01:00:42):
this and like you said early on, we got to
keep our foot on the foot on the gas and
we gotta we got We still got work to do.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
That's it, period, nothing less to be said.
Speaker 3 (01:00:53):
Cheryl has dropped the mic and so with that, friends,
thank you for listening to level us to this. We
will be back next week with more next level conversation
just about the real shit that women go through. But listen,
this is just not our show. It's our show, so
we want to hear from you. Leave us a review
in Apple Podcasts, tell us what you thought of this
(01:01:14):
week's show, which you may want to talk about next.
You can follow us on Instagram at ltt pod, but
until then, keep your mentals ground level and we'll be
back next week at
Hey, what's going on? Everybody? It's your girl, Trerika Foster
Brasby and I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Your girl, Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
And welcome to another brand new episode of Levels to
this podcast where we basically talk about the shit that
women go through. And Honey, there is no better week
to personify the shit that women go through then the
(00:31):
week that we just had with the twenty twenty four
presidential election. I know y'all ain't think we was getting
ready to come on this podcast and I talk about
the bullshit that we just seen last week.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Well, I know they weren't expecting you and I to
not talk about it, but I gotta be real honest
with you and say, I hope I can get through
this conversation without losing my shit like I've already lost.
It can tell you how much I've cried, probably like
everyone else, I don't know. I'm I'm at a lost.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
He I just.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Listen. First of all, as a woman, I don't know
if we will ever have the respect that we deserve
from from just others, right from men, from black men,
from white men, from Hispanic, from just every race. But
then on top of being a woman, on top of
(01:33):
being a black woman, I just I'm at a loss.
I don't know what else to say. I don't know
what else to do, and I do want to say this,
you know, because I feel like Kamala took a lot
of beatens just from people, you know, and what was
(01:53):
she the perfect candidate? Here's my answer to that. Has
anyone ever been the perfect candidate?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
A perfect candidate doesn't say there.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Is no such thing as a perfect candidate.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
They don't exist.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
At the end of the day. This is my opinion,
and you know what, I'm entitled to my fucking opinion
because it's our podcast and it's my opinion. We not
you and I, but we were never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever,
ever ever ever ever, And I could keep going, going
(02:27):
to allow not only a woman to be in charge
of the country, but a black woman to be in
charge of this country. That was never gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And you know what's crazy what I said, because first
of all, I was so stressed the entire day like
egg shells, just so stressed. And then as the results
kept coming, I just kept seeing red upon red upon
red upon red upon red upon red upon red, and
then there was a hen of blue and I just
(02:58):
kept looking at this map, like you know what, I.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Blame you, t Rika.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
I blame you for being naive enough to think that
this was gonna go any differently. Like that's the whole
thing that I felt the entire time. It was just
how silly are you? How simple are you?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Tarrika? Because you knew better, Like you knew better.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Many people don't know this. I have a bachelor's degree
in political science. I did my internship in two thousand
and eight with the Barack Obama presidential campaign. If it's
one thing I know outside of sports, it's fucking politics.
And you knew this, but you allowed yourself to be
naive and to get caught in the moment and to
(03:45):
think that people actually valued women, that people actually valued
women rights, that people actually valued us as human beings,
and would put that aside to do what was best,
or at least what we believed was better. And I'm
gonna tell you there's two things that's been pissing me
off ever since this whole thing has happened. Thing Number
(04:06):
one that's been pissing me off is people who keep
posting this shit on social media that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Says if differences of opinion makes you want to unfriend
or delete somebody, then y'all were never friends. First of all,
let's back up. This is not a difference of opinion.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Okay, Liking Coco over coffee is a difference of opinion, you.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's deeper than that over Kansas City barbecue was a
difference of opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
This is not a difference of opinion.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
This is about more character, moral and valu values.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And I have never ever, ever ever felt like I
from a political standpoint because I'm gonna go there, because
fuck it, I'm gonna go there. I have never been
able to look at a Republican and say, well, I'm
gonna unfriend you because you're Republican and I'm Democrat.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That's never happened. It's just it's never happened.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Right now, I I've been able to disagree with people
who don't necessarily share the same political values or the
same political ideas that I do. But we all share
the same kind of character and the same kind of
morals that even if our route to get theoris is different,
essentially we do have the best interests of what it
(05:20):
is that we're doing at heart, right so I can
disagree with you politically and still move forward. I can't
disagree with a bigot, I can't disagree with a misogynist.
I can't disagree with someone who clearly a racist. I
can't disagree with someone who has their own greed as
there as the center of what it is that they do.
And I can't disagree with somebody who thought that that
would be better than Kamala Harris. So personally, it ain't
(05:43):
no way you can come and me talking about if
we got a difference of opinion, go ahead and delete me, boom,
go ahead and block me, boom.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Matter of fact, and just let that go.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Matter of fact. I'll just delete me for you, for you, period.
So that's where we are worried about that. It's not
about that, you know, And and I said the same thing.
I have removed people from my phone, people who who
I actually thought we were friends. But listen, I'm not
(06:15):
going to tell you who you should vote for. I
just I just know what I believe in. Until your point,
I know how I was raised, I know what my
values are, what my morals are, and I thought I
knew that about you. But the simple fact that you
(06:36):
will vote for someone. There's a list of things we
could we could point at. First of all, just a
convicted felon. I just don't know where where in the world,
you know, convicted felons can't even vote, but yet this
(06:57):
one can become president of the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Who we know will pardon himself. My goodness.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
This is a conversation that we could have every episode
and I am I am mentally listen to anyone out
there who is listening and you're feeling some type of way,
you have every right to. I've cried, I've yelled, I've screamed,
(07:32):
I've cursed, I've cried some more. I've questioned this country,
I've questioned America. I've questioned humanity. There's just so much
that I've thought about in the last few days that
(07:53):
I'm I'm sad, Like my heart really and that's what
I just tweeted. My heart fucking hurts right now. And
it doesn't just hurt for myself, it hurts for our country.
It hurts, Huh, it just hurts. I'm like this, this
(08:14):
can't be the country that we're living in. This cannot
be what the majority of this country represents or stands for.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
But it is.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And that's the bottom line, But it is seventy four
million people made a decision that that is exactly what
this country stands for, and that is exactly what this
country means, and that is exactly what they chose. And
I think for me, what makes this one feels different
than twenty sixteen is, at least in twenty sixteen, the
popular vote was like, we don't want this, we want
(08:49):
something else.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Ye it was, you know, but in this one, it
was very clear cut and dry.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
There was no there was no extra, no additive, no preservatives,
there was no nothing to this.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
This was just this was just what it was.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I think that's what makes it very difficult and such
a hard pill to swallow.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But you know what, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
The thing is, and so many people have said it,
and I'm gonna echo it, is that the fight doesn't
stop now. Right Like we had our moment, we had
time to grieve in a way, because that's kind of
how it felt. The next day for me felt like
a day of bereavement. I took it, took me some
time to get myself together. That next day I just
(09:34):
kind of was like, I don't even want to I
wanna do nothing today, right, But now that that day
has passed, unfortunately, especially for women, we don't have the
opportunity to kind of sulk in it, right, Like, we've
got to get up and continue to move business as usual.
Even Kamala Harris in losing, she still has to be
(09:55):
the vice president of the United States.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
How many other days like days maybe she is still.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
The vice president, still the vice president, So she doesn't
get to, you know, salk in what happened, what went wrong,
and stay in that place. She has to continue to
do the job that she was elected to do back
in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And so we just got to continue to do the
same thing.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We got to continue to fight, continue to have a voice,
continue to let people know that we're not gonna just
take anything just because there's a shift in power, and
there will be a shift in authority, and folks will
try us to try to figure out what we're gonna
put up with and what we're not and we're just
gonna have to keep our foot on the gas.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
And so part of that salking and moving on.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
As we kind of shift the podcast to a lighter note,
I'm really excited about today's episode. Because after the sulking
and after the crying and after the needing, some time.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
We look a hot ass mess.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
You got.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
No, she doesn't, but anyway, but.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Anyway, this episode, we are fortunate to be joined by
two of the best and baddest women who.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Make up the w Glam Squad.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Honestly, it's is everything that they do, from how they
carry themselves to how they make other people look and feel.
And we are talking about Amatei Brooks and and Donnie.
And She's gonna kill me because I know I'm gonna
say her last name incorrectly, but I think it's okay.
Yuki Yuki. We love you though, Donny, don't fight me.
We love you though, don't fight me. I'm excited to
(11:46):
talk to them. I'm excited to hear just their journey.
I'm definitely hoping to get some tips to help me
get myself together because because I need all the help
I can get today.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I ain't even listen y'all.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Y'all can't see me, but I ain't got no hair round,
ain't I know lashes on. I'm listening here, listen, look
at our mess.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
We we are who we are, and I'm loving that
is that a colt. It's a colt tat because you
know what, honey, it's football season and baby, my hometown Detroit,
Lyons is doing it. But my but my heart, team
my Coats, I say that team, Honey, we out here
looking bad. Well listen, that's why the name of our
(12:27):
podcast is perfect levels to this because it's different. There's
levels the glam, there's levels to the not so glad.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
For real.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
But I'm excited to talk to them also, And I
think what excites me or what I'm looking forward to is,
you know, just hearing how they got started, hearing their journey,
you know. And and these are two women, and granted
there there are more, but these are two women to
me that have just been behind the scenes, you know,
(12:59):
and the and making some of the best players look
their best. They've been behind the scenes, and people don't
really give them their flowers, per se. And so this episode,
I'm really excited for us to give them their flowers
for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Well, my friends, with no further ado, let's just get
into it and take this thing to the next level.
All right, you guys, we are super excited about today's
show because sure and I are blessed to be joined
by none other than who we deem the W Glam Squad.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Okay, and that is.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
None other than Donnie Yuki and Amadi Brooks. What's up, y'all?
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Hey, Hey, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
This is the W Glam Squad without question, Yeah, without question. Listen.
I want to just hop right into it, t if
if you're good.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
With that, absolutely first.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I think it's appropriate for us to allow Madi you
first and then Donnie you next, to just kind of
give a little bit of background on you what it
is that you're currently doing. I mean, I know what
you're doing, and if anybody's paying attention, they know what
you're doing.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
But that's puer argument.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Let you know, tell the folks a little bit about you.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (14:23):
I am an athlete stylist. I'm a personal stylist, not
just limited to athletes, but athletes is how I've made
my name. I've been styling solo for almost three years now,
and I work with W players, NBA players, on air broadcasters, reporters,
legends like Cheryl. I'm a former basketball player, so being
(14:45):
in a W space is extremely close to the heart
for me, and I just love what I do. I'm
Donnie Yuki. I am a makeup artist, specifically for athletes.
I've worked in fashion, I've worked for celebrities, and now
I I work with athletes specifically because I find that
working with athletes is very fulfilling for me. I've worked
(15:07):
with several leagues WNBA and WSL. I've worked with Olympic
gold medalists. I've worked with Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
I love my clients.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I think I have the best clients in the world
and I really enjoy what I do.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So before we hop into more detail on what you do,
because'll y'all do a lot of stuff behind the scenes
that doesn't always get recognized, and so that's one thing
we want to do on this show this episode today
is give you your flowers and let you know that
we see you, we hear you, we feel you, we
(15:39):
appreciate you. But MATI, I want to go back and
help me remember because I'm older than you. I'm way
older than you. But it was some years ago. Do
you remember when you and I first met?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Yes, I remember when we first met.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Because I want you to tell this story for our
listeners when they hear it. I'm going to say this
because I'm a believer in putting things in the atmosphere
and manifesting them and they will come true.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
So I have to first start this off with I
was a huge I am a huge fan of Cheryl Swoops,
one of my favorite players.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I wore twenty two in college. So this was a thing.
Speaker 7 (16:14):
Okay, So I have to let you guys know that
this interaction was a whole moment for me personally. I
was at the time, I was working in ticket sales
with the Atlanta Hawks, and so it's one of my
I want to say, one of my first games, honestly,
and I am down coourse, I like just doing my
rose and responsibilities, and I see cheryls like before the
(16:35):
game starts, I have a mini fangirl moment, and I
told myself, you will not walk out of this arena
without going to speak to Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
And I walked up to her.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
I was so nervous, but I introduced myself and of
course show being Cheryl was so sweet and welcoming.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Say that louder because some people don't know I'm sweet.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
She was so sweet and welcoming. I was so nervous,
and you took a picture with me.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
And I just I shot my shot and Something that
I do on the side that a lot of people
don't know about is that I paint, and I paint
custom denim jackets. And I told Cheryl at the time,
I was like, I really want to make you a jacket,
and she was like, okay, let's do it. We exchanged
numbers and everything. I am gagged, okay, and I played.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
It so cool.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
But fast forward, she sent me her address.
Speaker 7 (17:24):
I painted a jacket for her nonprofit bto R and
I sent it to her house and everything, and now
here we are. How many years later? I think it
was All Star Chicago. It was All Star Chicago. We
ran into each other. It was my first All Star
as a stylist on my own and I ran.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Into Cheryl and she was like Ronnie Smell. I dropped
everything every day dropped.
Speaker 7 (17:54):
I don't y'all understand. I didn't even go to the game.
I said, yeah, and I don't.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Cheryl's hotel room and we steam shows. That was the
fucking Legend shirt. And Cheryl was nervous about wearing a
Legends shirt.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
I say, girl, you are a legend. You gotta wear
the shirt. But we weren't like, okay, it is TV,
like there are children, So I said, okay, let's just
throw a band aid over there. Yeah, but they gonna
still know what it.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Oh my gosh, right, because she had to go buy
band aids to match them.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Get band aids. Oh my god, it's a whole thing.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So it's so funny. I still got the pictures from
that there, I said.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Sure, so so funny. Thing is like I was, I was,
I don't know, I was so nervous, like I can't
wear not nervous. But I knew the w was gonna
put me on the big screen, and I knew they
were going to be like, well, we don't want her
(18:57):
own with that shirt. So I was, listen, you either
go take it like this with a bad date across
the effort, don't put me on screen. So even if
you put me on screen with a bad data on,
people can still make out what it was. But yeah,
that was the whole moment. That was a whole moment.
I want to add something to what Matty said, and
(19:18):
then Donnie, you can go. But the reason why I
wanted her to tell that story is because you never
know who you're gonna meet in your life that can
make an impact of some sort, right, like she impacted me,
I impacted her, and it's just all a part of
our journey, like all of our journeys are different, our
(19:39):
stories are different. But to me, I'm not saying that
that was the moment that kind of busted down the
door for Mattie. But looking at where she is now
and looking at her client list today, like Sis is
doing that, she is doing it. And she's not the
only one, but she is is one of the ones
(20:02):
who the one keeps she keeps them fresh. And I
will put some of her clients out there and let
her talk about it in a minute. But Asia Wilson,
Sidney Coleson, Jackie Young at Lesha Gray, like, come on this,
she is doing the thing.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And Donnie, we have a story too. We got at
and I think our story is it's cute because you
just shared this with me a couple of weeks ago
about what your mom said.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Yeah, my cute mom.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
So the first time I worked with Cheryl, she needed
the makeup artists, and thank god I was free. I
did Cheryl first thing in the morning. You know, I'm
just doing her makeup and I'm just like trusting the process.
You know, this is also Cheryl's swoop. So you gotta
kind of like when you walk into the room, you
gotta kind of turn off that she Cheryl swoop.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
So you can do your job.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Obviously, she has a makeup artist obviously, like she has
her own team and everything like that.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I want to be her new makeup artist.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
And I'm like, okay, you just have to trust the process,
do what you do best, and if she want to
go back to her makeup art, it is great.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Whatever. And I finished, and she looks in the mirror
she says, oh, oh, this is it.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Oh, this is it.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
Oh I'm gonna have to call you again. And I
was like yeah, and I told my mom. My mom
was so excited. She was like, look like Sheron wants
to work with you. It was really amazing.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
And I think coming from this space where like the
w was genuinely important to you growing up and getting
to work with legends like Cheryl Sweet is like, it's
just amazing and it's just heartwarming as well to just
like meet her and see that you're a human being
and so yeah, now we're locked in for life. I'm
(21:53):
her makeup right?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Is this?
Speaker 6 (21:54):
And her makeup aright? Is that?
Speaker 7 (21:55):
For life.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I love.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Then for life.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You know, in this space, the w space that's predominantly black,
and I look at where the league started in ninety
seven to where we are today, from everything from fashion
to makeup to hair to all of those things. Not
that it wasn't important then or not that it didn't
(22:22):
matter then, but we didn't have all of these things.
And I love seeing where the game is, how it's evolved.
But I love seeing my sisters. I love seeing black
women in these spaces making other black women look beautiful.
And it's because of people like Donnie and Maddie. They
(22:45):
make us feel good and our own skin. And everybody's
style is different and everybody's look is different, and you
got to have someone that you can trust. So for me,
these two for a few years now have been that
for me. So I just want to saying thank you
to them.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Thank you, Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I'm really glad that you brought that up to Cheryl,
because that was actually going to be the nature of
my next question for both of you, which is like,
first of all, style is forever changing and forever evolving,
and when you think about the clients and the people
that you all have worked with, everybody's style is not
the same, right, Like everybody has you know, something different,
(23:24):
Like I look at you, know you Donnie, haven't worked
with Ka and then also haven't worked with Djna.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Ka, Djna ain't the same.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Like ain't the same at all, right, And this.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Question is for both of you.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
But like when looking at who you're working with, like
what is your process for is it more? And so
along the lines of I just kind of want to
get a feel of who they are, what they like
and kind of give them that or is it a
I trust you because I'm like this with my muay
I'm an I trust you like you can look at me,
(23:58):
you could see what might look good on me. I'm
taking myself out of it and I am completely trusting
you with whatever it is that you want to do.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So you have free.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Range to kind of make your own thing, do your
own magic. What is that process like for each of you?
When working with various clients in the w.
Speaker 7 (24:16):
Maty, you go first because I want to So for me,
that's something that's super important to me is dressing the
individual based off of who they are. As a former athlete,
I know the importance of your mental or psyche like
all of those things that go into your main job.
And I think that's the extra level of consideration and
(24:38):
intention that you have to have as part of an
athlete's glam team because we're not doing this just for
the glam. We are literally getting you dressed to go
to your job and do what it is that you
do best.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
So I think it's.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Very important that they feel like their most comfortable self
in that space and during that time, I don't want
them feeling out of their body, anything messing with their mind,
their process, whatever that looks.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Like.
Speaker 7 (24:59):
My goes into getting to know the client and really
understanding what they like.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Like I start my process with a questionnaire.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
We have calls, we have fittings, but each individual is
still different, you know. So like for example, Sidney's my
client that just trusts me wholeheartedly, and I'm like, I
can come with anything. There's been times we have looks
day of just because we wanted to switch it up
and it just works out.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Yeah. Well, I'm sorry because I'm gonna interrupt. It's a
little different.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
She is a little different, a little different.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, yeah, but she's a little different.
Speaker 7 (25:34):
But Asia is very collaborative, So Asia will trust that
I'm gonna come with things she likes, but we also
like work together to come up with a look that
we both agree on that we both feel like it's
asia from head to toe. Jackie's my client that I
come with the things, and she trusts me to come
with things with Jackie's gonna let me know I want
to do something else, and I got to come with
(25:55):
something else.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
My process kind of varies based on an individual, but
I think most importantly is getting to know who they are,
and that comes with time.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
No, I wanted Manage to go first because I think
that like her brain, I don't even understand how it
works sometimes, like the way she puts stuff together, I
don't even know how she finds stuff.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
The color matching is insane.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
But yeah, and you do that on everybody, But thank you,
You're welcome with me. I feel like one big thing
is that, like I do have relationships with a lot
of my clients, I've had relationships with a lot of
my clients before becoming their makeup artists, and that's really
important to me that they know me on a friend
(26:37):
level first, so that they know that I'm coming in
as their friends and so knowing that I'm going to
be there, there's already that trust level that I'm going
to protect their image. I'm going to protect the way
that they're going to look on camera, whether it's like
even like just a little flyway hair or something just
like being a friend, when you're friends with someone, you're
(26:58):
taking a picture on them, when you're out dinner, out
on brunch and you're like, oh, let me fix this.
They know that I'm going to bring that energy on set,
and I'm going to bring that energy whenever I'm working
with them. And then on top of that, they trust
what I can do. They know what I can do,
They've seen the proof, and they know that we can
have that communication. We can say like I want to
(27:18):
try glitter, I want to try this, or don't put
blush on me. I just worked at Collins. She was like,
don't put blush on me, and I was like, I
know who you are, so.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Relaxed.
Speaker 7 (27:31):
But yes, they know that they can talk to me
like that. Whereas a lot of times you're putting these
situations with certain brands and certain opportunities, they'll have a
makeup artist there. You don't know the makeup artists, and
you don't know what you can say. You don't want
to offend anybody, like this is their craft as well,
and so sometimes they don't feel, you know, like that
(27:51):
they can say they don't like something or that they're
uncomfortable with something, and so being in those rooms, in
those spaces, it just alleviates that pressure of worrying about
what they're going to look like and worrying about not
being able to communicate how they feel, and like, for me,
like that's so important because they have to go and
do interviews and do commercials and remember a lot of
(28:14):
lines and do all this stuff that is outside of basketball,
Like this is something that they're doing at the top level.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Can I just to follow up really quick though, because
you said something that you said something that resonated with
me specifically where you said she said, I don't like
blesh on me. I'm a glow girl, Like I like
to glow. Put the highlight on me, Give me something
to make me glow. I need to glow under these lights. Okay, yes,
but have you ever come across a client in which
(28:42):
they are adamant about something that they just either love
love love and you're like, this is not working for
you or oppositely where it's like, please don't do this,
and you're like, I know you don't like this, but
trust me, if you just do this one thing, it
will just look so different and like they've allowed you. Basically,
(29:04):
have you changed the minds of clients because you can
maybe see something that maybe they don't see.
Speaker 7 (29:11):
Yeah, well I'll go ahead and let you guys know
now that I did put bloods on Khalia, So.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I do change their minds.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
Yeah. I think that people do take what I do
seriously and they respect it. So when I do say
like we have to do this, especially with the young ones,
like the ones that aren't in the wyet, that are
still in college in high school, and they're like, I
don't want no makeup, and I'm like, listen, it's me
and you in here. Okay, I'm not about to have
(29:39):
you looking crazy, but you're also not about to have
me looking crazy. You are putting something in your breast
right if you have those situations, I think that across
the board. I'm very much like if I have a
client that really wants something that I am not offering,
like they want, I don't know, like their whole face
(30:01):
covered in rhymestones every time we work together, then that
client isn't the client for me, and I'm very you know,
like that doesn't end the relationship or anything like that.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
I'm still going to support their careers.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
I mean, like I stopped working with celebrities, you know,
I still support their careers. I still say Mary Christmas
and things like that. But the type of makeup artistry
that has kind of taken over social media and taken
over a lot of artists and celebrities, I feel like
isn't really the makeup artistry that I want to do.
(30:36):
So that doesn't mean anything about the person if that's
what they like, but also like my name and my
brand is attached to it as well, and I want
to make sure that people like Collia and people like
DJMA and people like Lexi Brown see my makeup like
skills and see what I'm doing and feel like, oh,
I want her to be my makeup artists.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
That's the makeup artistry that I do.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Well.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
I just asked Donnie about clients who may be very
selective on things, and she's been able to change their mind.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
So I would love to hear your response to that too.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
If there's maybe like someone who's like, listen, I want
to put on this black with these pearls, blah blah
blah blah. And you might be like, since that's not
really what we're going for, or that ain't you or
have you been able to maybe finesse somebody into a
style or look that maybe they didn't know was something
that they liked or that was on them.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Yes, Aryah's raising her.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Hand, I'm raising both of my hands.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
There is a and I don't even think I think
about it too much, but there is a strategy I
believe to allowing people to gently guide them into the
direction that you know, we want to go in, and
I feel like would be best. It is very gentle.
I feel like I'm very gentle with it, but I
do like to push it just a little bit. I'm
(32:10):
not I don't think I'm a pusher, but I think
I have like a little strategy where I bring what
I know the client is comfortable with, like their go to,
like their lane.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Then I'll bring something that I.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
Feel like would be like a notch up, like something
that we haven't seen them in or something more elevated.
And then I also bring like some options that are
kind of like a merger of the two, so that
when it is time to try something new, they still
feel good about what's happened so far. They're feeling confident
in what I've brought, They're feeling good about themselves. So
then it also allows you to have a little space
(32:45):
and lead way to be like, hey, let's just try this.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Let's just try it.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
Yeah, And I love when it works out that way,
and it is not always successful, but I feel like
it starts with a level of trust with the relationship
with you and the client, and then from there, you know,
I think that happens more as the relationship grows stronger.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
They are more open to trying.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Things or hearing my feedback and knowing like, okay, I'm
picking it up. And also also like a teaching lesson,
I'm not just here to throw the clothes on you
and I teach you anything either. I want you to
feel stylish even when I'm not around, by the pieces
that I'm bringing into your wardrobe, by the little bibits
that you're learning as I style you, so that when
I'm not there with you or i'm not accessible, you know, okay,
(33:29):
these things work well together. You're able to start incorporating
it's here every day.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I want to add something to what Donnie said, and
MATI too. For me, it has to be trust, right
to you ask Donnie the question about has she ever
been able to convince someone to try something that they
don't normally wear or say, look this that ain't the
look for you?
Speaker 6 (33:51):
Right?
Speaker 2 (33:53):
And so my journey has been this, especially recently and
being retired, and I have this kind ofversation with Maty
and Donnie before, where like I just don't feel a
little better now, but I didn't feel beautiful in like
my own skin or my body. So example, all Star
weekend in Phoenix, Like, I'm very conscious of my body
(34:18):
like not looking the way I want it to look.
And I'm hoping there are some people out there who
are listening that can relate to what I'm about to say.
And so I said to Matty, like, this is the
look I want, but I, oh, I'm gonna cry. But
I don't know what to wear because I don't like
(34:41):
I like, I don't feel sexy in my body. I
just got stuff in areas that I've never had there before. Right,
And so when I told her the look I wanted,
she was like, I got you, but there was still
a part of me though that was like, yeah, we'll
see and so oh, I have to tell you, like
(35:02):
she dressed me the entire weekend for All Star Weekend
for my brush, I felt so beautiful and you were
like I felt. I felt like I hadn't felt in
a very long time, just because I don't like I
don't like what's underneath my clothes right now, and I
(35:23):
was a little skeptical she was able to get me
in an off the shoulder dress that I wore to
an event, and I couldn't stop looking at myself in
the mirror seriously because I was like, oh my god,
like she did it, and even with my makeup, like
I love Donnie doing my makeup because I trust her,
(35:44):
Like she knows when I say this is the look
I want. She knows what I want. And I don't
really like color. She knows I don't like color on
my lips. So for the Jennifer Hudson Show, she was like,
I will give you a little color, and I immediately
got theive like, no, you're not, I don't do color.
(36:05):
So she did it. I looked in the mirror and
I was like, oh, okay, like this is beautiful and
I'm sorry I'm crying, but.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
You do not apologize.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
But listen, Having played for so many years, right, like,
my body was always the way I wanted it to be.
I had the six pack, I had the muscles, I
didn't have any fat anywhere, and so I knew I
could wear whatever I wanted to wear and I was
going to look good in it. And now being fifty
three years old, I don't work out like I did
(36:37):
when I played, So there are certain things that I'm
just like, I'm not comfortable wearing. And so to have
someone that understands that that I'm comfortable with and I'm
comfortable being around and knowing that she's going to give
me the look that I'm asking for and I'm going
to be very confident in it, and I'm going to
look really good in it, Like that makes me feel
(36:59):
really good. The last thing I want to say is
I know a lot of people probably like yeah, but
I can't afford a stylist. I can't afford to get
my makeup done. I can't afford to hire someone to
put me in something I can't afford. The clothes are
gonna get Let me just say this to anybody that's listening.
Like working with Maty, she sent me this whole sheet.
I'm like, girl, you know me why I got to
(37:19):
heal this out? But I understand why I have to
fill it out. And then she's like, well, what's your budget?
So she is going to work within whatever your budget is,
and I don't care if it's one hundred dollars or
one thousand dollars, You're going to look like a million bucks.
And that's what I really loved about working with her,
(37:41):
because I was like, mighty, here's my budget. This is
all I got. Let's work with it. And Sis, when
I tell you listen, I want everyone who is listening
to understand, just like they said, everybody's style is different,
everybody's look is different. And once you get to know
(38:01):
who they are and you're comfortable with them and they
get to know you, just sit in a chair, get
your face beat to pieces. Let Madi just style you.
You gonna walk out of there looking like a million bucks,
feeling like a million bucks, and being very confident when
you walk in the room that people are gonna pay attention.
And that's what I always look for. So thank you
(38:23):
to both of you. Thank you, Cheryl, thank you, I
thank you. Yet I love the fact that people feel
really good about themselves in a way that they don't
typically feel whenever they have someone that comes in to
give them the style that they want, the look that
they want, the face that they want. I know, I
(38:44):
always like, never feel like a celebrity or like a
personality until I get out the makeup chair. And in fact,
it is so bad now that like now I don't
even want to do my own face no more. I'll
be like if I got to put my own makeup on,
I don't want to go like I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
It just don't feel the sign I got to pick
my I don't want to go like I just can't.
I can't do it.
Speaker 6 (39:02):
I won't do it.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
But there has to be a reason why each of
you wanted to be in this field to make people
feel this way. So I'd love to hear what made
you get into this field? How did you get your
start even in working with high profile clients, But what
was it that drove you to want to be in
(39:24):
the fashion and style and MUA industry.
Speaker 7 (39:27):
The first time I ever got my makeup done, I
tell everybody this, the first tie I ever got my
makeup done by someone who knew what she was doing.
I felt like Instagram batty and I was.
Speaker 5 (39:41):
Like, oh, like I really genuinely felt like, Oh, I
am beautiful, I am sexy, I am a pen And
I wanted to make everyone feel that way in some way,
shape or form.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
Like whatever I was doing, I wanted people to feel like, oh,
like this this facade of like Instagram battye and like,
if I want to do that, I can do that.
Speaker 6 (40:05):
It also makes you more.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
Confident and not wear makeup and you know, just being
yourself because you know your potential essentially. And so after
feeling that and just like, you know, like just feeling good.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
About myself for a while.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
I started to practice and see how I can replicate
that on myself, and it just really inspired me to
be a makeup artist.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
And then I got into the industry. I worked at
MAC and then I worked.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
In fashion for a bit, and then I moved out
here and worked with celebrities for a bit, and so
I got to see all those different facets and being
in the position of service, my biggest thing is that
I want to pour into my clients. I want them
to feel comfortable. I want them to feel confident. I
want them to feel beautiful. I want to have moments
(40:50):
like this that we just have with Cheryl where she's
expressing that vulnerability. I want to be able to be a.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Part of closing that gap.
Speaker 7 (41:00):
I'm uncomfortable with this and I look, use my language,
fucking stunning. I wanted to be a part of that,
and working with athletes I've been able to be. I
feel a part of that because for a long time,
there weren't many people like via Madi in this space
(41:20):
doing this, and as you know, yeah, as.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
The industry continues to grow and.
Speaker 7 (41:28):
Get eyes on them, there was a time where I
would look at sports ads. I'd see like these sports
models and how they looked in their campaigns, and see
how the athletes looked in their campaigns, and I just
wanted them to realize and feel as beautiful as the
sports model would not be more beautiful and feel more
confident and be able to take up space in those ads.
(41:51):
And I just was like, how can I get in
those rooms so that I can make that difference, so
that people can see what they look like when their
makeup actually matches and when there's actually time that goes
into how they're gonna look for those interviews and for
those moments off the court, and so that's I feel
like that's kind of how I made my way. But
(42:13):
even like with Madie, like I remember, we worked on
a client like years ago who was a really close
friend of mine and we were just talking about wanting
to do this and our friend was just like, y'all
can do it. And literally like a year later we
were working with Cheryl. We were like doing things together.
It was really cool, and it was just being like
(42:34):
us putting faith in ourselves and believing that we do
truly have a gift and trusting that and walking in that.
She's like one of my favorite people to watch grow
because I wasn't there from the beginning beginning like the
ticket sales, so like seeing it, like you know, like
we're constantly congratulating each other.
Speaker 6 (42:52):
It's just so beautiful to see.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And I always just.
Speaker 7 (42:55):
Want her to have faith in herself because she could
do the impossible and she always wants to say for me.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
So it's just like one of those things where you don't.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
Find that everywhere, and so it's just like cool to
feel like where she is now.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
Thank you, Donnie, it's something to sell you ours. Yeah,
you have been there from the beginning beginning, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
Yeah, And I love that thought, you know, and you
and I talked about that the other day just having
a conversation. I love seeing how Donnie uplifts Maighty Mighty
uplifts Donnie and they work together because so many times
in any feel as women, and I'll say it as
(43:37):
black women, like for whatever reason, we feel like we
have to compete. Yeah, we have to compete with each other.
And Matty's a stylist. Why can't y'all work together? If
Donnie knows someone who's looking for a stylist, you know,
Mighty call Marighty Mightty knows someone who needs makeup calls.
I love seeing this because I don't think we do
(43:58):
this enough. I don't think we support each other enough.
I don't think we uplift each other enough. So it's
so nice to see women and sisters supporting each other
and not always competing against each other.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Yes, agreed, agreed, one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
I want to take a second to have you both
tell me about some of my favorite looks that I
have seen. M okay, so I know that we are
audio so I'm gonna describe some of them for you
so that you can hear what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
Obviously, this is.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
The Queen like she does everything great, but this probably
was my favorite look I've ever seen on Asia. Now
keep in mind Asia AKA, so I know that she
all want to rock the pearls, but the pearl pain
with the jacket, with the high shoulders, the bleing purse,
(45:06):
Yeah this gay?
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Do you hear me?
Speaker 2 (45:10):
The sixth pat out like this gay? But you should
have seen me trying to run machine or something, trying
to find these hands, SUSI, and we should have just
called Mardy like maighty pans from yeah yeah, And not
(45:32):
everybody can can wear that.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I can't.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
Can't because honey, the stomach I got you bet to
put me on the old blazer. The whole blazer got
to come all the way back button up to my.
Speaker 7 (45:47):
This is one of my all time favorites as well.
This is my first season working with Asia as her stylist.
This is my first All Star doing it on my
own as her stylist as well. But these pants were
customs of course, age six four and so we weren't
finding pro pants with ages en scene but I knew
I wanted to give her a moment with All Star
(46:08):
being in Vegas, with her being the host, I just
felt like, we got to give you a moment that
nobody else can take from you, like this is your
house as the college. So so I knew, And it
goes back to just knowing the client's personality, little things
you know about them. I always like to tell a
story if I can on these big moments. And we
know the importance of Pearls because of ages and Aka,
(46:31):
but also if anyone listened to, or you know, read
Dear Black Girls, or know anything about Asia and her
relationship with her grandmother, Pearls is also symbolical relationship and
Asia girls for when she got drafted, and she wore
pearls when she warmed up while she was playing in college.
Speaker 4 (46:47):
So it went so much deeper than that.
Speaker 7 (46:48):
And so when I gave her the idea, when I
pitched it to her, like what if we do a
pearls look, she was with it. We kind of just
built around the pants. Once I found a designer, her
name was Lee. She has her own brand called One
of the Ones by Joe Lee, and she makes custom
pants and custom pieces and she's a black designer I
believe out of Memphis. The pants were their focal point
(47:10):
and I just knew everything else had to just align,
and it did, and she killed it.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
And she looks confident right, like she ain't worried about
nothing because she knows the look is there, the fit
is there, the walk is there. And this was one
of my.
Speaker 4 (47:29):
Faves too, this one.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
I do want to congratulate, Madie. You recently received the
In Style Image Maker Award.
Speaker 4 (47:43):
Congratula, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Tell us a little bit about that. How it happened.
We saw you and said looking just bomblicus bomb delicious.
Speaker 7 (47:58):
Yeah, I thank you guys so much that moment. I'm
still coming down from that night. Installed. They did a
feature on me earlier this year, just interviewed me about
fashion and the w and about a month or so ago,
Jason Schieler from the Install team reached out saying they
wanted to honor me, and at first I'm like, okay,
(48:20):
I'm not fully understanding, but he was serious and he
wanted a part of it was the honorees were stylists,
makeup artists, so it was honoring those behind the scenes
to make these big images of these celebrities that we know,
and they had our clients be the presenter of the awards,
(48:42):
which was really awesome to hear everybody's stories too, from
these big names like Coleman Domingo and the Melizabello and
they were just talking about the importance of their glam team.
And luckily we were able to have Sid come in.
Speaker 6 (48:57):
She flew in.
Speaker 7 (48:58):
She was in Nashville actually doing some appearances for Athletes Unlimited,
and she flew in just for the awards.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
Straight off the flight, pulled up at the awards.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
Show up anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (49:11):
But it was just such a beautiful night and it
was so affirming in a space sometimes that and I
know Donnie can speak to this as a creative I
think in any field, sometimes you wonder, am I doing
God's work? Am I where I'm supposed to be? And
I feel like I had no doubt moment this year.
From the outside it seems like, oh, yeah, everything's great,
But I inside sometimes you're like, okay, am I on
(49:32):
the right path. So getting that honor felt almost like
God telling me like, no, you're doing what you're supposed
to do.
Speaker 4 (49:39):
Just keep going and.
Speaker 7 (49:40):
Keep him first and That's that's all I can say,
just keeping him first, working hard.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
My mom got to be there, which was huge.
Speaker 7 (49:49):
I flew her out from Atlanta and she had a
great time and I'm so happy she got to be there.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
And I actually got styled for the first time. Oh
I've never been styled, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (50:02):
I thought you put me.
Speaker 7 (50:03):
I gotta give credit where it's due. Actually, my styling
assistant at All Star, Frank Leslie, she is an amazing
stylist and she has taught me so much this year
and helped me on projects, and I was wanted to
give her the forefront this time.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
And a lot of people don't know, like finding out.
Speaker 7 (50:24):
As for ourselves is stressful, and hiring styles isn't always
just about looking good.
Speaker 4 (50:27):
It's also a time.
Speaker 7 (50:29):
Saving mental savor in a way, and France Leslie was
able to do that for me. And I got to
feel how you guys feel, and I felt so because
you were. Oh you were beautiful, so beautiful, you look
so good.
Speaker 4 (50:50):
You look good.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
You deserve yeah, so deserving?
Speaker 7 (50:58):
You know, stop, I know, I know I felt what
you said earlier, you know, like not being an athlete anymore,
you know, that's your identity for so long and so I'm.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
Going through that myself, like it's just not the same.
Speaker 7 (51:14):
And you know, when you work your job that you
make everybody else around you feel good and look good
and feel good about themselves.
Speaker 4 (51:20):
Sometimes you don't consider yourself.
Speaker 7 (51:24):
And to be able to take a step back and
have someone make me feel how I get to make
other people feel was.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
Yeah. So it was a moment. I loved.
Speaker 7 (51:37):
I loved, love, love love my outfit and I was
vulnerable and expressed to her like, look, girl, I ain't.
Speaker 4 (51:43):
Got my pack no more. Okay, So I don't know.
Speaker 7 (51:46):
I haven't really bought clothes for myself in a long time, Like,
I don't know what this looks like.
Speaker 4 (51:51):
For me, so just help me.
Speaker 2 (51:52):
And well we all saw it.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
You girl.
Speaker 6 (52:00):
Were gorgeous, Oh guys, gorgeous.
Speaker 7 (52:03):
Yeah, and it was so nice to watch you get
your flowers because you're very deserving.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
Thank you and your your arm candy, what baddie I did?
Speaker 4 (52:13):
I did do my work there. I stopped that.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
You are going to put up You're about to look good.
Speaker 3 (52:22):
Yeah, right, let me say that I love Sid so much.
I mests it a few years ago. That's my girl.
I don't know how you can.
Speaker 1 (52:32):
Tell when she's serious and when she ain't.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
Oh, we still have those I never can, like, I know,
we having a real conversation right now, but I feel
like said put on this bullship right.
Speaker 7 (52:46):
It's so funny because we still we do have those moments.
It was like, I can't tell if you're.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
Serious or like it's like, like.
Speaker 1 (52:53):
What are you like, give me a wink, give me
right what we know? We for real, Well, Donnie, y'all
are the best.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
And if nobody has told y'all lately that y'all are awesome,
y'all are awesome and we love y'all.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
We appreciate everything that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
You are truly inspiring a young generation of future creatives
and stylists in any ways, because it's just like you
know how it is when they say when you see it,
you can be it. So trust and believe you too
really are instoration and schol and I just so greatly
appreciate you all taking the time to join us on
levels to this today.
Speaker 4 (53:31):
Thank you guys for having it.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Before we get out of here, please tell the folks
where they can find you on social media.
Speaker 7 (53:38):
Yeah, you can find me at Donnie U D A
N I I UK on Instagram and Donnie did it
that is my beauty page, and then Donnie did it
again on TikTok. I'd be having a lot of fun
on there. Definitely check me out. You guys can find
me at MADI too Smooth on most socials as m
(54:00):
A D I I t OO smooth all the way
through as m O O t H.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
And my styling page is at a Mighty B.
Speaker 2 (54:08):
Styling and that's where I post most of my looks
for my clients. Love that, and I just want to
reiterate what T said. Thank you both for being here,
and if you ever question if you're where you're supposed
to be, We're here to tell you, yes, you are
because of people like you too. That keeps us all going,
(54:32):
keeps us all looking good, feeling good. And I just
want to say keep going, sist to both of you
and got mad love for you both, love you having us.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
Sure, that was such a fun conversation to be honest,
And I've really got to make sure that we put
these pictures up on social media so people can see
the pictures that we've been talking about, because I mean literally,
I think I'm just gonna keep stalking their social media
and just get inspirations for how to get myself together.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
That's just that's how it's gonna work.
Speaker 2 (55:08):
I've kind of tried that, and you know what I said,
listen there the makeup thing is just not me, Like
I can't. I've done YouTube videos and tutorials and all that,
and you know what I finally said, just leave it alone.
That's why we have That's why we have the Donnies,
because when I needed, I'm like, Donnie, come get your
(55:28):
girl together.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
Please don't give it together.
Speaker 2 (55:31):
I know that, you know. And with Maty, I just say,
I'm like, but I love that I can call her
and I'm like, mighty, listen, here's what I got going on,
Here's what I need. And the fact that we've worked
together before is she knows, you know, what I feel
comfortable in, what I feel sexy in. She's like, I
just I love being able to work with those two.
(55:52):
And what a what a great conversation, Such a great conversation,
Just a great group of women. And there's so many more,
as you mentioned, there's so many more out there who
you know, do similar things that they do. I'm really
hoping that we'll get an opportunity to maybe talk to
them too and.
Speaker 1 (56:07):
Just kind of see just you know what.
Speaker 3 (56:10):
Matter of fact, when I was in Minnesota, I ended
up meeting the FISA Colliers stylists and I was.
Speaker 2 (56:17):
Like, girl, you had her together all the time.
Speaker 3 (56:22):
Walk in this carpet, this orange carpet, and yeah, man,
her name is Kim. And she was just like, girl,
let's let's talk okay. And I was wearing a fit.
I was wearing this pink blazer with these pink heels
in these cute little jeans.
Speaker 1 (56:38):
Oh, I saw it.
Speaker 2 (56:39):
Yes, And so she was like, she was like, girl,
you doing it with that fit?
Speaker 1 (56:43):
That's cute. So you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Your hipsels all out in the Wait a minute, girl, now,
don't you have no stylists telling me I put myself
together right now? Because now.
Speaker 3 (56:59):
So anyway, just with everything that we've talked about today
and just with everything going on, I feel that that
your word to help us level up is just gonna
be something necessary to get us from today to next week.
Speaker 2 (57:18):
Well, I have read this over and over again, and
I'm just going to go out on a limb and
say a lot of other people women in particular, maybe
black women in particular have read this, and I just
feel like right now is the perfect time to pull
out some Maya Angelo for all of us, just where
(57:44):
we are, what's going on, what we're feeling. And I
do want to say before I read it, I do
want to say to Kamala Harris, we see you, sis,
we feel you. Listen, we appreciate you, We appreciate you
for just putting it all out there, laying it all
on the line, and we got your bacsis. But yeah,
(58:04):
this is the infamous Maya Angelo.
Speaker 1 (58:09):
Still I rise.
Speaker 2 (58:13):
You may write me down in history with your bitter,
twisted lies, you may tread me in the very dirt,
but still like dust, all rise, does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom? Because I walk like
I've got oil wells pumping in my living room, just
like moons, and like suns with a certainty of tides,
(58:35):
just like hopes bringing high. Still, all rise, did you
want to see me broken bowed head and lord eyes,
shoulders falling down like teardrops, weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my heartiness offend you? Don't you take it?
Speaker 1 (58:50):
Awful?
Speaker 2 (58:51):
Heart, because I laugh like I've got old gold mines
digging in my own backyard. You may shoot me with
your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you
may kill me with your hatefulness. But still like air,
I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come
as a surprise that I dance like I've got diamonds
(59:12):
at the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts
of history shame? I rise up from a past that's
rooted in pain.
Speaker 1 (59:20):
I rise.
Speaker 2 (59:22):
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling.
I bear in the tide, leaving behind nights of terror
and fear. I rise into a daybreak that's wondrously clear.
I rise, bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave. I
am the dream and the hope of the slave. I Rise,
(59:42):
I Rise, I Rise.
Speaker 3 (59:45):
I absolutely love that poem, Shirl.
Speaker 1 (59:49):
I actually know about.
Speaker 2 (59:49):
Heart of my It's one of my favorite.
Speaker 3 (59:52):
Favorite poems ever. And it needs nothing like you don't
got to explain.
Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
Yeah, there's nothing to say after us, but I will
I will say this one thing, this this poem. You
could read it every day right just to for me,
just to remind us of who we truly are, because
we're never gonna get that acceptance from from the world.
(01:00:20):
But Maya Angelo was onto something. She knew exactly what
we as women, as black women, are gonna go through
and experience every day. So I hope that this poem
uplifts you, gets you through, just gets you through to
the next day. That's all we gotta do right now.
But remember we are all in this together. We got
(01:00:42):
this and like you said early on, we got to
keep our foot on the foot on the gas and
we gotta we got We still got work to do.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
That's it, period, nothing less to be said.
Speaker 3 (01:00:53):
Cheryl has dropped the mic and so with that, friends,
thank you for listening to level us to this. We
will be back next week with more next level conversation
just about the real shit that women go through. But listen,
this is just not our show. It's our show, so
we want to hear from you. Leave us a review
in Apple Podcasts, tell us what you thought of this
(01:01:14):
week's show, which you may want to talk about next.
You can follow us on Instagram at ltt pod, but
until then, keep your mentals ground level and we'll be
back next week at
Hosts And Creators
Terrika Foster-Brasby
Sheryl Swoopes
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