meena harris interview


Products in this story are independently selected and featured editorially. What if I put 'Phenomenal Woman' on a shirt?

"We have to keep doing the work," Washington wrote in her caption. Sometimes I can't go to yoga, but I can go lie down on my bed for 10 minutes because I'm that tired.

In hindsight, this is a natural path for Harris, whose interest in activism and entrepreneurship can be traced back to her childhood. After Harvard Law School, she took on a stint in corporate law, and while she was clerking, she designed and sold her first popular T-shirt.

It's so cool.

", For Harris, she is committed to continue to fight for women’s equality, and for her, that means starting with girl’s equality.

Most importantly, I was told, "You can do and be anything," but it was made clear, "You have to pursue excellence.".

I wonder if this is my dream, to be an entrepreneur." I remember doing a T-shirt and thinking, "Oh, my God. Meena Harris didn't set out to build a social justice empire when she started selling her "Phenomenal Woman" tees (inspired by Maya Angelo's famous poem), but now that's exactly what she has—a platform that highlights and helps shape the narratives of important social issues, like voting and supporting workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical early lesson for me was get advice from everyone.

Fast forward to college, I had, like, seven jobs.

Maybe it's something they've never seen before, and their immediate reaction is, "Oh, that's weird," or, "That's never going to work out.". Throughout college, she worked multiple jobs as an outlet for her entrepreneurial spirit. It sounds so corny, but keep at it. Harris says she has a duty and responsibility to help other people in whatever way she can: She was one of the lawyers who gathered at airports to assist with the ramifications of President Trump's 2017 ban on refugees and citizens from certain Muslim countries. How did you decide to pursue Phenomenal — and entrepreneurship — full time? Start small, commit to it, and build on it.". Deep inside, I have this creative passion. Across social media, people are using their platforms to expose racial injustice and promote ways to enact change. I look at that as phase one, and then Phenomenal Woman, I got it right.

It's grown to become Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. The Women's March is coming up. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype, Black Lives Matter protests in all 50 states, list of organizations its proceeds support. How awesome would that be? For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

As a kid, I always had a job.

"But there is substance and meaning behind it.

She taught me when I was 4 years old what the word boycott meant.".


"Like a lot of people, in that moment I found myself wondering what I personally could do to lift up women, make my voice heard, and support issues I cared about," Harris tells PEOPE. For our phenomenally black community.".

"It was never supposed to be anything more than a side project, a one-month fundraising campaign, and I certainly didn't think back then that I would be here over three years later still talking about it. Take stock instead of just constantly doing, doing, doing.

She wanted to sell a couple hundred shirts to raise some money for women's organizations. I think I knew I could do good in the world. PEOPLE caught up with the activist and entrepreneur who said she felt "both humbled and proud" by seeing so many influential celebrities making a statement in her designs. Self-care wherever you can! For the most part, I've learned to slow down and understand the most amazing thing about being an entrepreneur is that you're in control. Meena Harris may be the niece of Democratic vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, but the 35-year-old has a lengthy resumé all her own. This is "Getting There.".

Editors handpick every product that we feature. "Phenomenal started as a very small initiative to raise money for women’s organizations — I had made a handful of Phenomenal Woman T-shirts (inspired by the poem by Maya Angelou) for the first Women’s March in 2017, and they were popular there, so I decided to take it a step further and sell them on International Women’s Day 2017 as a fundraising initiative. Part of the process is proving it to yourself.

It was a moment where I was like, "Oh, my God. When she was reading children's books to her daughters and realized they didn't contain diverse characters who resembled her children, she wrote her own, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, inspired by her mom and aunt. Naturally, she rocks her "Phenomenal Woman" t-shirt 24/7.

"That means showing up passionately, consistently and continuously, and not just in a particular moment," she shares. The "Phenomenally Black" shirt ($35), which was added to the Phenomenal Women offering last year to recognize Black Women's Equal Pay Day, saw a huge resurgence in sales in recent weeks (it's currently on backorder and will ship in two weeks). We're establishing a haircare routine and part of that is also now wearing a bedtime bonnet to bed so she can protect her hair. If I have external meetings, I'll look more polished, which means jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer on top. by Marissa Valdez. This fundamental urge to help give others a voice is the reason she started her brand back after the 2016 presidential election. It's so comfortable and cozy, I have about 20 of them that I can reach for every day. An important part of our usual routine is doing my older daughter's hair. It was something I was doing on nights and weekends out of my living room. TMRW: How did your family influence your career path? PEOPLE caught up with the founder and CEO of Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign, Meena Harris, whose popular statement tees are more impactful than ever before.

Lessons From Frida Kahlo in Embracing My Culture, The #endSARS Movement In Nigeria: What to Know, A Debate Coach Grades Final Presidential Debate, The Creative Director of M.M.LaFleur on Style, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. My partner, Nik, is a full-time dad and I am working on Phenomenal full time.

And the most basic meaning is people proclaiming to the world that they are worthy, deserving of dignity and proud. We may earn commission from the links on this page. After Harvard Law School, she took on a stint in corporate law, and while she was clerking, she designed and sold her first popular T-shirt. So it's been an unexpected and wild ride, to say the least!
And that was the beginning of Phenomenal?

the outfit they wear every day for easy dressing to conquer whatever the job throws at them. I definitely think I'm one of those weird people that thrives off it. "A statement T-shirt can seem so small and insignificant, especially compared to the enormity of the social change that's happening before our eyes," Harris tells PEOPLE. I hadn't gotten it totally right yet. Kerry Washington, Octavia Spencer, Terry Crews, Gabby Sidibe, Mya, Storm Reid, Laura Harrier, Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burrus, Loni Love and more stars have photographed themselves wearing the "Phenomenally Black" statement tee from the brand, Phenomenal Woman, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. PW KidsCast: A … Do you feel burnt out? The other brand that I'd shout out is Carly Cushnie, she launched a partnership with Target and her pieces are dressier but still flowy.

Embrace the process, and come to it as a student wanting to really learn.

But if you have textured hair, it's quite different. Tyra Banks is into it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In this series, we're sitting down with the people that inspire us to find out: How'd they do it? We thought it was going to be a small thing, but we ended up selling 2,500 shirts in one day, and I knew right then that we couldn't stop there.". Kerry Washington, Octavia Spencer, Storm Reid and Mya. "I have the examples of my mom and aunt, who were public interest lawyers.

In the image, Kamala Harris was sitting on a lion with Joe Biden's face as she defeats an irate looking Donald Trump. But I never thought it was something I would formally pursue," she said, adding that her business wasn't intended to become as big as it has.

It was really about being inspired by other female entrepreneurs and that community. And I really have learned the value of creating white space to let myself be creative. Not everything is worth quitting your job for. "While a lot of the issues we raise awareness around are related, we want to use our platform to draw attention to the fact that the impact they have on different communities is often distinct," she explains. Laura Harrier, Gabourey Sidibe, Loni Love and Terry Crews, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and Eva Marcille, Courtesy Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign.

I don't want to be constricted in my outfits.

Senator Kamala Harris’s 2016 campaign and is currently head of strategy and leadership at Uber. I was taught the value of everyday activism and showing up by my grandma, who wasn't a public official, but was a breast cancer researcher and would mentor students of color in her lab at UC Berkley. Nothing says a family vacation like an RV, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, It's looked — and felt — like a whole different world as we've been social distancing and attempting to keep each other safe, Bethenny Frankel and Hillary Clinton Share Their Life Mantras and Discuss Practicing 'Gratitude', See All the Celebs Taking RV Trips This Summer, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, From Empty Streets to Virtual Weddings: What Life Has Looked Like During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Nik was in tech forever, but he decided to take some time to think about his next steps after we had our second child. Mara Hoffman makes flowy dresses, and a lot of her stuff is geared towards swimwear, like cover ups, but they work well as house dresses, too. When did you decide to take an entrepreneurial turn? Like her T-shirt business. "Working with different communities and organizations allows us to raise awareness in a nuanced and impactful way, while also giving us broad reach.". I have a whole quarantine-on-camera look and it's my Harwell Godfrey hoops, my Phenomenal shirt, glasses, and my hair tied up into a bun. I was an art kid, too, and I feel like that's been the tension of my life up until I started Phenomenal.

I had this incredible front-row seat to my mom and aunt and the work they were doing, and I had a lot of reverence for it.

You're already a maniac.

You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The Founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes on Her WFH Look, What This Exec at Farfetch Wears While WFH, Lisa Aiken on Her Sweatsuit-Free WFH Style, Copy Karla Gallardo's Multifunctional WFH Look, Ali Mejia of Eberjey Likes to Get Comfy While WFH, What Joy Reid Wears to Host Her TV Show From Home, This Founder Still Gets Dressed Up to WFH, The Blueland Co-Founder's Eco-Friendly Wardrobe, What Argent's Founder and CEO Wears to Work. And her new children's book, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea is an example of that. You don't know where it will lead you.

For kids with straight hair, you just brush it and it takes five minutes. ", "If I don't have a ton of meetings, my approach is casual. Likewise, I never set out to start a brand. Are you on the brink of exhaustion?

I sent this text to my family thread, and I was like, "Oh, my God.

Keep being heard.

this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. "Everything I do is because of [my family], three awesome and strong women who dedicated themselves to making positive changes in the world," Harris says.

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