Do you have photo shoot wishes and executive producing dreams? Does directing the videos of music’s hottest R&B and rap acts like Va$htie Kola–who worked with recording artists Solange, Justin Bieber, and Jadakiss–excite you? Maybe you’re more of a corporate chick, and shaping the careers of artists like veteran entertainment executive Shanti Das–who just released her first book The Hip Hop Professional: A Woman’s Guide to Climbing the Ladder of Success in the Entertainment Business–piques your interest.

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 22, and this sounds like you, then you should know that the ladies of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) will soon be looking for 60 ambitious young women to fill the first class of WEEN Academy, an eight-week crash course in the entertainment business for women throughout the United States, in New York this summer. Lessons will be led by celebrities and top industry executives, and it’s all FREE!

Getting into this academy will be work. The class of 2011 will be expected to go hard for this priceless opportunity. You’ll audition for a celebrity WEEN panel, and those chosen will benefit from learning through weekly real world industry challenges that will include photo and video shoots, radio work, TV, marketing and more.

Graduates of the academy will earn WEEN certification, get placed in an internship and paired with a mentor working within the entertainment industry for 12 months. Audition details to come soon!

Learn more about WEEN here!

But with experts saying women are more likely to outlive their significant others, which makes them ultimately responsible for creating a  financial future that spans as far as their nineties, our love for shoes could actually be crippling, (no pun intended) to our personal wealth.

Is it time to double check the shoe game?

Jeanine Hays pictured with the Dreamland Pillow Collection

AphroChic, the blog of “modern, soulful, style,” was a Washington Post “Blog to Watch” of 2008, and I’ve been following Designer Jeanine Hays, the blogger behind the brilliance that is AphroChic, and developing my design eye ever since. What started out as a creative outlet catapulted into a fully viable brand that has quickly become nationally recognized. In addition to the blog, Jeanine launched the AphroChic Shop, which houses her new line of stylish and sustainable pillows, in late 2009. Her collection has been featured in a recent issue of Lucky magazine, and is currently featured on the cover of Nesting Newbies magazine. Next up for this blogger turned designer? Only a guest judging spot on HGTV’s ‘Design Star.’

CLUTCH caught up with Jeanine to find out everything about her journey, and where she’s headed next!

Clutch: You’re a lawyer by trade, how did you grow a love for interior design?
Jeanine: I have always loved interior design and creating beautiful spaces. However, my passion grew while I was in law school. Spending three years buried under case analysis and briefs, I was constantly on the lookout for a creative outlet. It just so happened that my law school was across the street from a Crate & Barrel and a Starbucks. It was the beginning of several addictions, and the outlet that I had been looking for. Whenever I had a moment to escape for the weekend, I would head to the bookstore and pick up every shelter magazine and interior design book I could get my hands on. Interior design really became my refuge, and place of comfort. It was a natural place for me to channel my energy and eventually it became my ambition.

Clutch: I just love saying AphroChic! How was the name born?
Jeanine: I wanted a name that described me–an African-American woman who loves style. My husband and I went back and forth between names, and one day landed on AphroChic. It felt appropriate since at the time I was sporting a short afro. When I went to start the blog, the name AfroChic was taken, so the blog became AphroChic. It’s amazing how the name has taken off and expanded to define my design philosophy of modern, soulful, style.

Clutch: Your blog has been the catalyst for so many great things. What has been your greatest challenge expanding the AphroChic brand?
Jeanine: There have been many more opportunities than challenges. It’s truly been an incredible journey. Expanding the brand has been like nothing I have ever imagined. It’s been more than three years since that I started the blog, and two years since I decided to take the leap and start my own textile company, which launched in late 2009. It has been amazing to watch things grow. The process of creating and expanding the brand has been very organic. I think the only major challenge has been keeping up with it all. As the brand grows so does the demand for new products, engagements, and time. It’s hard to manage it all, but I have learned something very valuable–it’s important to work with the right people to help you expand your dreams.

“It’s your road, your journey, and you have the responsibility to steer your life and your brand in the direction that you want to go in.”

Clutch: Not only was one of your beautiful pillows featured in Lucky magazine, but you got the opportunity to blog for them as well! Tell us about that experience.
Jeanine: The Lucky experience was a complete dream. It happened out of the blue. One of the editors from the magazine reads the blog and read about the launch of the new line. Within a week we were sending pillows to New York, and the next week I was asked to blog for them! It was so much fun to come up with feature posts for a magazine that reaches millions of people. I had a blast developing each post, and the online editorial team was fabulous to work with. It was a great experience that I hope to repeat sometime soon.

Clutch: Speaking of magazines, you landed your first cover with Nesting Newbies! How exciting is that?
Jeanine: Nesting Newbies was another wonderful experience. I can tell you this: the power of Twitter is incredible. I learned about the online magazine via a tweet, and sent them a quick note to let them know I was a Bay Area designer. Soon my husband and I were asked to put together a selection of pillows for their cover shoot. The editors, Jodi Murphy and Lea McIntosh are amazing women who embrace the work of new designers and bloggers. They also invited me to participate in a video shoot that was inside the magazine. It was my first time doing a segment on camera, and I had a wonderful time getting cooking tips from a trained chef and learning what happens in front of and behind the camera. My husband (who is my incredible business partner) also enjoyed the experience. He received his first styling credit as we both helped with the styling of the cover shot.

Clutch: How did the amazing opportunity to be a judge for HGTV’s ‘Design Star’ happen, and do you think judging will be a tough job for you?
Jeanine: Last year I met with HGTV’s programming team, and have made friends with some wonderful people at the network. They celebrate creativity in design, and were interested in taking a look at the pillow collection. Since that first meeting, it has been so much fun getting to know about the work of the incredible designers who are a part of the network. When they sent an email offering a guest judge opportunity for Design Star, I literally jumped for joy! It’s such an honor to be asked. I don’t think judging will be tough at all. I’m always happy to give my honest opinion and feedback. I never hold back.

Clutch: What could the design stars possibly be holding for you next?
Jeanine: I have no idea, but I am definitely open to whatever is in store. We are working on launching a new collection in 2011 that I am so excited about! I also hope to be able to expand into interior design and styling work in the next year. It’s what I love to do.

Clutch: Young women are in the stage of creation. And though it’s exciting to see so much great talent emerge, many don’t know how to get started, be and stay relevant. What is your advice on brand building?
Jeanine: Believe in yourself, understand yourself, and have complete confidence. Lifestyle branding is much more organic when you brand around yourself rather than a target market. Your brand is a reflection of who you are, so you are your own target market. You can’t build a successful brand without knowing yourself and believing in whatever product or service you are putting out there. Be open to outside opinions and influences but don’t be ruled by them. There will be many times as you work on your company that you will be the only person who believes in a certain decision. But you have to know that you are doing the right thing, despite what others have to say. It’s your road, your journey, and you have the responsibility to steer your life and your brand in the direction that you want to go in.

Join the AphroChic Journey:
AphroChic Blog
Twitter
Facebook
AphroChic Shop

Photo Credit: Patrick Cline

Here are some tips for staying on top of your game while  having fun too!

Business and Pleasure
You can’t expect to effectively accomplish a whole lot when you’re preoccupied with the great outdoors. So go ahead, get out and have some fun. Networking is about building relationships, and the best way to start building relationships is to mix and mingle with people. In this case, it’s okay to mix business with pleasure because this is partying with a purpose. So accept those invitations for cocktails, barbecues, weddings and other fun summer soirees. You never know who you’ll meet or who may lead you to your next job opportunity.

Succeeding While Others are Sleeping
Believe it or not, some people do hang-up their job search efforts for the summer. The good thing about this is that it decreases the competition, and increases your chances of getting hired. So keep it moving.

Do a Little Bit Everyday
The warm weather offers a lot of temptation, and when the sound of summer comes creeping through your window, it’s easy to get sidetracked from what’s most important. One way to keep yourself focused is to make a list of weekly or monthly goals, and assign yourself small, daily objectives to help you reach those goals. Following-up with one job, writing a cover letter for another or setting up a coffee date with an old colleague you ran into at a friend’s 4th of July cookout–who is now the hiring manager for a great company–are all things that can be done quickly and don’t have to take an entire day to do.

Be Patient
If things seem to be moving slower to you, be patient. If you haven’t heard anything from a contact you’re wanting to connect with, or the phone call for a position you hope you’re chosen to fill, wait a little longer before following up. This is vacation season, and decision makers want to soak up some sun too.

Clutch: You’ve dealt with topics mainly regarding health, why a book on happiness now?

Dr. Ian: With the tough economic times and people having tougher relationship issues, I wanted to see if I could put together what the research shows and provide ways we could dramatically improve our happiness, even though things around us are difficult.

Clutch: In addition to the 50 Million Pound Challenge, you worked with VH1′s Celebrity Fit Club which featured stars such as Bobby Brown, Shar Jackson and Kevin Federline. Did these projects influence your new book in any way?

Dr. Ian: Working with the 50 Million Pound Challenge and Celebrity Fit Club, people have actually taught me a lot about happiness. And, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that people tend to attach their happiness to the wrong things. They attach their happiness to external validators, like the kind of car they drive, if they get a promotion or whether or not someone accepts or rejects them from a physical stand point. A lot of people make this mistake. Unfortunately, when they do, they’re happiness is no longer in their control. So, I wanted to explain to people that where you place your happiness is very critical to whether or not you’ll be able to achieve your happiness and hold on to it. The book teaches you about happiness being a part of things you do and things you control. It’s about your engagement and doing good deeds, not material things.

Clutch: So would you say reaching our goals and crossing off items on our life list, which may include material gain, aren’t the keys to happiness?

Dr. Ian: You should be a goal-oriented person, but it’s not reaching your goal per se that always gives you the greatest happiness. It’s the pursuit of that goal; it’s the process of being engaged in something that is meaningful and purposeful that gives you a sense of happiness. You will be happy once you reach a goal, but it’s not crossing the finish line that matters all the time. It’s the effort and the way you go towards that finish line that makes a big difference. Like the saying goes: it’s not whether you wine or lose, it’s how you play the game. When you’re young, you don’t really believe that because you want to win, but you can’t always win. That doesn’t mean you should be sad about it. It means you should try to understand why you didn’t reach your goal and applaud yourself by putting forth the best effort possible.

Clutch: It’s graduation season, and it’s been said Generation Y is mostly an optimistic one; one that will change the workforce. However, my concern is that graduating into the current economy may cause these feelings of optimism to fade. What advice can you offer new graduates to help keep their spirits high?

Dr. Ian: In the chapter, “Learning Optimism,” one of the central points that I make is that you can be optimisitic and realistic at the same time. And, just because you’re realistic doesn’t mean that you still can’t be optimistic. So, even though the outlook does not look great, or the expectations that one has held for something may not be met as fast as one would have liked, it doesn’t mean it should tarnish your optimism. Optimism is all about perspective and attitude. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the two are subsets of each other.  I just think people need to understand that just because there’s a tough road ahead, it doesn’t mean you attack it with your head down. Attack with your head up and your body in a posture so that you can fight through it.

Join/Like Dr. Ian on the journey to Happy on Facebook.

Got journalistic dreams? Love popular culture? Then T.E.E.N Diaries.com, the ultimate life guide for young urban women, may have the internship opportunity you’re looking for. You’ll get the full experience of working with a popular Web-based company while submitting and editing stories from celebrity scoops to money matters.

It’s no secret that if you want to work for Russell Simmons, you’ve got to show him what you got– for free! And if you happen to be of the she-geek type, there’s a Graphic Web Designer internship open as well as a Product Management and Business Development Internship at GlobalGrind.com in New York City. Candidates should be enrolled in a B.S. program with a concentration in business, communications, computer science or a similar field. And, if you already have experience, this boosts your chances of working with the “Godfather of Hip Hop.”

What could be sweeter than an internship as a Supervisor for Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York City? Dylan Lauren, daughter of Ralph Lauren, created this sugary mecca. And, while holding a supervisory role, you’ll participate in field days and have the opportunity to get involved in national as well as international projects.

ShadowandAct.com reports an internship with Working Title Films in London. Working Title Films produced films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nanny McPhee. And, this one-year, paid internship will propel your career in film. The internship pays $25,000, and you’ll also be reimbursed for relocation fees.

But the best benefit of all…well, maybe not the best, but the one I’m most excited about  is having new and good reason to buy that chic shopper.

See you at the bus stop!