L’Oreal is such a TYRANT (she/her)
@LTintheCity
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Author, STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT (out now!). Freelance health & wellness journalist. Certified yoga instructor. I’m not a regular mom, I’m a writer mom 👩🏾💻
Chicago
Joined October 2010
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Pinned Tweet
IT’S MY BOOK BIRTHDAY!! 🥳🎉📖
I’m still searching for the words to fully capture how I feel in this moment, but I’ll start by saying thank you. This all feels surreal & I’ve had several pinch-me moments thus far.
Get your copy (if you haven’t already):
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Dear Well-Meaning White People,
When members of the Asian community say to check on your Asian friends, that doesn't mean text/DM/email your classmate/colleague from years ago. In my experience from last summer, this can do more harm than good.
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Don't let anyone bully you into "finishing the year strong." It's enough to simply finish.
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Update: she was born to BROWN SKIN GIRL!! 🤎🤎🤎
Me: I just want to make sure we can play music in the OR
My (Black lady) doctor: Yup, just bring your Bluetooth speaker.
Me: So I can play Beyoncé?
Her: Every baby coming into the world should be born to Beyoncé.
Me:
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If you're not on actual regular speaking terms with said person, perhaps skip the unsolicited DM and head straight to doing the work. Hold your fellow white people accountable. And please, do your own research here. We [minorities] are NOT your saviors.
Signed,
Tired Black Girl
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Essentially you're looking to us [insert marginalized person here] to help assuage your white guilt. Which actually creates emotional labor on behalf of the marginalized person. So, don't do it.
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Someone was very excited about her first day in the toddler room 🥰💜
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Hello, world! Meet Violet Imani Payton 💜
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The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
Read that again.
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Three questions to consider in ALL relationships, tbh (courtesy of Dr. Rhonda):
- Do you want to be right, or do you want a relationship?
- Is the relationship still serving you?
- Are you willing to repair the relationship?
#InsecureHBO
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Me: I just want to make sure we can play music in the OR
My (Black lady) doctor: Yup, just bring your Bluetooth speaker.
Me: So I can play Beyoncé?
Her: Every baby coming into the world should be born to Beyoncé.
Me:
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I DID IT! I submitted my manuscript. I wrote a whole-ass book while pregnant and then while caring for a baby (AND myself postpartum). It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of tears and self-doubt. But I did it. It is done (for now…until I get these edits). I’m proud of myself! 🥰
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Clearly I’m on one today, but what Taraji’s saying has me beyond triggered because imagine how much worse it is for your regular schmegular Black girl?! Corporate girlies. Freelance baddies. Doesn’t matter. We are consistently disrespected and underpaid! Enough is enough.
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I’M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR THIS YEAR!! 🥳🎉📖
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One year ago today, we learned that our third IVF cycle/second frozen embryo transfer had failed. I was devastated…so much so that I begged husbae to let us leave our anniversary staycation early so I could go home and cry in the comfort of our own bed.
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What's meant for you won't miss you.
What's meant for you won't miss you.
What's meant for you won't miss you.
What's meant for you won't miss you.
What's meant for you won't miss you.
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If it were up to husbae, we would’ve announced our pregnancy much earlier. But I was scared.
Truth be told, I was carrying a lot of PTSD from our multiple failed IVF cycles. Like googled everything in incognito mode and broke down in the stroller aisle at Buy Buy Baby. 😭😭😭
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We didn’t know the sex of the baby leading up to delivery, so learning it was a girl (and timing of the song) was the ultimate surprise. 🥰
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Can someone please tell me WHY in the 2019, the year of our Lord, major media jobs are limited to NYC and LA? Like, all you need is a computer and WiFi, why aren't there more remote positions??
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Has someone written a deep dive on Rebecca and Keeley and the importance of intergenerational female friendship? 👀
Because I would like to read it.
#TedLasso
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A year ago I would’ve been panicking about what to wear to moderate this panel in NYC. After a year of working with
@OgLakyn
, I’d say I’ve finally managed to successfully style myself, wouldn’t you? 😌
But quick, which one should I wear? 👀
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A friendly reminder that you are someone’s favorite writer.
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My first book, Stop Waiting for Perfect, is officially available for preorder! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Get your copy (please and thank you):
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Talk that talk, Meghan. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
“Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?” Meghan Markle asks. “You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.”
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One of my FAVORITE things to do is recommend other Black women for PAID opps.
You need a speaker? I got you.
You need a writer? I got you.
You need a podcaster? I got you.
You need a wine expert? I got you.
You need a yoga teacher/meditation instructor? I got you.
I got US.
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I'm $1k away from a $10k month!
I did NOT think this would be possible when I went full-time freelance six months ago. What even is life?!
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some ✨ professional ✨ news:
Yours truly is the new health & wellness reporter for
@FortuneMagazine
! Excited for this new chapter and the opportunity to tell important stories about everything from mental health to caregiving. Stay tuned...
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It’s giving JET Beauty of the Week 💙
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As soon as the doctor have the all clear, I knew I wanted to play The Lion King: The Gift (deluxe edition, to be specific). It’s my favorite Beyoncé album after 4.
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Close the laptop, sis. It can wait until Monday.
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She also complimented my braids, or as she called them, “Black girl birthing hair,” and now you can’t tell me nothing.
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I just want to write + help women and girls.
That's it. That's the tweet.
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Today, a year later, I’m holding our daughter in my arms. It still feels surreal…as if I’m dreaming, but I don’t want to wake up. Now if that ain’t God, I don’t know what is! 🙌🏾
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@aimeenez
SAAAME. Classmates I hadn't talked to since graduation? Left their asses on read, too. Mess me with that mess.
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Okay, I was doing a pretty good job holding it together during the Ted Lasso finale, but…
(potential spoiler alert?)
AFC Richmond women’s team did it for me. Rebecca and Keeley are going to do it for me every time. 😭😭😭
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Today was my birthday and two weeks ago I gave birth. The human body is a wondrous thing. Here’s to 34. 🖤
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Ever apply for a job that you want so badly you can taste it? Yea, just did that. Prayers and positive vibes are welcome! 🙏🏾✨
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Got my first grant rejection! 🎉
Celebrating because that means I actually tried/applied, which is more than I can say for myself compared to this time last year.
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When my publicist booked
@CBSMornings
, I knew I had to bring the whole fam with me.
Violet may still be young, but I wanted her to see her mom—a Black woman—on national TV promoting her book.
I wanted her to see what’s possible when you believe & work toward your dreams. 🥰
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Two years ago, our second IVF cycle was canceled because there was too much fluid in my uterine lining. 🙄
We’d already arranged to take the day off, so we took a trip to our favorite apple orchard.
Here we are two years later with our daughter. Miracles do happen. 💜
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Well, turns out 2020 was unintentionally a six-figure year! Full disclosure: the bulk of income came from my day job (~$82k), but I managed to pull in nearly $20k from freelance writing, speaker fees and sponsored posts. Rather than share each story, here are my top 10 of 2020:
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a ~ bit of news ~ as they say:
After a five-year stint in nonprofit PR, ya girl is returning to her editorial roots as a full-time freelance writer/editor as of TODAY. EEK! 🥰
Writing is my first love and I'm so excited to be walking fully in my purpose/passion.
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Freelancers helping other freelancers. We love to see it.
There’s enough room at the table for ALL of us.
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@sofiaxaguilar
Noise-cancellation headphones. Sometimes I need to get out of the house, but I want to supply my own vibes.
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I was supposed to teach a virtual Juneteenth yoga flow last night. But no one signed up, so I canceled it.
A year ago, this would’ve wrecked me. But thanks to lots of therapy (and Zoloft!), I’m counting this as a win. Because I TRIED, which is more than I could say before. 😌
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~ some professional news ~
Yours truly is the new senior mental health & wellbeing editor for
@itsYRmedia
, a national network of young journalists and artists ages 18-25:
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some ~personal~ news: the Payton family is officially moving back to Chicago!
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Should I give up
Or should I just keep chasing payments?
A freelancer's anthem...
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Ahem, I went to Target, stuck to the list and made it out in record time. Please clap. 😌
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Finally, it has happened to me, right in front of my face.
My feelings can't describe it. 🥰
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And as
@michellcclark
so eloquently tweeted, “a gentle reminder: expecting the worst won’t protect you from disappointment—it will only detract form the joy that you could be experiencing in the present.”
n short, stop expecting the worst and start celebrating the now. 💜✨
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This journey has been long and hard. If you’re still in the midst of it, if you feel like giving up, if your hope is gone, I want you to know I see you, I feel you, I’ve been you. You are not alone. 💜💜💜
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Kicking off
#BHM
with my first-ever cover story featuring none other than the legendary
@questlove
!
"Maybe my life goal is to show people that it’s cool not to work so hard.”
(via
@BizTraveler_USA
)
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Like, this is journalism 101. A Black woman could (and would) NEVER. Why? Because we're held to a higher standard: working twice as hard to get half as much.
Next time, pay me or another Black woman writer to do the story. Damn.
You... didn’t have time... to come up with questions for Rihanna... for a Vogue cover story....
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Omg this really happened! 😭
Thank you so much to the incredible team at
@CBSMornings
…y’all really know how to make a girl feel special (for her national TV debut, EEK!!). 🥰
L’Oreal Thompson Payton (
@LTintheCity
) describes herself as a recovering perfectionist — and is sharing her tips for overcoming the “stress of perfectionism” in her new book.
She told
#CBSMornings
about getting in touch with her emotions and ignoring her “inner critic.”
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Eight years of marriage today, 11 years of dating and 14 years of friendship…not that anyone’s counting or anything 😉
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Three times this week our daughter has stared us down while we ate. Each time after I’d JUST fed her. Like lil’ mama, you still have a little ways to go before solids. Here she is while I was eating oatmeal. I just…
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Are Black Girls Allowed To Have Bad Days?: A Memoir
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Normalize crying in the parking lot at Kohl’s because people are out here on their second and third babies, second and third book deals.
And you’re just waiting for one. Just one. 😭😭😭
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I love Black women. I love being a Black woman. Evergreen tweet.
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"Even with the right therapist, support system and meds, you may still experience depressive episodes. This isn’t a sign that you’re doing anything wrong. Life is hard." ~
@justdavia
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Anyone else feeling an increasingly overwhelming desire to scream into the void? 👀
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Friendly reminder to drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw and drink some water.
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Alright, for our next trick…helping me pick an official author headshot! 👀
📸:
@ChuckOluAlabi
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"I thought to myself if you can hit rock bottom doing the safe things everyone wants you to do, then you might as well hit rock bottom doing what you want to do." -Ashley C. Ford
I love this article on
@iSmashFizzle
. So good!
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OMGOMGOMG, I got into the podcast fellowship I applied for! Another reminder that everything's working for my good for always (Kirk Franklin voice). 🙌🏾
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Throwback to Halloween 2021 when V was a baby pumpkin 🎃
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Last week was a fake week. This week is the first real week of July. I will not be taking questions at this time.
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Our little cupcake is officially (a few days past) 1 year old! 🥰💜🧁
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Fans giving us
#RENAISSANCE
videos while we (impatiently) wait for the official visuals is my fave TikTok genre right now…
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It's official: I'm going to be on
@CBSMornings
on Monday, Aug. 14 to chat about Stop Waiting for Perfect with
@GayleKing
,
@nateburleson
and
@tonydokoupil
!
Pardon me while I scream in excitement 🥰 I hope you'll tune in!
NEXT WEEK on
@CBSMornings
:
☀️
@ShaniaTwain
☀️
@michele_norris
☀️
@rogerbartoffic
of
@BTTFBway
☀️
@LTintheCity
And more! Check out the full listings here:
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If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist.
Sincerely,
Management
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We survived the first day of daycare!🥰 Teacher said she had a great day. Meanwhile, I had my most productive day in a looong time. Wins all around! 🥳🎉
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Love this for Liam 🥰
This is two-year-old Liam.
Every day, he watches his sister practice her cheerleading routine at home.
When her coach found out, they added Liam to the cheerleading squad for the last two games of the season.
It's the cutest thing you'll see all day...
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Baby Payton,
You are already so loved by so many people. We can’t wait to meet you. 👶🏾🤎
Love,
Mom & Dad
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Earlier this year, as I was leaving my FT job to return to freelancing, I said I wanted to do three things:
1. Write more profiles
2. Write a column
3. Write a cover story
And they’ve all happened so far. Stay tuned for my first cover story dropping early next year! 🙌🏾
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It's really taking everything in me not to apply to six-figure comms jobs right now 😭
My scarcity mindset: But money!
My abundant mindset: We've been there, done that. Didn't love it. Stay the course.
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Two of my former editors are looking for writers to do author interviews, book reviews, etc. Black women, femmes & nonbinary folx to the front, please!
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Seven years ago today, I moved to Chicago for a boy and a job. Spoiler: I kept the boy and eventually left the job. 😉
Chicago, you have grown on me in so many ways and helped shape me into the woman I am today. And for that, I love you. 💜
📷:
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NBD, just recording the audiobook version of Stop Waiting for Perfect 🎧
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Please clap for me. I said no to TWO last-minute requests this week. Old me would've tried to squeeze them in because *technically* I was available.
Current me is working on better boundaries and inviting more space/downtime in my life/schedule.
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- Becoming a PUBLISHED author!
- Making my national TV debut on
@CBSMornings
- Choosing my mental health, quitting my job & going FT freelance (again)
- Raising a smart & kind tiny human
- Giving keynotes at both my high school & college
- Breastfeeding for TWO YEARS straight!!
BRAG ABOUT SOMETHING YOU’RE PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING IN 2023 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
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