And as usual, some of our favourite African-American celebrities came through with some fierce fashion statements on the red carpet.

See below some of our favourite looks from the event:

Who was your best dressed celeb at 2019 BET Awards?

Franklin is a recognized authority on spirituality, faith and the entertainment business, and has received numerous accolades for his work. For instance, BeliefNet called him one of the “Most Influential Christians Under 40.” Also, Variety Magazine named him one of the “Top 10 Producers to Watch,” and Ebony Magazine has named him one of the “Top 100 Influential African-Americans in America.” So when he talks about progressing as a creative, you can be rest assured that we’re taking notes.

Franklin recently wrote a 25 page downloadable article about the ‘5 unwritten rules to win at work’ and here’s a quick summary of what we took home.

Everyone is concerned about self preservation

How can I alleviate someone’s concerns and still get what I’m looking for? This question should be top-of-mind, he says. Sometimes, you might do terrific work which furthers a superior’s self interest and get no reward/recognition. However, this strategic mode of thinking will get you ahead. Keep your head down and do great work, eventually the recognition will come.

There are levers of power

Devon highlights that for every career path, there are people who wield the power to make your dreams a reality. Finding these levers, he opines, is a deliberate act of looking in the right place. It is also not merely enough to know who or what the levers are but to go a step further in making them work to your advantage. He gives the example of the fashion writer who should know that New York fashion week is a major event. That’s a lever. Said writer may go the extra mile by writing a very original piece about it so that he or she could get an invite which would then broaden her network, that’s leverage.  Sometimes your lever is a person, other times, it’s an event.

“No” isn’t always no

Some of the greatest people we know today were once told no. Kerry Washington, he mentions had done two pilots for two other series where she got replaced by other actresses before she landed Scandal. Also, Walt Disney was once told he had no good ideas or creative imagination, but he went on to be regarded as one of the world’s greatest pioneers of the animation industry. Sometimes, being told no just means that the sayer isn’t aligned with your destiny. Keep going!

The players aren’t always who they appear to be.

Sometimes we’re so taken by the big CEOs who we think make all the decisions. Although this might be true, this style of thinking will have us neglecting the people below the chain of command who might be more beneficial to our cause. Are you trying to get the attention of someone influential in a particular space? Reaching out to the Personal Assistant to the CEO might get you those contacts. Power players aren’t defined by title or salary, they are instead the people who can pick up their phones to make those phone calls or send out those messages that can get the ball rolling. That’s what you need.

People are fickle, don’t take it personally

People will disregard you when they feel they don’t need you and how you’re treated could be based on their needs at that point in time. Don’t take it personally, Franklin adds. Ensure you’re able to build yourself to a point where you’re not dependent on people for praise or approval. He mentioned how singer, Ciara had expressed that people shook her hand differently whenever she had a hit song out. What matters most, he concludes, is God’s approval.

We’ve taken notes and are ready to get into gear to hit the ground running. Are you joining us?

Photo Credit: Instagram

Over time, we would watch her evolve from new girl on the block, to the girl in the news making headlines for her failed relationships with other people in the industry such as rappers, 50 Cent and Bow-Wow.  She seemed to have gotten it right when she first announced her engagement to fellow artiste, Future, with whom she birthed her first child, Future Jr. But, again, this wouldn’t last for too long and the headlines would have a field day with sattirical pieces scolding her for making such an obvious bad choice (he had four different children with four different mothers).

Fast forward to a few years down the line, Ciara has been able to acquire a life that many of us could only dream of. Not only did she bag an accomplished man, Russell Wilson, who waited till their wedding night to eat from the cookie jar, he also spends a lot of time with Ciara’s child from her ex, Future Jr and the two seem to have an incredible bond with the toddler referring to Simmons as Papa Russ.  The couple have since gotten married and grown the family with the addition of their daughter, Sienna.

How did she get such a fabulous life suddenly? You may ask. Just a few years we were all ki-kiing at the singer’s love for the bad boys and now we want to be her. With many tagging the couple as #relationshipgoals and #couplegoals; the mother of two revealed in a recent interview with Essence that the key to her success has been affirmation. Ciara said she wrote down exactly what she wanted out of life

“I’m a big believer in writing down what you want in general. I’m a believer in seeing it, speaking it, and writing it down,” she explains. “There’s something about the power of the tongue and the mind and you’re actually affirming it by writing it down.”

However, the singer is also adamant on women doing the work on themselves during their single hood.

“I took a moment to pause and to really reflect on the journey and where I was at that moment of even looking at love again,” she says. “I think that it’s really important for [women] to know exactly what we want and be clear about it and also be patient.

She also mentions another key for her was to trust in God’s timing adding that she had no idea that she would meet her husband when she did.

Juggling motherhood and career isn’t as easy as it may seem, but she’s got it on lock with a husband who she fondly says, is really great at planning and organisation skills he’s picked up over time. She’s also quick to add that when it comes to motherhood, one size doesn’t fit all! ‘Do what works for you’, she says.

They give you perspective about what truly matters, and they make life so much better and more fun. I feel more empowered now than ever, so yeah, don’t be afraid of living. Because you really are living life when you decide to create life. That’s your legacy.

She also stated that she has the best partner she could have in her life and we can’t help but be happy for her.

Ciara is living testimony to the fact that we are not our mistakes or pitfalls. It does get better if we choose to do the work and let go of our mistakes. She’s testament to the fact that affirmations work.

Wanna have a fabulous life like Ciara, then be sure to write down, speak, and pray about your affirmations.

What will you affirm today?