Finding Out What’s Next for Naturi Naughton and Tasha St. Patrick

Naturi Naughton is the definition of success. She has worked for everything she has been able to accomplish. She has built the drive, tenacity, and the wherewithal to be able to conquer in such challenging times. She has definitely stood the test of time in an industry that is forever changing. The businesswoman and the philanthropist that she has grown into is because she took the lemons that she was given and made lemonade. Black Enterprise had the opportunity to meet and speak with this powerhouse of a woman.

What do you have going on currently?

Well, preparing for the spin-off of Power, staying focused on my faith, being a good mother to my 3-year-old daughter, enhancing my relationships, and continuously working in my goals. I went back to my first love, which is my music; just finding my voice again. For the rest of the year, I just want to stay healthy and do good work. Hopefully, I will direct and produce my own projects. I’m really working on producing more stories for our people. I would like to get more involved behind the scenes of filmmaking in another year or so.

What have you learned from being a businesswoman on Power?

I’ve learned so much! Not just from Power, but from the transitioning from the music industry. Things like:

• Sometimes it’s OK to let the other person be right. You don’t have to fight to be right.
• In business, sometimes you will have to do things you don’t want to do and that make you feel uncomfortable.
• Be patient.
• You will have to work with people that are not kind, have bad energies, are not easy to work with.
• Although Power is widely successful, it is not all of who I am. You can’t let any business or career dictate you or your happiness. I think that is so important.

What advice would you give to that woman who wants to give up, who has no more fight in her?

There are no shortcuts to success. I literally was that woman living in L.A. I wasn’t making any money. I wasn’t working for about two years. There was a dry spell in the industry. I’m not going to lie to you, there are going to be moments when you do feel like giving up. There are going to be moments when you are not chosen, when you are not going to be successful. Anything that is great will be met with challenges. So, when you do get something, you have a great appreciation for it because you put in the work. Pray for strength! There may be a reason why you’re being blocked, why it isn’t working out for you. Just being aware that everyone has their time. And soon your time will come.

Tell us about your foundation, Naturi Dreamers Foundation.

I grew up in the inner city. We have fed over a hundred families in different cities. We fed well over 500 families in Brooklyn alone. We coupled with a restaurant here in Brooklyn so that they could stay afloat in the midst of this COVID/pandemic crisis. We’ve fed over 10,000 people in New Jersey. Simply, my foundation is a place where people can go if they have a need. Obviously, I can’t fill every need, but I can do my part.

Eventually, my foundation will have a summer workshop that helps to find artists, actors, entertainers. We will have classes and have others in the industry come and speak with them. They will get the tools needed for entertainment. It takes education and talent.

Dr. Jessica Mosley is a serial entrepreneur who loves teaching fellow CEO women how to show up in their truth & power. As Steward Owner of MizCEO Entrepreneurial Media Brand, Sovereign Care Home Care, Sovereign Care Medical Training Center, and Deborah’s Place for Battered Women, Jessica is busy making moves that impact her community & those connected to her.