B. Simone Is All About Dreaming Big — But Here’s Why She Embraces Setbacks, Too
Sheena Butler-Young
Deputy Editor
B. Simone has to hold space for a lot of obligations.
From running her eponymous beauty brand to juggling her role as the first-ever woman to create and sell an exclusive line with Footaction — all while keeping her 5-million-plus Instagram followers entertained with her comedic monologues — the multihyphenate social media star’s calendar is ever-booked.
But like any successful businessperson, the entrepreneur has nailed down the art and science of prioritizing and strategizing.
A big risk that will propel her career forward? Yes.
A business venture that will allow her to uplift other women of color? She’ll take it.
Fear? Hold that, please.
As she readies for the release of her second line with Footaction — the first one debuted last November — B. Simone is reflecting on the mantras she’s chosen to emblazon across the sweatsuits and crop tops that comprise the collection: “Faith over fear” and “Dream bigger.”
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“Faith and fear can’t coexist, so you have to choose one,” she said. “And if you want to be successful, you have to take risks. Choosing faith is mandatory.”
Indeed, several years ago, B. Simone — who initially set out to build a career as a music artist — found that she gained more traction on social media for her comedy sketches than for her rap music. So she made the decision to go deeper in that direction. (See: risk.) Still, she found herself facing jitters as her career exploded, and she was catapulted into opening up for comedic legends like Martin Lawrence. (See: fear.)
“For me, this was a prime example of choosing faith over fear: Yes, I had nervousness. Yes, a little bit of doubt was in my soul. But if you fight that with more faith, it always outweighs the negative,” she explained. “And any time you deposit a negative, you have to deposit a positive to outweigh it.”
She continued, “So when I have those thoughts like ‘What if I bomb? What if they don’t like me?’ I always [offset] it with, ‘No, this is my purpose. I am funny. They’re going to love me.’ And I get up there and kill it every time. [That’s how I know], fear is an illusion.”
It’s no coincidence that B. Simone — who is adamant that Footaction has empowered her to “do whatever I want” — has chosen International Women’s Day (March 8) as the occasion to debut the second installment in a series of initiatives that will be part of her two-year partnership with Footaction.
“I want to celebrate women. Women have been held back for so many years and in so many ways,” she said. “And I’m a Black woman at that. So I think it’s just super, super important to show that women are successful. We are leaders. We are innovative. We are entrepreneurs. We can stand on our own feet.”
As for the kind of women who inspire her, B. Simone said it’s quite simple: “I love women who are themselves. Who have their lane and walk in their truth. They’re honest. They’re not scared to say, ‘OK, I messed up here.’”
Or in two words: Cardi B.
“She speaks her mind and guess what? She is human and she is 100% herself … Yes, she’s a celebrity, but she doesn’t go ‘Oh, the media… Oh, what about my PR?’ If she believes in something, she’s going to say it. If she doesn’t like something, she’s going to say it,” B. Simone said of her adoration of the “WAP” rapper.
She added, “I think more women need to do that. If you speak your mind, that does not make you a b**ch.”
In that same vein, B. Simone said she’s adamant about sharing her successes as much as she does her setbacks. The goal is to serve vulnerability and authenticity — and, more importantly, inspire the next crop of young, Black women entrepreneurs.
“I take a lot of pride in that: I really am myself,” she said. “If I’m up, I share it. If I’m down, I share that too because everything isn’t glitter and rainbows every day.”
But, as the United States observes Women’s History Month this March, she’ll take the glitter and rainbows — and will also carve out time to sprinkle a little bit of the fairy dust on other female forces who are working to find their way amid unprecedented times.
“[All month long] I’m just going to buy something from all of the women businesses that I know,” she said.
The four items in B. Simone’s latest collection for Footaction are priced between $45 to $65. They are available starting today on Footaction.com.
