With every passing year, women get stronger! We stop taking shit and shit starts getting real! I'm so happy to see all glow ups this past year. You girls have chosen yourselves over everything else it makes me so proud to be a woman. To share the same earth with some of you, and in some cases, breathe the same air as you ladies is an honor, truly.

In 2019, we saw black women and women of color totally dominate the media, being crowned in ALL major pageant circuits, including Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe, Miss America, and Miss World, just to name a few. Lilly Singh added late night tv show host to her ever growing list of titles. Ariana Grande broke records by being the first female artist to have the most simultaneous records on the Top 40 Billboard Charts, according to cnn.com. Yep! 2019 was definitely a great year to be woman. You'd almost believe God was a woman...(I had to).

With all of these accomplishments and examples being made of state of woman today, it's time to list the ways they've Bossed Up, so that we may follow suit. I present to you, 10 More Ways To Be A Boss Babe: 2020 Edition.

Take Up Space

"Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself."

--Zozibini Tunzi

This 'literal' queen used her platform on a global stage to level up as the first black woman to win the Miss Universe crown since 2015. She embodied the phrase, wearing her natural, 4c hair during the Miss Universe competition. Perhaps it was her walk, confidence and final words that solidified her crowning as the reigning Miss Universe. So what have we learned from Zozi? Know who you are and don't be afraid to stand your ground. Show up as yourself and know that she is good enough.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

"Glass ceilings can be broken wearing either a skirt or pants." --Cheslie Kryst

Glass ceilings she's breaking indeed! As the competition's oldest titleholder, ONLY practicing attorney, and 1/5 of the melanated queens holding down the crowns in the pagaent world, Cheslie Kryst is one to keep her eyes on. She graced the Miss USA and Miss Universe stages with her naturally curly hair with poise and style. Her blog, White Collar Glam, showcases how you can be professional, but make it fashion! She's even leveled up by securing a position with Extra, as a news correspondent. So what have we learned from Miss Cheslie? Never give up on your dreams, be true to who you are, and be fierce!

I Am King

"Growing up, I never understood why girls were so soft, so I watched and I learned and I embodied everything I love about the man. Now when the occasion arises, I set my womanhood on fire, and I become the man myself." --Parris Goebel

If you've seen either of Rihanna's Fenty x Savage fashion shows or most recently watched J. Lo's Superbowl performance, then you know who's responsible for those sexy, sassy, and dope ass dance moves. Parris Goebel, founder of the Royal Family Dance Studio in Auckland, New Zealand, has choreographed for some of your favorite entertainers including, Justin Beiber (Purpose visual album, Yummy), Ariana Grande (2020 Grammy performance), Nicki Minaj and more! She's been spending more time in front of the camera in 2020, though. She was booked to walk her first Fashion Week show with Tommy Hilfiger. Outside of choreographing for the stars, and walking in fashion shows, Parris consistently puts on for her country, making sure that her dancers, and dancers from her country have jobs in EVERY show, video, or performance she choreographs. Moral of the story, be a fucking unicorn and ALWAYS look out for your whanua (family).

Experience

"The majority of my time is working with adults, so I have 'experience' without experiencing it" --Marsai Martin

Talk about a 'little' BOSS (see what I did there?)! Marsai Martin has broken Hollywood history as the youngest executive producer at only 14 years old. The Black-ish actress recalls not having any role models or seeing any representation that looks like herself on television. She wanted to be the role model. "I feel honored, I feel accepted, and I feel seen." she said during her acceptance speech at the NAACP Awards. So what have we learned from Marsai? Be the change you want to see in the world, regardless of how young (or old) you may be.

Woke-ish

“What’s so cool about my generation is that being socially aware is ingrained in who we are. It’s almost as though we were born with a debt to society to do our part, to be a part of this peer group that understands pretty immediately the idea that whatever we do has to benefit the greater good of humanity." -- Yara Shahidi

I don't know about yall (I'm from the south, don't judge me for saying yall), but I feel like we've literally watched Yara Shahidi grow up into such a beautiful, graceful, and poised young adult. She's so socially and culturally aware of most things that are happening in the world today, and if she's not educated in it, she stops to do so. Like wow! I didn't even educate myself on how to blog and here she is at the young age of 20 inspiring her peers to register to vote. The Black-ish turned Grown-ish star is all about education and we could all stand to be more like her. That's it, that's the post.

Part of Your World

Sticking with the cast of Grown-ish, Halle Bailey is making her own moves, and this time without her sister. The singer/songwriter is 1/2 of the singing duo Chloe x Halle. The sisters are use to tackling things together, but not this time. Last summer, Halle was cast as Ariel for the live action film of The Little Mermaid. She received loads of backlash for the role not being given to a white actress, despite the character, itself, being mythical. So what's to be learned from this young actress? Don't let negativity and naysayers affect your journey. At the end of the day, the journey is bigger than you.

Know Yourself

"I feel like you have tell people who you are, but you don't have to be disrespectful about it...but also, don't have to be a shrinking violet." -- Keke Palmer

If there is one thing that can be said about Keke Palmer, it's that she's living her best life, and I think that's because she truly discovered who she is early in her career. She's not afraid to be herself on and off camera and that's what we love most about her. As 1/3 of the morning show trio, Michael, Sara, and Keke, she adds a flavor to the show that most morning shows don't have unless it's a panel of women like on The Real. To me, Keke IS the show. So what have we learned from her? Know yourself and be yourself, regardless of the audience.

Confidence

"Confidence literally starts from yourself. You have to go look in the mirror at yourself..."

--Meg Thee Stallion

I'm sure if you have a smart phone, you've seen Meg Thee Stallion SOMEWHERE! This Houston Hottie Bossed Up in a major way in the year 2019, becoming the 1st female rapper to sign to her label. She's traveled the world in just a few short months, performing for thousands of hotties and hot boys, all while being FULL TIME COLLEGE STUDENT!!! Just WOW!! How could we not have her on this list? Her confidence, on and off the stage, has taught hotties and non-hotties alike to believe in their sexiness, don't take any shit from anyone, and to NEVER skip on leg day because sis knees are truly an inspiration.

Behind Every Great Man...

What can be said about Pastor Natalie Todd? If you are a fan of her husband, Pastor Michael Todd, Lead Pastor of Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK, he would say that she's kind, a wonderful mother, and the love of his life. The word I would use to describer her is OBEDIENCE. The way she leads her family, especially in the public eye, is nothing short of amazing! I also admire how she supports her husband every step of the way. As their notoriety grows, so does her support for her husband. She is truly the "every" woman that I aspire to be. So what can we learn from Pastor Natalie Todd? Listen to what God is instructing of you. You never know where you'll end up if you trust in Him.

Live A Life Full of Color!

ColorMeCourtney is one of my blogspirations! I noticed her in a Microsoft commercial a few years back and loved her bubbly personality. Once I found out who she was, I could not believe how amazing her content was! After that, I started a color of the month on my Pinterest account and the rest is history. I love that she isn't afraid to be her "TRUE" self. Her love for color and ALL THINGS DISNEY is why I fell in love with her content. She also hosts #ColorMeClassroom which teaches aspiring bloggers and influencers tips on engagement and analytics. So what can we learn from Courtney? Be true to yourself, and don't be afraid of living life colorfully!

Wow!!! If you've made it to the end, I'm proud of you. This was a very long post, definitely longer than my others, so I appreciate you reading it in entirety. The thing I want you to take away from this post is that no matter what you're doing or your state of mind, we are always inspiring someone else to be a better version of themselves. Tell me who inspires you and something you've done to inspire someone else below in the comments. I love to read you guys' comments. As always, I love you and thank you for all your patience and support. Until next time...