AN OVER NIGHT SUCCESS - Onika Edwards
Credits:
Ceola Meiling article: http://networkedblogs.com/VJ2kx
Kevin Hart interview with Oprah: http://on.aol.com/video/dont-call-kevin-hart-an-overnight-success-518170983
Many know I am a fan of Oprah and her network I watched Kevin Hart on her show ‘Oprah Prime’ where one of the questions asked related to his overnight success. And what he revealed surprised me a bit. Kevin explained that Hollywood makes you out to be ‘an up and coming’ or use the term ‘an overnight success’. Kevin told Oprah he’s an overnight success of 18 years, he paid his dues 3 times over. I was like WHAT you have been in the industry for 18 years damn! Kevin Hart has been ‘putting in the work’ for 15 years where he has been building the Kevin Hart comedic brand and movie career. So when we started acknowledging him these past 3 years for his abilities. Mr. Hart already had 15 years plus in the industry. His sold out shows and top movies didn’t just happen.
Media outlets will lead us to believe that everyone you see, admire or observe as successful happened over night. But over night can start from 5 years ago or 10 years and for others 20 years prior. Now I observe persons in my field putting in less work, and more talk out but want the attention of the very said person they admire or want to emulate. We have become impatient with working hard and sacrificing for the long term, we now want instant success and instant recognition.
I know I have work to do, I have so much more to put in before I can say I am an over night success.
I recently read Ceola’s blog ‘Some Life Lessons from Meiling @ Startup Grind TT’. I was on location providing makeup services for a commercial so I missed Meiling open session held at 6 Carlos Street. Thanks to Ceola’s blog I am able to play catch up. I found myself going over the words of Meiling “put in the work, put the work out. Build the brand first”. I am not a fashion designer or stylist but Meiling’s words resonated with me as a makeup artist. I saw how many aspects of her session were very relatable and the content and context of her words held true for me.