HONEY CHILE

In our latest episode of?IT'S GOOD OVER HERE, our Head Honey Felicia Pride sits down with the multitalented Cassandra Freeman—actress, entrepreneur, artist, mother, and writer. Best known for her role as Aunt Viv on Bel-Air, Cassandra shares her journey of self-discovery, resilience, and creativity. From her early struggles in the entertainment industry to redefining success on her own terms, Cassandra opens up about embracing joy, navigating motherhood, and stepping into her power as an artist and businesswoman. She discusses the transformative role that led her to motherhood, her passion for visual art, and her entrepreneurial venture Creatricity, which connects creatives in the entertainment industry. This episode is a masterclass in living boldly, trusting your intuition, and carving out space for yourself in any industry. Take a listen: https://lnkd.in/gKBhg-de

BIG NEWS! First, thank y’all for rocking with us for more than 60 installments of our newsletter A Taste of Honey! We’ve loved sharing it. So much so that we wanted to make editorial more a part of the core business of?HONEY CHILE. Really lean into the fact that we’re a MEDIA and production company. So we’ve decided to build out A TASTE OF HONEY into more than a newsletter, and into a platform so we can publish more stories across text, audio, and video. And we want to cover everything from finances to culture to travel to love. To do so, we’ve moved to Substack and are consolidating A TASTE OF HONEY with The HONEYCOMB, our Patreon, into this new platform we’re calling?YES, HONEY. A one stop shop that is reader-supported. We’re so excited about this new direction and can’t wait to build out a sweet space for Honeys to talk about any and everything! Subscribe at yeshoney.substack.com.

Whew, this one hit differently. Honeys, how have y’all been thinking about retirement? On this latest episode of IT’S GOOD OVER HERE, Roshida Dowe and Stephanie Perry had us thinking about all the things: retirement, work, and delaying our peace. Listen to the full episode here: https://buff.ly/3Q4E4TR or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Some of you know, but for a huge chunk of my career I was ALL about books. It all started with my first every newsletter (I will never stop loving newsletters), called Backlist (started in 2003), that evolved into a business promoting books by Black authors. I eventually worked in book publishing, then went on to have a book blog on AOL Black Voices. I was a regular contributor to Publishers Weekly and would write the annual cover story about trends in publishing for the Black market. And I wrote six books. So of course a lot of the TV / Film projects that HONEY CHILE does are adaptations. But for the last couple of years, we’ve wanted to start a book club. I am thrilled we finally did (and of course are still perfecting it) and we expanded it to include film, TV series, and more. This month’s pick (and next month as well, we’re giving ourselves time because of the LA wildfires) is **REEL?by the Kennedy Ryan!** This book is dripping with honey and we can’t wait to read and discuss it together. And super excited that we'll be chatting LIVE with Kennedy Ryan on Feb 8. Save the date. Keep up with The HONEY Culture Club via our newsletter, A Taste of Honey: https://buff.ly/464LWfg. Get your copy of REEL https://buff.ly/4fZni32 (affiliate link), anywhere you buy books or at your local library. We extended this month’s pick into February to give ourselves and others who may have been impacted by the LA fires more time. We hope this book, and reading it together, will provide some much needed joy.

Honeys, It has taken us a beat to gather ourselves. A bulk of our team and Hive are based in Los Angeles, so we've been navigating evacuations and being without power, while supporting our loved ones and friends who have lost homes. We've been glued to the news and the Watch Duty app (which tracks all of the fires), trying to keep up with text threads, while also, for some of us, still having to work day jobs. We're grieving, riddled with anxiety, weary, and fearful about the fires that continue to rage, as well as the unimaginable aftermath. It is truly devastating... and honestly apocalyptic. But know we are with ALL OF YOU who have been impacted by this continued tragedy and we're sending our heartfelt condolences. We're grateful to the firefighters, including those who are currently incarcerated. And to the journalists keeping us abreast of developments. The way that people have come together in community to support Los Angeles has been so incredibly heartening. And we're here to be a support as well. In the comments below,?feel free to share any GoFundMe links so we can amplify them. Also, here's a link to a few resources for those who need help and those who want to offer help: https://lnkd.in/gZvNGWGi We've got each other and that's a mighty powerful force.

HONEY CHILE was busy in 2024. Our busiest and most successful year yet. Check out our 2024 recap: https://lnkd.in/g2duRv6u We couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you for every like, comment, listen, watched, words of support. Means the world. Looking forward to continue to inspire, entertain, and represent. ?????? And always looking to work with like-minded entities. Get in touch and let’s make in 2025.

Y'all! I did my first solo episode for IT'S GOOD OVER HERE and I'm talking about my first ever solo vacation that I took at 44, which changed my life! I have traveled alone for work but doing so for vacation seemed different. Would I get bored? What would I do by myself? And would I be lonely? In the episode, I talk about why I finally made the decision to go alone, how I spent the vacation, and how I almost got married! And chile,?I'm headed on my second solo vacation next week. The experience really reinforced that the time is now to do the things we've always wanted to do. Can you relate? What adventures are on your list? Listen to the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts or: https://lnkd.in/gUwbWsWT

"Why would there be a destination when life itself is a journey? You go not to get there but to be there." We honor and celebrate the life of Nikki Giovanni. She has joined the ancestors, but we are grateful that her legacy lives on in the hearts and the pens of every Black woman she has inspired to write. ??

As we look forward to 2025, I know a lot of us are planning and strategizing around our creative careers. So, here are 29 ways to become the CEO of your creative career:

Please join Team HONEY CHILE and wish our Head Honey Felicia Pride a HAPPY 45th BIRTHDAY. ?? We speak for everyone when we say that your vision, drive, and creative spirit are a wonder to behold and an honor to be a part of. You are living proof that Honeyland is the place to be. ?? Looking to assist HONEY CHILE in supporting Felicia's vision? Learn more about the HONEY FUND, our newest fundraising effort. https://lnkd.in/epDjCjxT