Part of the process is proving it to yourself, and it's hard. Meena Harris didn't set out to build a social justice empire when she started selling her "Phenomenal Woman" tees (inspired by Maya Angelo's famous poem), but now that's exactly what she has—a platform that highlights and helps shape the narratives of important social issues, like voting and supporting workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Get yourself a "Phenomenal Woman" tee, STAT. For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter. We can be spinning our wheels and putting a lot of stuff out, but is this actually aligned with whatever North Star you've established for your business? TMRW: How did your family influence your career path? "We have to keep doing the work," Washington wrote in her caption. If you make a purchase using these links we may earn commission. And I really have learned the value of creating white space to let myself be creative. How did you decide to pursue Phenomenal — and entrepreneurship — full time? "While a lot of the issues we raise awareness around are related, we want to use our platform to draw attention to the fact that the impact they have on different communities is often distinct," she explains. ", "'No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.' "I've always been a creative, entrepreneurial minded person, and I've always been inspired by other creatives, including fashion designers. But that's how I operate, and it's mutually beneficial, right? "My most casual day at work is a Phenomenal shirt. I have a whole quarantine-on-camera look and it's my Harwell Godfrey hoops, my Phenomenal shirt, glasses, and my hair tied up into a bun. How have you been able to balance so many projects at once, especially now as a mom of two? If I don't go, is it gonna really hurt me? Sometimes I can't go to yoga, but I can go lie down on my bed for 10 minutes because I'm that tired. And the "phenomenal woman" behind the brand is none other than founder and CEO Meena Harris (who also happens to be the niece of Senator Kamala Harris). What's wild is this was back in 2012. This is when the entrepreneur stuff really came out. Products in this story are independently selected and featured editorially. You're already a maniac. Marina Liao is the fashion news editor at MarieClaire.com, where she covers celebrity style (from Meghan Markle to Katie Holmes), fashion trends, and shopping advice, plus conducts original interviews with industry insiders. I was a corporate lawyer that had this silly shirt. I was an art kid, too, and I feel like that's been the tension of my life up until I started Phenomenal. My partner, Nik, is a full-time dad and I am working on Phenomenal full time. My mom was like, "Meena, do you really have time to handle another T-shirt? "That means showing up passionately, consistently and continuously, and not just in a particular moment," she shares. So it's been an unexpected and wild ride, to say the least! by Marissa Valdez. Senator Kamala Harris’s 2016 campaign and is currently head of strategy and leadership at Uber. When did you decide to take an entrepreneurial turn? In the image, Kamala Harris was sitting on a lion with Joe Biden's face as she defeats an irate looking Donald Trump. Laura Harrier, Gabourey Sidibe, Loni Love and Terry Crews, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey and Eva Marcille, Courtesy Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. "Phenomenal started as a very small initiative to raise money for women’s organizations — I had made a handful of Phenomenal Woman T-shirts (inspired by the poem by Maya Angelou) for the first Women’s March in 2017, and they were popular there, so I decided to take it a step further and sell them on International Women’s Day 2017 as a fundraising initiative. Meet Meena Harris, the Designer and Activist Behind the Viral 'Phenomenally Black' T-Shirt this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Even though I was still insecure about calling myself that or didn't understand what exactly my business was. On the first day, she sold 2,500—a movement was born. It's grown to become Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign. Actively check in with yourself. "My book is one of many steps in that direction, starting with listening to girls, supporting their big ideas, and following their lead.". But it's really gratifying to pour your heart and soul into something, work your ass off, and see it in the world embraced by the communities it's intended for.". Editors handpick every product that we feature. And many famous faces are sharing their activism while sporting the same black T-shirt. When asked what advice she would give others in the fashion industry who are committed to active allyship, she says it's as simple as staying committed. The "Phenomenally Black" shirt ($35), which was added to the Phenomenal Women offering last year to recognize Black Women's Equal Pay Day, saw a huge resurgence in sales in recent weeks (it's currently on backorder and will ship in two weeks). I now realize I can't turn this part of my brain off, and while I was clerking, I made this shirt that famously and very provocatively said, "I'm an entrepreneur, b----.". When she was reading children's books to her daughters and realized they didn't contain diverse characters who resembled her children, she wrote her own, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea, inspired by her mom and aunt.

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