Anthony Anderson and Tempestt Bledsoe play parents in NBC's new show "Guys With Kids" (Image: NBC)

This week, nine major television networks including NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox presented their programming plans for the 2012-13 TV season to advertisers. Several black actors will be taking on roles in new shows. Here are some of the upcoming series featuring black stars to look out for.

Anthony Anderson will be heading NBC’s new show Guys With Kids, which is a half-hour sitcom executive produced by Late Night host Jimmy Fallon. The show is about three thirty-something men who must deal with being fathers despite having not grown up yet themselves. Anderson stars as a stay-at-home dad and his wife is played by Cosby Show alum Tempestt Bledsoe.

Read more at The Grio…

As the founder and CEO of KWL Enterprises, the Baltimore native and
Morgan State grad has positioned himself for global dominance. Three
years ago, Liles launched a management firm (KWL Management) boasting a
roster of artists that includes D’Angelo, Trey Songz and Estelle among
others. Recently, he expanded the management company’s by launching MMW Entertainment, a strategic practice group under MWW Group, a global communications firm that will continue to enhance the relevance of KWL’s clients. Through his telecommunications company (TrueComm), Liles’ has initiated his worldwide reach through technology by partnering with the president of Tanzania to provide 1.5 million tablets to the country’s youth. He even created a pharmaceutical parts company that supplies parts for large machinery and devices used for pharmaceutical products (KevDar).

But that’s business. For Liles, it’s his educational company (NextGen) that allows him to pay it forward with organizations like his Make It Happen Foundation and institutions like the Make it Happen Summer Academy, that nurtures and grooms young people into future entrepreneurs.

Blackenterprise.com caught up with the multi-tasking visionary to talk about the artist who help re-ignite his passion for the music biz, why D’Angelo “disappeared” for years, and how education has helped him effect change.

Blackenterprise.com: KWL Enterprises celebrates its junior year in August. How has the transition from label executive to artist manager been?

Kevin Liles: I’ve always been in management and had a relationship with my artists. Throughout my entire career, I was with many of them when they bought their first car, house, insurance, had their first child. One of the things I asked myself was where do you want to go? Then how much do you want to do entertainment? I got my first client because my former intern was managing trey songs and they decided to go their separate way and he came to me. I told him to go talk to everybody out there to find a new manager but he came back to me and said they don’t love me, they don’t care about me. So I said let’s see how it goes. Trey got me excited about the business again. I love helping talent. I’m in the life-changing business–taking artists’ dreams and vision and making sure that they continue to evolve. In return, I will be the best at what I do. We all push each other.

Blackenterprise.com: We can’t believe your thrill for this fickle biz was ever gone. What made you lose your passion?

Kevin Liles: I came up during the time when a rapper was a rapper and an R&B singer was an R&B singer. I didn’t come up with disposable music. I worked with such greats as Jay-Z, a rap star who worked everyday to secure his credibility, and then he became a rock star. I think about artists like Prince and Earth Wind & Fire, LL Cool J and Lil Wayne. I’m into brands not just records. People are signing [talent] but not making a full investment in artist development. I don’t want to sign one flimflam winner, I want my artist to have multiple wins. That’s what we need. Where’ the next Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Gerald Levert or Bon Jovi? I believe they are out there but we have to invest in them.

Blackenterprise.com: Well another major investment you’ve made has been through your Make It Happen Foundation Summer Business Academy. What’s its purpose?

Kevin Liles: My educational company NextGen’s philosophy is that education should be attainable and as easy as going to buy anything online or offline at Walmart or Target. Through me and my wife’s foundation we created the “Make It Happen Challenge,” where we’ve partnered with careermotivations.com to provide a million career assessment tests ($129) at no cost to youth nationwide. This assessment helps you assess yourself and the skill you have by offering some professional guidance. It’s like your virtual handbook to your life. Why do you think we have business plans? But we don’t do our own personal business plans. When you go to school this is your life and all forms of education should be an education of experience. We need to help these kids find their passions and then have employment for these kids.

This past week Oprah had the graduation of her first class from [her school in South Africa]. I was there when she opened the school. Oprah made an investment in their education, in their life, how they dress, walk, talk. When I saw these young girls come up and speak and say Stanford had her name on it it’s because someone invested the time and energy in her future. We all can make a difference and give them opportunity. My focus is on young america. I want to be at the forefront of education.

Blackenterprise.com: Your roster of talent includes pretty well-established artists and new talent including D’Angelo who has not been on the scene for a while. What challenges do you believe he might face as a reemerging artist?

Kevin Liles: It’s about legacy. Here’s a guy arguably one of he most talented who hasn’t performed in 10 years. He calls me up and says, “Kev, I’m ready.” He’s a young man who has been through hell. Idolized by women and respected by man. He didn’t know how to handle it so he retreated. I care about him as a person and will help him fight whatever demons they have so they can share their God-given gift to the world. We made a commitment and tested to see if we were ready by giving a few shows in Europe. They all sold out. I can’t discuss what we have planned for just yet but it’s going to blow your mind over the summer.

Blackenterprise.com: What is the best worst money advice you’ve ever received?

Kevin Liles: The worst: “Don’t worry about your money, I got it.” The best? From my mom: That everything matters, so listen and learn.

What advice do you have when it comes to growing wealth and investing your money for those who think they might not have enough to start growing wealth?

Kevin Liles: You can save a dollar a day which is $7 dollars a week. Over the course of 10 years imagine what you could have saved. You have to make saving as much of a ritual as eating food. Put a system in place that makes sense for you. I started investing when I was young and was able to retire my parents and help put my sisters through school.

Blackenterprise.com: What’s the one mistake you made during your career that you’d never repeat?

Kevin Liles: We have a responsibility to do more than just be successful, and with success comes responsibility. Early on, I wanted success so bad I would do anything for it. You couldn’t tell me no because I believed that’s how you achieve success. Now, I believe that sometimes “no” is the right answer even if you don’t understand the reason at the time. If I could say there’s anything that I would have done differently I would have thought through a lot of my today-actions, for tomorrow-results.

Blackenterprise.com: What’s your secret to longevity and fulfilling legacy?

Kevin Liles: Relevancy. It’s our job to continuously reinvent ourselves. If i was still living off of that period of time when I worked at Def Jam I’d never challenge myself. You should access yourself. God woke me up today so I have to invest in me in order to do better things. I don’t think He’s finished with me yet or that he’s utilized everything He’s given me. I have so much to give and share with the world. When I’m out hanging with these kids they call me O.G or Kevin Liles The Legend. The funny thing is I don’t feel like I’ve done anything yet. i’ve worked to be a great husband, father and orator for our culture but if you call that legendary wait for the second half of my life! The first 25 years of my life I made great music, the next 25 I’d like to spend making a difference.

Interested in seeing A Streetcar Named Desire live on Broadway? Log on to BroadwayOffers.com or call 212 947-8844 and use the “ASFLY79″ discount code to get 35% off the regular ticket price. Offer valid on select performances and seat locations. Restrictions may apply.

Shot and edited by Chapter3.tv

The Nextbook Premium 8SE doesn't have all the capabilities of a more expensive tablet, but it does give those devices a run for their money (Image: E Fun Inc.)

Are low-cost Android tablets worth your hard-earned dollars? Last year the answer would have been an easy “no” but a new wave of cheap tablets like the $169 Nextbook Premium 8SE is slowly changing the answer from a hard “no” to a firm “maybe.”

Last year $250 would have bought a frustratingly slow Android tablet with a weak processor, an unresponsive resistive touch screen and an old version of the Android operating system (OS) meant for smartphones. The Nextbook Premium 8 SE from E-FUN Inc. comes with Android 4.0 (a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich), the newest version of the OS and its eight-inch capacitive touch screen proved responsive and snappy when tested with common tasks.

The medium-powered tablet has a single-core, 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor as opposed to the muscular dual-core processors found in more expensive tablets, but was robust enough to handle processor-intensive games like Angry Birds, which can cause weak tablets to crash.

The Premium 8SE’s 4GB of internal data storage can be expanded by using its microSD card slot, which accepts removable memory cards with capacities of up to 32GB. The sturdy tablet is 0.45 inches thick—not as svelte as some expensive tablets—but is comfortable to hold in the portrait or landscape position.

So what are the compromises of a $169 tablet? At 800 by 600 pixels, the screen doesn’t come close to the sharpness of the screens on more expensive tablets like the $500 Wi-Fi-only 16GB Apple iPad (2048 by 1536 pixels) or the $400 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (1280 by 800 pixels). The Nextbook Premium 8SE does, however, support multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom.

When tested, the display proved to be sharp enough for comfortable Web surfing, e-book reading, e-mail management, Angry Birds shooting and other common tasks. Photos had reasonably accurate colors, but don’t expect the smoothness or rich colors of higher-priced tablets.

Click here to read more about this affordable tablet…

The Nextbook Premium 8SE is perfect for students (Image: E Fun Inc.)

Like other low-cost Android tablets, the Premium 8SE can’t connect to Google Play (formerly called the Android Market), the premier online store for Android apps. Instead the unit comes with an app for GetJar, which houses thousands of Android apps, but many popular titles are missing. (Tip: Go to Amazon.com and download the Amazon Android App Store app, which opens the door to even more Android apps, including the Amazon Kindle e-bookstore app.)

Other preinstalled apps include the Barnes & Noble Nook e-bookstore app (Canadian units get Kobo instead), Fring, a video chat and phone service, and Office Suite, an app that lets you open documents saved in popular formats like Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF.

The Premium 8SE has a Wi-Fi adapter and stereo speakers. The tablet comes without Bluetooth capabilities, which means you won’t be able to connect to wireless headsets or speakers. Wired headsets will work fine in its headset jack. The unit has a motion sensor and flips the screen image as you rotate it, but it lacks a GPS receiver, relying instead on Wi-Fi to provide location data. The Premium 8SE’s single front-facing 0.3-megapixel camera is more practical for video chats than for casual snapshots.

So will this tablet work for you? With medium power and acceptable, but substandard graphics, the Premium 8SE is well-suited for a student or family; its low cost makes it a viable choice for vacations or commuting when you don’t want to travel with expensive gear. The tablet will debut in Kmart in June, and arrive at other popular retail outlets  later.

Darryl Frierson, founder of From Ashy to Classy

• Blog: From Ashy to Classy
• Niche: Culture
• Founder: Darryl Frierson
• Twitter: @Diggame

A self-described “normal brother who’s on the road to extraordinary things,” Darryl Frierson uses his blog, From Ashy to Classy, as a vehicle to pontificate on serious hot-button topics. On the pulse of the Web, he’s tackled everything from the Trayvon Martin case to seriously funny pop culture missteps like the Mary J. Blige Burger King fiasco. In fact, it’s the 31-year-old’s ability to offer musings on just about any topic—from an exploration on how a baby mama can become a wife to the untold stories of Black cowboys—that helps his two-year-old blog generate a respectable 20,000 page views per month and elicit dozens of thought-provoking comments from loyal readers on a weekly basis.

The Chicago born, St. Louis raised writer’s most popular succession are The Marcus Graham Chronicles, a brutally honest account of Frierson’s own relationship implosions, which happen to coincide with his affinity for the movie Boomerang and the main character, Marcus Graham, played by Eddie Murphy. The often funny, introspective series won him the Black Weblog Award for Best Blog Post Series and Best Culture Blog in 2011. In celebration of Black Blogger Month, BlackEnterprise.com spoke with Frierson about his approachable writing style and why the blogger is the modern day preserver of Black culture.

I started blogging…

As a dare to myself. I was working on my book and I started thinking, “Why would anyone want to read my book? Let me start this blog just to get my name out there.” And oh, did my name get out there! I totally believe that life is better than fiction and that is the main inspiration for my blog.

From Ashy to Classy stands out from other blogs because…

I push people’s thoughts and ideas. I want to make my readers take one idea or principle and flip it on its head. My blog also has so many different topics and stories. You come to From Ashy to Classy and you don’t know what you are going to see. I may be talking about the history of Black hockey players one day, the next day a post about the orgasm being a man’s moment of clarity.

It’s important for the Black blogosphere to speak out on topics like Trayvon

Martin because…

If anyone knows that media can be slanted and biased, it’s us [bloggers]. It’s a throwback to the era of Black newspapers being in every city and town across the country because issues that affected us weren’t covered [by mainstream outlets].

A blogger’s voice has power because…

We can build up people, educate, inspire, and make this world a bit more humorous and brighter.

It’s important to preserve Black culture in the digital age because…

Our culture is going farther and farther away from physical books and brick and mortar libraries. We as Black bloggers become the historians, storytellers, and bookmarkers of Black culture.

The purpose of the Marcus Graham Chronicles is…

A way for me to try and deconstruct my own relationships; give my readers more insight into my personal relationships; and give an honest and introspective vision of relationships from a male perspective.

Click here to continue reading…

People trust my brand because…

I am authentic and upfront with my readers. I will take them on a ride through my triumphs and shortcomings. I feel my readers trust me because it’s more of a conversation with a guy that knows a lot of random things.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Not trusting my writing and [being] perplexed [about] why more people weren’t coming in the beginning.

What I learned from that was…

When you start a blog, it’s a false sense that people will just show up. No, you have to build that house and keep tinkering with it.

Networking is important in the digital space because…

We are a society that has a short attention span; so building great relationships is key. The blogging community can be very cliquish. It’s the relationships you build with everyone in the community that builds you up.

The biggest lesson I learned about branding in the digital space was…

Your brand is something you have to live and breathe. Everything you put on your site is attached to your brand. I have turned down certain deals because it didn’t align with the From Ashy to Classy brand.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

The ability to be able to recognize that you can’t do everything and being able to say no. I actually read it in this book called The War of Art.

I measure my success by…

[Facebook] shares and by Google Alerts to see where people may be talking about my posts. I used to be a comment whore, but I realized that a lot of people just aren’t going to comment, but that doesn’t mean your content or presentation is bad.

None of my success would be possible if not for…

My ability to never settle for good when greatness is right around the corner.

Next on the horizon for me is…

Constantly expanding the From Ashy to Classy brand and creating more content that can spark a thought or educate. I have a podcast with comedian Jovan Bibbs called Straight Outta Locash, more public speaking, finishing up my book, Loose Ends, and beginning to start writing my book, Confessions of a Runaway Corporate Slave.

The advice I have for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is…

Keep writing and think about creating something that people haven’t seen. Promote and network with people to get your brand out there.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on toBlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama disclosed their net worth, with up to $8.3 million in assets. (Image: Getty)

Today, the White House released financial reports that showed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hold assets worth between nearly $2.6 million and nearly $8.3 million. The documents show the couple’s assets for 2011.

The first family’s full assets were valued between $1.8 million and nearly $12 million in 2010.

Obama released this annual report mid-campaign, as much focus has been placed on the fiscal value of Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor is worth up to $250 million, with much of his money coming from investments.

Romney recently amended his 2010 financial disclosures during the primary, and also release his tax returns, which showed offshore holdings that weren’t in the original disclosure, according to reports, including a Swiss bank account.

Urban Lending Solutions CEO Charles Sanders (Image: Courtesy of Subject)

This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR Contributor Renita D. Young speaks with Charles S. Sanders, the founder and CEO of Urban Lending Solutions, about the keys to building a successful business. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the banking industry business services company earned revenues of $127 million in 2010 to land at No. 28 on the Black Enterprise 100s list of the nation’s largest Black-owned industrial/service companies.

Sanders went from being a running back with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers to starting his own company when he founded Urban Settlement Services in 1999. Today, the company, now known as Urban Lending Solutions (ULS), is one the most highly-rated privately held vendor management companies and a certified minority business enterprise providing real estate information products to the mortgage industry.

Under Sanders’ leadership, during the past decade, ULS has seen exceptional growth, becoming a Tier 1 vendor for the nation’s top lenders and earning recognition as a Supplier of the Year by the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Sanders joins the Roundtable to share the challenges and triumphs of building a successful business.

Also, UBR Contributor Samantha Pass talks with speaker and financial journalist Kelvin Boston, author of Who’s Afraid to Be A Millionaire: Mastering Financial and Emotional Success (Wiley) and the host of Moneywise with Kelvin Boston, which airs on PBS stations and is distributed to more than 83 million households nationwide. Bostons sits down with Pass to share how to overcome fears while managing financial success.

Mario Armstrong, digital lifestyle expert and Small Business University instructor.

In my “Alfred’s Notepad” segment, I remind entrepreneurs that classes are still in session at Small Business University (SBU), a free online video course at BlackEnterprise.com offering expert advice to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow profitable small businesses. This week’s session is “Technology,” taught by digital/lifestyle expert Mario Armstrong, who provides a guide to tech gadgets for your business and which software and hardware tools will get your business to the next level. Coming up next week: “Marketing,” which will focus on how to connect with customers, use social media and boost the visability of your enterprise. SBU, powered by Dell, also includes custom gamification features that allow registrants to compete for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a grand prize package that includes $5,000 in cash, a $10,000 Dell Office Setup, a free one-on-one consultation with a small business expert, and a profile in Black Enterprise magazine. Go to http://www.BlackEnterprise.com/sbu to register and learn more.

And finally, every week on UBR, you’ll get motivation and inspiration from author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray, a weekly wrap-up of business news from USA Today business correspondent Charisse Jones, our Patient Investor Report from Ariel Investments and key economic intelligence for small business owners from our UBR economists Derrick Collins and Rasheed Carter.

If you have a question you want answered or a topic you want addressed on The Urban Business Roundtable, connect with me at BE Insider, the social media network for people who are serious about Black Enterprise. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Alfred Edmond Jr. is the senior VP/editor-at-large of Black Enterprise and the host of the Urban Business Roundtable, a weekly radio show, sponsored by Ariel Investments, airing CST Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on WVON-AM 1690, the Talk of Chicago. You can also listen live online at WVON.com. Check back each week for UBR Spotlight, which features additional resources, advice and information from and about the topics, entrepreneurs and experts featured on the show.

Small business is BIG BUSINESS at the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 23-26, at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, visit www.blackenterprise.com/ec/

James Andrews (Photo: Andrews)

JAMES ANDREWS
Social Media Expert, Founder, SocialPeople.tv
Black Enterprise Small Business University Instructor

The Process: James Andrews starts each day giving thanks to God and “chatting with Him” about daily goals.  Then he checks e-mails and all of his social media accounts including Twitter, SocialCam, Facebook and Instagram. He preps his 17-year-old and 10-year-old for school  and then heads to his office to officially begin the work day at SocialPeople.tv.

The Vision: “I’ve always been entrepreneurial, even when I was working for other people,” says Andrews, who has an impressive resume that includes several large companies like Columbia Records and Ecko Unlimited.  “I recognized three years ago when I was working at Ketchum PR that there would be a hole in the marketplace to provide specific types of communication strategy and content,” Andrews adds.  “I invented some offerings, and I just went out sold it—no startup money needed. We did educational trainings and made a lot of money with that.”

The It Factor: Andrews says that what makes his company different is that they come with the focus of communication and experience. “We don’t tweet for people,” Andrews says. “We empower these people and companies to own their voice. For example, we helped #BeatCancer generate $70,000 in 24 hours.”

The Defining Moment: For Andrews, being an entrepreneur is a matter of more than just work—it’s in his blood. “My grandfather escaped Nazi Germany, came to this country, and started his own business.  It was normal for me to be around entrepreneurs who make money and lose money. It was natural for me,” he says.

The Life: In order to keep a sane and balanced life, Andrews has a couple rules he abides by. “Dinnertime is at 6 p.m., and when we are having dinner, there are no gadgets allowed. My wife is a blogger and my kids are very active, so that’s a big deal to do that, but when we’re home together, we need to be present,” Andrews says.  “My job involves me testing out new innovations, so I’m kind of like the toy tester at FAO Schwartz, but I ‘play around’ with things that enhance my brand. I have a DJ on Ustream on Friday nights and I have people engaged for six hours,” Andrews says.  “In my line of work, attention is currency, so something like that makes the Grammys, for instance, take notice and understand what we can do for them.”

Register now at blackenterprise.com/sbu to see weekly video courses from Armstrong and other industry experts on how to build, grow and nurture your business. On top of that, you’ll have a chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes, including one-on-one consultations with successful entrepreneurs like Emerson, a small business makeover for your biz courtesy of Dell, and much more!

Visit blackenterprise.com/sbu for more details now!

Evelyn Lozada, of Basketball Wives, spewed curses and a wine bottle during a confrontation with fellow cast member Kenya Bell. (Photo: VH1)

I have been a die-hard fan of reality TV since the early seasons of MTV’s The Real World. (Well, at least until they started doing those “challenges” and mixing casts.) But the latest escapades have me a little less likely to admit to that (publicly) anymore.

The latest bruhaha over the recent ratchet (love that word) activities of the ladies on VH1′s Basketball Wives, has me reconsidering. The series has been full of dramatic catfights from day one, starting with verbal battles between cast members—each lady seems to get a turn—and ending with water throwing and Twitter beefs.

We all know that a major theme— and obvious ratings draw — is the she-said-she-said drama, which has now escalated into the form of what people are calling adult bullying.

I have to be honest, I’d never really acknowledged the term for grown women who consistently belittle and threaten—and sometimes exercise— bodily harm on another adult  until the latest recurring incidences of purse-hostage-holding antics, dinner table confrontations and Kentucky Derby throw downs. When the words “adult bully” were mentioned this morning, I initially raised a skeptical eyebrow.

All the talk, debate, discussion and finger-pointing about the prevalence of adult bullying on reality TV had me thinking about everyday incidences of bullying that happen not only in the home, but on the commute to work and in the workplace.

Though the hot topic centers around reality TV (which is never really reality), bullying  among adults is definitely a more common occurrence than people think. In an economic climate where many are walking around harboring issues that stem from underemployment, financial difficulties and piling bills, there can be a lingering fog of anger, resentment and bitterness that follows workers from the commute to the desk. Add to that issues such as undiagnosed personality disorders and insecurities stemming from childhood and adult traumas, and you have the perfect breeding environment for adult bullying.

That boss who uses disrespectful and demeaning language when addressing employees: BULLY.

That competitor who keeps badmouthing your company via social media: BULLY.

That sistergirl on the train who bumped you, didn’t say, ‘Excuse me,’ and had the nerve to look back like, ‘What you gonna do?’: BULLY

The dude on the basketball court who always wants to get into an altercation when he’s “fouled” (or the dude excessively fouling): BULLY

The coworker who keeps talking over you as you present an idea, who takes your ideas as their own, and who spreads unsavory office gossip about you: BULLY

That girl who, after a couple shots of Patron, is cussing out every girl who accidentally steps on her foot in a crowded club: BULLY

That friend/family member who consistently verbally (and sometimes physically) lashes out when you don’t agree with them on something they say or want to do: BULLY

Continued on next page…

Basketball Wives' Tami Roman has faced major viewer backlash after a recent confrontation with castmate Kesha Nichols. (Photo: VH1)

Because I’ve worked many years to build my self esteem, (and I also have a very strong, sometimes no-nonsense personality), I can thankfully say, I’ve never been bullied as an adult.

I learned, after a childhood of being on both sides of the coin (getting bullied as a kindergartener by a classmate every day and becoming a teen part of a tight-knit circle of high achievers, who would witness — and come to the defense of — someone being bullied), that you teach people how to treat you and sometimes you have to stand up for yourself when appropriate.

(It also helped that I was supported and protected by a large family of solid folk who would be the first people at the schoolyard advocating for me and my safety, and the first to encourage and teach me self-defense.)

Growing up, I’d be the one on the “good side” of the bully, enough that I wasn’t a victim and could maybe even intervene when that bully tried to pick on someone in my presence. I’d find out, via a weird I-won’t-beat-you-down-for-now relationship, that maybe they come from a broken home, were victims of abuse themselves or had issues with their mental health. (Those same kids, who don’t get help, grow into adults who exhibit the same schoolyard behaviors because sadly, it’s the only way they know to express themselves and resolve conflicts.)

As an adult, I have been able to combat even the threat of bullying with a “you will not and cannot try that with me” demeanor. In life— and especially as a woman in an business world dominated by men— you often have to be assertive, set a tone and ensure that you are not being walked over, disrespected or mistreated. You have to be able to take on what might be seen as aggressive, pushy and sometimes disrespectful behaviors using emotional intelligence, else you’re told you’re too emotional, can’t cut it or are weak.

(You also have to be sure you’re not inadvertently being a bully in your plight to advance and that you professional check those who need to be checked.)

Aggressive confrontation should always be a last resort, especially in a professional setting, however, I’m not a fan of just sitting by while someone continues to seek to diminish the greatness that I have to offer the world. I always remember a quip from my cousin, who told me as a crying kid upset about a classmate trying to belittle me: “If she says, “You think you’re cute,” you look her dead in her face and say, “I AM.”

For those who are victims of workplace bullying, take back your power. Speak up for yourself, whether it’s through a mediation with a third party such as your human resources director, or an informal powwow to let someone know you won’t tolerate the nonsense. Consult a mentor outside of your company to find ways of addressing a workplace bully or a less confrontational, but direct strategy of letting your voice be heard. If all else fails, you have the power to keep it moving to a better environment where your happiness and safety are priorities.

If you’re the one exhibiting bully behaviors, it may be time to evaluate some negative factors in your life or past, and seek counseling or psychiatric help.

Reality TV is what it is: Entertainment (which for some, has gone a bit too far). In the real world, we all have to make a living and be secure in the fact that we deserve a safe environment in which to do so. Don’t let bullying be the reason for your professional, social or financial demise, whether you’re the victim or the aggressor. The drama, brand damage, professional regression—and sometimes even, jail time—is something you have the power to reverse or avoid altogether.