PHOTOS

: While most young people Keke Palmer’s age are gearing up for college, the 18-year-old entertainer is plotting her next business move. In addition to her acting and singing career, Palmer is also a songwriter, film producer and oversees her own clothing line, which is based on her hit Nickelodeon show, True Jackson VP. Her latest project is co-starring alongside Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in Joyful Noise, a faith-based musical about two rivals who have to put their differences for the sake of their church choir. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Palmer, who revealed that she’s always learning for the sake of her brand. Here, she shares five tips she picked up from Queen Latifah about being a successful businesswoman. —Starrene Rhett

: <ul> <li>Humility is Key</li> </ul> “Watching Dolly and Latifah taught me that no matter how successful you are in this business you still remain a good person,” says Palmer. “Be kind to everyone no matter how quote/unquote small you may think someone is. [Dolly and Latifah] are nice to the janitor and everybody… This is a constant reminder to be grateful and appreciative of everything around me no matter what I have. Being a kind person is the biggest lesson [I learned] just from watching.”

: <ul> <li>Always Seek Inspiration</li> </ul> “I remember talking to [Latifah] in her trailer while filming Joyful Noise on her birthday and I was talking to her about the business because she does everything,” recalls Palmer. “She’s a carpenter, real estate agent—everything! You can’t imagine all she does, but she was telling me to pay attention to the things around me at all times, even when I’m with my friends. She said it was important to constantly be creative, have an open mind and look outside the box.”

: <ul> <li>Have a Trustworthy Team</li> </ul> The glamour and glitz of fame has been known to make friends green with envy and lead to inflated egos. During her time working with Latifah, Palmer observed how the industry veteran has been able to keep a level head. “The same people that Queen Latifah works with now, she started that company [Flavor Unit Ent.] with them when she was in high school,” she says. “That’s really amazing because she trusts them.”

: <ul> <li>Stand Firm in Your Ideas</li> </ul> “[Latifah] and her partner [Shakim Compere] had the same idea, which was to make good music and to inspire people, and that’s what they did, they followed their passion,” says Palmer. “Watching that and hearing that showed me that I need to work hard on my craft.”

: <ul> <li>Never Give Up</li> </ul> If there’s one thing that Palmer learned from Latifah it’s that perseverance pays off. When the New Jersey rapper first came on the scene in the late 80s, few would have thought she would have built herself up into a powerful brand that expands across the worlds of business, Hollywood, and multiple musical genres. But doubters didn’t matter because Latifah was steadfast in her belief in herself. “If you work hard and keep going then it’s something you will excel at eventually,” says Palmer. “So don’t stop doing what you believe in.”

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