I have a line of clothing at J.C. Penney's... and I'm lucky to be affiliated.

I am a breast cancer survivor. I was intrigued to learn how many people prefer to talk to someone if they are familiar with their face, like an actor or a politician. So, I began traveling around the country and doing speeches.

I had a mom and a pop who kept telling me that I was wonderful at a very early age. So when someone said to me, "Oh, you're stuck up. Who do you think you are?" I'd say, "I know who I am, and I don't mind being stuck up".

I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention.

I have a line of clothing at J.C. Penney's... and I'm lucky to be affiliated.

You have to keep your sanity as well as know how to distance yourself from it while still holding onto the reins tightly. That is a very difficult thing to do, but I'm learning.

In the beginning, I found myself dealing with a show business dictated by male white supremacists and chauvinists. As a black female, I had to learn how to tap dance around the situation. I had to ... find a way to present my point of view without being pushy or aggressive. In the old days, the only women I saw in this business were in makeup, hairdressing, and wardrobe departments. Now I'm surrounded by women executives, writers, directors, producers, and even women stagehands.