The one thing you absolutely need is the one thing you can never lose: God's presence and love for you. Just have to talk to him.

I come from a very small, poor town just outside of the Chicago area and I know what it's like to dream and accomplish some of your goals, but I would never want to do a show where I am preaching to anyone because I do not like being preached at. I want to learn right along with my audience and every show will be a collaborative effort. I am so thankful to Debra Lee and everyone at the BET Network for providing me with this unique opportunity and platform.

Giving back, doing motivational speeches and stuff like that, that's always made me feel good. If you repeatedly go out there, and you are the change that you want to see, then that's what you are.

Often, kids don't appreciate the choices available, as if it's either the street or nothing.

Sometimes, when you grow up in one of these poverty-stricken neighborhoods where the educational system isn't the best, you don't realize that you have any choices.

You can do anything as long as you don't stop believing. When it is meant to be, it will be. You just have to follow your heart.

I'm definitely a perfectionist. I started entertaining so young. I think naturally my personality is that of a perfectionist, and then on top of that, growing up in the industry I became very objective and analytical of myself early on and I find myself doing that in everything. It works good in my work, but sometimes it can be annoying, I imagine, to people in my life.