Root 100 Celebs Spill The Tea on Achieving Your Biggest Dream

There was never a dull moment at this year’s Root 100 Awards Show! The event was hosted at the historic Apollo theater, and even from the beginning of the night on the red carpet, you could feel the electric energy in the building.

Whether you have dreams of being on Broadway or someday want to own your own company, we all need mentors and we all need advice. And who better to ask for advice than the honorees at last night’s celebration of Black excellence?!

Tony award winning actress Kecia Lewis told The Root the first step to achieving your dreams is to “study the craft.” The Broadway star said that’s what distinguishes the pros from the amateurs. “We are living in an age where anybody with even a little bit of a personality can be talked into believing that they’re an artist and they’re not,” Lewis, who was just nominated for a Grammy, said.

“To be an artist, you have to study,” she continued. “To be an artist, you have to be committed to your art. Commit and be excellent.”

For those who have big dreams but don’t know where to start, journalist and media personality Tamron Hall broke down what to look for. “It is so important to find what makes you special, what gives you that special something— that excellence,” she said.

The Emmy Award winner continued advising dreamers not to give up because the road gets rocky. She said “the roadblocks are there, but if you keep looking at the road, those roadblocks won’t matter.” Hall continued saying “You’ll find your destination.”

You don’t get to be a former attorney and now CNN anchor like Laura Coates without choosing steps along your path with intention. That’s why when The Root asked her for her best piece of advice, she outlined it in three simple words: “understand your why,” Coates said.

She told dreamers “don’t seek to just be like something because you think that’s who you ought to be. If you don’t have the ‘why’ within you to carry you through difficult times or to propel you forward, you’ll get lost in the system,” she continued. According to Coates, “knowing your why will help you navigate knowing your truth and spread who you really are to the world in the most productive way.”

We can all learn something from actor Aldis Hodge. The North Carolina native has spent years in Hollywood finding his place, and the key to it, he said, is remaining true to yourself. “Don’t break your moral compass for anybody or anything. There is no amount of money that’s worth your value or worth your soul,” Hodge told The Root. “But if you stick to your soul and you stick to your value, you can create any kind of amount of money that you want.

Hodge said it comes down to one choice. “You got to figure out what you believe in more: What people put on front of you or yourself,” he said. “And you got to always chose you.”

The “Cross” star had one final piece of advice for everyone. “And treat people fairly,” he said. “It’s worth it. You can get wealthy over time creating a team that’s going to help you get there.”