10 Life Lessons from Beyoncé’s Career

10 Things We Can Learn from Beyonce Knowles

In the last 16 years, Beyonce Knowles’ accomplishments in entertainment are unsurpassed. We haven’t witnessed a bigger global celebrity and prolific superstar during this decade than Mrs. Knowles-Carter. Given her success in music, film, and business, there are certain action steps from her career that we all can apply to enrich our own livelihoods and personal brands. (click “Next” above or below)

Train and study your passion.

Beyonce first began taking dance classes at an early age. She then enrolled into a music magnet school, where she participated in the chorus. Knowles was also a member of the St. John United Methodist Church choir for two years. She later attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. During her professional career, Beyonce has studied voice under renowned vocal coach, Linda Septien. She has more recently turned to a dear friend and Oscar-winning actress, Gwyneth Paltrow for advice on how to sharpen her acting chops as well.

Always remember your foundation.

Despite having phenomenal success as a soloist, Beyonce remains loyal to her Destiny Child roots. She first reunited with the group in 2004, for the Destiny Fulfilled album. Most recently, Destiny’s Child released the Love Songs album compilation, which featured the newly recorded song, “Nuclear.” Earlier this month, Destiny Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams also joined Beyonce onstage for her halftime performance at Super Bowl XLVII.

Keep it in the family.

Beyonce’s father, Matthew Knowles guided her career for 13 years. Although his managerial ties are now severed, Beyonce admittedly, credits and attributes a lot of her business acumen to her father, whom she claims taught her a great deal. On Matthew Knowles, she insists, “He kept pushing me and pushing me and pushing me. Every time my dad pshed me, I got better and stronger.” Tina Knowles, her mother, was the first costume designer for Destiny’s Child and the group’s hairstylist. In collaboration with her mom, the two created and launched the House of Dereon woman’s fashion clothing line. Beyonce has also called upon her younger sister, Solange Knowles’ writing talents to pen such hits for her as “Get Me Bodied” and “Upgrade U.”

Draw inspirations from personal experiences and observations.

Beyonce, who has co-written a lot of her material, has used female empowerment to influence singles such as “Independent Woman” and “Survivor.” She says, “I’m always thinking about women and what we need to hear. It’s difficult being a woman. It’s so much pressure and we need that support sometimes and we need that escape sometimes.” Her romantic relationship to Jay-Z inspired “Cater 2 U,” which ultimately led to “Single Ladies” after the two officially tied the knot.

Create multiple streams of income.

In addition to selling over 125 million records in her career, Beyonce has found other ways to build her empire, which is presently valued at over $300 million. Knowles has also

headlined numerous box office breaking world tours including, the Beyonce Experience and I Am….World Tour that has grossed over $210 million collectively. She most recently announced The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour that embarks in April. Knowles has also successfully ventured into acting with starring roles in the films “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” “The Fighting Temptations,” “Dreamgirls, “The Pink Panther,”and “Cadillac Records.” She will star in the upcoming 3D animated feature, “Epic,” in May. Knowles’ also has a wide range of endorsement deals that include a $50 million partnership with Pepsi, L’Oreal, Nintendo, and various fragrance lines with Tommy Hilfiger. Beyonce has also added filmmaker into her creative artistry and repertoire as she produced and directed the autobiographical documentary, “Life Is But a Dream” for HBO, which premiered on February 16th.

Always give back.

Beyonce is a philanthropist in her own right. She was actively involved in many charitable organizations including Co-founder of the Survivor Foundation, which provided relief to Hurricanes Katrina and Ike victims; donating her entire salary from her starring role in the film “Obsessed” to Phoenix House, the rehabilitation centers for recovering heroin addicts; Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief initiative; ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day, and many other socially conscious projects.

Maintain a good reputation.

In the midst of the social media, tabloid, and gossip site hysteria, countless celebrities have been caught in embarrassing, image-tarnishing TMZ-type moments. Beyonce has maintained a pristine persona and remains scandal-free. Pop recording artist and fashion model, Cheryl Cole says about Beyonce, “I just think she’s a beautiful person, inside and out. I just like her as an empowering woman.”

Respect and maintain your private life.

Beyonce didn’t reveal publicly that she had wed, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter until six months after the nuptials. Prior to getting hitched, she was also extremely closed-mouthed about even dating Carter. In early 2010, Knowles-Carter announced that she would be taking a hiatus from her music career to “live life and be inspired by things again.” Beyonce revealed that she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, which was five months into her pregnancy. The Carter’s closed out an entire wing of Lenox Hill Hospital to ward off paparazzi, reporters, and fans from the birth of their daughter, Blue Ivy in January 2012.

Know that good health and fitness affect your professional life.

In order to be prepared for the rigorous schedule that her career demands, Beyonce has made a commitment to working out and a proper diet. She says, “The truth is, it’s a lot of sacrifices. It’s more about your mental strength than physical strength. You have to push yourself. It doesn’t matter what trainer you have. And it doesn’t matter what program you’re on. You have to be healthy and make the right choices.” Her workout regimen consists of alternating between sprinting and running on the treadmill as well as squats, lunges, and planks. Her diet includes salads for lunch, a lite dinner, and Sundays as a cheat day.

Take accountability for your shortcomings.

For this first time in her illustrious career, Beyonce came under severe scrutiny for singing the national anthem to a pre-recorded vocal track during President Barack Obama’s inaugural ceremony last month. After a relentless media attack, Knowles offered no excuses and then silenced all critics with a beautiful life, a cappella rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the press conference to promote her Super Bowl halftime performance set.