If there’s anyone who has managed to sustain a remarkable singing and acting career while having a successful business as well as championing the body positive movement, it has to be Queen RiRi, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday, a big milestone in her life.

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The business mogul and singing powerhouse has won several Grammy Awards during her career, started her own successful makeup brand, which later expanded to add a fashion line and several of Rihana’s signature fragrances.

But besides her achievements in the music and entrepreneurial world, RiRi is also a human rights activist who has made several charitable efforts towards disaster relief funds, HIV/AIDS awareness and helping people in her native country, Barbados.

Her philanthropic efforts have even been recognized by Harvard University which hailed her as the Humanitarian of the Year. Even though she was the highest-paid female music artist in 2019, life wasn’t always a bed of roses for this multi-talented businesswoman.

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Born and raised in a small town in Barbados, Rihanna’s journey towards fame and success was a long one, but the singer persevered and built her own identity in an industry that has a history of racism and gender discrimination.

Coming from humble Barbadian roots, Rihanna said that she was very shy at the beginning and found it very hard to be vocal about the causes she believed in.

In her culture, it wasn’t very common to be outspoken as a woman, something that struggled with for years. But once, she came out of her shell, RiRi was unstoppable.

During an interview with The Cut, Rihanna said that despite achieving massive success, she remains humble and thankful thanks to her mother who keeps her grounded.

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RiRi is also very spiritual and religious. She believes that everything that happens in our lives is for a reason, and even though we might not feel it in the moment, we do eventually see the rationale behind it when we look back years later. She makes sure to thank God for everything that comes her way, good or bad.

Despite owning a multi-million-dollar business empire, Rihanna is very smart with her finances and makes sure to invest her money wisely. She says that the main motivation behind starting her own makeup brand was to promote inclusivity, especially for women of color who find it hard to find makeup that suits their skin tone.

Ami Ciccone