Ciara, a Grammy award-winning artist who has been captivating audiences for two decades, sits down with Forbes to discuss her new album, her journey to artistic independence, and her multifaceted entrepreneurial empire. With her eighth album, "CiCi," set to release on August 22nd, Ciara describes it as a return to her R&B roots and a "token of gratitude" to her fans. She reveals the powerful story of her journey to independence, in which a disappointing meeting with a major label CEO propelled her to take a risk and become her own boss. She famously won her masters back, proving the label wrong after her song "Level Up" became nearly three times platinum, a testament to her belief in herself. <br /><br />Beyond her music, Ciara is also a co-owner and investor in several successful ventures. She discusses her skincare line, OAM, which stands for "On A Mission" and aims to make "clinical skincare simple for all," highlighting its unique focus on dermatologically based products for all skin types. Ciara also shares the serendipitous story of how she became a co-owner of Ten To One Rum, joining the brand after her first taste of their product. As a longtime rum lover, she invested her own money to support the mission of elevating Caribbean rum on a global stage, and today, she is a driving force behind the brand, which is now the "fastest growing and most awarded rum." <br /><br />Ciara offers a glimpse into her "why not you" mentality, explaining how her entrepreneurial mind has influenced her creative life and her ambition to continue inspiring and impacting others.<br /><br />0:00 Introduction<br />0:48 The New Album "CiCi": A Return to R&B Roots<br />4:35 The Power of Independence: Owning Her Masters<br />6:37 The "Level Up" Story & Founding Beauty Marks<br />10:36 Becoming a Rum Co-Owner: The 10 to 1 Story<br />13:10 Ciara's Vision & Impact for 10 to 1<br />16:09 The Importance of Ownership & The Business of Music<br />19:05 Creating OAM Skincare: A Personal Mission<br />23:47 How Entrepreneurship Feeds Creative Life<br />25:18 The "Why Not You" Mentality: Keys to Success<br />27:23 Ciara's Goals: Music, Skincare & Rum<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:<br /><br />https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript<br /><br />Stay Connected<br />Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com<br />Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes<br />More From Forbes: http://forbes.com<br /><br />Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurshi
