#humansofbuzzfeed

Zeena Halepota

Client Services Manager

New York, NY                                                                         

Right now, most of my friends from college are doing amazing things. It's making me feel like, "oh my god, I'm not doing the same things as them, they're basically living their dreams right now.” For example, I'm not moving to Europe to go on tour with a major recording artist, and I'm not moving to Paris to represent and lead a team for my company. While I'm not doing as amazing things that are putting my name out there, I'm doing really well with my own goals.

You can't really compare yourself to others, you have to celebrate your own goals. I think for me, when I was younger I always thought that I had to be as good as my friends and my siblings, but really, you should just compete with yourself. That's the only thing that's going to get your far, and you can't compete with everyone else.

Working here offers so many opportunities, and I have to put things in perspective--I have to remember that I have things that people would die to have too.

Essence Gant Beauty Editor New York City, NY

“I hope [the beauty industry] will just be diverse without having to announce it. I want diversity to be the normal thing. Right now it's like... oh, this magazine did this spread and it had so many different models all from different backgrounds and it's such a big deal that they're trying. It's a big deal because you never see it. I hope in five to ten years it's just normal because it shouldn't be a big deal. I hate when I watch award shows and certain celebrities are like the first to get in an award in something— it's 2016, you should not be the first! The first asian woman. The first black woman. The first latino woman or man to receive an award, be on the cover of a certain magazine, or be the face of a beauty campaign. There shouldn't be any more firsts. And it's like, good for the individual person for accomplishing that, but it also speaks to the larger issue of what's really happening.

My hope is that diversity is just common and people just do it because they should, and they're not awarded for it; it's not ground breaking. Like no, you're just being a good human being and not being racist.”