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I wanted to focus on creating a solid foundation, creating my blueprint, and understanding who I was. You can get distracted easily, and people take you off course with just a compliment. I wanted the focus to be on Karen Civil the businessperson, not what I wore, not what I looked like.
Karen Civil
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This is random, but I thought I was going to have the biggest Backstreet Boys fansite. I'm not even gonna lie: I thought I was gonna marry one of the Backstreet Boys, and I was gonna be his Yoko Ono.
Karen Civil
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Society sets us up to be everything but ourselves, but I want to take a moment and say to people, love yourself. Find your purpose. You are unique, and that makes you great. I pursued my dreams. You can do it, too.
Karen Civil
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I like to take people out of their element.
Karen Civil
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You don't know what's going to happen to you in the next hour. So you just live your life, live to the best of your potential, and just be happy.
Karen Civil
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I make sure I eat before I go anywhere just in case they don't have a vegan-friendly option.
Karen Civil
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When I was in eighth grade, I created a Backstreet Boys fan site. I came in third place in a fan site contest and got to meet them.
Karen Civil
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As an Elizabeth native, I believe it is my duty to give back to my community. Our youth is our future, and it truly takes a village to raise a child.
Karen Civil
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I believe that God has blessed me in immeasurable ways so that I can, in return, bless and help others.
Karen Civil
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I want children to know that they can create the life they dream of despite the odds that are against them.
Karen Civil
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At first, social media was just about networking. But now that I have to network, I make sure that every platform makes money for me. You can do something on Facebook.
Karen Civil
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Do you want to be the girl that's envied, or do you want to be the girl that inspires you? Most people don't know that I am super shy and timid, but online people think I have a big personality. Make sure whatever you do has an overall message and has value.
Karen Civil
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The assistants, the managers, the PR, the person whose coordinating, the person in production - those are the people I loved communicating with and building network relationships with.
Karen Civil
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People will find any reason not to give you credit for your success because, in their mind, your success is their failure.
Karen Civil
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I took business and economics courses. More than anything, I learned the proper steps and the things that need to be outlined. You have to keep your books: how much money you made, how much money you're spending, what you profited, and what you're gonna need for expenses.
Karen Civil
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I admired and wanted to be a lot like Angie Martinez. As I got older, I realized that I had a soft monotone voice and that being a DJ may not be the career for me. However, I was so in love and infatuated with hip-hop that I still wanted to be a part and give back the community, so I decided to carve my own path and make my own lane.
Karen Civil
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I am not quick to call someone a friend. It is OK to have acquaintances and be associates. We make these words sound bad, but it is about understanding everyone's place in your life. I have a great group of people around me. I value them more than anything.
Karen Civil
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I did the 'right' thing and got a corporate job on Wall Street. That did not last long. I felt like I was throwing all my years of hard work and relationship-building down the toilet. I eventually quit, went and bought a camera, and built a website. That was the birth of KarenCivil.com.
Karen Civil
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I don't have family in this business. I had two parents that loved me, that worked 24-7, and this is what instilled hard work in me. So you hear the stories about my upbringing, my religion.
Karen Civil
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Words do cut, and they do hurt. It was one thing growing up where you were bullied, but you'd just come home. Now you can't really escape it. It's to a point where you turn off that phone, you live your life, and you try not to let the words of others offend or stop you from being you and living your life.
Karen Civil
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That's the wonderful thing about picking and choosing who we want to work with, because I've been in situations where I've worked with someone, and they thought they were gonna be on the cover of 'XXL' in two months. I'm like, 'That's not how it works.'
Karen Civil
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I fell in love with hip-hop a little bit late; I grew up on Another Bad Creation and Kris Kross. But my mom got me a TV in my room, and I remember seeing Biggie's 'Give Me One More Chance,' and I was like, 'Oh, this is how a house party looks!' I really, really fell in love with it when Tupac created 'Dear Mama.'
Karen Civil
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Christmas is always a great time because I get to be around family and spend time with my brother, nieces, and nephews, so that's what I plan to do. It's great to disconnect from everything.
Karen Civil
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I love my religion, I love everything about it, but at the same time, I love my career, and I want to do it with the same love and compassion.
Karen Civil
