Back in November I met Kelly Rowland, her husband Tim Witherspoon, and their newborn son Titan Jewel at a Beverly Hills hotel to chat about how she was adjusting to be a new mom and a newlywed. Back then, little Titan was just a few weeks old and Kelly was totally in love.

Throughout the interview Kelly couldn’t stop smiling. She cooed at her baby and gazed at her husband, and I was struck by how genuine they both were. We talked about how they met (uh, pick up the mag to find out), how they managed to pull off a super secret wedding, and how Kelly’s life has changed since getting married, having a baby, and losing her mom all in the same year.

Since stepping out on faith and pursing professional writing almost 5 years ago, I’ve interviewed a lot of celebrities. Some were mad cool (Erykah Badu gave me a pair of earrings, for example), and others…well, not so much. But Kelly Rowland was so open, honest, and authentic I couldn’t help but like her (and root for her new family).

Every time I land an article in ESSENCE it feels like a dream come true. Actually, it is.

As a teen I was a HUGE magazine junkie (still am) and would spend hours reading Honey, Vibe, YSB, Suede, the Source, ESSENCE, and Marie Claire and dream about writing for them (I even wrote a fan letter to ESSENCE when I was 16, but never sent it. Ha!). Back then I really wanted to be dream hampton or Bonz Malone, interviewing celebs and writing sprawling profiles about hanging with them in a grimy Brooklyn basement or on the set of their next film.

Now, that’s my life. Sorta. 

While I have yet to interview an up-and-coming rapper in a Bed-Stuy basement (lol), I’ve had the opportunity to chat with a slew of people like Oprah, Iyanla Vanzant, Solange, Chris Brown, NAACP’s former President Ben Jealous, Compton Mayor Aja Brown, Academy Award winner Halle Berry, and Idris Elba (swoon).

And so far, it’s all been amazing.

Most days I’m at home trolling the web for story ideas, but sometimes I get to dress up, head into the world and chat with actors, singers, writers, or politicians about life and art.

What could be better than that?

Pick up the April issue of ESSENCE when it hits newsstands nationwide on March 2oth (read a sneak peek here).

Oh, and if you like my work, hire me. I write for food money.