Elaine Welteroth Talks Overcoming the Odds and Claiming Your Own Space in "More Than Enough"

“I didn’t decide to do this, I just answered a calling. It was so clear this is what I had to do,” says Elaine Welteroth, as she talks with Dr. Lakeysha (Key) Hallmon in Atlanta, GA, on the fourth stop of her book tour. The journalist, author, and former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue released her highly anticipated book, “More than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)”, on June 11, 2019.

The intimate event, “Cocktails and Conversation with Dr. Key Hallmon and Elaine Welteroth” allowed the audience to get to know a little more about Elaine Welteroth and the journey that led her to write her first book. The audience enjoyed complimentary wine and cocktails while they touched on a few chapters of the book, read parts out loud, and were able to participate in a Q&A. The event also included an activity where everyone wrote down what they were claiming space for, and who or what they planned to ignore to achieve their goal.

“More Than Enough” is not your average self-help book

Welteroth explained to the audience that she intentionally did not want to write a self-help book. It’s a book for the underestimated and undervalued, who still decided to overcome. She wrote it for the black and brown girls that can identify with being the first, only, and different (coined as FOD by Shonda Rhimes). It’s a story of what it means to be the only one like you in the room. For anyone who had a dream that didn’t go through, or had no role models to look up to. She also introduces herself personal life to the world and everything that came along with her journey. From going through childhood and feeling like she never belonged, to college and toxic love stories. She talks about the ups and downs of working at Teen Vogue, and the pivotal moment when she knew God was telling her it was time to move on.

Building her own table

As her rise to the top of Teen Vogue spread like wildfire and praises from Black Twitter came pouring in, she recalls this time being the worst she had ever felt in her career. In the conversation with Dr. Hallmon, she opens up about her time at the magazine. She touches on how the offer of a lifetime was actually just $10,000 with two other people doing the job alongside her. The offer didn’t come with any of the perks--not the big office we see in movies, not the clothing, not even the complete title. From the outside, we cheered for her success, not knowing she was completely suffocating in this position. She had no idea this happens to women like her because no one ever talks about it. No one talks about having white counterparts belittling and sulking over a black or brown girl’s success. Welteroth began to learn that a lot of women in positions of power have similar stories, but there wasn’t a table specifically for them to sit at and talk about them. However, with publishing “More Than Enough”, she has begun building her own table to start the real support and having those conversations.

“When the music changes, so must your dance.”

Dr. Hallmon and Welteroth ended the event on the topic of what happens when it’s time to wake up from your dreams, only to start dreaming bigger. “What I realized was, I did the damn thing, I did this dream. I accomplished my goals and more, but I’m worth more than this. I’m bigger than this, and I’m done with this,” says Welteroth. Teen Vogue was no longer where she needed to be. Welteroth explains how God sent this message through a conversation with filmmaker and who she calls her hero, Ava Duvernay. Throughout her entire career, people would ask when she was going to write a book. She would have anxiety about the thought alone, and wouldn’t allow herself to even dream that big. However, when your purpose is aligned with divine order, you can’t escape the calling. She talks about the conversation with Ava Duvernay happening the night before she was supposed to extend her contract with Teen Vogue. As her journey takes on a new path as an entrepreneur, Elaine Welteroth is still working on finding out her purpose and who she is. While she’s on this new journey, Dr. Hallmon and the audience gave her some advice as well, and reminded her of her own words. A quote from the book was read back to Welteroth and concluded the event; “When the world tells you to shrink, expand.”