WATCH: SERENA WILLIAMS ESSENCE UNCOVERED

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The tennis phenomenon opens up about “retired” life, becoming a business mogul and perhaps her most important role of all: being a mom.

Transcript

00:00I want to be the best at everything I do,

00:02whether that's being an athlete, a businesswoman,

00:04a wife, or a mom.

00:05I want to be the world's greatest mom,

00:07and I push myself to do that every day.

00:10However, I work for me, you know,

00:12and I feel like my goals are for me,

00:13and my kids all have their own goals,

00:15and I think that it's important for them

00:16to have their own goals and let them be for them,

00:19and I do what I do because I actually enjoy it.

00:22♪♪

00:26Hello, everyone. I am Serena,

00:28and this is a behind-the-scenes look

00:29at my Essence cover shoot.

00:31♪♪

00:33I think my role in sports

00:35obviously reflected things that I could do on the court

00:37in terms of fashion

00:39and kind of pushing myself to just be so different

00:43and not only stand out,

00:44because I look different on the court,

00:46so kind of making that representation

00:48in the clothes that I chose to design

00:49and to wear out there.

00:52And then sport business.

00:54So business, I also try to make an impact

00:57on investing and starting different companies

01:00and incubating those companies,

01:02so I love to invest in everyone.

01:04I really believe that diversity

01:06is a huge part of my investing story,

01:09and I invest a lot in women.

01:11I have a venture fund.

01:12We have over 14 unicorns,

01:14which means companies that are worth over a billion dollars.

01:17So, yeah, I really believe that investing in people of color,

01:21investing in women really can amplify those voices

01:24and change the stigma of, you know,

01:27only one type of person can have a huge company.

01:30♪♪

01:32I hope that young women take from my journey

01:35that, you know what, you can be an entrepreneur,

01:38you can believe in yourself, you can do multiple things,

01:40and you can be successful at multiple things.

01:43And I think a lot of people are kind of telling that story,

01:45but to see it being done so many ways

01:48by so many amazing people

01:49has also been an inspiration to me.

01:51And never let people stop inspiring you,

01:54because I feel like everyone's story

01:56can be the inspiration to your story.

01:58And honestly, if I can do it,

02:00you can do it probably 10 times better.

02:02Being an entrepreneur is definitely not easy.

02:04I learned that if you want to start something,

02:06it literally takes 25 hours,

02:08and you only get 24 hours in a day,

02:10so it's super intense.

02:12So for me, it's really about building a great team,

02:15having great people around that I can work with,

02:17and I feel so fortunate that I can do that,

02:19because being a mom is what, like, I want to do.

02:22You know, I really love spending time with my girls.

02:24I do so much for them, and I do so much with them,

02:27and with them every day.

02:29Today is a little tough, because I'm not with them today.

02:31I was with them this morning, but, you know, it's okay.

02:35But we spend so much time together,

02:37and for me, that's so important,

02:38for them to see me as a constant in their life,

02:41you know, for as long as I can be here for them.

02:47You know, it's interesting.

02:48Motherhood has really not actually changed my perspective

02:51on my career or my life.

02:53Like, on my life, yeah, it's changed my perspective

02:55in terms of I want to be the best at everything I do.

02:58A lot of people do things, you know, for their children,

03:01but I kind of started my career before all that.

03:04You know, I started playing tennis,

03:05and I started doing business,

03:06and I started having companies way before that,

03:08and so I continue.

03:10I let them fit into my life.

03:12I haven't really changed my life to fit into theirs.

03:19My culture upbringing has really shaped me

03:22as people that I want to invest in,

03:25you know, giving people a voice,

03:27people that look like me giving a voice,

03:29and often we don't have that voice.

03:31Not only people of color, but also women as well.

03:33That means a lot to me, like, having people have that voice.

03:37It's really influenced everything that I do,

03:39everything that I teach my children,

03:40everything that I, you know, want to be and talk about

03:43on a greater scale,

03:44and things that I do that a lot of people

03:46don't really even know about.

03:47A lot of people don't know this other side of me.

03:49I always say I'm like an onion.

03:50There's so many layers.

03:52But yeah, I think growing up honestly in Compton

03:55has definitely made me see culture

03:57in a completely different way,

03:58and respect and also demand that I'm treated a certain way

04:02when I walk into a room.

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