Earlier this week, Victoria Monét lived out the dream of anyone who's been denied a promotion or otherwise struggled to make a professional breakthrough.
The 34-year-old R&B singer followed up a series of frustrating career setbacks with one of the most successful nights of her life, taking home three Grammy awards on Feb. 4. She won best new artist, best R&B album and best non-classical engineered album for her debut record "Jaguar II."
Despite the label of "new artist," Monét had been working behind the scenes for more than a decade, writing hits for other performers while record labels and executives declined to put her in the spotlight, she said in an acceptance speech.
"There was a binder that I made to take this really important meeting at a label, and I thought I was going to be signed. I was an independent artist with no team and I just thought, maybe my music would stand for itself," she said, tearing up. "But that binder was left collecting dust in an office at that label."
Even once her music gained a following, she experienced rejection.
In June 2023, her single "On My Mama" became her first No. 1 hit on a Billboard songs chart. The song resonated with listeners, some of whom launched a social media campaign for her to perform it at the then-upcoming MTV Video Music Awards in September.
Instead, Monét was denied a slot on stage by organizers who considered her too unknown for the event's audience, she posted on social media platform X during the night of the show. "I see your advocation for me to have performed tonight and I'm so grateful to you!! Sincerely!" she wrote, to her fans. "My team was told it is 'too early in my story' for that opportunity so we will keep working!"
MTV didn't immediately respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment.
The myth of overnight successes
Monét's career journey echoes a hard truth: Becoming successful takes time, usually far longer than you'd hope or expect.
Most so-called overnight successes take years and years of dedication. You just may not see the work that went into them — especially in today's digital age, where people tend to post more publicly about their successes than their struggles.
"This award was a 15-year pursuit," Monét said during her acceptance speech.
Instead of comparing your successes or failures to someone else's, embrace the highs and lows of solely chasing your own goals, Monét said. You're never actually running out of time, even if it looks like your peers have made a lot more progress than you, she added.
"To everybody who has a dream, I want you to look at this as an example," said Monét.
Dealing with a lack of opportunity in the workplace
Monét's experience wouldn't be out of place in a more traditional career field: 63% of Black women say that they might not, probably don't or definitely don't see a pathway to advance their career within their current organization, according to a 2022 report from diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm Every Level Leadership.
That's usually not due to a lack of ability or effort, Every Level Leadership founder and principal consultant Ericka Hines told Make It in 2022. If you reach a point where you've exhausted all options with your boss, focus instead on cultivating relationships with colleagues across your workplace, she advised.
When you don't feel seen or heard at work, they may be able to advocate on your behalf, said Hines. These people are also known as sponsors, and they don't hesitate to mention your name for new opportunities at work.
"There is a need for colleagues who consider themselves to be allies to be willing to put some of their social capital on the line to advocate on behalf of their Black female peers," Hines said. "How are they leaning into allying? How are they lifting them up? How are they going into the office with their Black women colleagues and saying this is a problem?"
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