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Tracey's Career Tips - Award-winning TV and film producer, entrepreneur and business mogul are just a few of the accolades under Tracey Edmonds’s belt. Her on-screen credits include the critically acclaimed Soul Food movie and television series, Jumping the Broom, as well as the groundbreaking reality TV series College Hill, for BET Networks. She’s also president and COO of Our Stories Films and president and CEO of her own production company, Edmonds Entertainment Group Inc. When she’s not killing it in the boardroom, you’ll see her navigating her long-distance relationship with NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders on his new reality series, Deion’s Family Playbook, a series she also produces. In an exclusive interview with BET.com, the multi-tasking mogul shares her best tips for landing the career of your dreams. By Britt Middleton (Photo: OWN TV)

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Follow Your Passion - “The older you get, you have to listen to your instincts. When you’re younger, you listen to everything that everybody else tells you, and you’re insecure and you’re afraid to follow your gut. But it’s really important to follow your passion and to follow your instincts.”  (Photo: Tom Merton/Getty Images)

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Get a Plan - If you have what it takes to be your own boss, consider these tips before starting your own business. “Really make sure you have your concept tight, make sure you evaluate where your competition is, and make sure you look at the history in that business for what’s worked and what hasn’t worked. All of that is part of what a traditional business plan is all about," she says. "Take your time.” (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images)

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Step Outside the Box - If you want that big promotion, don’t be afraid to step outside the box. “It’s all about going that extra mile and taking that extra step, and doing something outside the box that makes you stand apart from everyone else. A lot of times, people are pulled by conformity, and fear holds them back. Those people that have exceptional careers and really rise are the ones who step outside of the box sometimes and take that chance,” she says. (Photo: David Malan/Getty Images)

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Stay Organized - “I utilize my mobile devices so much. I have a Blackberry and I have an iPhone. I have that calendar program that has your schedule, so my assistant has everything on my schedule put into the calendar program and feeding to my Blackberry and my iPhone. The night before, I click on to the next day and look to see everything I have going on that day. I do to-do lists, too.” (Photo: Tom Grill/Getty Images)

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Always Be Prepared - “If you’re going to be meeting with someone, be prepared. Know exactly who you’re meeting with, know their background, know their work, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, because learning from someone else’s experience is really invaluable.” (Photo: Inti St Clair / Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Inti St Clair / Getty Images

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Ask Questions - “When I did my first film, Soul Food, I didn’t have any formal film training. I met with colleagues in the business, directors and producers and asked questions and tried to prepare myself as best as I could.”  (Photo: Tetra Images/Getty Images)

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Never Stop Learning - “I love the idea of education," the Stanford University grad says. "After I was thrown into Soul Food, I really wanted to learn about the film industry so I could be better prepared the next time. I actually took private classes from USC film professors. I really believe that what I learned from these professors really helped me with my career, so I fully support and recommend formal education and learning as much as you can.” (Photo: dpa /Landov)

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Be a Master Negotiator - When it comes to negotiating in the workplace, “Everybody develops their own style,” she says. “A lot of the times women feel like, ‘Oh, I’m a woman, in order to prove my point I have to be overly aggressive and louder and stronger to make my point.’ That’s never been my style. And sometimes, that style backfires. So, I think a calm, intelligent, articulate approach is better than a loud one. And I always try to start out with something good, maybe work a little compliment in there before you have to tear something down. And a smile goes a long way.”  (Photo: Troels Graugaard/Getty Images)

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Be a Lady Who Lunches - Want to get your networking skills up to par? Book a lunch date. “My pattern and history in my career is that a lot of times you bump into a network executive, or an agent, or a studio executive, and if you are fortunate enough, from time to time to have lunch with that person. That one-on-one bonding time is so invaluable and also developing a sisterhood network really helps. Networking with other females goes a long way.” (Photo: JGI/Getty Images)

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The Power of Mentors - “I can say early on in my career, I had a mentor that helped me, Suzanne de Passe. I looked up to her and how diverse she was, having a career in music and television and film, and still carrying herself with grace and style. A lot of time, unfortunately, people have to do it on their own without having anybody there to guide you or hold your hand. You can’t really wait for a mentor. If you’re blessed to have a connection with someone, that’s great, but you’ve got to be independent and just go for it.” (Photos from left: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images,  Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Get in the Trenches - “If you’re going to lead, then no job should be too big or too small for you,” Edmonds says about how to become an effective leader. “If you really care, and you want to be a team leader and you want everyone to be as passionate as you are, you have to show them your passion by getting down in the trenches with them.” (Photo: laflor/Getty Images)

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Learn to Cope With Stress - “About five years ago, the spiritual side of my life opened up more, where I learned things like meditation and yoga and quiet time in order to keep the stress away from you. One thing that’s really stressful is when you’re around negative people. Even if you’re going through something challenging in your life, it really helps to have people who are lifting you and supporting you as opposed to people who are pulling you down.” (Photo: OWN TV)

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Be OK With the Balancing Act - “As women, we really can have it all,” says Edmonds, who has two sons from her previous marriage to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. “It may not work out perfectly for us, we may have to be pulled in different directions, but we can have careers and we can have love lives, and we can be moms and be happy with it all.” (Photo: Courtesy of OWN TV/Discovery Communications)