How 'Black-ish' Star Marsai Martin Stays 'Grounded' as the Youngest Executive Producer in History

As the youngest executive producer in history, Marsai Martin's career has already exceeded the industry's expectations of success by the time she reached the age of 21.

The Black-ish star has broken barriers while navigating the entertainment world from the time she was 9, founding her company Genius Productions and establishing financial empowerment thanks to the help of her mom, Carol Martin — who managed Marsai's money-making decisions until her daughter learned how to do so on her own.

Marsai recently shared her success story in a candid mother-daughter interview with Carol on the latest episode of Chime’s original YouTube series, Mama, I Made It.

Ahead of the video's release, Marsai sat down for an exclusive chat with OK! to reflect on her journey in Hollywood and reveal how she's managed to stay cool, calm and collected in the chaotic world of television and film.

"What keeps me grounded is definitely my community, my family and my loved ones," Marsai explained, noting her people "keep me sane."

"Support systems can change too," she noted. "Sometimes it's [not the] same people all the time. Just like how we grow, other people grow and [new] people [can come] into your life."

Along with having a "sense of community," the 21-year-old makes it a point to do things that help heal her "inner child."

"I love little things like to swim, draw, work out, eat good or eat with my grandparents," she detailed. "Things like that always bring me joy and kind of recenter myself to not only what I love to do now, but what I loved to do when I was little. Things that little me did not care about whatsoever."

Overall, Marsai said "living a simpler life" is important to her, as well as "having moments to pause and making sure that not everything needs to be a rush or too overwhelming or too hectic."

And the most important member of Marsai's support system? Her mom, of course.

The Little executive producer and star shared a piece of advice her mother repeatedly gave her while growing up in the spotlight, as Marsai struggled with comparing herself to other people.

"It's really something that I've lived by ever since I was little because there's so many things that come with being in this industry — especially as a young Black woman — having doubt and comparing yourself and pushing the extra mile to try to get what you want or feel like you deserve," she explained. "It can take a toll and it can be really hard to decide if you want continue on."

"My mom always says, 'What's for you is what's for you. What's for you won't miss you.' So, hearing those words constantly play in my head has not only made me become such a confident person within myself, but to know and to trust in God's plan," Marsai declared.

While her mom has been a driving force behind the scenes of Marsai's career, she "does not like to go on camera" — making Carol's appearance in Mama, I Made It all the more special.

"I am thankful to Chime for allowing us to have a space to have that conversation and to be able to bring our story to life where it's not just me talking and from my perspective, but [allowing] my amazing personal queen that came before me to be able to touch on those stories as well," Marsai expressed. "I thought was so special."

The G20 actress admitted she "cried" watching the "final outcome" of the episode "because it's a blessing to see your dreams come to reality — especially [while doing] it with people that you love."

Elsewhere in her interview with OK!, Marsai reflected on joining the cast of Black-ish at age 9 and how it led to the impressive place she is in her career today.

"Starting on a big TV show at 9, it's pretty carefree. You could do whatever. You are going to school back and forth. Life is pretty simple," she recalled. "And then, fast forward to 14 with creating my production company [Genius Productions], things are still just as creative and simple and all of those things."

"But I think when I started to get deeper into my teens and Black-ish was ending, that's when the questions didn't come to me, but I started answering my own questions and asking those questions within myself. I was like, 'OK, I know this is gonna end soon.' I know things are gonna change. The routine that I've had for almost 10 years is gonna change. What does this look like for me?" she shared.

Marsai concluded: "I was definitely aware of the change that was gonna come, so when I did turn 18 and I did start to get to know my finances and having those deeper conversations, it wasn't as overwhelming."