Issa Rae is opening up about a pivotal moment in her career that nearly drained her savings.

In her new essay collection, “I Should Be Smarter Now,” the 40-year-old “Insecure” creator reflects on how her impulsivity has influenced her career in Hollywood.

“My impulsivity, the character trait I’ve benefited from and paid dearly for, is both a gift and a curse,” Rae wrote, according to Us Weekly.

“The gift is that I can be fearless in the pursuit of anything I want to achieve…The curse is, of course, that I don’t properly think through the consequences of my actions,” Rae continued.

Rae pointed to 2014 as one of the toughest periods, when she and producing partner Deniese Davis tried to launch three TV pilots at once, per Us Weekly. Despite having an early interest, they didn’t secure investors before moving forward.

“I was so excited about our undeniable idea and confident that we eventually would [find investors], so we proceeded anyway,” Rae shared with Us Weekly.

“We found some really great scripts that, to me, were filling a void in television,” Rae continued.

Still seeking funding, Rae reached out to a “rich ex” who had shown interest in film and TV investments, as US Weekly states. She said he initially promised to cover a third of the costs. However, after a fallout with him just a week before shooting, his financial backing disappeared.

At that point, Rae was left to cover nearly the entire cost of the productions herself, she shared with Us Weekly.

“The real mistake was not pulling the plug when I knew I didn’t have the money and that all of the costs would be falling on me,” she revealed, according to US Weekly.

“Let me tell you what I didn’t have in my bank account: $150,000. I had about half of that because I had received part of the advance for my first book. Most of it was in my savings — it was all the money I had ever made in my life up until that point. Hence, the frantic call from my business manager,” Rae added.

Despite the setback, she kept pushing forward. The experience became a turning point that helped Rae shape her path as a creator, teaching her career lessons that would influence her later business ventures.

Some of her ventures include ColorCreative, a management and production company she co-founded with Deniese Davis and Talitha Watkins to reshape the entertainment industry. Rae is also involved with Good Vibes Only, a hospitality group that develops inclusive spaces celebrating Black culture, including restaurants Downtown Dough and Somerville in Los Angeles, as previously reported by AFROTECH™.

From nearly losing all her savings to building a media empire, Rae’s journey highlights the risks and rewards of following one’s ambitions. The lessons she learned along the way continue to guide her in television, film and business.