Power of Women honoree Mariah Carey decided early on in her career that she would never have to rely on a man for her success.

“The decision makers, particularly in the beginning of my career, were always men and exclusively men. There were no powerful women around me, or even self-made women around me,” Carey said. “I made a decision early on that I never wanted to be beholden to a man. I didn’t want to be a kept woman.”

Read our full Power of Women conversation with Mariah Carey here.

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