She’s an expert, after all.

Issa Rae's ~big break~ came through a web series of her own creation called The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. And now she’s back with her very own comedy series, Insecure, on HBO. Given the titles and subject matter of those shows, who better to give us tips on how to avoid life’s awkward moments — and slay at life in the process — than Issa Rae herself? BuzzFeed sat down with the powerhouse star to get her advice.

Jon Premosch / BuzzFeed

So you accidentally sent a text to the wrong person. What do you do now?

Issa Rae: This has happened to me several times. Once I sent a text to a friend about this event that she had taken me to that I was so mad she had taken me to. She obviously got the text, and it was like, “‘Stupid bitch took me to this spot." [And she texted back,] "You just sent me this?" And I was just like, “Girl! I was talking about our other friend, the other day." Just finish the message with something else completely different. Works every, never, time.

Issa Rae / Via instagram.com

How do you start a conversation with someone you’re interested in IRL, as opposed to on a dating app?

IR: I say, “Wait, have we met before?” And if they are interested in having a conversation with me, then they’ll be like, “No, but..." And if not they’ll just be like, “No.”

Jon Premosch / BuzzFeed

And how do you ask someone out without feeling like a dingbat?

IR: I honestly just make it really mild. Say, “Do you wanna do coffee?” Or I’ll invite them to social gatherings — so it can come off like I’m not necessarily trying to hit on them. It can be a friend thing, but if they’re interested, it can be more.

HBO

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