She Shines

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

Last week I had an opportunity to be a part of and witness something really special. It’s hard to quite capture the dopeness of it all, but let me at least try. 

My mentor, Juanita ‘Busy Bee’ Britton, who you’ve seen featured in my last two blog posts, is not only a phenomenal travel curator of cultural experiences, and Queen Mother in Ghana. She is first and foremost, the consummate businesswoman. Not that she had anything to prove, but she further demonstrated her business prowess by adding yet another retail operation to her portfolio of more than a dozen restaurants and shops in Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport through her partnership with award-winning airport retailer and restaurateur Paradies Lagardère. And I was blessed to provide communications support for the grand opening of this amazing new store.

The new Goods@DCA, is the first of its kind, boasting 24-7 automation services by way of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology; Clockwork Automated Manicures, a revolutionary technology that delivers flawless, automated manicures in just 15 minutes for $15; state of the art vending machines that offer fresh selections even when the store is closed; and the new “Lift and Learn” Technology, powered by Perch, allowing shoppers to engage with books in an innovative way. 

Speaking of books, let me share what amazed me most about this new business concept. Not only did Juanita partner with big corporate entities like Amazon, Starbucks (which opens later this year), and istore Express, which features high-end electronics; she invited DC-based independent bookstore and beloved local treasure MahoganyBooks to be a part of the deal as well. She took this as an opportunity to help elevate the brand and offer national exposure and expansion for another local black-owned business. Now that’s dope!

But let me share with you what brought me the most joy and inspired me to write this month’s musing. At every turn and corner of this grand opening event, I saw a black woman shining. As a black female entrepreneur it was truly inspiring and heartwarming to witness the wildest dreams of my ancestors unfolding in real life. 

Nikki Harland offering praise to Juanita during her remarks.
Can’t wait to dig into April Ryan’s new book!
Juanita having a sweet moment with her mother.

As I watched the Chief Operating Officer of billion-dollar retailer Paradies Lagardère Nikki Harland come to the podium and offer her warm remarks, I smiled proudly. As I chatted with April D. Ryan, the only Black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House who hosted a book signing for her third book, “Black Women Will Save the World, An Anthem,” my heart fluttered. As I observed award-winning MahoganyBooks co-founder Ramunda Young work the room and warmly smile for photos, I grinned with joy. As I witnessed Denise Rolark Barnes, the publisher and second-generation owner of The Washington Informer, one of the oldest and premiere multimedia organizations serving the African American community in the DMV, capture the moments of the occasion, I nodded in amazement. Naturally, as I watched Juanita Britton, my mentor, stand at the center, orchestrating and coordinating it all, my whole being jumped for joy. And as she continued to humbly uplift and recognize her General Manager of 20+ years Nivlem Dickens, my heart beamed with pride.  

Juanita commanding the room, as usual
Juanita, my beautiful mother, and Nivlem
It’s official…the ribbon has been cut!

Last month, I hosted the second installment of a business concept I started during Women’s History Month this year entitled, SheShines. The purpose of this event series is to honor, feature, and support the businesses of black female entrepreneurs in the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia region). Essentially, it’s a smaller scale version of what I was able to witness at the Goods@DCA, and it has no doubt further broadened and brightened my vision and dreams for the future. Oh the things we could accomplish by bringing all of our unique, God-given talents and skills into one place! I pray that some day the women of SheShines will inspire the next generation of black females in business because what’s evident is that we shine brighter when we all shine together.

Note: The next time you’re traveling and you happen to be in Terminal 2, Concourse D, be sure to stop by The Goods@DCA to help a sister shine brighter.

For more golden life ventures visit www.goldenlifeventures.com.

A Day with My Multi-Millionaire Mentor

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

Have you ever had one of those rare moments when you don’t fully realize the true significance of a moment until the moment has passed? I had one of them recently when I had an opportunity to sit down and chat with a man who I’ve admired in business since I found out who he was about six months ago. He’s excelled in pretty much every industry he’s touched from music to network marketing. He’ll be the first to tell you himself that he didn’t excel in those arenas because he was an extraordinary person. He worked very hard for his success. However, what is truly extraordinary about him is his thirst for and commitment to the growth and transformation of something that we all possess and have the ability to change at any moment.

Before I share some of the insights and nuggets from my conversation with a person of wealth, let me help create some perspective for you by sharing a contrasting story. About a week prior to this vision-stretching session with my new mentor, I met a woman at an event where I was presenting some information about my business. At the conclusion of my talk, the woman shared what she described as a bad experience with a similar business because it required more work than she realized in order to have success. It required hard work. I thought to myself, the business she’s referring to was one that I actually made a decent amount of money with and helped to put me on track to becoming a full-time entrepreneur. We had two totally different experiences with the same business. That got me thinking further…but I didn’t connect the dots fully until later.

That day with my new multi-millionaire mentor, whose name is Edwin Haynes, I learned that he had very humble beginnings, including a learning disability that made him read slower than normal. That means that it required him to work harder to read, which of course at the time he hated. Today, not only is he an avid reader, he’s an author. Clearly, the hard work paid off right? But I believe it wasn’t just his work ethic that got him to where he is. All the books that I’ve read over the last fifteen years like Think and Grow Rich, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class all point to one critical determining factor to our success – mindset.

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

Have you ever wondered why or how two people who grew up in the same circumstances, sometimes even the same households, go on to lead opposite lives of wealth and poverty? Is it really because one was more capable of attaining wealth than the other?

Mr. Haynes talked about his struggle with overcoming what he calls programming, or conditioning. His programming, like many of ours, told him to do the things the people around him were doing. But then he realized that there was a whole world of success outside of the box he grew up in and it required him to do something different to get out of it. It was uncomfortable and it required him to stretch himself beyond what he believed was possible for himself. But he persevered anyway.

“Stretch yourself. Do the uncomfortable until it’s not uncomfortable, and then stretch yourself again. That’s the key to success.””

What really became clear to me that day was that success is a choice. Living your most abundant life possible is simply a decision you make. Living a life of greatness is not about whether or not someone is capable, because I believe God put that ability in all of us. Many of us just suffer from a belief deficit and quite frankly, stinking thinking. The good news is, we have the ability to change our belief and our mindset at any time.

I mentioned before what I thought was extraordinary about Mr. Haynes is his thirst for and commitment to the growth and transformation of something that we all possess and have the ability to change at any moment. That is mindset. He’s constantly elevating himself to new levels because he continues to invest time, money and energy into his own personal growth and development, which begins and ends with the proper mindset.

My day with Mr. Haynes was my way of investing in my own personal growth and development. It cost me time, money and energy. But was it worth it? Absolutely! The nuggets I learned from that conversation elevated my mindset, which in turn has motivated me to increase my work ethic, contributing to increased results. They’re all connected.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our conversation that I hope will inspire you in some way as well.

  1. It costs more to be broke than it does to be rich/wealthy. If you’ve ever been severely challenged financially you know this to be true with the consequences of late fees, bad credit, etc. Mr. Haynes wasn’t just talking about being broke financially though. What about being broke from a time standpoint or worse, being broke from a purpose or passion standpoint? What does it cost you to not be operating in your purpose? Is it worth working hard to be able to live and walk abundantly in your purpose?
  2. The mind doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie. Tell yourself what you want to believe. Our minds are one of the most powerful computers on the planet. And just like a computer, it has programming that we have the power to rewrite. Instead of feeding it with what is, feed it with what you desire. If you don’t believe in subconscious mind power or the power of suggestion, just read any of the books I mention above and see for yourself.
  3. Success principles always work, just like the law of gravity. We cannot escape the laws of success any more than we can escape the laws of gravity. Commit to studying these principles and then execute them in your life to test it out. What do you have to lose? Or better question, how much do you stand to gain?

 

Me and Edwin Haynes

Let Me Tell You A Story

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

This week I participated in a podcast with my pastor Keith A. Battle and two other talented authors about the process of writing a book. One of the great conclusions of the podcast was that everyone has a story. In fact, we agreed that there is at least one book inside all of us.

Everyone loves a good story. That’s what I told myself when I sat down to write the first version of my new book God Doesn’t Make Mistakes. It was a fictional story about a dozen or so people who did not know one another but were somehow connected. And then 2015 and 2016 happened. It was quite a season of turmoil and transformation for me, and my journal reflected that. It was upon the review of those journal entries from that season that I realized the story I needed to tell was my own.

My story was filled with insights around struggling with purpose, being single and sexually abstinent, surviving as a full-time entrepreneur with a fledgling business, anxiety around the future, forgiveness, heartbreak, waiting. Any of these struggles sound familiar?

Sure, made up stories are entertaining, but there’s nothing like the juiciness and depth of a story that is well…real. You know how people say truth is sometimes stranger than fiction? True story.

Going back to my book…God spoke. He told me to use and write my story, so I was obedient. In God Doesn’t Make Mistakes, I actually publish ten of my journal entries from that season. Yes, journal entries that I wrote during a period of time that I felt the most lost, vulnerable, hurt, disappointed, and uncertain. Needless to say, it’s pretty transparent. But that’s what makes a good story right?

Except I don’t just tell a story. I really break down exactly what I was thinking at the time and use biblical principles to frame the lessons I learned. I’ll give you another cliché statement that is still an undeniable fact. Hindsight is always 20/20. The blessing of journal writing is that you get to look back at what you lived through, in your own words, and apply wisdom to it. That’s what I did here. Even though this book reveals things about myself that I never thought I would share publicly, I knew it was too good to keep to myself.

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Today, I share with you God Doesn’t Make Mistakes: Learning How Our Missteps Fit Into His Perfect Plan. It’s a story about how a time of turmoil and transformation in my life taught me how to trust God. More importantly, it taught me how to trust that His plans are much bigger than my mistakes. What a refreshing and comforting revelation! I pray the comfort and joy that I received as a result of that revelation extends to you as well as you read my book.

Like any good story it has lots of conflict, plenty of drama and some humor to balance it out. And even though our stories are different, I know there will be plenty of areas where you can relate and share in the “aha moments.”  If nothing else happens, perhaps after hearing my story you’ll have the courage and confidence to tell your story, because I hope you do know that there is one inside of you too.

To purchase an autographed copy of God Doesn’t Make Mistakes visit www.ourmistakeshisplans.com. If you are an Amazon or Barnes & Noble lover or you’d like to purchase the e-book, it’s available on those platforms as well. I look forward to hearing your experience with it!

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What do you think?

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

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During a mentoring session a few months ago, a mentor of mine asked me an interesting question. He asked, how would you rate your thinking? Ironically, I thought about that question for about 10-15 seconds and finally I gave up on answering his question and decided to ask him a question of my own instead. “What do you mean?,” I asked him back.

He laughed and proceeded to educate me on the fact that an average American spends about 6% of their time on active thinking and the rest is spent on reacting, recalling/remembering, consuming information, relaxing/resting, meditating, searching/exploring and a host of other activities that don’t allow our brains to do one of the most powerful things it was designed to do – create.

He defined thinking as the active process that engages the function of your brain to create a particular outcome. The reason many of us don’t think as much, and I would venture to say live into our potential, is because we haven’t really learned how to think. We haven’t really exercised that muscle much at all.

You may be wondering to yourself, ok where is she going with this? I’m glad you asked. 😊

The day before this new year began, my pastor delivered a powerful sermon entitled Rivers and Streams. He used an analogy of a river in the Garden of Eden that belonged to Adam. This river produced several other streams that created resources for Adam and he equated Adam’s river and streams to the different rivers we have in our lives that have the potential to produce streams for us as well. Yes, he was talking about multiple streams of income.

I would do him and his sermon a disservice if I tried to recreate the power of what he said but there was a huge take away that connects that sermon with what my mentor shared with me. My pastor talked about the danger behind depending on just one river (job/business) and encouraged us to think about ideas and systems that we could create that would meet a need or solve a problem and ultimately create different streams or revenue sources for our households and families.

Going back to my mentoring session, my mentor gave me an assignment to spend 45 to 60 minutes a day doing nothing but thinking. Thinking specifically about a problem that I thought needed solving and then asking a series of questions that lead to how to solve that problem.

Imagine if we all started to do this exercise. What if we carved out some time from our TV watching, aimlessly scrolling through timelines or any other activities that don’t really serve us in the long run and just had a productive thought session? Imagine what could be created, who we could help and how much better our lives could be overall if we all just started to think more. How many of us would stop living paycheck to paycheck? How many of us would be able to leave an inheritance versus bills to our loved ones when we pass on?

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I mentioned in a previous blog post that not everyone is designed to be an entrepreneur, but we all have the ability to create something. Imagine what would happen if you teamed up with a mastermind group of people in your network who each had their particular expertise, one of which may be entrepreneurship, and you put a thought session together that created something that could both help people and generate another income stream for you all.

Many of us are sitting on untapped potential and believing expensive lies about ourselves (don’t have enough time, not creative enough, don’t have an entrepreneurial mind) simply because we just haven’t thought about what’s possible.

Transparently, I’ll share with you that I have done this exercise a few times and it was really hard at first. It felt like going back to the gym after an extended absence and rebuilding muscles that I hadn’t used in a while. But just like working out, it gets easier every time I do it. And I’ve started to have results. In fact, you’ll see the fruit of some of my thought sessions take shape this year.

I’m sharing this because I know someone reading this, even if it’s just one person, is going to have a light bulb go off and decide to do this exercise and create something great. And I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines. But I must warn you, the starting point is the thought process. Once that idea and that plan has been created, you’ve got to then be able to execute.

But I want to encourage you to not get stopped before you even get started. Seek out a mentor, find an accountability partner, and recruit a mastermind group that’s going to help you with the execution. First things first though, let’s get started. Ask yourself…

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The Birth

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

 

A few months ago I wrote a post called I’m Expecting. It’s funny how many people do not take the time to read in this fast-paced, microwave society in which we live. I can’t even tell you how many heartfelt congratulatory remarks I got from people who genuinely thought that I was pregnant and expecting a baby lol. My intent was to grab people’s attention and then have them read and get excited about what it was that I was actually expecting. Well I’m expecting no more…the baby has been birthed and I’m beyond overjoyed to share it with the world!

About five months ago God gave me an idea. Upon leaving my job in June of 2015, I ramped up the public relations division of my business Golden Life Ventures and I began soliciting clients for my public relations services. I met a lot of great people with amazing ideas and brands and visions for their businesses and I was excited about helping them. The disheartening thing about this process was they wanted and needed my services but they couldn’t afford them. Even more troubling for me, I wanted to help them but I didn’t want to sell myself short in the process either. After much brainstorming and a lot of great counsel from some business coaches and trusted advisors around me, the concept of PR 101 was born. I decided I would help business owners learn the basics of how to do their own PR through an online course format and a supplemental book Teach Me PR 101.

Here I was with an idea. A tiny seed had been planted. I then had to nurture and cultivate that seed and prepare for the harvest. I’m not going to lie, the last several months bringing that idea to fruition have been hard. The labor pains are real y’all. There have been a lot of sleepless nights, frustrations and disappointments, mistakes made and having to go back to the drawing board…but I get to say today that it’s all been worth it. Yesterday when PR 101 launched I woke up with a sense of accomplishment. I created something from nothing. And now I get to share that gift with others.

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You know we all have something to create. God is the ultimate CREATOR and did you know He created us in His image? That means you, yes you have something to create as well. Each of us has something special that deserves to be birthed into the world and it is up to us to figure out what that is. As I shared in “I’m Expecting”, for some that may be creating a family – partnering with someone and birthing human life into the world. That’s amazing! For others, that may not be the case, and that’s ok too! God may have another purpose for you. Whatever it is, you find it and you make every effort to make it come to fruition. If God gives you the idea, He’ll also make a way for you to deliver it.

I’m grateful for all of those who supported me in this birthing process because I certainly did not do it alone. I had a tribe of people coaching me and encouraging me along the way and they share in my excitement as well. To all who participated in the launch of this project, THANK YOU!

In case you haven’t checked it out already, visit my new baby at www.masterprbasics.com to sign up for free PR tips and learn more about the course and www.prformybusiness.com to enroll in the course. Even if you aren’t an existing business owner, self-employed professional or aspiring entrepreneur yourself, bless someone you know who is with this information to help them with their entrepreneurial pursuits. They’ve created something great and people deserve to hear about it!

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The Top 5 Reasons Every Business Needs Public Relations (PR)

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

Chances are, if you are an entrepreneur, self-employed professional, or small business owner you did not learn PR 101 in school. In fact, most business owners do not have advanced degrees in business, much less an education in PR. Many people don’t even know what PR is. It’s funny when I tell people that I’m a PR and communications professional, I either get a blank stare or someone brave enough will ask me… “so what do you do exactly?”

I believe public relations is one of the most misunderstood and undervalued tools in business. However, it is one of the most vital components to the long term success of a business and a brand. I know this information coming from a publicist may generate some “side eyes” and skepticism, so that’s why I generated this list of the top five reasons every business, yes every business, needs public relations.

  1. Lack of effective PR is one of the reasons most businesses fail.

Don’t take it from me. Take it from Forbes contributing writer, lifelong entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Mighty Wise Academy: A Virtual Academy For Entrepreneurship, Eric T. Wagner. He wrote an article in the September 2013 edition of Forbes titled, “Five Reasons 8 Out Of 10 Businesses Fail“. Two out of the top five reasons fall under the public relations umbrella: 1) Not really in touch with customers through deep dialogue and 2) Failure to communicate value propositions in clear, concise and compelling fashion.

  1. You need brand loyalty to establish business sustainability.

There are many companies that sell product simply because they have a great product. But if you want to have staying power, you need to build a relationship with your audience and keep them coming back for more value – PR at its best. Therefore, your focus as a brand cannot be to simply sell a product—no matter how enticing that goal may be. Your focus needs to be to establish brand loyalty. The more interested and engaged your audience is, the more likely they will continue to choose you over your competitors who sell the same products and services.

  1. Your business and brand image mean everything to your audience.

To the point above, some companies have early success simply because their product or service is amazing.  However, the reality is if they have a bad public image due to poor PR skills, they probably won’t be selling products for very long. When you become a business owner and start developing and publicizing your brand, everything you do and say becomes a reflection of that business and brand. Yes, on your personal social media accounts…especially on your personal social media accounts.

  1. What other people say about your brand matters to your business.

What other people say about your business or brand is just as important, if not more important, than what you say about your own business. When you have effective public relations at work for you, your audience members, including those who haven’t even given you a dime yet, will be your best brand ambassadors. If you are adding value for your audience and building a relationship with them, they will want to share you with their network. Over the last several months, I have become a fan and follower of Marie Forleo, multi-passionate entrepreneur, life and business coach, and author. I have not bought any of her products (yet), but she has built such a valuable relationship with me through email, social media platforms and her Youtube channel, I’ve been compelled to share her with my circle of friends – who by the way, have gone out and bought her products.

  1. Your business growth relies on more people knowing who you are and that you exist.

When people think about public relations, they naturally think about publicity. I get it. While public relations is more than just publicizing yourself, it is a huge chunk of what makes it work. If you don’t have a clear, compelling message that’s being disseminated as widely and as frequently as possible to the people who are going to most benefit from your product or service, your business will become stagnant. And stagnancy is the first step towards business failure.

In a couple of weeks I will launch a course and resource guide that teaches entrepreneurs the basics of how to do their own PR, because unfortunately many entrepreneurs, especially new ones, can’t afford to hire a professional. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need it and deserve to know how to do it on their own. Be sure to stay connected and watch out for information on the launch. Even if you aren’t an entrepreneur, you might just have an opportunity to bless someone with your referral.

UPDATE: The course has been launched and can be found at www.prformybusiness.com. You can also sign up for FREE weekly PR tips and buy the Teach Me PR 101 book at www.masterprbasics.com.

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P.S. Today marks the one year anniversary of Golden Life Musings! Leave a comment and share your favorite blog post thus far and what you’d like to see more of in the future. Keep living life like it’s golden…

I’m Expecting!

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

It really is a beautiful thing to watch the miraculous process of new life growing inside of an expectant mother. In addition to the growing fetus, the mother sees herself gradually transform over several months as she prepares to give birth and while it is a bit of a scary time for her, especially if she is a first time mom, it’s also a very exciting time as well. I love to see the “village” of a growing family come together and celebrate the pending birth of a child. It is a joyous occasion no doubt and it should be celebrated.

There are some people, like myself, who haven’t had the pleasure yet of bearing a child into this world, but they are indeed expecting. Several months ago God sowed some ideas within me that are now starting to take form, as I’ve been quietly nurturing and cultivating them behind the scenes. Bringing these ideas to completion has been a very exciting, but also very scary process for me. While I have a desire and a picture in my mind of what the end results will be, I won’t really know what they will look like until I deliver the final product. Also it’s been difficult because it’s required growth on my part, and growth sometimes can be painful. Perhaps not any blood has been shed, but there’s definitely been some sweat and tears in this process and I’m very grateful to have trusted advisers, coaches and friends supporting me along the way.

If the point hasn’t been made clear, let me set the record straight that I am not pregnant in the traditional sense. Before any rumors start, no I will NOT be having a baby any time soon lol! But I am expecting, and I pray that what I’m giving birth to will be just as exciting and create just as much cause for celebration as if I were having a baby. What I’m producing is important to me and my hope is that it will be of importance and significance to the lives it touches for generations to come as well.

I’m not taking anything away from expectant mothers because as I’ve shared before, it is a miraculous process that should be celebrated. I also think it should be celebrated with just as much enthusiasm when someone takes a teeny tiny idea and turns it into a tangible, living, breathing project that can benefit the lives of others. Sometimes our society tends to be one track minded when it comes to what we celebrate and support. Absolutely, show up when a loved one invites you to a baby shower or a wedding because those milestones are significant. It’s also important to show up for those grand openings and book launch parties as well. It means the world to that person who has worked really hard to bring something to fruition. Not everyone will get married or have a baby but everyone has the capability to produce something great and we should all show up for them too.

Some time in the near future, you’ll start to see signs of the projects I’m giving birth to and prayerfully within the first quarter of 2017 I will deliver. My hope is when that day comes I’ll have a whole village of people rooting for me and cheering me on as I bring new life into the world.

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She Slays

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

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To slay (verb): killed it, succeeded in something amazing. I can always count on the Urban Dictionary to come through in a pinch. Well, Beyoncé has indeed slayed again with her new album Lemonade and Formation Tour and she is showing no signs of stopping here. She is unapologetically killing the game and continues to slay nearly two decades into her career.

Last week I attended the opening show of Formation in Miami and it was for lack of a better word, magical. I’ve been to more Beyoncé concerts that I can keep track of, but this one was special. I believe all of her tours had sold out before but this time she sold out stadiums, as opposed to concert halls and arenas. After performing her newest single Formation, for which her tour is named, she expressed a genuine excitement and giddiness about the fact that as a little girl she had dreamed of this day… the day she would perform at a sold out stadium full of fans that had come to see no one but her. I caught the magnitude of that and found myself almost tear up 5 minutes into her show. Now before you judge me, I should clarify that I’m not one of those crazy people who cry or faints at just the sight or sound of their favorite artist. This was an inspiring moment for me. I too have a big dream that others might deem impossible and I long for that feeling of having big dreams realized.

You may not like some of Beyoncé’s lyrics or how much skin she shows or even perhaps the sound of her voice, but there are a few things you have to respect about her. She is a brilliant business woman with a stellar team behind her and she is one of the hardest working entertainers out there period. Her work ethic and drive towards her purpose are undeniable. Even after by all traditional standards most people would say she’s “made it,” she continues to push envelopes and break barriers in the entertainment industry and beyond.

I don’t want to ruin it for those who may be attending her show, and have paid big bucks I might add, but I do want to point out some critical things that stuck out for me. One, just as any Beyoncé experience, and that is just what it is… an experience, you will get nearly two hours of nonstop entertainment. As an entertainer, I study and appreciate other entertainers. I don’t believe I’ve seen anyone perform like she does for nearly two hours – dancing (full-out), singing (and not that lip synching many entertainers resort to because, granted it’s hard to both sing and dance full-out, sorry J-Lo and Janet), and enduring six costume changes and making it look easy. I know for a fact, it isn’t.

Two, there are no other brands advertised but hers (or her hubby’s), and there are many. If I could earn a dollar for every time I saw the branding for her new Ivy Park fashion line, I would be rich. Hey, I can’t knock the hustle. As my mom and I were heading to our seats, we noticed they were selling t-shirts that said “Boycott Beyoncé”. We both looked at each other with these puzzled looks on our faces like who would ever sell a t-shirt with such a negative message against their brand? Later we heard on a radio station that when police officers were threatening to boycott Beyoncé because of perceived negative messages against the police in her Formation video, her brand team said if this is going to be a thing, let’s profit from it. That’s gangsta! Lol again, you’ve got to respect the hustle.

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Last but certainly not least, I was mesmerized by the fact that she could drop an album on Saturday and by Wednesday, her fans knew literally all the lyrics to the songs that hadn’t even been released on the radio yet. Beyoncé herself was even taken aback by how loyal her fans are, which by the way spanned across multiple ethnicities, ages and sexual orientations. The look of amazement and gratitude on her face when she pointed her golden mic towards the audience and heard them singing her words back to her was priceless.

If you’re one of the tens of thousands of people who have invested in seeing her Formation experience, you will not be disappointed. I assure you Beyonce makes good on her promise to always slay.

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Check out Beyonce’s cool Purple-themed tribute to Prince HERE

 

When Life Gives You Lemons

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

Have you ever met someone who makes you stop in your tracks? Someone so uplifting and inspiring you can’t take your eyes or ears off of them? That’s what I felt when I attended a women’s leadership brunch this weekend and I heard the words uttered from the stage, “My name is Mikaila Ulmer and I’m the owner and CEO of BeeSweet Lemonade.” Mikaila is eleven years old and as she so eloquently shared with a couple hundred of us in the room, she’s owned her business for more than half her life. If any of us 20 somethings and above in the room thought we were doing something, Mikaila quickly put us all to shame!

She and her story are impressive. If you haven’t heard of her or her company yet check her out. What was most impressive and stood out the most for me though was not the great successes she’s achieved in her seven years in business though there have been many; it’s about how she’s dealt with hardship, rejection and (perceived) failure. Unfortunately, those devastating hurdles are what take most entrepreneurs out of the game.  It prevents people in general from stepping outside of their comfort zone again after a failure and trying something unfamiliar. Not Mikaila, it has actually fueled her and her mission. She inspired us entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and women leaders in business in the room to make lemonade out of those lemons we receive in life.

Mikaila talked about her high of receiving a $60,000 deal from one of the sharks on the popular ABC Show Shark Tank to take her already successful business, which was already selling products in such brand name stores as Whole Foods, to the next level. Shortly thereafter however, she received word that the name of her business, which she deemed perfect for her product, would have to be changed because it was too similar to an already existing business. While devastated at first, she brushed herself off and went into research mode to find another name for her business, which now she says captures perfectly the mission of her company in its title. With wisdom and poise beyond her years, she summed up a decision we all have to make when inevitably life will hand us something we didn’t plan or prepare for but can stand to make or break us nonetheless. She closed with this simple yet poignant poem she wrote about her experience:

“Don’t be discouraged by life’s little stings. Get back up and spread your wings. – Mikaila Ulmer”

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Hear a clip of Mikaila’s speech here

Why won’t we be great?

Posted on by goldenlifemusings

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I absolutely love quotes. Every now and again one jumps out at me and won’t let me go like this one from Mr. Lois. This quote was hidden on the 110th page of the “On Passion” section of this month’s edition of Forbes magazine. Being an entrepreneur, I immediately thought about how this related to potential new business owners, but the more I thought about it, this quote is for every living human being. If I’ve learned one thing going into my twelfth year of being in business for myself, it’s that everyone isn’t made to be an entrepreneur. However, everyone was put here on Earth for a purpose and the sad reality is many people don’t even bother to discover what their purpose is, much less fulfill it. Many people wander through life settling for a mediocre existence, not because they weren’t born for something greater. More often times than not, it’s because of one simple yet powerful emotion, fear.

What is it that we are afraid of anyway? For some it may be failure, for others it may be success, but why is that? Is it because we are afraid of what others might think or say? If we all just accepted the reality that all of us are human and we all have something to be fearful of wouldn’t that be enough to motivate us pass the fears of others’ opinions? Maybe that’s not it. Perhaps it is the responsibility that comes along with being great that people fear.

In my line of work I get to talk to people every day about what we call a “WHY”. It can be an acronym for What Has You. Simply put, if you could have it your way and time and money were no issue, what would you be doing and who would you help? Frequently in those same conversations I hear the excuses people give themselves for why they can’t be great. They say they want more but they don’t have enough time or energy or resources to go after it. But is that the truth? Could it be that we are instead choosing to believe the lies our fears are telling us? I’ve come to the conclusion that it is the latter. Because if that were the case, if it really were a lack of time or resources or even opportunity, those who have come from literally nothing to go on and be a great success would not have been able to do it. I live for the success stories of people who literally had no other option but to win because it helps me take all my excuses off the table for why I can’t achieve my own greatness.

Going back to responsibility, I believe our job and responsibility as human beings is to first seek and understand God’s purpose for our lives and then live boldly in that purpose. Some of us have a purpose that is larger in scope than others but I refuse to believe that any of us were put here on this Earth to just survive. I get it. I once believed that I was more comfortable and safe collecting a paycheck every two weeks from a job I didn’t like in lieu of being in pursuit of my WHY. Then I had a mindset shift. I asked myself what if it’s even more dangerous to get to the end of life, which could be at any moment, and realize we didn’t do all we could to be great?

Here’s another pertinent quote: “Action cures fear.” Go out there and slay the dragons of mediocrity today by taking action towards your greatness.

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