My Wendy Fan Out

I don’t believe in gossip, but truth be told, we all do it at one time or another.  I admire radio and talk show host Wendy Williams for her hustle and for echoing the sentiments of our people in a “keeping it real” kind of way. Her personality is infectious, and even through the TV screen she makes you feel like you know her. Her 10th book was released this month and I had been anticipating getting to meet her for the past week or so at her book signing in Atlanta.

The Demand

My daughter and I arrived at Barnes & Noble 90 minutes early, and finding a place to park was a beast! When we got inside, I was shocked to learn that Ask Wendy was sold out! There were apologetic signs on the entry doors, too.

On her national talk show, Wendy has been telling folks that she’s coming to the Barnes & Noble store on Peachtree Rd in Buckhead all week. They didn’t think that would amount to much?

Operating in the Favor You Already Have

Last weekend, I attended the 2013 Life & Favor Singles Empowerment Conference  at the Greater Community COGIC. Pastor Matthew L. Brown opened up with a dynamite message about favor. (I missed a lot by putting my notes on my phone instead of on paper, but I have to share this with you.)

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Favor is the traceable, trackable evidence of God’s benefit in your life.  God gave you favor from the day you were conceived. You’ve always had it. It’s an attitude of intentional determination.

It’s important for us to live our lives conscious of this and do everything with an attitude of favor.  Be IN life, don’t just get THROUGH life. Favor allows you enjoy your journey.
Make sure you give your all because favor is renewed every day. You should die empty.

Are You Digging a Grave with Your Teeth?

Credit: Environmental Working Group

As a subscriber and supporter of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I had the opportunity to view an advance screening of a new episode of the Ecosense for Living show at the offices of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) headquarters. The screening was sponsored by Turner Foundation, EWG and GPB. After the screening was a short panel discussion with Ken Cook, the President of Environmental Working Group, Dr. Yolanda Whyte, a pediatrician and environmental health expert, and Dr. Gerald L. Durley, Pastor Emeritus at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta.  (Dr. Durley uttered the title of this blog and it struck a cord with the audience.)

Toxins in Our Food and Toiletries

Whenever I watch an expose like the one that recently aired on Dateline in March 2013 or see a discussion about it on a show like Dr. Oz, the FDA and other companies always respond with a lame message about how their guidelines are safe for the public (even though they’re not testing them honestly and regularly), and that they are not violating any legal guidelines.

Some HOAs and other places ban you from growing your own food in a garden. Kids love it. But more importantly, when you grow and cook your own food, you have more control over it. Buy your food from a chain grocery store or your average restaurant, and you’re play Russian Roulette with your food.

I’m Number One

I just spent a day at Georgia Tech during AFAA APEX weekend to get my fitness certification in group exercise (see Roselyn’s post for more details on AFAA APEX. I had been going back and forth for the past two months about whether or not to go for the certification. Attending in person during the APEX weekend made it less expensive, but it was still an investment. Not to mention the time in studying for the test.  I waited a little too long and drove myself crazy: by the time I ordered and received the textbook study materials and practice test, I had a mere 10 days to ingest the info (mind you, I have NO health/science/fitness background).

I’m #1!

I arrived on time, and the room was packed. I was one of 88 students!  We sat on mats on the floor of one the group exercise rooms. Our funny, experienced, personable instructor was a delight, originally from Japan. She made the day go by fast and put us at ease.  For each test we had to do, she made sure we were prepared and answered all our questions as we  reviewed pertinent sections and questions in the study guide. She also explained what to do and what NOT to do on the practical part of the exam to make sure we weren’t disqualified.
Some of the people in attendance were already teaching (lots of Zumba folks), but I thought you had to have the cert before you taught classes. In any case, everyone was easygoing and friendly; I had a chance to network with people and found that we had mutual friends in common and/or facilities we frequented.  After lunch, four examiners joined us for the testing portion of the day:

• First, we had a practical test as a group, where everyone demonstrates warm-up, strength, and cardio exercises for a few minutes each (as well as appropriate stretches for each category). We lined up by number (my name always puts me in the front of the class).
• Then we each did our individual presentations of one minute each, where we had to choose a strength or cardio exercise and present three levels of that the same exercise (since group exercise participants perform at different fitness levels). Since there were 88 of us, the instructor divided us into two groups. She listened to both people (somehow), and there were also two other examiners for each group that evaluated us.
• Finally, we had an hour to complete a closed-book, 100-question multiple choice test. There were only a handful of questions of which I had to totally guess the answer (you can miss 20 questions and still pass).

The whole day’s schedule ran from 9-6; I left a little after 5.  I should have my results within 8 weeks, and hopefully I can start teaching TurboKick next month.

Passion Points with Nicci Gilbert

Last night I attended the SWEET Group Atlanta launch event last night to hear Nichole “Nicci” Gilbert talk about female entrepreneurship and her evolution from being a singer (in Michael Jackson’s 90’s trio Brownstone) to becoming a reality TV executive producer (TV One’s R&B Divas) and plus-size fashion designer (Curvato Clothing).  SWEET stands for Successful Women Entrepreneurs and the Extremely Talented, and has chapters in Charlotte, NC and Richmond, VA. The event was sponsored by SMS Advisors in Charlotte (which Nicci uses).

Marshawn Evans, Esq., is an attorney, speaker, author, and former contestant on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice was the host and moderator. Lillian Lincoln Lambert was the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Business School in 1969. She is a partner with SWEET and has a fascinating story.

The word of the evening was “passion.” Everyone who spoke agreed that when it comes to your business, you have to be passionate about what you do or it won’t work.

 

Having it All: How Does She Do It?

Nicci started off telling us that in the past, she hasn’t always trusted her gut, but we should. In several episodes of R&B Divas, she told people that she’s really not into singing anymore, even though that’s what she’s best known for and people always ask her to sing. She’s able to do all the things she does now because she’s passionate, so it never feels like work. She admitted her difficulties: “I’m hard-headed, I hate to be told ‘No,’ or that I don’t have enough money to execute my plans.” She described herself as ‘crazy’ and ‘a space cadet’ and that’s how she can juggle so many tasks.

Nicci said, “The barter routine is the best ever (exchanging services instead of money). I choose not to focus on what is not right.” Lillian added that every obstacle has an opportunity attached to it. “I don’t like when people tell me I can’t do things.”

“Reality is Ratchet!”

R&B Divas Cast

Nicci: “I don’t know if ‘ratchet’ is a really a word, but everybody knows what it means so I’m gonna use it. Reality TV is ratchet! I thought about Claire Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad’s character on The Cosby Show) and others that helped me develop as a person. I wondered, where is that kind of TV today? Black women fighting each other seems to be a ratings formula that the reality shows want to stick with, but I wanted to show images of positive Black women with solid marriages and businesses.” Nicci is an executive producer of the #1 rated show on TV One ever (R&B Divas, whose first season aired last fall), said that spinoffs are coming, including an L.A. cast. Season 2 begins shooting on MLK Day.

“Love and Hip Hop Atlanta (on VH1) had 5 million viewers, and we had 1 million. I don’t think we can get to 5 million because more people want to watch what’s wrong with people than what’s right.” She also added that “Branding is the key for reality TV to make sense.”

We Just Make the Hits Like a Factory

This week I had the opportunity to attend of several tapings for the next season of The Kandi Factory, which will air next spring (I specifically heard it would be March 2013). You may have seen the Bravo show The Kandi Factory air last spring, sometime around the end of the last season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  It’s named for one of its stars, Kandi Burruss. She’s my age and like me, is the single parent of one child, a 9-year-old daughter, but that’s where the commonalities end. Kandi has lived in Atlanta all her life, and has a long, successful career of singing and songwriting. She also owns two clothing boutiques in the area (one of which opened in Buckhead this year).

I’ve been an audience member of a couple of shows in the past when I visited L.A. last year, but this taping was TOTALLY different. No one let us know what was going on–no idea what the run of the show was, or what to expect. There was actually a warm-up emceed by Funky Dineva that included local talent, which some of us mistook for The Kandi Factory contestants, including a spoken word artist, a comedian, and a few singers. Kandi’s mother–affectionately known as “Mama Joyce”–was in the building, so I knew Kandi wasn’t far away. However, she didn’t take the stage until about an hour before it was time to go.

Goal Call: ’12 Birthday Edition

Source: Paperblog

…and another reason to be thankful.

How fitting that prompt #23 (love that number!) for personal branding at TheBloggingSchool during #NaBloPoMo  is Write about your latest accomplishment. In this birthday recap/annual review, I will mention quite a few of those!  I had so many proud, fun moments in the year of 35.

Catching Up: My Life in October 2012

I’m so happy to see November again… it’s the best month of the year!  I’m thankful that October 2012 was the least emotionally traumatic month for me, probably in over a year. There are still so many things I want to do, but something I am learning to do right now is allow God’s grace to flow in my life and just be patient with myself.

I Had Them at Hello, But I Didn’t Back It Up

My last three speeches were all in the same week. One was at a local book festival, and two were at conferences for audiences that I have not spoken to before. My former speech coach and mentor encouraged me and recommended that I submit proposals to these conferences that she has been a part of in the past. She is a survivor of domestic violence, social worker, and all-around advocate for better self-esteem and life choices.

They Really Liked Me!

The 25th Daniel Memorial National Independent Living Conference Growing Pains 2012 was geared to youth service professionals, independent living professionals, and youth aged 15 and up. Many of the youth I spoke with were in group homes of some sort, or working with youth in foster care and similar living environments. Adding to the pressure was the fact that A) I knew I would not have a projector to show slides during my presentation, and B) my love had just sworn me off literally the night before.

My talk was slated for 1:00 on the first day of the conference, right after lunch. As I looked around the grand ballroom at lunchtime, I thought to myself, “Will they care what I have to say? Can I relate to their struggles? Will I get through to them?” You just never know, and it looked like I might have a tough crowd. Not to mention, although my program description was accurate, I wasn’t sure if young people really sought help for their low self-esteem (as applicable) or cared to dig into media literacy (LINK).  But I know better than to doubt myself, and I was as prepared as one could be. I just prayed everything would turn out alright and the afternoon wouldn’t be a total waste of time.

You’re Not “Eliminated”… You’re Moving On

Celebrity choreographer Laurieann Gibson was on The Mo’ Nique Show recently, talking about her latest reality dance show, Born to Dance, where 20 young women compete for $50K and a strong start to a professional dance career. Y’all know how I love to dance.  I was surprisedly inspired by her profound statement regarding female self-image and the negativity that comes with the competitive, “cast-off”-types of reality shows:

“We collectively decided that I would not use the word “elimination,” because when you say, “you’re eliminated,”… I didn’t wanna speak that into their spirit–into their purpose. Eliminated means to cease not to exist, to go away. Eliminate, eliminate, eliminate…. When you’re young and you’re pure, that gift that purity… you know it’s like if that little doorway opens up with such a word as “elimination…,” “you’re eliminated…,” it begins to chop away at your gift, at your desire, and it starts to attach negativity onto your purpose. So we don’t say “eliminated” on this show. We say “you’re moving on,” and in moving on, God continues to cover you and prepare a way. Yes it’s only that this situation will only allow me to give one girl the money and the opportunity, but in moving on, you’re moving on fulfilling your dream and when you leave, you’re moving on with lessons, with information, with a sense of self, with the idea that there is no shortcut. And you must never sacrifice your self-worth as a young woman for any man or any career or any opportunity.”

I agree that it can be very discouraging to get so close to a dream and then be… eliminated. We have to be careful of the things we speak into someone’s life, and to choose our words carefully.