Happy Wednesday Travelers!

I hope your Christmases were awesome! I am spending it with my mother and as we speak, she and I should be on our way to Disneyland for the first time for both of us. (I am pre-writing this post so I will have to come back to confirm this)

Now, we all know that since I am in B-School I am obsessed with fashion and business (well, I have been more than normal anyway), and I have come across the article that was written on fashion magazine Marie Claire's Executive Presence panel they had a few months ago. You can read on it: Here. I have only read through it once so I will need to go back over some of the advice again, but I really do think that this is great for young women who are looking to get into the business world, not necessarily fashion but still if you have executive suite dreams then this is a good place to start taking notes on bad habits to chuck, styling tips, and success stories to start you off on the right foot!

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!!
photo source

Hola Travelers!

Along the course of the semester I don't have the time to really sit and write a blog post on every article that I read so here are a few articles that I came across along the way that I hope that you enjoy. The blog Business of Fashion does this all the time called the Daily Digest, I love that idea! So here is a "digest" of some articles collected throughout the semester.

From Forbes:

• 3 Ways to Repair Your Damaged Reputation

• Dealing with a Problem Employee? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself
•  The Student Loan Debt Crisis Is A Women's Issue: Here's Why

From Financial Times:

• Amazon Wiggles it's Way Into Fashion Week? 

From Maria Shriver's Blog:

• Soul Force and the New Feminism

Happy Reading!

Happy Winter Break Travelers!!

I am done with my first semester of my first year of my MBA program. It has been a week since I have taken my last final and instead of giving some random recap I want to give you 10 lessons that I have learned this first semester that I will be taking into, and possibly forgetting by next fashion week (that should say finals week). So let's dig in:

1. Editing is not just for Magazine Editors - After a certain point in the semester I was really overwhelmed with how much homework was assigned, on top of that I am an intern, and a research assistant for an undergraduate professor, so I still had work that was due for them as well. I had so much work due in one week I thought that I was going to throw up. So I had to edit. I have come to the conclusion that the objective of an MBA program is not that you do all the work that is assigned to you, but to teach you that you can't do everything so do you have the foresight to determine the important vs the urgent, and discern your basic needs for success, from there you will be able to edit your workload and become a better manager.
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is NOT the Way to Show How The Price Rate regulates itself in the Long-Run - I really am not a fan of the standard read-straight-from-the-bullet-points presentation style, so in my Econ class I decided that I was going to do the fun story-telling presentation...it did not go well.....
3. Paying Attention to Your Classmate's Learning Styles Pays Off - There is a lot of group work in the MBA program and it pays off to pay attention to your classmates learning styles, also class participation styles, and what works best with your personality You will be working with pretty much the same group of people for the next several years, as awesome as it would be to work with your new friends, the weird balding guy that sits in the back that you never talk to will definitely be the one with the 96 on your Econ exam while you and your friend are praying you don't get C's. Pick your study groups wisely!
4. You Can Never Have Too Many Flashcard Apps - I have Chegg, Flascardlet, and Brainscape (a Flaschardlet supplement). Each of the apps quiz me in a different way and serve a purpose for different times of the semester. Now that I have them figured out I know that Chegg flashcards work best for me during the course of the semester between chapters, but for my exams Brainscape is more effective.
5. Dropbox will save Your Group's Life - From class notes, to recorded lectures, updated group powerpoints, and exam study charts we really needed that DropBox folder and it was way less annoying than emailing back and forth a million times. I also keep all my other documents there so that I don't lose them if something happens to my computer, plus I can access and print them from my phone for whatever reason. 
6. Recording Your Classes May Not be a Bad Idea - I listened to my Business Law classes over and over. I may not have gotten an A in that class but I do know that my grade would have been much worse if I was not able to go back and reference what the professor said.
7. Rome May Not Have Been Built in a Day, but Sometimes Your Term Paper Will Be - And going back to Econ...my professor totally did not like the paper that I spent weeks researching and after reviewing my draft said "You might what to pick a new topic" ....this was AFTER I had already presented on my current topic 1 week before the paper was actually due. So what did I do? I wrote a brand new paper in a week that I am sure was not my best work, but met the requirements of the assignment per his instructions.
8. Just Deal with How Long You will Be There - I keep trying to take more classes than I should in one semester to get done with the program earlier....it makes no difference and the cost will still be the same. Don't speed to the destination, just enjoy the journey (that's what this blog is all about anyway)
9. Talk With Your Adviser - I really like our adviser, and I think that engaging her in our journey makes her a more effective liaison to the administration that builds our program. Tweet her, schedule an appt, I really think that when we have access to someone who can see the whole picture we are able to better navigate the part of our journey that we see.
10. Do Not Feel Guilty about After-Finals Sloth - I have only been out a week and I feel like I should be doing something. Granted there are only two weeks between the other semesters so I won't have as much time to sloth about as I do now, but still. Take the pressure off and give yourself some time to be a bum. 

So there we have it. My first 10 lessons of graduate school. Have you learned any? What are they? Feel free to share them with me.

Happy Travels! 

Let's just dig in...

I have said it before and I will say it again, Shonda Rhimes holds my emotions in the palm of her hands with her shows Scandal and Grey's Anatomy on ABC, and it is yesterday's episode of Grey's "Beautiful Doom" that has inspired this post. I will not give details of the episode for those who have not seen it, however there are some amazing words of mentorship and encouragement that Dr Thomas (who we still call Mr Feeny) gave to Christina Yang (which I hope will be her comeback b/c I need some of that in my life) that resonates so strong with me. I won't post the entire speech but here is just a tidbit:

"Mediocre surgeons will see you and fell themselves wilting in your shadow; do not shrink to console them. Do not look for friends here, you wont find them. None of these people to have the capacity to understand you, they never will..."

Such powerful writing.

One reason why I personally love this show is for the growth of the characters. We have seen them go from interns all the way to attendings and to see the new career struggles (like Dr Bailey giving Meredith her babysitter list) have to be tackled. That is so true for us, but maybe we miss it. Being a research assitant for a professor who dedicates so much of her career to mentoring I have a greater appreciation for the above words of encouragement. For seasons now I feel like there has been a small pebble in the shoe of Christina's career and so now I am hoping that this episode will reignite the force that is Dr Yang. We all need something to galvanize our greatness as we move forward to building our careers.

I was speaking with my coworker as well as one of my sorority sisters (separately) about my current life and they both interrupted me and said "and you're bored" lol!! I am though..I wasn't expecting that but I am. I am bored, I am also single and accountable to only myself. I think that there was a community I was searching for, endorsement from an unknown source, and validation from fictional superiors, but I can't "look for friends here." My "here" is a different path, even I am still trying to figure it out which is why I blog.

So as I prepare to conclude my evening I encourage you to not shrink to console those that are wilting in your shadow, to not look for friends, but to find your greatness, be a teacher to those you see greatness in, and allow yourself to be taught by those that see greatness in you.

Night Travelers...

Happy Tuesday Travelers,

(I am going to stop calling you that...I'm over it) While doing research for a blog post I came up on FastCompany (a magazine I know very little about) and their vlog section "30 Second MBA." In this section FastCompany gives the CEOs of various corporations 30 seconds to answer the questions on topics ranging from conflict resolution to meeting preparation.

I have not watched too many of the videos but I thought I would put one here for you to enjoy and get something out of. Here is Mark Zuckerber, founder of FaceBook, answering How do you generate innovation?






Happy viewing!

Happy Monday Travelers!

As I procrastinate doing research on my economics paper on Foreign Direct Investment and Corruption, I create this blog post on choosing your career when you know the whole truth (or as much as Google and Forbes Women will tell you...).

Recently I came across (read it was on my twitter timeline) a mini-series about the industry of consulting and if it is right for you. Each post in the series tackles a different aspect of the consulting interview as well as what one can expect to gain from their careers concerning consulting. Here is the link to the mini-series: READ.

I appreciated this post because of the insight it gave from an actual consultant, it is no secret that I want to be a managerial consultant to emerging fashion brands and boost them through the different stages of their growth. Though this was really targeted at those that are hoping to be employed by proper consulting firms, hence the interview tips, I realized that I still will need to know all of the possible scenarios, if not more, in order to properly cater to my clients.

What about you? How much insider research have you done on your industry. My blog is geared toward those that are pursuing a career in fashion, no matter the path, but that doesn't mean that this can apply to all careers in all industries. My point is, don't be caught off guard if you don't have to be. Being diverse in your knowledge of the factors that affect your industry and build your career are essential to anyone's success.

Read on folks!

Happy Travels!

One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!

Travelers,

This morning an article came across my timeline from the New York Times about Accelerators being more benefitial in lesson and network for students than B-School*. I have to be honest today was the first time I had ever even heard of accelerators, fully, and still don't get how this would benefit me more than my MBA program.

Still there is no easy way to make major decisions about your career's future, and this article is not even about which I think is best. I'm not a tech girl, I am a fashion girl with no tech attached, I am still learning about all of this, so accelerators for my career specifically is not a necessity. But if your freeway rides along the path of the 0101101 then it may be something to look into.

While doing research for my professor I came across this site the Forte Foundation that gives great information for women who are deciding on going back for their MBA, there is even a blog/forum where site visitors can engage in conversation to help them make that step and prepare their families if necessary for this big schedule change.

No matter what your choice is, it is your choice, and if you have already made it, it is totally okay to reexamine if you feel it is not meeting your needs. For me, my MBA is and I have only taken two classes, I don't see the benefit of an accelerator for me personally, but I am glad that I am well informed about them.

Happy Travels,
*WJS Cross reference

No Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!

Happy Monday Travelers!

Midterms are over and I am breathing like a regular person again (I got a B on my Econ midterm btw - I get the B-Law midterm back tomorrow...wish me luck), so a new blog post is well overdue!

Today I am dedicating this post to my new favorite lady on TV, Millie Grant of ABC's Scandal. If you don't watch this show you are missing some great TV. For more about the show read HERE. Though I love love love me some (main character) Olivia Pope to fictional Michelle Obama levels, there is something about Millie Grant, the often villainized wife of the President, who is arguably the true political genius of the show, that I really admire. Often times her tactics seem self-seeking, and counterproductive to saving her marriage, but I actually think that there is something to be learned from Mrs. Fitzgerald Grant. There are books on how men love bitches, or nice girls don't get the corner office, none of which I have read, but there is something to be said about a "bitch" with foresight.

I once tweeted that Millie is "the right amount of the WRONG kind of crazy" and I fully meant that. Though I don't agree with certain tactics like faking a miscarriage, watching her repeatedly asking for her voice, and heart, to be heard, and making decisions that end up getting her exactly that brought some interesting thoughts to me regarding how women handle business.


I am still in the learning phase but I have found that women are damned if they do damned if they don't in the areas of being nice, aggressive, showing or not showing emotion of any kind in the business arena. So in the public Millie appears to be young America's mom, and the quintessential wife but behind closed doors she is the Hurricane Sandy to the President's east coast. And I think that there are few lessons to be learned from her character, but not necessarily her character....

To Be Continued..

Good Evening to you Travelers,

There is so much going on in my world and in my head, so this is going to be a mini brain-dump post. As previously posted I am an MBA Candidate at Loyola Marymount University, here in Los Angeles, and I have also quit my job (which I didn't post) with my former fashion consulting employer. I have been hired as a research assistant to a professor at LMU and I will be honest the work has been very interesting. Lots of research, fact checking, and blogging (more like post correcting), and I really do feel like after all of this is said and done I will be in a much stronger places in the efforts of being accountable to my readers, my students, to my audience, and clients.


I am in Week 2 of my full-time studentdom and I am learning a new thing about time management skills. There is something about not being accountable to anyone about my time and my efforts, and what that really means in the area of maturity and growth. I live in LA, the land of the no 9-5's and I have learned that those that are successful with it are the ones that are most self-disciplined.

I haven't really figured out how my schedule will actually play out and it is midterms time so I am a bit consumed, but I have found that there are times when I will look up from three hours of studying and find that I am still on page 3 (sometimes literally) of 30. So what does that have to do with your journey? Three lessons I have learned about this looking up and seeing more road than progress:

 Any motion is better than no motion: There was one chapter of Business Law (Torts to be specific) that took me 7 hours to get through. 7 hours....that is almost a full work day on one chapter of reading, for one class, trust me when I looked up at hour 3 and saw so much more chapter to go I felt defeated, but I encourage you today that any motion is better than no motion. When we are trying our best it is okay to celebrate the small victories rather than looking at what we have not accomplished. 

Know your "Potholes"-and then fill them: We all have something that can distract us, make us feel overwhelmed, and what makes us feel settled/free/less random. Find out what those things are. My vice is tv, and I don't even have one (well I do but that is another post for another day), I watch all this on my computer. IDK why I will automatically go to the same sites to watch my shows, or spend random time on twitter, knowing it can wait until my task is handled, but for some reason I do it, and now I know that that is my pothole that needs to be filled, the number one place where I need to be disciplined. What makes me feel better is seeing progress, and brain dumping (writing out everything that is on my mind with no organization whatsoever but just to get it out), which is why this post is happening right now. I wanted to share this with you, to know that there is a way to fill your potholes. 

• The app where I rent my books Chegg.com had this cool diagram about how to prioritize that I wanted to share it HERE (I am now all about the airplane mode)

Never compare your speed to the alleged speed of another: At one point or another we all compare ourselves, our purpose/journey, and its growth and progression to that of others that we allege are in similar situations. I know I do. I assume that everyone in my class has done the reading and the homework, and that they are a lot more prepared than I am, the closer we get to midterms I have found that that is not true. When I was working in the fashion industry I would compare my age, career-level, and salary to those that I alleged to be in a younger, higher-level, or wealthier position than myself, which may not have been true. Why put any kind of pressure on yourself that airs you in a negative light? Don't do it!! If you can look up this very day, right now, and look back at the same day last year and know that you are in a different spot, and not worse off than last year, then you are in a good place and you are making progress! Screw what other people are doing, or not doing. 

That was "Random" now on to the "Research": 

In the course of my researching for my professor, I have come across some things regarding fashion, being a woman, and Africa (it's my thing right now, but I love learning more about my diaspora), that I would love to blog about here. I have a few blog mentors and am even a member of IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers - see the badge on the side), and yet I feel like I don't live up to this at all. I want to be better and smarter and more researched in my posts. I have high hopes for this blog and the direction of my brand. Also I want to do away with the "Fashion Freeway" theme of my blog, though I like the concept I find it confining at this stage of my journey, life and development. So I will not be holding myself to strict references to street and construction terms (though I did use "potholes" in today's post). I am working with a great web designer to revamp this blog and to also create a site that has a link about my EAF Endowment fund honoring my father, as well as a link to my Mary Kay page that ppl may donate and sponsor a domestic shelter through a package purchase that will also generate a donation fund back to that particular shelter. I am still working out the details of that one.

Post Quality and Integrity - this has been plaguing me for a while. I want to write better posts, I want to be a better blogger. Now let me be clear that I am not hoping for blogger fame, that's not my deal, but I would like a consistent audience that benefits from my musings and contents. Thank you very much to my loyal subscribers and new readers, I really do appreciate you! I know that you could be spending your time reading any other blog, but you chose mine. And for you I want to provide a higher quality of product.

I have been trying to be a bit more lenient to the direction of my blog, and the progression of the tone of my posts, however as the writer of a text heavy and not photo/style heavy blog I feel I have a duty to my readers for better and more quality writing and well researched information. I don't want to turn this solely into my online journal. That is not what I want at all. There is great information out there that I would love to expose you to. The growing pains of this blog, from the traffic themes, to moving to a branding focus, and now to my personal musings, I am now sitting back and looking at how to make my No Fear, Just DIVA (a name I came up with back in like 2006) brand into a clear and consistent one that grows as I grow and clarifies as I clarify. I think that the problem is that I get overwhelmed with the amount of research and what it would take to create those posts, and then I use school as an excuse (but I have been writing this post for the past hour) and then I let all the work fall by the wayside. Also it is no secret that I want THIS book, and I make the excuse that I can't take the time to read/self-study another book outside of my current texts. This is not true at all. I just have to be self-disciplined enough to actually do the research and write the posts. Even if they are shaky in the beginning I am still putting into practice lesson one "Any motion is better than no motion." One day I will get the book, in the meantime I will work on just one "editorial" feature a month. I said that I wanted to blog at least once a month and have a new post once a month and I still do. I need to remember why I go into blogging in the first place and also how many people actually read my blog. I honestly forgot that I have this on my resume, so when I apply for a position it always (like never fails) surprises me when the interviewer says "yes, and I read your blog..." So I am ready for some higher quality stuff here. Actually I am about to apply for an internship that is requesting two writing samples and I am going to use my blog as an example of my work, another reason I need to beef this up. But to perfectly honest I have not even began to know what "writing samples" look like or are so I need to look that up.

On that note my dear Travelers I am headed to bed. I think I am getting rid of the tagline as well, idk, but I won't put it here tonight, there are a lot of ideas in my head about this blog, but I know that I am keeping it. So there....you're stuck with me!

Night!!

One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA! (nah, I'm keeping it, it still excites me)

Since we all know that I have let go of Confessions blog and am back to No Fear, I will be working to build and recreate the site. Time for an upgrade and a higher calling of what this is supposed to be. The transition may take a few weeks, but then there will be much more consistency. I can't wait to see you watch it all grow with me. I am ready! I hope you are too!!

So yeah...this didn't really ever happen. I am so glad that this was just in Draft form and not an actual post. I will try to get the two combined and maybe turn Clacker into a series on here, but I can't give this up. Once I have gotten my rhythm again then I will work on being a better writer as well as giving this blog a face lift and creating an actual site. But I am not in a rush to do that, so in the meantime have a good laugh at the below...but I may use this picture again!

Alas Travelers it is time for me to say good bye to No Fear, Just DIVA.

I have to be honest I am not pleased with the way I had been keeping it up and was having a very hard time keeping up with the road-like metaphor that I started with this blog. However through it I have met some amazing people and wonderful bloggers.

If you have been a follower of this blog then you know that I am all about brands and branding and well....I wasn't branding this blog correctly. I really wanted to turn this into a brand (or did I because my work says contrary). Still, if you follow me on Twitter then you may be familiar with my hashtag #ConfessionsofaModernDayClacker which I use when talking of my adventures at my new job. I am now going to turn that into a blog on WordPress.

I have chosen to do this because as impersonal and job search/branding oriented I tried to make this blog it was missing the me part of it and I think that Confessions, like my Twitter page will have a bit of both the personal and professional and will allow me to connect with all of you that much more. So as soon as it's ready I will post the link and send you right on over. I am also choosing WP b/c the BlackBerry feature is better and I can do so much more with the formatting of WP thanks to a little genius friend of mine (I will post her info when the blog is ready as well).

So I hope that you will continue this journey with me just in a new venue and hopefully with more consistent content. I'm ready.

Happy Travels,

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back, No Fear, Just DIVA"
[source]

That's right people! I am headed back to school (for another 3 years) to receive my MBA in Management and Organizational Behavior. Who is excited?? ME!!

There are so many women in the fashion industry with graduate degrees that are doing some pretty wonderful things, my favorite woman to date is Caroline Issa, I had been admiring her pics on some of my favorite fashion blogs for a long while but it wasn't until I read this article that I fell in love with her brains and not just her Burberry.

I'm sure my long time travelers already know that I will be blogging all along this journey and I cannot wait to share with you what I learn and what my insights have to do with my Fashion Freeway.

Happy Travels!

Happy Wednesday Travelers,

Lately I have been experiencing a serious She-Rah-esqe vibe. It may be a combination of the sermon's that I have been exposed to of late professing the power of the woman, mixed in with the recent victories of so many female US athletes, either neither I have been all "I can conquer the fashion entire world!" (insert DVF comic book here)  




This is feeling was momentarily challenged after a recent conversation with a friend regarding the end of summer being optional...huh?? Our conversation went a little like this:
Me: Enjoy what's left of summer.
Friend: It's summer year round when you have access to the tropics.

Whelp that's that then huh?? I mean the conversation really had me thrown, like wait a minute...do I have that kind of access?? I felt so...limited. There are many times when I will read about the travels of my twitter follows and marvel in envy at the way they are able to pick up, go, and stay. As a Pisces I can really get into the idea of free ebb and flow, but is it what I really want? No, I like the idea of the access but I wouldn't use it as much, but that's besides the point. My thing is if I can conquer the world what is keeping me from doing so? What is keeping the chick on the outside from being the woman on the inside that I see in my head? I wasn't really sure but I am ready to find out and STAT! Summer is almost over after all...

So I got out my pen and paper and started to create a Bug List. Have you ever tried it travelers?? Making a list of the things that bug you about a certain topic? Well I have come to find that this list (in no particular order), has helped me with tackling bad habits that I would like to eliminate (like putting my clothes away rather then letting them fall where they please) and even addresses long ignored tasks that would make my life much easier (like getting my vacuum fixed). I really feel this list is the first step to us getting out of our own way and being proactive to live the life we see inside our heads. Here are a few examples of my bug list:

• Not cooking enough - Learn to make more dishes (Solution: I choose 3 recipes every 2 weeks to cook and try out 1 Breakfast, 1 Entre, 1 Dessert) 
• Tidier apartment! - No adult should live in all my clothing clutter (Solution: Put clothes away after they have been washed or taken off after the day- or rejected from the "Should I Wear This Today" pile)
• Build a better social network - Too many networks/groups (Solution: Re-evaluate Twitter follows, LinkedIn groups, and Facebook fan pages...do you need all of them?? Which can you get rid of, which should you interact with more?? Quality not Quantity)
• Be accountable to self - this is the hardest one on my list and I am still pondering...it is easy to complete a task at work when being fired is not the desired outcome, but since I don't and can't fire myself, what is motivating me to remain accountable and follow through on select tasks at hand? What is keeping me from pushing me and moving past just okay? 

So I hope that gives you a good idea of what I mean by a bug list, also note that nothing that I said was self-depreciating, this is not an opportunity to beat up on yourself! As a began to review my list I began to categorize the items on the list with Right Now (tasks that can be handled now - like my vacuum), Self (not a task per se but internal reflections of personal habits that need to change or update) Career (what directly effects my career) Social (this deals with things regarding my sorority, nonprofits, or networks...including this blog).

Try it out and let me know it has helped you move forward on your Freeway; I promise to keep you updated.

Happy Travels!

[source1] [source 2] [source 3]

Yesterday in my Mary Kay unit meeting we were charged to write out 50 Reasons of Why You Must Make This Work to the soundtrack of Nicki Minaj's Fly and Wiz Kalifah (sp?) Work Hard Play Hard. It was so much fun! Women were scrambling to get out of their own way and finish their lists in the allotted time; it's crazy what you find in your heart and the reasons that motivate you when you get out of your own way and just write. I know I sure was, I was ready to start crying at some of the things that were pouring out of my heart onto the paper.

So I ask you Travelers, what is your "This"? I have my reasons for starting my Mary Kay business as a second source of income, which I think I have shared, but if not I will write a post on that too, while financing my Fashion Freeway, but it's more than that, Oprah didn't become an award winning journalist to just be a talk show host, but to touch and change lives, she didn't take the straight line to success she fed her soul by building a school on South Africa...that is a WHOLE 'nother post!! But saying all of that to say whatever fuels your freeway, whatever puts gas in your tank and pushes you forward that is your "This." My "This" is my Mary Kay Business.

Once our "This" was identified and we wrote our 50, we were then challenged with reading it multiple times a day, I have chosen 3xs a day, for 90 days and see what manifests. Hard work must accompany this as well.


Here is my list*, check it out, comment, this is what keeps me accountable. Expect a post on this progress in 90 days, I am planning to do a 30 and 60 day update as well.

1. I must re-retire my mother
2. Because I don't care about cars, so I am not trying to pay for one
3. I love traveling and not paying for it
4. Because there are women whose lives have yet to be saved
5. Because I can't expect my boss (or any boss for that matter) to know my value (and pay me accordingly)
6. My tithes build His Kingdom -- Increase the 10th!
7. Because should spend their grocery money on designer clothing (you don't know my struggle)
8. I represent what it means to not walk a straight path to success 
9. Today right now I am building a testimony that is saving a young girl's life
10. Because Africa needs to see black faces supporting them
11. Because my life is not my own (I give myself away -- amazing song and testament to service)
12. Because sex trafficking still exists 
13. Because I was created for a time such as this (read Esther and let ya life be blessed)
14. It is up to ME to be an example of Ephesians 3:20
15. My great-grandchildren deserve a legacy
16. My success creates opportunities for more minority children to travel abroad
17. If I don't save Cleveland who will?
18. Because I can single-handedly rebuild my childhood neighborhood
19. Because my childhood home can be purchased
20. One successful non-profit can prevent one teenage suicide
21. Because I have a great-niece who has a chance to know and experience more 
22. Because my goddaughter is deserving of more 
23. Because I can have an amazing closet
24. Because I want my own jet
25. I don't want to choose between conference (AKA struggle- if you are in any international organization that has multiple conferences a year you will understand my plight)
26. NSF are just not cute
27. I want a heavy passport
28. I want a condo in Paris and Thailand
29. I set my alarm clock, not my job
30. Student loans are not meant to exist
31. I want options --- STOCK options 
32. Louboutin
33. Balmain
34. Pay for my wedding at Terranea Resort and Spa (Google that)
35. Elie Saab couture wedding dress paid for
36. I want to travel to EVERY fashion week - and now I can 
37. My children wont know student debt
38. There are conferences I have yet to speak at 
39. Oprah has yet to interview me
40. I will be a teacher in the fashion industry because I want to 
41. Because I don't want to be restricted to one zip code
42. Everything in MY name  --- but given in His name 
43. I want to get to the place where my credit score doesn't matter
44. Cash is liquid and I can pay for everything with that
45. Featured on Street style blogs
46. Because I am enough right now and I need other women to now that about themselves
47. Because my book series has yet to be written (keeping the name to myself!)
48. Because my dreams deserve their resurrection day
49. Because I deserve to be as random as I please
50. Because it's time I believe in me and am getting out of my own way! 

*=remember this was timed so this order was as it popped into my head not in order of importance

Happy Travels and I can't wait to hear your lists!!

Happy Good Day Travelers,

I don't know when this blog became my own personal musings but I refuse to stifle where this is going so I am just going to let it flow and see how this space evolves in the area of my Fashion Freeway and how I travel on it. I do know that this post is just a form of Part 2 of my previous musings about names and how that affects one's brand.

This morning I was getting ready to journal but I chose to blog these thoughts instead. It's no secret that I am a Christian and so in my morning devotions two separate resources just happen to be on the topic of being a woman, what it means to be feminine, the beauty of our emotions, our necessity in society and the home, and how we have embraced or rejected those roles. This got me thinking about all the areas in which I am involved in female development (this is not the phrase I want to use at all, I may come back and change this).

Now I know that this topic can get all kinds of out of hand so I will not be releasing a full post until I am fully confident that my thoughts are organized. This is not at all a post about what it means to be a woman, I am so about having one's own definition, and maybe I just want to express my musings on how I look at it and what roles I play in developing as a woman. There are some thoughts and ideas that work for me, but maybe not for others, and that is helping me to develop my adult self, which in the long-run shapes and maps my Fashion Freeway.

Until that time feel free to watch this new single by Lupe Fiasco "Bad Bitch" I really like the message in this song, but you know Lupe (or you might not...so enjoy), he always has a differing opinion that the majority hip hop artists.




No tagline today as this post is TBC......

 Happy Friday Travelers!

This week has been filled with lots of articles and talks of names and their purpose and importance. On Sunday my pastor spoke of the importance of ones name and how it can subconsciously determine their future, there have been many twitter discussions on how blatantly ethnic names can hinder one from getting a job or moving up in their career, and lastly three fashion articles regarding Jil Sander, Yves Saint Laurent, and Doo Ri have surfaced which makes me ask the question..Comment vous appellez-vous?

It's no secret that I am a branding junkie and love to read and analyze about how  a company brands itself and its product, and there is nothing bigger in a brand than the very thing that creates the first impression. Before I started working in the fashion industry it never occurred to me that one could lose ownership of their name. In my world if say, Calvin Klein left, then the brand Calvin Klein was over, bye bye Gaultier, doors closed....so not the case. When I first realized that I was incorrect in my assumptions I got a bit angry, partially due to the fact that I am the only Mei-Li that I know (I am sure there are others, Asian, find me a black Mei-Li and I promise she is under 6yrs old), and no matter where one goes like Beyonce not one person can say her name and they go...the singer or...same with me, I'm an original and worked hard at being the authentic me and for someone to tell me they are going to carry on Mei-Li with out the Mei and the Li, well I'm not okay with that. So what's hind the scenes of all that to make a person walk away, or in Sander's case, come back to their name? What is that contract process? I recently heard a horror story about a well known and super talented designer who has an awesome fashion brand in her name that no longer belongs to her but is making millions. She was shafted by a former partner who has got to be living a serious yacht lifestyle off what her parents gave her in love...her name.

We now live in the age of sign and sue where contracts and court cases are as common as top knots and peep toes, and I don't understand any of it. I am glad that I am exposed to it in some frame though. As I await to hear if I have been accepted into graduate school for my MBA in Management Consulting I am seeing all the needs of the industry. Though I don't deal with indie brands directly I have a heart for them. There are some great brands out there with amazing product that don't get the recognition they need or close their doors too early due to lack of funding for things like decent PR or low sales. Thankfully social media helps the tech savvy work their way around that, but I would love to see more brands follow the Dries Van Noten route and not sell to larger companies no matter how much they promise autonomy.

I'll end this post there, there is so much more for me to learn and understand before I can get in a deep enough post/conversation/debate about this subject, but it was on my mind and I really am interested in how my degree in Management Consulting can help me help small companies keep their name, flourish, and run efficiently. There ends my thoughts Travelers! Until next time!!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!" 

Hola, Aloha, Bonjour, and Bom Dia Travelers! The past couple of months have been such a journey, I lost my father a week before my birthday, I started my Mary Kay business, applying to USC and LMU for my MBA, and joined the MS Society's YPG group for professionals in their 20's and 30's that are affected by or just plain old advocating for multiple sclerosis. And that was just the first 6 months of the year. Whew!

Through that time I have had so much to say but just not taking the time to say it. I thought that adding an app to my blackberry (yes I still have one, TMobile is a terrorist), would keep me blogging on the regular, that didn't work. So I thought that if I voice noted my thoughts then transcribed them that would be better, nope. Lastly I started carrying a notebook with me to jot down my thoughts then type them out....you see the pattern here. There was nothing really working to keep me blogging consistently besides me well...blogging consistently.

My goal is to blog once a month, it's a simple goal that I think I can maintain. I really like the writing and appreciated the fan base that I had grown as well as some of the networking I was able to do with some of the bloggers that I admire. So let's get into this title....

As I mentioned in the intro the first 6 months have been a worldwind of emotions, change,and redirecting. Talk about pot holes and detours! I really couldn't get back on my freeway, I just kinda chilled at the rest stop of my journey trying to remap toward a new Point B. This is where I froze. I know that I have said in previous posts (idk where lol maybe I will link later) that fear can be paralyzing and will stop a traveler right in their tracks, I can't afford that anymore. The closer I get to 30 the more I am aware of how what I do, or don't do, today affects my tomorrow. So I have to keep going...but it doesn't come without caution. Fearfully fearless.

I think that many of us get to a point where more of us is required than before in order to make it to our destination. We want to remain in cruise control even though we know good and well that we aren't where we want to be or even have the potential to be. That's where I am right now. I am in a place that requires me to be more intentional of my time as well as more organized with my time and paperwork. I need to be accountable to those that I have committed to work with, which includes myself. So let's look at each of my responsibilities and what this means shall we?

Church: There is a spiritual accountability that I have to my God in the areas of character and finance, but hear I want to touch on the youth as I am a youth leader at my church. Showing up on time and engaging the youth that attend on Sundays, showing great ownership and being approachable are key and require my attitude to be intact as I know I'm being watched by a gang of middle schoolers!

Sorority: I am the co-chair of our mentoring initiative which runs like a separate organization in and of itself. For anyone in an NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) organization knows that as an active member there are meetings, activities and dues that need to be tended to. As a committee leader I am required to keep my committee  up to date as well as execute the objectives of this particular initiative...read - paperwork. I don't know why I am having such an issue with paperwork but I am. Sitting down and do it and then remembering to turn it in!

YPG: I have just joined this group so for right now I am enjoying sitting back and learning, however if I say that I am going to volunteer at an event it is up to me to make sure I am there on time and in the proper attire..if needed.

MBA: 4 letters --> G M A T ! I am accountable to my score and my studies to make sure that score is competitive justifiable to get that acceptance letter. This means more time management. How long I study and how often I take a practice test is up to me.

Mary Kay - newly added as an additional source of income is literally my part time job. This is probably where I feel the most overwhelmed. There is so much to know, and for some reason I think that I have to learn it all before I move forward with it. But the fact is momma got bills and her first job just aint cutting it like she needs it to. However, in Mary Kay I earn my effort, which means that my income is a DIRECT reflection of what I am or am not doing. Which goes back to moving out of cruise control and putting myself in drive. (this will come in a second post soon)

So with all of that said welcome to the transitional portion of the second phase/season of 2012. I hope you enjoy the ride as I learn how to.

Happy Travels!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

I can see that in 2009 there was a level of optimism that I feel like I have lost, but I also see the difference of the situations that make this post and the principle still applicable and much needed.

2009:
-I was part of a larger vision
-I was trusted with the execution of said vision
-There was partnership and open communication, even with differing opinions

2012:
-I have made best efforts to be a part of a vision that has been ripped from me at every mistake
-I did not see my own vision within the whole picture, I became lost in the need to just survive and not thrive

I don't talk about (spiritual) faith here on this blog and it is not my goal to start, but today it is relevant to this post. I am a Christian woman and in listening to a sermon about stepping out on faith and believing first and God showing us second it made me think of this scene from the movie Hook:



This was so powerful to me! In my "Imagine That" post the tone was Think-->Imagine-->Go, but here it's more like the title of this post Act as if it Were and Watch it Manifest. Dig your fork in the plate of your career and watch the meat of your success appear in your mouth. Create it while moving like it already exists. Take the risks, write the emails, make the calls, do it anyway, and don't wait to do it.

That is what I am doing, for too long I waited on someone else to create the door of opportunity for me to walk through, but I am about to take some risks that create my own doors, mostly in the area of education, I might succeed I might fail, but there is a vision and I am a part of it's execution, I am trusted with my ability to execute, and that is all that matters. (check that run on sentence)

Happy Travels (and Risks Taken)

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

Happy Thursday Travelers!

This new place in my journey has me in a very thoughtful and reflective place. So for your musical pleasure:



My current career position has propelled me into a whole new meaning of "No Fear, Just DIVA." I'm not just graduating from school with a load of prospects from recruiters and I'm not super excited about the world that is around me. I'm right in the middle of a lease, I am in that weird place in my career where I know it's time to move forward, but totally unprepared to start in some place new. I'm frustrated with the position I have been put in and I have to be accountable now more than ever concerning the movement of my career.

"We're all self-conscious I'm just the first to admit it." Explaining to my mother that I would rather be unemployed than in the position I am currently in, but the level of confidence that I need to build the career that I want. This is an unexpected pot hole on my freeway, I am totally trained that we get hired by a company we work at that company and stay at that company until retirement or the Olsen Twins hire you to be their new CEO, but that is not the case.

So what do we do when it all falls down? I have 3 ideas:

1. Occupy your time with purpose. - The only thing that is keeping me sane and from watching the computer/my emails every 5 minutes is the fact that I have other things going on in my life that allow me to feel fulfilled and knowing that even without this job I have a greater calling and who I was at work does not determine that. I now also get a chance to build my career around my purpose.
   
2. Apply for 3 jobs you would never think you are qualified for but would LOVE to do anyway if hired. - Hell, I say why not, if you get it have the confidence to rock it out!!
   
3. Don't hit the panic "Apply" button!! - We all have done it, if you haven't I hope you never do. Applying for the job that you don't want, wont lead to a career, but you know that you can get. I strongly believe that this will only lead to repeating the same cycle. Now if you are building a business and need something to fund it then I say go for it, you know it's temporary anyway.
   

So there you have it! Do not let this time get to you! I'm trying my best to not let it get to me, but I am now learning that it can all fall down, so what I am I doing to pick it back up?

Night Travelers!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

Recently I have seen a shift in my career and though I am not a fan of the financial reform this change is about to place me in, I am excited to see what is ahead of me. I won't sit here and bash my work situation or any of the players involved in my recent shift, but I will say that I think it to be wise to not believe that leaving one unpleasant situation to a new unknown one, that the grass is greener at your new destination. Point C may not be sweeter than Point B.

In transitioning on your freeway I recommend looking at both the fixed and the variable components to your situation:

Fixed - That's you. No matter what situation your are in, work, friendship, or finance, YOU are the only thing that stays the same. So when evaluating what went or is going wrong in the above it is time to take a self examination. Moving from one job to the next new co-worker situation doesn't matter if you come in with a sense of entitlement and not humility. Having a girlfriend problem? Are all their reasons for leaving the friendship/relationship similar? Maybe it's not them maybe it's you. Finances, doesn't matter if you make $800 a month or a day, keep seeing overdrafts in your account that means YOU have a need to learn money management.

Make sense? In the time of a change, especially from an unpleasant situation to a new one, look at several past situations and the similarities in the unpleasantness.

Variable - The situation. sometimes it really isn't us, it's them. But it takes that self examination of the fixed in multiple of variable situations to know if that's truth and not self righteousness.

A sincere willingness to examine both the fixed and the variable will truly fuel your freeway. Once it has been identified then clear communication is what is necessary to properly navigate from Point B to new Point C.

Does any of this makes sense? lol

If you find yourself in the position of leadership, or are striving to be a leader then I think that this article I came across in Inc.com is an essential read. I really think that this article deserves a separate post of its own, but while composing I found myself finger pointing more than learning/self-assessing, and that is where this post came from.

So in conclusion, sometimes that change is a blessing and moving from a challenging situation to a new one can be great, but examine all the factors. In order for the grass to be greener on the other side, you are going to have to water it.

Happy Travels!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"