By now many of us have heard of Apple Marketing Executive Bozoma Saint John. If you have not take some time to familiarize yourself with her here, and here, and also here.

Two weeks ago the video of her acceptance speech for the Billboard Women in Music 2016 Executive of the Year Award surfaced with nothing but love and adoration for all things sistah gurl. I found out about the speech when my best friend posted it proclaiming its power to make you hit the ugly cry, and it sure did. So after watching it several times in a row I knew I had to write a post about it.

The reason I personally feel that this speech in particular is necessary, just plain crucial, for Black women to hear before the clock strikes midnight on 2017, is because there was just something about 2016 that is leaving many of us in need of healing, restoration, and a lot of renewed strength. There is a restorative power to this speech, there are necessary charges in this speech, we are seen in this speech, and our language is spoken in this speech. Saint John gives us a seat at her table in this speech, matter of fact after this speech listen to Solange Knowle's "Dont Touch My Hair" and then "F.U.B.U." just get all the way into it. (I am actually listening to album as I write this). So before you close out this hell of a year give your soul some R and R (and R and R...)

Restore - Your Spiritual Practice

"I would like to give thanks to the Most High"

Bozoma is not shy about her love for Christ as she thanks Jesus openly mentioning how she caught the Holy Ghost when she found out she won the award. No matter your personal beliefs, (and it appears that Black women have been exploring their options), having a spiritual practice that centers you when life is uncertain, trying, and just down right uncooperative is imperative. Before the year ends centering with your higher power and locating your inner peace can help keep your journey smooth when you hit the potholes of life.

Resound - Your Voice

"The S-I-S-T-A-H" 

From this year's presidential election, to the #SayHerName movement, we know that our voices matter. And if you don't know, know it now. Every time Bozoma said "Boo" my pride grew just a little more. When she spoke to her mother in her native language of Fante because in her words "...since our mother tongue, Fante, isn't often spoken on stages like this..." I lost it. The tears could not have been stopped under any circumstance. Listening to her speech the feeling of a big sister talking to her girls as we sit by the door and listen in only for her to invite you in on the conversation is exactly what I felt with the language that she used here. Never did she replace a slang word with a corporately appropriate word, never once did she apologized but proclaimed that this speech was for the sistahs "with an 'H'" She new that not only did her voice matter but it needed to matter in its own identity, in its true and native form. Black women your voice is beautiful and your words necessary.

Rally - Realize and Refine Your Tribe

"You are always home base for me" 

There is something about a tribe, the small group of women (people) that no matter where you are in the world they are as Saint John put it, "home base." The power of sisterhood is evident in her speech when she speaks gratitude to "the sistahs who chose [her]" and how they "spoon-fed [her] back to life on the strength of their love" after her husband died. This resonates with me so strongly as I am the gypsy of my friends yet there is a group of women who reside in Columbus, OH that I will forever call my Foundation, and when my father died in 2012 my sistahs in Los Angeles took turns sleeping at my place to ensure I wasn't alone during those first few nights of returning from Cleveland. I breathe their love and no matter where I am in the world, knowing that I have them matters more than anything to me. Before 2017 review and reevaluate your friendships, where does it need to be refreshed or even revisited; as my best friend puts is "protect your energy." Prune where necessary, and realize where you too can improve as a friend and support system.

Recognize - Coach and Champion Instead of Complain

"I see you Boo! Okay!"

There was this smooth rant Bozoma when on that was just straight recognition for "the sistahs that aren't seen, that push themselves day in and day out..." When she said "I see you Boo!" I felt as if she was talking to me directly, like she knew all about that one Wednesday two weeks ago when...you know? The restorative power of recognition among your peers where your soul also has rest is both underrated and undervalued. Often the media has tried to portray Black women as catty and combative and not as collaborative, but this portion of the speech disproves this notion. I personally am trying my best to do better about coaching and championing rather than complaining. I have made my own proclamation that if it is important enough for me to vent about it to multiple people, but have yet to speak to the originator of agitation then I am now the problem. I have gotten much better over time, but it still something I have to be fully conscious about. Not everyone will receive constructive criticism or kind correction, but it is much more productive to coach and champion than to complain. So before 2017 try to take these next few days to recognize where you can hand out more "I see you Boo!" It's the Black woman's high five.

Reach - Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way

"We are knocking these dudes out of the way to make room for you"

If nothing else in her speech made you cry Bozoma's promise to the younger generation, and her words to her daughter and goddaughter should have done the trick. Charging them to "walk [their] walk, walk boldly, walk in [their] truth and not even [hers]" to "use [their] big girl voice" Young Black girls have to be woke in a way that we have only heard of our parents tales of the Civil Rights Movement. I remember when this video of 9 year-old Zianna Oliphant speaking at the Charlotte, NC City Council meeting circulated and the comments on the post were that she was prepped, that someone fed her the words, and that there was no way that those could be the words of a child her age, and it just made me think of how much our children are discounted. Our Black girls need to see examples of walking in one's truth, speaking out and using their voice, and know that it is okay to do the same. There are 4 young ladies in my life that are the silent checks and balance system to ensure that the things I do, I do with intention. And since it's my blog I am going to take a moment to speak words of honor to them.

• Goddaughter - I honestly believe that you were born early because the world couldn't wait to have you in it. Your creativity and knack for video editing is going to have great value for the way that our stories are heard and told. I am so excited to watch you grow and embrace every changing circumstance that the world throws at you with such a mature demeanor. You embrace life as if it were an opportunity to make something beautiful, and it inspires me to change my perspective when I lean toward the negative. 
• Twin - You are pure in heart. Artistic is an understatement as you have made art your science. Your love for the Lord keeps your outlook on life so bright, and you clearly cause light wherever you go. This is your superpower. People love you and instinctively want to protect you, yet you are the strongest warrior of them all. You will use your art as your sword, and oh the battles you will win. 
• Muse - Carefree Black Girl, you are a founding member. Watching you come into your own, fashion your style in a way that inspires me on a daily, street and book smart, you are the epitome of "cool." Your voice is going to change a generation, you are a natural leader, and we don't have to worry about knocking down the dudes to make room for you because you do that all on your own. Haters part like the Red Sea in your presence, your confidence your staff, and us your support system will always be there to hold up your arms when they tire. Already a mentor to many, your leadership will inspire multitudes. May I forever remain a part of your fan club. 
• Favorite - My favorite girl. You will literally be that until you're like 50. We are such kindred spirits. You are that kind whose friendship has the ability to spoon feed someone back to life when they need it; you have so much love to give. Smart and disciplined, this will take you farther than many in your circle. Embrace it! You will soon come across others who have a high-capacity to achieve in the same way you do. You are wise about how you use your voice already, when you choose to speak it means something, and people want to hear it. You are headed directly to the exceedingly, abundantly, above, and beyond, and when you get there that capacity to love, discipline to complete the hard tasks, and voice that speaks the necessary will be crucial. You got this! 

Speak life into a young woman in your life today. In the meantime get your life with the video below. Cry, take notes, journal your thoughts and feelings, purge a bit before the new year, and Restore, Resound, Rally, and Reach.

Happy 2017!

Billboard Women in Music 2016 Executive of the Year Acceptance Speech (Bozoma Saint John) from Bozoma Saint John on Vimeo.

This past summer a friend and I participated in the LA Crawl "a celebratory event to socially connect the tri-city region [Santa Monica (SaMo), Culver City, and Los Angels] utilizing the expanded Expo Line". Two types of tickets were sold

• General: $22 - pub crawl ticket + Metro Tap Card, or 
• VIP:  $30 - pub crawl ticket + Metro Tap Card + Post Wrap Party + LA Crawl T-shirt + Spa Certificate valued at $40

The process went something in the ways of entering in your zip code, and then the site would create a crawl for you in a neighborhood outside of your own. This could be done as an individual or as a team; we chose the team option. However, if you were on a team there was no specific "leader" nor way to sync crawl routes, so my friend and I had two separate routes, hers in SaMo and mine in Downtown LA (DTLA). After a series of phone calls to the number provided by the site we just decided to go with her route since there was no way to correct the situation. We chose the VIP option and obtained our materials at the designated pick up locations indicated in our confirmation emails.

The day of the event, we took the Expo Line to the last stop in Santa Monica and proceeded to follow the route provided by the site; there was not an app component so we had to log in to the site to view the map. Though we wore VIP bands, none of the locations we patronized knew about the Crawl or had any real special rates for the event. The spa certificate was for first time visitors, which my friend was not, so it was of no use to her, and the wrap party moved venues and ended up being about 10 of us in a small pub. (This is only for the SaMo crawl, there was also a party in DTLA that I do not know the outcome of.)

Needless to say the event itself was not what I would consider a success, though after speaking with the creator of the crawl he explained to me that their main objective was creating a data base (which mostly consisted of emails). Since I paid $30 for something I could have done on my own I decided that my two cents were also welcomed. Below is a comprehensive view of that two cents. There was a meeting with council members planned for Tri-City Alliance (the creators of the Crawl), but I don't know if it happened or what the outcome of that meeting was in the event it did occur. I took to their social media pages, which have not had any activity either at all, or since the time of the Crawl.

Creating  a Tri-City Impact

The basic idea behind the Crawl was great, it was the execution that was incomplete.

Metro Partnership - Have a Tap Card with the LA Crawl Logo
The founder informed me that due to the event promoting the consumption of alcohol there could not be a formal relationship with Metro. (as a citizen I would think that it would be the opposite to keep people from driving while intoxicated, however I never looked further into this). However, if the main objective is to create diversity in these three cities and the new expanded Expo Line, then promoting the exploration of these cities without the specific emphasis on the local bars could remedy that.

Homelessness - Have an Accountability of Funds
The site states that the event was to benefit LA's homeless, however there was never any information (before or after the event) that provided in detail:

1. If any portion of the ticket purchase was tax deductible
2. A formal partnership with any city initiative, shelter, or other organization that supports homelessness 
3. How much was raised and where those funds were sent. 

Technology - Creating Accessibility
Having an option for the creation of teams on multiple accounts would have been ideal. Without the necessity of a team leader, patrons should be able to:

• Create a team, 
• Invite members to the team
• Look up/join a team
• Sync routes for team members 
• Receive push notifications in the event of any changes like with the Post Wrap Party

I understand that apps are not cheap, so the creators of the event may have not had that capacity, however, while building their site the above would have been ideal. Also a partnership with FourSquare, Yelp, Open Table and/or any other "check-in" site that allows for location identification to provide stats of participation.

Logistics and Metrics - Mutual Benefit for Businesses and Tri-City Alliance
The part that I understood least was why there were no metrics put in place to determine success of the event. There were basic logistical measures I recommend to put into place:

• Signage outside of each venue to distinguish participating businesses 
• Informed hostesses and staff of the event to acknowledge VIP-band wearing patrons, in the event they do not have a reservation for that specific venue

After the event select data could have been recorded and reported to the necessary local officials in order to receive wider support and promotion of the next event (no next event has been advertised. Both local businesses and officials could have also benefited from the below: 

• Demographic information of participants by zip code: 
• Age and Gender 
• How far from their zip codes where they willing to travel (I was around 25 miles from my current zip code) 
• Average dollars spent in these areas 

• Revenue from the Crawl Alone: 
• With a prix fix menu, or Crawl specific designation for revenue recording from each participating business would allow them and the city to have a tangible number of the event's impact on local business. 
• Elimination of the $20 and $30 fee and partner with an organization to donate a portion of the proceeds to homelessness alleviation efforts in LA, or have the Tshirt available for purchase with 100% proceeds being donated. If we have to pay for food and drinks at each of the places there is no need to also charge $30 for a tee and $7 metro card.

Again, the Tri-City Alliance has a good idea and concept, however, the execution can stand for revisiting. This can be a great idea for not just restaurants but for local art galleries, boutiques, and other services that are normally looked over by tourists who migrate to big businesses and chains they are familiar with.

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!

I ran across an interesting blog Spandex + Chaos searching a pic for an upcoming post and came across this video of Russell Simmons talking business and passion for creativity while finding your niche. A quote that I will take with me is

"[We're] fearful. [We] think that [we]have to accomplish something immediately and that [we're] gonna be secure somehow, but [we] have to know that our securities are already in [us] and to operate from that abundance that is inside of [us]"

If you follow "UncleRush" on Twitter then you know that his all about empowering the passion and power within...and no matter how you feel about his spirituals you have to give it to him he is one of the top business men of our time. Feel free to leave a Diva Stamp to share your thoughts and stop by Spandex + Chaos to read their thoughts on the video, it's well worth it.




Happy Travels!

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

A Motivational Poem
You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be
Poet: Donna Levine

There is inside you
all of the potential to be whatever
you want to be
all of the energy to do whatever
you want to do.

Imagine yourself
as you would like to be,
doing what you want to do,
and each day, take one step
towards your dream.

And though at times it may seem too
difficult to continue,
hold on to your dream.

One morning you will awake to find
that you are the person
you dreamed of
doing what you wanted to do
simply because you had the courage
to believe in your potential
and to hold on to your dream.

I saw this poem in Iconagraphy Magazine and when I read the title I thought of Brandy's "My Own Little Corner" song. But read the poem Travelers and take it on your journey. Sometimes we just need a reminder.

Happy Travels!

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

On the recent Possimpible Episode of How I Met Your Mother, there was great debate about what information is relevant on your resume. For example, two of the characters had things such as Slam Dunk King and Hot Dog Eating Contest Winner. And although I'm sure you travelers are not riding along your Freeway with such foolishness on your resumes it did raise two great questions.

What is relevant information on a resume? And if you don't have one how do you build one?

Students I say visit your career center. At FIDM they have a great resume packet that will walk you through building a resume with skill sets specifically for your major and area of the Industry.

Not a student? Well Microsoft Word has some great templates and there are so many sources on the Internet.

I am in no way the resume expert but here are 5 pointers that I do have and feel free to leave a DIVA Stamp for any tips that you may have to building a great resume.

Okay so 5 tips here we go:

1. Keep it only one(1) page- if you have additional information keep it on a separate sheet in the same format as your resume. Put a little *on the end of your resume stating "Additional experience, references (and/or portfolio/writing samples, etc.) available upon request." If they request it bring it with you
2. If you don't have work experience use school experience- I learned this from my career advisor. My classes at FIDM are very hands on so I put on there the things I am learning such as Pattern making, or Computerize Flat Sketching. In the place of work experience create a section that says Relevant Coursework and then list the things you are learning that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
   
3. Keywords are Key-Some employers search their databases by keywords so try to read the job description and use those same words while still remaining truthful. Some example words such as "motivated" "dedicated" "organized" "time-management"
   
4. Make it memorable at one glance--Let me let you in on a secret---I'm not visually creative. I have seen some resumes that break every rule that business school has ever taught me a resume should look like. Those are also the resumes that stick out in my mind and if I were hiring it would be the one that I would pick up and call. Keep it clean and classy, but at one glance is it memorable? This is how you can tell, put your view at like 25%-50% and if it doesn't catch your eye it wont catch an employers.
   
5. Text isn't just for your phone-Sometimes what looks cute on our computer doesn't always transfer over to other computers the same way. Especially if you are going from Mac to PC. Keep a "text only" format of your resume that doesn't have any of the special fonts, just the important information. This is good for company sites that require you to set up an account before you can apply to jobs for their company.
   

Well that's it. My 5 tips to building your resume. Watch the episode have a laugh and leave a Stamp or two. Have a great week travelers. Happy Travels!

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