The day before Superbowl 50 was a very busy, but lazy day for me. I had been under the weather, and was extremely busy [and stressed] preparing for a Super Bowl Beyoncé party. After spending over six hours running from store to store, I came home, pulled out my leftover breakfast from my favorite Mexican restaurant, devoured it within a minute, and went straight to sleep. Itis level was on a 1,000.
Before that day even started, I told myself I would run a few errands, pull out my computer, and put in some much needed work on my blog and anticipated personal website. Instead, I ate and took my lazy ass to sleep. Motivation? Bish where?
It didn't take long for my heavenly nap to be interrupted by calls and texts from friends asking if I had heard the new Beyoncé record. Words like "black power," "Hurricane Katrina," and even "anti-police" were included in the headlines as I searched for a place I could feast my eyes on the video. I had to brace myself before pushing play, but was pleasantly surprised.
width="679" height="253" />
Beyoncé's song "Formation," oozes Black culture, greatness, oppression, and female empowerment all within four minutes and fifty-three seconds. Besides the fact that it is very fitting with today's current events, and has caused a ton of controversy, protests, and plenty of debates, "Formation" is serving up a platter of inspiration for the modern girl boss.
After watching the video, I was motivated to get off my behind and put in work for me more often- even when I work over 50 hours a week for one job and 10 hours for another. As I always preach to my friends and family, "Don't work all day for someone else and none for yourself." It's amazing how easy it is to preach to other people when you're struggling with the same thing.
While there are over 9,584 ways that this song gave me life, I only have so much time and you only care to read so much so I will give you just 5 takeaways that stood out.
1. Never Be Afraid To Evolve, But Don't Forget What Makes You YOU
"Earned all [the] money but they never take the country out me. I got hot sauce in my bag, swag."
Learn, grow, and evolve, but never forget what makes you YOU. With change comes growth, but never change so much that you forget who you are and what makes you unique. As a proud Southern woman from Texas, I love how real Beyoncé is in her video. In our work, whether it is in our own business or through a company that we work for, it is so easy to let money and other people change who we are. That in return diminishes our individuality, alters our personality, and our passion for our work and who we are in it.
2. Be unapologetic and proud of our natural beauty --especially in the workplace
"I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros. I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils."
As a young, Black, professional woman, I used to struggle with deciding on a hair style that will be fitting of the "professional workplace." If I wear my hair in extensions, I look normal. If I wear a puff, I get asked if I am sick or feeling okay. If I wear braids, I get compliments, but then I am annoyed at the millions of questions of 'how did you get your hair like that?' or 'wow, your hair grew so fast!'
In a study by ESSENCE magazine, it was found that 57% of Black women change their physical appearance to fit in at work (i.e. straighten their hair or change their personal style of dress). Some Black women do this to fit in and to conform with the stereotype of what a professional image looks like. In her song, Beyoncé reminds us to be unapologetic and proud of our natural beauty.
width="659" height="244" />
3. Never downplay your greatness. Use your success to inspire others
"Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh. I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin’)."
I don't know how many times I have logged onto any social network and seen a positive post associated with a little downplaying. For some reason, people don't want to be seen as cocky or don't want to make other people feel inferior. So instead of celebrating ourselves and our own successes, we either don't talk about it, or we downplay it.
[Tweet "We should never have to downplay our accomplishments to avoid making others feel inferior."]
Personally, there is nothing I love more than hearing other people talk about their passions, their goals, and their accomplishments - especially in a society where it is is strangely normal to feel like you are boasting when you are honorably speaking about yourself. When you accomplish a goal, you deserve to be proud of yourself and furthermore, you deserve to tell the world. Your success is yours. You earned it girl! Use your success to radiate inspiration in others - you never know how your story can help others.
4. Never Stay Stuck In Any Situation That Doesn't Serve You
"Get what’s mine, take what’s mine. Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper."
In your life, you may be in a situation that you would rather not be in. For most, that situation may be your job or career. While you are counting the minutes down at work each day, remember that you are never stuck in any situation. Be gracious for the opportunity that you are receiving and try to make as many positive connections and soak in as much knowledge as you can. Build upon your skills and increase your network. Also remember these 4 key items for success:
1.) Always perform your job with excellence & actually want to do a good job (even if you hate your job).
2.) Over prepare and over deliver at whatever task there is to complete.
3.) Present yourself professionally and be personable at all times.
4.) Plan your exit strategically until you are able to venture off into what you really want.
width="606" height="235" />
5. Visualize It, Then Work Hard To Get It
"I see it, I want it. I dream it, I work hard, I grind ‘til I own it."
Drink your water. Do your squats. Read more books. Meditate. Mind Yours. Be Unapologetic. Work hard. Repeat. #GetInFormation
In her song while looking like a Creole Queen, Beyoncé reminds us to not only slay, but to work hard and always grind for what you want. Yes you have dreams and you have goals. But what actions are you taking to accomplish them? What new habits have you formed and what old habits are you working on destroying? What conferences have you signed up for, and what new courses are you planning to take to further educate yourself? Who have you recently networked with, and who is on your list to connect with soon?
Related Post: Why Successful People Invest In Conferences
There are a million and one questions that I could pose, but simply I just want you all to be seriously thinking of what you want out of life and what it takes to get there. Try to create mini goals for your dreams and set a realistic schedule of when you can complete them. Sometimes I feel that we set goals that are huge and the minute we start working on them and realize how big they really are, we get intimidated and let life pass us on.
On the same note, strive to be more specific when goal-setting. I was recently listening to a podcast by Curlbox CEO Myleik Teele and she spoke of the importance of really honing in on your goals and being detailed when you dream. If you aspire on starting a blog this year, ask yourself questions like: What kind of blog will it be, who will be your target market, how will you host it, how will you build it, how often will you post. When you are specific in your goals, it helps you paint a clear picture of what you want and what it takes to get there.
width="655" height="249" />
When you have goals that you want to reach, times will get hard, patience will get low, and your motivation will try to sneak away. When it happens, throw on your Beyoncé mix, remember why you started, and keep the grind alive.
RELATED
While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
Feature image courtesy
The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
Sherri recognized a need in her community and decided to act on it. Today, she is not only a thriving entrepreneur but also a published author, business coach, and motivational speaker.
Additionally, her daughter is following in her entrepreneurial footsteps. Together, they are the dynamic duo behind the Offices at Dogwood Park. Within this building, Sherri and Janaya operate their Success Suite, offering cost-effective conference rooms and business suites for emerging entrepreneurs.
Janaya also runs her own business, Belle Lux Day Spa, which occupies a quarter of the building and exemplifies the family's entrepreneurial spirit.
Sherri J’s journey was far from easy, and throughout this process, she’s learned a great deal about the childcare industry, money management, and the power of determination. She shared a bit of her journey with us in today's Money Talks.
Courtesy
On how she got started:
"Well, I fell pregnant very early in life, at 14 years old. That's what molded me and the rest of my life. I had to learn responsibility very, very early. I had to be a mother all while balancing being a teenager, trying to find and learn myself. Having that type of responsibility at such an early age gave me a quicker start at life.
"Anyway, my daughter's father’s side of the family was into childcare. I had to work for them to kind of earn my keep and to take care of this new child that I had sprung on everybody. So in working for her father's side of the family, I learned the childcare industry – really unbeknownst to me. I was kind of being molded into being the person that I am today. Then I decided I wanted to step out on faith and try to open my own childcare center; I did that by 24. Long story short, that's what got me to where I am today."
On her initial relationship with money:
"I didn't have the option or experience to be good with money. I didn't know anything about it. My mom was just the average everyday working woman trying to make ends meet. I didn't know what a wealthy lifestyle was. I didn't know what having money looked or felt like. I think I got my first understanding of it when I met his family and saw what they had. That's when I knew we didn't have money."
On stepping out on her own:
"I was very scared because, at this time, I was working as an executive assistant to the principal for [the] Atlanta Public School System. So I was making maybe $35,000 in my early twenties. I had always been in corporate America. I worked for Wachovia Bank (Wells Fargo) and H&R Block and felt like I had gotten a good job at the school system.
"I mean, 16 years ago, $35,000 was a lot of money for a 21-year-old. But I knew that I wanted to always be a resource for my daughter, and even on $35,000, I was barely making ends meet. I had enough to pay my rent, my little car note, and maybe buy some McDonald's here and there."
On using her taxes for startup money:
"When I made the decision to jump into childcare, I had saved three years' worth of tax returns. At the time, I was getting between a $2,500 to $4,000 return. And one year, I just decided not to spend it. Also, I was saving like $100 out of each check. For two years, I ended up with about $5,000 – so that was my startup. I literally just buckled down and decided not to waste the money."
"When I made the decision to jump into childcare, I had saved three years' worth of tax returns. At the time, I was getting between a $2,500 to $4,000 return. And one year, I just decided not to spend it... For two years, I ended up with about $5,000 – so that was my startup. I literally just buckled down and decided not to waste the money."
On her favorite splurges:
"Sadly, I do not splurge. I like cars so when I want a new car, I'm going to get one. But that's not all the time. You know? I really don’t do much for myself. Everything I do is always for other people. My life is really 'complex-simplicity.' But for my 40th birthday last year, I threw a huge party and went to Turkey. That was the beginning of me doing more for myself. Oh, and property! I’m responsible, but I’ll buy a property in a minute."
Courtesy
On money-lessons she learned the hard way:
"I was never taught budgeting, so I had to figure it out on my own. And honestly, most Black people are counting and spending their money before they get it. So mentally, they know exactly what they do and don't have.
"Childcare is fast money. If you set up shop in the right location, you can go from $0 to $40,000 quickly. And this happened so early on in my business and so fast that I was out having fun, spending all this money, but I wasn't growing the business that I started.
"You gotta think, I went from getting around $1,200 every two weeks to $8,000. But I learned very, very quickly that I couldn't be gone on vacation 24/7 because no one was running or growing the business. And so it wasn't until that $8,000 a week was $2,500 a week, then $1,800 a week, that I realized I didn’t have as many kids to care for!"
"Childcare is fast money. If you set up shop in the right location, you can go from $0 to $40,000 quickly. And this happened so early on in my business and so fast that I was out having fun, spending all this money, but I wasn't growing the business that I started."
On real estate and passive income:
"I'm a licensed Realtor in both Georgia and Florida, and I became licensed in both states because I invest in real estate. I own the buildings for all my childcare centers outright, with no mortgages. I also own the buildings for any business I operate; I don't rent from anyone. My investment portfolio is focused on real estate because it consistently gains value, and you can always generate income from it.
"Whether you choose to start a business or rent it out, real estate offers flexibility. If you need to access funds, real estate allows for that too. I always recommend investing in real estate because it has worked well for me."
On a final, personal money-saving tip:
"I would say, if your business is a heavy cash flow business, meaning you get a lot of cash but also accept credit cards, checks, and etc., save the cash that you do not need. Put that cash in savings, don’t ride around with it. That way you don’t think twice about spending it."
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy