

Ericka Pittman: From Diddy’s Right-Hand Woman To Chief Marketing Officer At Aquahydrate
There are a few things that Mommy probably told you when you were growing up. Cross your legs when wearing a dress. Chew with your mouth closed. Go to school. Get a job. Get married. Have babies—preferably in that order.
But what she might not have told you was that in your 20s, you’re probably going to go through a quarter-life crisis where you’re trying to find the answers to who you are, what you really want out of life, and how exactly to go about getting it once you walk across that stage to grab that coveted degree. She probably didn’t tell you that before becoming a leader you have to be willing to follow, and that it’s okay to take advantage of your femininity in a masculine environment, or that it’s important to have a thick skin and a firm stance in order to be a boss chick.
It’s something that Ericka Pittman, former Vice President at Combs Enterprises, is touching on in her forthcoming book—a go-to guide on how to navigate the next phase of life when you’re full of questions and starving for answers. It’s her way of giving back to the next generation of lady leaders, sharing over a decade of wisdom on how she climbed the corporate ladder in the world of entertainment and lifestyle marketing where pantsuits outnumber pencil skirts.
“Women have a tendency to hoard positive information. They want to be the only ones that know, and it's like, the world is so abundant, why wouldn't you want to share and make sure everyone has the knowledge and the tools to be great and amazing?”
A question that needs an answer, because in a world that thrives off of self-preservation, it’s important to preserve the next generation by reaching back as you climb up. It’s something that Pittman hopes to spark conversation around as she details her experiences as a woman who once found herself lost and trying to figure out what’s next, which is hard to believe for a person with such an impressive résumé: Working at media giants Time, Inc., Conde Nast, and Vibe Media Group before shifting over to Combs Enterprises where she held various roles in strategy and marketing throughout the company’s eight divisions. In February of 2015, she was promoted to Vice President of the Chairman’s Office, where she interfaces with the senior executives of each of the divisions that she once used to work under.
“A lot of people don't realize that Combs Enterprises is a portfolio brand, so we have probably eight businesses that fall under Combs Enterprises, and each of those divisions have presidents or CEOs. So I interact on a day-to-day basis with each of the presidents on business moves for our divisions and ensure that their goals and objectives are being met for their businesses, and they're on par with the Chairman's vision, and then simultaneously ensuring that the chairman and his office are delivering on the things that we need to deliver for each of the individual properties."
Talk about elevation.
Not to mention that she was hand-selected by Sean “Diddy” Combs himself for a role that, prior to her occupying, didn’t even exist. It’s a new challenge for her, but no sweat. Pittman knows how to navigate the waters of uncertainty, always being one to go where needed and diving in head first into her positions, never backing down but always stepping up. It’s something that the head honcho, whom she respectfully refers to as “Mr. Combs,” would expect of his team of go-getters: no excuses, just results. Being fearless and staying hungry.
It’s also the reason that she got on his radar. Being one of the few people in the company who had experience within each of the brands—she worked on the launch of Revolt Television, closed the deal on DeLeón Tequila for Combs Wines & Spirits, and lead the rebranding for AQUAhydrate packaging among many other projects—made her an optimal choice when the discussion of a position that would create synergy across the brands came about. Pittman credits her successful climb to her flexibility and her problem-solving skills.
"Working with the [Blue Flame Agency] I touched all of the brands, but then also I go where I'm needed, even if I don't work for the business. I have not worn an operational hat until now so this is an exciting opportunity for me to explore an alternative career path. This role could even parlay a COO role. It’s an honor, and I'm super excited about it!”
But just to be clear, Pittman isn’t walking for cheesecake. She was often seen right by the side of the music and marketing mogul, whether it’s at the Revolt Music Conference or jet setting to a business meeting for Combs Wines & Spirits—always impeccably dressed and paparazzi ready.
Though the Brooklyn native didn’t have a ton of internships, she’s always been a fan of hard work and perseverance. Right out of high school, she completed a few fellowships that sparked her interest in marketing and communications. While at Baruch College she juggled a full-time job and a full-time class schedule, and upon graduating didn’t hesitate to take on opportunities and align herself with the right people to help her go to the next level. With each transition, she’s taken the knowledge of her previous experiences with her as she continued her climb up the corporate ladder. Both her successes and her mistakes (she admits to once being a project hoarder who had to learn how to delegate tasks), have enabled her to stay afloat throughout her career.
“The key is to get in, work super hard, make relationships, all hands on deck, get in where you fit in and be a real contribution, because people are watching,” she says.
“Even when you think they're not watching, they are, and good talent is hard to find so if you really are the cut above the rest; you're going to stand out.”
And Pittman mastered the art of standing out as a woman in a male-dominated industry without compromising who she is. For her it’s about femininity over sexuality. The mental, not the physical. Though in a room full of men, donning a pair of Dolce & Gabbana stilettos and a well-fitted dress is definitely one of the perks of being a woman. Style and tactfulness make a confident lady, and in the boardroom Pittman is just as poised as she is primped.
After all, being Diddy’s right-hand woman meant that she has to be able to hold her own, which includes protecting herself and her reputation—with class, of course—when compromising situations arise. Watching her mother and grandmother achieve their own individual levels of success with integrity and professionalism and understanding her birthright helped the budding boss get a good sense of who she was as a woman. “Being a woman is life. If it were not for me, the human race would cease to exist; there's so much power in that.”
Though she does one day hope to play her role in evolution and be a wife and mother, she’s not willing to compromise who she is, and that includes in her dating life. Last year she was a cast member on Bravo TVs The Singles Project—a reality series following six New York singles as they navigate the world of dating as professionals. She's still single, but she is open to someone who’s authentic and morally sound.
In the meantime, she’s taking a page out of Diddy’s book in creating multiple streams of income. In January of 2016, she was appointed as Chief Marketing Officer at Aquahydrate, a Diddy-owned water brand, and if the new powerful role isn't already enough to keep her hands full, she plans on developing a cosmetic line —something that she says is encouraged at Combs Enterprises.
“I think, as women, we have a tendency to put ourselves on the backburner and make our dreams and ambitions a secondary priority, but for me, this work that I'm doing is really important.”
It’s not just about her, but about being an example for those who are looking at her and looking up to her as a successful multi-dimensional woman of color with the professionalism and personality to match.
“I used to not want to let out my real personality because I felt like people were going to question my professionalism because I have a sense of humor, but then it's like, that's just silly. Like why don't I get to be all of these things that God created me to be? And, once I started to do that and make myself a priority and what I'm doing a priority, bigger opportunities started to present themselves.”
It’s not easy, but she’s determined to make it happen without forgetting to make herself a priority. With a packed day-to-day schedule, it’s necessary to slow down, meditate, hydrate, and explore places that her fabulous lifestyle has yet to take her. She encourages every woman to forgo the Louboutin’s and Chanel bags and take a vacation to at least expose themselves to other places and cultures.
More importantly, she encourages young women to remember that life is a journey, and to focus not on the success of their peers or use the accomplishments of their mentors as barometers, but to direct their attention to living a life that’s passionate and fearless.
“I think that life’s a journey; we never stop growing. I believe that every single person is exactly where they're supposed to be in their life, and if we can embrace that and embrace the natural order of things and just be our best selves, we really can maximize life.”
In case you were wondering, that’ll be in her book, too. It’s not something that her mama told her, but what life taught her—no blueprint, no rules, just real experiences.
Featured image by Charles Norfleet/Getty Images
Originally published in March 2017
Kiah McBride writes technical content by day and uses storytelling to pen real and raw personal development pieces on her blog Write On Kiah. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @writeonkiah.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
An author by the name of Alexandra Katehakis once said this about orgasms: “Great spiritual teachers throughout the ages have stated that orgasm is the closest some people come to a spiritual experience because of the momentary loss of self. Why is this true? Because with spiritual sex, you move beyond orgasm into a connection with yourself, your partner, and the divine — recognizing them all as one.”
If it’s counterintuitive to what you’ve ever thought about orgasms, believe it or not, there are even pastors who have said that climaxing is the closest comprehension of heaven on this side of it: it is an extreme kind of bliss that is indescribable and is best experienced between two people who share a sacrificial kind of love for one another.
Although this might seem like a heavy way to intro this particular topic, because the O Method is an orgasm-achieving technique that centers around housing energy, embracing the mental practice of manifestation, and the attempt to achieve the best climaxes ever — it all works together pretty well if you ask me. If you want to take your orgasms to the next level, it’s important that you get out of yourself (to a certain extent), that you see the spiritual role that manifestation plays, and that you are open to trying new things. No doubt about it.
So, let’s learn more about what the O Method is all about and how it very well could be just what you’ve been looking for…even if you didn’t know it.
What Is the “O Method” All About?
Question: When’s the last time you’ve had an orgasm? Not just any orgasm — I mean a really mind-blowing one (I’ll give you a second to think about it). Now, what if you could manifest that experience to the point where it wasn’t a rare occurrence but something that happened almost every time that you and your partner had sex with each other? How absolutely awesome would that be?
That is pretty much what the O Method is all about — helping you achieve the kind of orgasms (and sexual pleasure, in general) that you desire through the practice of manifestation. And since your biggest sex organ is your brain, it would make perfect sense that even with all of the tips and techniques that you might learn to do as far as your body is concerned, honing in on what you think about is super imperative to sexual fulfillment, too. And that’s just where manifestation comes in.
What If You’ve Never “Manifested” Anything Before?
Before we get into a quick lesson on manifestation, I think it’s important to mention two things. One, for the cynics, there is a lot of truth in the fact that it’s got some solid spiritual basis to it because even the Good Book says that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). At the same time, that same Good Book tells us that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). So, while it is always a good idea to focus on good, positive, and productive thoughts, just thinking about them isn’t enough — at some point, you’ve also gotta get out here and DO something (bookmark that).
Okay, with that mini-sermon out of the way, whether it’s in the bedroom or not, manifestation is basically about focusing on something tangible that you desire, harnessing your energy in such a way that your words and actions are directed towards that longing until what you want, well, manifests. For the record, aside from this having a spiritual backing to it, in many ways, science cosigns on manifesting, too. There is actually a scientific process known as neuroplasticity that consists of reframing your mind so that your actions ultimately end up aligning with your goals — and that is another way to look at manifestation.
So, what if you’re someone who has never set out to do a manifestation practice before? No worries. Something that’s awesome about it is there are several different approaches that you can take.
Some people manifest what they want in their lives via:
- Journaling
- Visualization/Creating vision boards
- Writing down their desires before going to bed (so that they can “download” them into their dream state)
- Creating mantras and affirmations
- Applying the 369 Manifestation Method (you can learn more about that here)
- Meditating
- Learning more about what you want to manifest (which brings forth clarity)
This is important to keep in mind because, when it comes to manifesting the types of orgasms that you want to have, as you can see, you can try different manifestation methods until you find one (or ones) that you are truly comfortable with. One that can ease you into the entire process rather smoothly is something known as sex journaling.
How Sex Journaling Can Actually Help You to Have an Orgasm
As a writer, I’m a big fan of journaling. Mostly because it’s a way to get out some of your deepest thoughts and feelings so that you’re able to really process what is happening inside of you in a private setting. And when it comes to sex journaling, specifically, it’s all about centering yourself on the things sexually that you want to “unpack,” get clarity on or come to some revelations about. For instance, if there’s only been one partner from your past who’s been able to help you achieve the type of orgasms that you wish to manifest, journaling about what makes him different from the other guys can provide you with some solid ah-ha moments.
Or if you need help getting as specific as possible about the sexual experiences that you’re after, journaling can help to make that happen for you — because one thing that manifesting reminds us all to do is be as specific as possible.
Yeah, simply saying, “I want to have better sex” isn’t detailed enough when you want to get your energy to match with your desires — instead, describe how all of your senses should feel in the experience, along with why, that can get you so much closer to achieving your goal. Once those things are documented, you can segue into creating mantras and/or meditation that are based on them. Yeah, sex journaling really is an underrated superpower on a lot of levels (check out “The Art Of Sex Journaling (And Why You Should Do It)”).
5 Tips for Making the O Method Work for You
Now that you know more about what the O Method is and how manifestation plays a direct role in its process, let’s talk about five ways to make the O Method truly effective in your own (sex) life.
1. Focus, FULLY, on your feminine energy. What do rose quartz, amethyst, moonstone (which is a Gemini birthstone as well; yes, I’m a Gemini), selenite, and rhodonite all have in common? They’re crystals that help you to go deeper into your divine feminine energy. Traits that are associated with this include compassion, creativity, kindness, gentleness, and sensuality (feminine energy is also accepting and forgiving). If you were to study energy from a biological standpoint, it’s about producing change, responding to stimuli, and having the ability to do what needs to be done (work). So, when it comes to manifesting the kind of orgasms or sexual experiences that you want, using things like your creativity and gentleness in your thoughts and actions can play a role in bringing balance to your partner’s masculinity, which can create a profound sense of pleasure — after all, opposites do attract.
2. Don’t hold back on what it is that you desire. Whenever I interview sex therapists, something that they all say is, a huge mistake that people make as far as sexual satisfaction is concerned is, they have walls up — not just with their partners but even within themselves. Sometimes, there is intimidation, fear, or even shame around what they really want to happen during sex to the point where they aren’t able to channel their energy fully in those directions in order to manifest what they want. For the O Method to work, you can’t let those types of negative emotions hinder you; the more you are able to articulate what you want and how you want it, the better chance you have of making it happen. So yes, get graphic. As graphic as possible.
3. Make manifestation a daily practice. Repetition is important when it comes to manifestation. That’s because the more you declare what you desire (a mantra), get still and think on it (meditation), or look at the “art” that you’ve created surrounding it (visualization), the quicker it becomes a part of you. So yes, make manifestation a daily practice. For instance, if one of your mantras is, “I am going to have intensely passionate orgasms, one right after the other,” don’t just state that 15 minutes before sex is going to happen. Wake up and declare it. Then say it on your lunch break. And again before turning in. The more your thoughts are “streamlined” in this way, the easier it will be for your body to follow suit.
4. Share this practice with your partner. If you were to do even more research on the O Method, one thing that most of the articles will mention is it’s a practice that you can do alone or with your partner. Indeed. However, I just want to make sure that you get into your psyche that great sex is, in part, about good communication. And so, the more comfortable you are sharing with your partner what you are doing as far as the O Method is concerned and what you ultimately want to happen as a result of the practice, the easier it will be for him to “match your energy” — both in and out of the bedroom. And when your partner is on the same page as you? That definitely increases the chances of attaining your sexual desires — exponentially so.
5. Stay in the moment. While I was reading one article on manifestation, I really appreciated something that the author said: manifestation isn’t some supernatural power. In other words, while it can be beneficial, it’s not like you can just think of something, and it instantly appears out of nowhere. Manifesting is a discipline, and it must be accompanied by action, consistency, and patience — this means that you must also practice mindfulness. Meaning, now that you know better what you’re looking to achieve as far as sex is concerned, every time that it transpires, maintain a level of positive energy, remember what your end goal is, and then determine in your mind to enjoy the moments as they come. Remember, manifestation isn’t to add stress…it’s to cultivate clarity.
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At the end of the day, the O Method is simply a way of reminding you that your mind plays a huge role in your sexual pleasure, and when you channel it and your energy exactly where you want them both to go, you’ll be amazed what your body is capable of doing…and accomplishing.
So, what kind of orgasm are you wanting to achieve? You’ve got a tool to get you there. USE IT.
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