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Showing posts from 2018

Clutter: The Reason Why You May Be Unable to Move Forward by Sylvia Duncan

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Last month, I took on a task that I’ve been putting off for some time; I cleaned out several closets that were becoming stuffed with stuff.  While doing so, I discovered something about me; I discovered that I had a little bit of a “storing” problem.  Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I didn’t say hoard ing problem , I said stor ing problem , as in , just put it away until you can find a purpose for it later . You know how it goes; you look at an item you’re thinking of tossing and you say to yourself, “I could use this for something”, so you put it away and wait for the time when you really could use it , and w hen that time comes, you ’re glad you had the good sense to “store” such a useful item . Well, although I had convinced myself that cleaning the closets would be a daunting task, once I put a system in place, the task became quite simple; take everything out of the closet, examine each item before deciding its fate.   Either, it would be placed back in the clos

Content is King in 2019 by Brittany Applegate

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I've been studying which marketing trends to pay attention to in 2019, and as always, strong content development is at the top of the list! Good content is one of the strongest tools in your marketing toolkit to earn trust and credibility, build your brand, generate qualified leads and site traffic, and raise awareness for your business. Coming out of my research, I’ve compiled the top 5 content creation trends you need to adopt in 2019! 1. Like Netflix, create binge-worthy content. What do I mean by this? I’ve you’ve found yourself binge-watching shows on Netflix like Orange is the New Black or The Ozarks then you know how exciting it is to log into your profile and get carried away in new episode after episode. Netflix has mastered the art of creating original, quality content and releasing it all at once. Giving viewers the opportunity to watch it all at once, or occasionally on their own time. Something to consider in 2019 is creating a series of content and releasing it at o

Passion, Purpose, and Goals by Felicia Shakespeare

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"Do you know your purpose in life, why you're here?" I recently attended an event and when this question was posed I saw matured (30 plus age) adults who did not raise their hands. What? To me, that is a complete travesty. If you don't know why you're here by age 30 plus, then you have made yourself vulnerable to whatever, whenever, however, and nothing great can come from that. Another occurrence was when I had a doctor's appointment a few weeks back and after striking up a conversation with the administrative clerk who checked me in, I learned she was still trying to "figure out" her calling in life. Well, she had indicated prior to that comment that she had a daughter in college (she’s a mother) and had been married over twenty years (she’s a wife). To have had so many major milestones of life and not have a sense of purpose I begin to think must be debilitating. There has come to a point in all our lives that we won't be denied our destiny

BOSS Spotlight Feature: Dorothy Williams

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Dorothy Williams, a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and the founder of Cre’A’s love Butter! Cre'A's Love Butter is an all-natural, homemade brand that’s made with Love, Passion, and Organic Ingredients that are meant to moisturize the skin and enhance the beauty you already possess.  What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career? The first obstacle was letting go of self-doubt so that I could actually start the business. The second was not knowing how to actually “Run” my business. Timing was an obstacle at the beginning because I had to literally learn the basics. Lastly, Patience. My business was growing so fast that I had to take a step back. Companies wanted my product in their stores but I couldn’t because of legal reasons. Turning down money was a very tough thing to do. What inspired you to break into your particular industry? I was known as “Lady Bug” because I had a little dry spot on this little round fat face

Sacrificing For The Big Picture by Brittany Applegate

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The moment you truly commit to the reality of what it takes to achieve and maintain the success of your dreams will be the moment you begin to truly sacrifice.  We often travel down the road we see our peers traveling, but the alternate route, probably the route you're own right now, will take a lot of sacrifices. So what are you willing to sacrifice? Here are my personal sacrifices I've made over the years, to focus on my bigger picture. LIVING AT HOME WITH MY PARENTS : If you have the opportunity to stay at home with mom and dad for a bit longer - do it! That extra time I spent at home allowed me to invest in my business, fund my organization, Brand Chicago, and most importantly -  SAVE MY COINS . That time will allow you to grow a healthy savings account and live on better terms. NOT DATING: I often viewed a relationship as a distraction, and the truth is sometimes they are. By embracing my singleness, I became laser-focused on simply what was in my control. While si

BOSS Spotlight Feature: Felicia Shakespeare

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Felicia Shakespeare is an author, speaker, educator & entrepreneur. Felicia's career experience spans through many years in the business and education sectors, working for Fortune 500 companies & for the third largest school district in America. Felicia’s mission is to inspire others to be intentional about living a life of faith & purpose. What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career? One of the major obstacles that I faced many times over when starting my career was (by no control of my own) being the only person or woman of color within the organization. In most instances, the level of effort required to succeed was inequitable whether it would be for promotion opportunities, raises, etc. It was unfortunate that each time I joined an organization, I had to prove the value beyond the color of my skin, age and/or gender. Another obstacle at the beginning of my career was finding someone to truly invest in my suc

BOSS Spotlight Feature: Daraiha Greene

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Daraiha Greene is a Google exec, leading external community affairs, the Digital Coaches Program , and multicultural engagement for the CS in Media initiative . She’s the founder and CEO of Rays of Sunlight, Inc. , a 501(c)(3) organization focused on life skills, mindfulness, and creative expression. She’s a proud alumna of Dartmouth College .   1. What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career? When I began my career at Google, I was a part of the Human Resources Associate Rotational program. This was an incredible learning experience, but the challenge was that as soon as I found my groove in a role and reached a strong level of domain expertise, it was time to rotate to the next position. I had a brand new team each time and at least 2 managers per rotation. I’m not a huge proponent of change, but I truly felt like I “grew up” at Google. For this program to be my first full-time experience, it undoubtedly set me up for su

BOSS Spotlight Feature: Monique Wingard

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Monique Wingard is a seasoned Digital Media Professional who has held leadership positions with organizations including Ohio University, Jeffrey M Consulting, McDonald’s Corporation, 1871, Black Girls CODE, and Urban Ministries, Inc. She is an advocate of women and youth in STEAM, founder of The Civic Tech Collective and owner of SAVVY Consulting & Communications LLC. 1. What were some obstacles that you faced in the beginning process of starting your business or career? A major obstacle faced at the beginning of my career was finding positions that paid. I spent a lot of time working for free as an unpaid intern, fellow, or volunteer in order to get experience. While some believe “That’s part of the game.” The reality is that FREE labor does not get the bills paid (student loans.) ...or put food on the table. So like many of my millennial peers, I had to spend some time working in unrelated career fields after college in order to survive financially. 2. What ins

ANNOUNCEMENT: BOSS Top 50 Business Stars Of 2018

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2018 is coming to a close and it seemed only right to highlight some amazing women, who represent leadership, excellence and support the  BOSS  mission.  This list highlights business women, who inspire us by taking destiny into their own hands.  They are leaders and change agents for the next generation of bosses.  We salute them in all their greatness as they continue to make  BOSS  moves. Follow these bosses ! Aaja Corrine www.aajacorinnethebrand.com @aajacorinne Alicia Alston www.prudential.com @AlstonPruPR Autumn Merritt www.sirandmadame.com @sirandmadame Bershan Shaw www.bershan.com @bershanshaw Beverly Claiborn www.abideproducts.com @AbidingBeverly Bridgett McGowen www.bridgettmcgowenhawkins.com @1bmctalks Cassandre Charles-Pierre www.ccharlesconsulting.org @CCharlesConsulting Cheryl Pearson-McNeil www.powerfulpenny.com @powerfulpenny Cora Jakes Coleman www.corajakescoleman.com/ @CJakesColeman Corvet Williams www.corvetwilliams.com @corvet Cristy